Travels

My wife, Dedra, and I just spent the past week in Pierre, South Dakota. I’m sure Pierre wouldn’t be for everyone, but I love it. I have my chair of contemplation there, and I take daily walks along the Missouri River. The people are incredibly nice (just like my upbringing in Kansas), and I always feel like a member of a small republic when I’m there.

To keep reading, please go here:

https://bradleyjbirzer.substack.com/p/time-time-time

For those Spirit of Cecilia readers who might be interested, I’ve started my own substack. Please subscribe! Here’s my introductory post:

https://bradleyjbirzer.substack.com/p/full-of-myself

 

For Immediate Release

Two New EPs From Held By Trees Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios Released Exclusively by InnerSleeve.com

Featuring Paul McCartney/Pretenders guitar legend Robbie McIntosh!

Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed debut album, “Solace”, instrumental project Held By Trees is excited to be releasing two new EPs this year on Sound Canyon Records through InnerSleeve.comrecorded at Peter Gabriel’s famous Real World Studios, the first EP is comprised of live versions of five tracks from “Solace”. The six-piece live iteration of Held By Trees brings together three of the Talk Talk/Mark Hollis alumni that contributed to “Solace” including renowned guitarist Robbie McIntosh. The band recorded playing all together in the ‘Big Room’ at Real World in November 2022, a week after their debut live performances.

The second EP is an entirely new suite of pieces themed on the transition from daylight to darkness. Entitled “Eventide”, it was tracked live at Real World Studios and then additional layers were added by musicians in America and Canada, by old friends of project leader David Joseph.

The twin EPs will be released on separate CDs and as two sides of one vinyl pressing by new American record label, Sound Canyon and their retail arm www.InnerSleeve.com

The new material sees Held By Trees continue to create instrumental music characterized by skilled improvisation over spacious, epic arrangements. The music draws on the influence of Van Morrison and John Martyn, alongside their usual late Talk Talk and Pink Floyd references. The live versions of “Solace” tracks bring a fresh intensity to the music, with a heavier vibe created by the band in real time.

The main musicians who worked on the new EPs are…
Laurence Pendrous – piano
James Grant – bass, double bass
Robbie McIntosh – guitar
David Joseph – guitar
Andy Panayi – flute, clarinet, saxophone
Paul Beavis – drums

Pre-orders available at https://www.innersleeve.com/en-gb/collections/held-by-trees

First 50 customers pre-ordering the bundle (both EP’s and the vinyl) will receive an exclusive signed poster and one lucky winner will receive a set of album cover cushion covers

Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuam_koJkII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrUjGIrSAVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb6ZTLgEXhQ

Held By Trees and www.InnerSleeve.com will be celebrating the release with a launch show at the Half Moon in Putney London on September 21st 2023

WHAT THEY SAID….

“A fascinating project… Rekindles the spirit of Talk Talk to startling effect… channels their psychedelic post-rock vibe to an almost eerie degree” – Prog Magazine

“…beautifully played throughout…” – Mojo Magazine

“A tree is planted for every album sold… I’ll be planting a few trees – giving them out at Christmas!” – Guy Garvey, Elbow / BBC 6 Music

“…beautiful, minimalist, instrumental delight” – Scottish Daily Express

“Timely, important, beautiful music” – Under the Radar

“A tantalising project evokes the spirit of latter-era Talk Talk and David Gilmour-led Pink Floyd…highly recommended for fans of Hollis’ sparse aesthetic” – Classic Pop Magazine

“New heroes of post-rock/prog have arrived.” – Record Collector Magazine

“…Lovely but very different guitar work… somehow sparse but also slightly proggy as well which I know will sound very appealing, almost like a perfect combination…” – Elizabeth Alker – Unclassified, BBC Radio 3

“Solace” charted at Number 4 on the Indie Breakers Chart and Number 23 on the main Indie Chart

