A Cup of Tea & Biscuits

I never realized how much I liked and appreciated history, ancient and modern world, for a very long time. I hated studying for history tests at school, but the stories stayed with me. I admit that I do not recall dates and periods, but I remember, quite accurately, the happenings and most particulars surrounding it. So when I found a bunch of songs relating these tales, I was positively delighted. The first is an instrumental project - E.S. Posthumus . Brilliant compositions, moving sounds. I've listened to and falled in love with all of their compositions, possibly because they are classical and epic! Tikal  - from their debut album  Unearthed On to power metal and Sabaton , not the foot covering of an armor - I didn't have to look on Wikipedia for that :P, I just happen to know it! - but a Swedish metal group that focuses its musical and songwriting abilities on historical wars. Lyrically they cover the World Wars, but there are some other battles too. From their album The...

Still on my instrumental/sentimental phase, also experimenting (because of a friend) with some indie rock, so here it goes! Noir - Solitude by the Window Something of an End - My Brightest Diamond I heard Shara Worden live last week, she played at one of the radio stations for select audience and I went along because of a friend and fell in love with her voice. This song and another (She didn't brave the war, but she saved the day) made me cry.

As one normally does, I go through phases of music. It generally varies between classical, sub-genres of metal, instrumental - mostly piano or violin. I'm very selective in what I listen to so while this doesn't seem like too much of a variety, I can assure you that there's enough music in all of these put together to last me a life time and a few more! Anyhow, my current phase is a piano instrumental one. It has been recurring, but of late it seems to have gone on for a little longer. This meant that I was able to understand what exactly I like about the sound of a piano being played. I noticed that I preferred the more mellow, subtle sounds that the overtly happy ones. Like this one by David Nevue called The Vigil. And the simple beauty of Just You and Me by Michele McLaughlin. This just follows my liking of epic music, either the emotions/feelings are represented in massive strength, or take time in presenting themselves. I...

Lux Æterna by Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet from Requiem for a Dream (2000) I've wanted to learn how to the play the piano from even before I wanted to sing. Unfortunately, it has never really taken shape in the way I wanted it, but I did manage to teach myself to some extent! My Dad bought me a miniature Casio, one of those kiddie ones with about 15 keys, and I began to play by ear. Any and every song that I loved, I would play. In more recent times I've been playing full length songs off of my favorite albums, even if just with a single hand and no sheet music ( I can't read music :P) One of the best leitmotifs composed, this is a song I've obsessed about since I heard it. I think I have some 5 different versions of the song, including the one used as Requiem for a Tower in the trailer for The Two Towers (LOTR), an orchestal version and a live version by the Quartet. My point is, I love this track! It's brilliantly epic and I can see a whole battle, o...

For the Love of a Princess by James Horner from Braveheart (1995) Every girl dreams of her prince charming, riding up to her and sweeping her off her feet, gazing into her eyes and telling her that his heart his hers. She also dreams that she's a princess... I'm sure most girls are called princesses by their parents, a title generally bestowed upon the baby girl by her father... So wishing that one of the songs at her wedding be this heart warming soothing score by James Horner is natural, I would think. I'm a romanticist at heart, despite my public opinions on several other things. I find beauty in small simple matters. And while I have not given much thought to my wedding, I do know what songs I would like to hear on the day - most of them rock and metal ballads/classics, but several epic instrumentals as well. This song came to mind in a dream... I was writing descriptions of two of my characters and was trying to find a song for them, this one happened most inadverten...

Main Theme from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Hans Zimmer (2009) I play video games, much to the astonishment and slight chagrin of most of my male friends, because they are interesting and keep my mind off the mundane things in life. I prefer strategic games or ones with a decent storyline to it. So, I suppose it's quite obvious, like several other obvious things, that I should like the Call of Duty series. The theme music in all of them are amazing, but this particular composition by Hans Zimmer caught my attention as I finished up the game and watched the credits roll in. I bought the CD soon after and found that I've listened to this theme in moments of sadness, when I've been upset and when I'm thinking and plotting of how to deal with it. Mr. Zimmer doles out beautiful themes every single time and this is no exception. It's serious, sensitive and apt for the theme of a war game and I love it! It doesn't make me cry, but it goes so well with those mom...

Symphony No. 9 in E minor: From the New World by Antonín Dvořák This is probably Dvořák's most famous composition and I'm sure most would've heard it somewhere because it figures significantly in modern repertoire. I've loved the romantic movements of the period so it's rather obvious that I should like this one. I associate this composition with happiness because I think the first time I heard it I was happy about something a friend had told me and I felt my senses being elevated with the surges and drops in this symphony. It has an epic feel to it and yet it soft and soothing enough to allow me to let my feelings unfold. I'm putting up only the 4th Movement 'cause it is my favorite part of the whole composition, but I do love the whole set!