Choir music

Since I was 4 years old, I've sung. This I know from a tape recording my late grand mother made of my twinsister and my self, singing "Old McDonald had a farm" (in Swedish: "Per Olsson hade en bonnagård"). After that there has been a sucession of choirs, quartets, duos, rock bands, indie pop and some more choirs.
Of all those songs that I've sung through out the years, a couple stick out. Those mostly loved are almost always the hard ones. Due to technicalities or some other kind of struggle.

These are three of my favorites:

"Länge leve livet" (Long live life)
It's not very difficult, but I adore it for the simplicity, which is pure brilliance, of the harmonies. The only recording I found on YouTube was of the quartet Söla, which doesn't have the usual energy I have sung it with. It doesn't need much more, just a bit more gusto and, really, joy of life.

"Sanctus" by Jan Sandström
This, on the other hand, is very difficult. There are pauses, false starts and strange harmonies. And beauty, so much beauty. It was written by the Swedish composer Jan Sandström for an orphanage, to which all proceeds go to. More beauty, of the human kind.

"La Rejouissance" by Händel (from "Music for the Royal Fireworks")
It's a classical piece, a bit hard for some but not all the reasons given above. You can hear it from 7.15 min into the clip above, but my recommandation is that you hear it through. Beautiful piece of music, for all music lovers. It conveys such love and excitement.
When I sang it with my choir, we used a score intended for flutes. It worked just as well with voices and "la-la-la" and "bara-bam-bam-pa" :)

now life is sweet
and what it brings
I try to take
but loneliness
it wears me out
it lies in wait
-"Leaving New York"

Knitting with an edge

I'm not very good with my hands. I'm extremely predominantly right-handed and clumsy by nature. So much so that when I still lived with my parents, I had knife- and scissors restrictions (yet I have 3 scars on my hands and I always have at least one cut).

I don't like to sew, I do it when I have to, like when clothes I buy are too long (always) or when I need to mend something. But I've always been fascinated by knitting. It seems like such a zen-thing to do, watching my grandmother whip up socks, sweaters and hats while still having conversations with my grandfather made it seem like it was a breeze.
Of course it isn't, the only thing I've ever knitted was a hat and it had more holes than a Swiss cheese. But when I come across things like these, I get inspired once more:

Tea! Tea and knitting! What could possibly go wrong? With both patterns and recipes, Knitting and Tea: 25 Classic Knits and the Teas That Inspired Them is a winner.

And when you feel less like a good girl (or boy) Pints and Purls: Portable Projects for the Social Knitter rates the difficulty of the patterns after "can be knitted after one drink", "can be knitted after a few drink" or "can be knitted after one too many" (that would be my level).

Did she feel the beat that stirs,
the fall from grace of wayward girls?
Was she tempted to pretend,
the love and laughter, 'til the end?
-Photograph

New blog

This is a blog for all things nerdy in my way of thinking.
Comics, music, games (tv, portable, pc, board and so on), wierd sports and things that I have yet to discover it's nerdiness.
It will be written in English, though I'm Swedish. Learning a different language is an on-going process, so sometimes my brain will be switch into "swedish mode" and things might look funny. If you find blatant errors, please report it.

Oh, and I will end all posts with a quote from an R.E.M.-song.
Why? Because they are brilliant :)

Me, my thoughts are flower strewn,
ocean storm, bay berry moon,
I've got to leave to find my way
-Find the River