For more information: www.heldbytrees.co.uk UK

Have you seen the latest issue of PROG Magazine? As always, the magazine is filled with exciting news from new and old bands. But, in the latest issue of our eyes fell on the Q&A with Matt Dorsey. Having known Matt for years we are very excited about his debut solo release and pleased that he has allowed us to be a small part of it. Have you heard it? What do you think? We love it, but, then again, we might be biased … 😊 As always, if you know any independent bands or record labels looking for distribution assistance in North America, please feel free to put them in contact with us (sven@thebandwagonusa.com) or drop us a message telling us to check them out.  HIGHLIGHTSVonn Zandus Vonn Zandus is the new solo project from Joe Burns from UK proggers, Guranfoe. This project combines keyboards, synthesizers, drums, marimba and glockenspiel into ecstatic progressive music. There is really no better way to describe this rhythmically complex and melodically vibrant album. If you like vibrant instrumental prog, you should really give this one a try. Vonn Zandus – The Band Wagon USA Strange Horizon Strange Horizon is back and kicking … you know what we mean 😊 The labels we attach to music can be strange and sometimes confusing and one of the reasons we often try to avoid them. Strange Horizon is described as Doom Metal or as they like Blytung Skandinavisk Heavy Metal. What we hear is 70’s inspired hard rock that … yes you know what we mean. No matter how you describe it, this is a great album, with lots of energy that begs to get turned up to 11. Strange Horizon – The Band Wagon USA Candles – YouTube Nick Bohensky & Max N’Adamo Some of you already know Nick and Max from the band The 16 Deadly Improvs. What you may not know is that they have more to offer. While waiting for the next installment from their band to finish up, these two decided they have more to give and have released the EP Imphilosible. Give them a listen, we know some of you will like this. Physically only available on Vinyl. Nick Bohensky & Max N’Adamo – The Band Wagon USA Forwards/Backwards by Nick Bohensky and Max N’Adamo – YouTube Syllogism – YouTube CURRENT PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGNS Matt Dorsey – Let Go (CD) Available Now! Matt Dorsey – The Band Wagon USA Dave Foster Band – Glimmer (CD, Black Vinyl, Yellow Vinyl) CD Available Now! (Vinyl delayed until mid-May) Dave Foster Band – The Band Wagon USA Waking Dreams – Sliding Lines (CD & Vinyl) Available Now! Waking Dreams – The Band Wagon USA Aisles – Beyond Drama (CD) Available Now! Aisles – The Band Wagon USA Big Big Train – Ingenious Devices (Hoody) April 19 deadline for pre-orders has passed May 12 Release Big Big Train – The Band Wagon USA Howlin’ Sun – Maxime (CD, Black Vinyl, Transparent Orange Vinyl) May 19 Release Howlin’ Sun – The Band Wagon USA Hex A.D. – Delightful Sharp Edges (CD, Black Vinyl, Transparent Orange Vinyl) May 26 Release Hex A.D. – The Band Wagon USA Strange Horizon – Skur 14 (CD, Black Vinyl, Purple Vinyl) May 26 Release Strange Horizon – The Band Wagon USA   Rick Armstrong – Chromosphere (CD) May/June Release Rick Armstrong – The Band Wagon USA Vonn Zandus – Unimortal (CD) June 9 Release Vonn Zandus – The Band Wagon USA Big Big Train – Ingenious Devices (CD, Black Vinyl, Sky Blue Vinyl) June 30 Release Big Big Train – The Band Wagon USA LAST BUT NOT LEAST Rita is jetting off today to see some Scottish Heavy Metal band (aka Marillion) in Italy. She claims she is “working”, but Sven isn’t buying it. If you are going to be in Padua, stop by the merch desk and say hello. She’ll be the one who kinda looks like our logo 😉 She will be back on Monday, then home for a week before it is off to Montreal for the Marillion Weekend there. Rita will be working at the merch desk, along with running the charity event, helping supports acts Matt Dorsey and John Young, and orchestrating the John Young solo show on Sunday, May 14. Sven will be busy giving Rita grief for doing too much while performing his duties “herding cats” and whatever else bands and management need. If you catch a glimpse of us, come and say hi, we would love to meet you. Don’t be shy, we don’t bite. Unless we are hungry 😊 Are you following us on Facebook and Instagram? If not, we would appreciate if you would, thereby adding another way for us to communicate. It is a great way to see what we are putting up on our site and will usually be the first place you will see it.

