Music

What are your favorite types of foods?

But not last night’s Proms in the UK. Hands down the worst one I’ve ever watched with the worst sound and music. Excepting Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody of course. Brian May ensured that. The typewriter song lead by one of our funniest comedians, Bill Bailey was great too, as were the choir.

However, a soprano shrieked Rule Britannia as I never want to hear it again. Whomever arranged it for her needs a good talking to. Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory (which I extended to a song for every democracy in last night’s post), looked flat. Somehow the filming made the audience look non-existent instead of bringing out the sheer vastness of joy you normally see.

The audience did their best, the musicians and choir did their best, but someone somewhere decided to take it from a raucous night of celebration to something well managed, and devoid of its normal humour. The Conductor managed a twinkle though.

What was nice was all the EU flags. It was good to see England show that its relationship with the EU was and is valued, especially now we’re standing side-by-side against tyranny once again.

Creatures like Farage and Johnson can appeal to those who can’t see that globalisation is here, to put it politely, and play to prejudice, but ultimately they can’t separate one European nation from the rest. We are Europeans. It was nice to see that recognised and respected.

“If music be the food of love, play on.”

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.

Last night I saw how every democracy is a Land of Hope and Glory. I saw that in a song.

Music unites, it connects us across the world. It transcends language, skin colour, race, creed, religion. It reaches out across all divisions and creates joyful, harmonious, links, between people of all nations.

Musicians can talk to us through song, those catchy lyrics carry a message that sometime we miss; like “Land of Hope and Glory“. Traditionally heard once a year in England at the Proms. Yet applicable to every country whose people are free. What a huge movement that is. Isn’t that magical!

Especially in a world where people are deeply concerned that even the West is going mad, with the rise of the violence and nastiness of the far right. Why do they exist?

Which really leaves us with a very appropriate quote:

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Or for every Democrat everywhere…

Our king, to me, is God. God is love. But may every democracy and every democrat everywhere become stronger and mightier, and follow the right leader (to be clear: God).

Keep being yourselves no matter what, we are what the world needs:

We are peace

We are freedom

We are democracy

We represent survival

Democracies fought together and won twice in the last century. Who we are, what we represent, we have never been needed more.

Best love

Stand firm

Amorah – Deb xx