Prior to the 15^th century, European maritime adventures were primarily limited to coastal navigation outside the Mediterranean Sea.  In the late 15^th century, spearheaded by Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese developed a new type of ship called the caravel.  The caravel had capabilities beyond other sailing ships of the day, and because of its design, was capable of voyages on the open ocean.  On August 3^rd, 1492, the caravels Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria departed from Palos de la Fronterra, Spain, heading westward into the Atlantic Ocean.  On October 12^th, they made landfall on an island that is now part of the Bahamas.  Months later, the Nina sailed into the port of Lisbon with news of the discovery.  It was an epochal moment.  The world has never been the same.

Today, on the Gulf Shore of Southeast Texas, the world witnessed the first launch of the caravel of the Space Age.  Starship, boosted by the Super Heavy first stage (the largest, most powerful rocket ever built) cleared the pad and roared into the skies over the Gulf of Mexico.  While the flight did encounter what Elon Musk refers to as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly, one should not view this test as a failure.  This is particularly true when considering the iterative engineering process of SpaceX – and its mantra of “Move fast, break things.”  The flight hit several important milestones while also yielding valuable data which SpaceX engineers will use to further refine the design, fix flaws, and get the next iteration of this rocket on the pad within a few months.  Keep in mind that SpaceX is the same company now has over 100 consecutive successful, propulsive landings of the Falcon 9 booster – many of them re-used multiple times.  There was a time when the “smart” people said such a thing was not even possible.  And yet, here we are – propulsive landings of the Falcon 9 first stage are nearly as routine as successful airplane landings.  When a company has a track record like that, it’s foolish to bet against them.

Why is Starship significant? Just as the caravel was designed to carry people across the oceans of Earth, Starship was designed for carrying people across the oceans of empty space.  And just as the caravel took many too the new world, the motivation for designing Starship was the same, with Mars being the prime target (a variant will also take astronauts back to the moon).  It will be entirely reusable, capable of returning to the world from which its journey started, just as the Nina did.  No other such crewed spacecraft currently exists or has ever existed. Starship will be the first. Furthermore, it will further reduce launch costs.  Falcon 9 can already put approximately the same amount of payload into the same orbit as the Space Shuttle could – but at 1/20^th of the cost.  A fully operational Starship promises at least another order of magnitude reduction in that cost.  Thus, in both cost and capability, Starship will be the vehicle that truly opens the final frontier, not just for a few astronauts that can meet NASA’s exacting standards, but for ordinary people.  When Starship lands on Mars with humans on board, it will be every bit as epochal as the moment when Columbus realized the significance of his discoveries.

Like the 1960’s, we live in tumultuous times.  But also, like the 1960’s, we live in exciting times, certainly when it comes to advances in spaceflight.  Whereas the previous era was driven by governments and the impetus of the Cold War, the advances of the present era are being driven by the private sector, and without many of the non-technical limitations of the former era.  While looking at some of the goings-on in the world today is rather depressing, the world of spaceflight is as exciting as it has been at any time since the build-up to Neil Armstrong’s call of “Tranquility Base here – the Eagle has landed.”  

To be sure, there is a long way to go, as the ending of today’s test flight attests.  But I am more confident than ever that we will see Starship take humans to Mars, and maybe even beyond; that we will see the first trickle of a migration that was once as inconceivable as the migrations to the New World were in 1491.  What an incredible time to be alive.

Godspeed, Starship.

By Richard K. Munro

(16) Puccini – La Bohème – Musetta’s Waltz – YouTube

My old battalion commander who shall remain nameless at this time once said to me “Why have one girl when you can have them all!”

I answered humbly I rather have one good one than 100 bad ones.

Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you’ll see here again and again.

Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
-RICHARD RODGERS SOUTH PACIFIC

Is love at first sight possible? Do people really meet and in moments later know they have met someone special? Yes, I believe it. There is a lot of evidence for it! LOVE is very powerful. I believe it happens all the time when we least expect it. John Joseph Powell in the SECRET OF STAYING IN LOVE wrote:
“Do you believe in true love? Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you believe in love lasting forever? I think that these love stories will renew or reinforce your faith in love… They are the most famous love stories in history and literature, they are immortal. “It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.” Yes, no one can know true happiness unless they know the love of a husband and wife or of a child. I know when i first saw my grandchildren it was love at first sight! But I am going to write mostly of romantic love today.

The German author Herman Hesse described love at first sight in his charming novel GERTRUDE: “I already thought on that first evening of our meeting how glorious it would be to spend one’s whole life regarded by those beautiful, candid eyes, and how it would then be impossible ever to think or do ill.”

Victor Hugo believed in it when Gringoire saw the beautiful gypsy ESMERALDA in the THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME: “If he had had all Peru in his pocket, he would certainly have given it to this dancer; but Gringoire had not Peru in his pocket; and besides, America was not yet discovered. (p. 66)

This is the actress MAUREEN O’ HARA (1939) as Esmeralda in the film HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Who with eyes and heart in breast could not fall in love with such a smile?

Shakespeare believed in love at first sight and described it beautifully:

“Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear,
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

The Finnish author Mila Waltari believed in love at first sight. By the way he was a favorite author of Cari Munro’s Spanish father Carlos Perez (Juanita Perez told me and had his book in Spanish translation). I never met him of course but talked to his father Don Benigno in 1973 and 1976 and I own a book that belonged to Carlos called the LAST OF THE MOHICANS in Spanish.
Waltari wrote:
“Today I saw you and spoke to you for the first time.
It was like an earthquake; everything in me was overturned, the graves of my heart were opened and my own nature was strange to me.
I am forty, and I believed I had reached the autumn of life.
I had wandered far, known much and lived many lives.
The Lord had spoken to me, manifesting Himself in many ways; to me angels had revealed themselves and I had not believed them. But when I saw you I was compelled to believe, because of the miracle that happened to me.”

Arthur Conan Doyle believed in love at first sight:
    “From the first day I met her, she was the only woman to me. Every day of that voyage I loved her more, and many a time since have I kneeled down in the darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship because I knew her dear feet had trod it. She was never engaged to me. She treated me as fairly as ever a woman treated a man. I have no complaint to make. It was all love on my side, and all good comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted she was a free woman, but I could never again be a free man.” (From the Return of Sherlock Holmes).

Here is love at first sight that is unrequited. It happens sometimes. The person is married. The circumstances are too difficult the age difference is too big. I met a beautiful woman who was very fond of me but she was a youthful 42 and I was 19. We parted as friends. And I thought I had no one in the world to love so I wrote (true) to my Spanish friend Cari whom I had not seen in two years but with whom I carried on a regular correspondence from 1973 until 1982!

Of course, the idea is romantic. Wonderfully romantic but then I have always been a romantic. Italian operas are romantic. Scottish and Irish songs are romantic and are full of stories of the FORCE OF DESTINY. Today I think we are living in a more hedonistic and less romantic age and dating is very difficult. It almost seems too good to be true that an instant attraction and electric feeling could change our lives forever. And the old saying is very true: “Better to have loved and lost then never have loved at all.” So if you feel that strong attraction you should act on it. Robert Burns sang of one of the most beautfiul girls he had ever seen:

    This Mary Morison – I first heard it sung in concert and later on recordings by Kenneth McKellar.

This is love at first sight:

O Mary, at thy window be !
It is the wish’d, the trysted oor.
Those smiles and glances let me see,
That mak the miser’s treasure poor,
Sae blithely wad I bide the stoure,
A weary slave frae sun tae sun,
Could I the rich reward secure –
The lovely Mary Morison.

Yestreen, when to the trembling string
The dance gaed thro, the lichted ha’,
Tae thee my fancy took its wing,
I sat, but neither heard nor saw:
Tho’ this was fair, and that was braw,
And yon the toast o’ a’ the toon,
I sigh’d and said amang them a’ –
‘They are na Mary Morison!’

O Mary canst thou wreck his peace
Wha for thy sake wad gladly dee?
Or canst thou break that hert o’ his
Whase only faut is loving thee?
If love for love thou wilt na gie,
At least be pity to me shown:
A thought ungentle canna be
The thought o’ Mary Morison.

She was the TOAST OF THE TOWN and immortalized by the poem. I have been to her gravestone. In Mauchline, Scotland not far from the tavern where Burns wrote the poem in her honor.

Poor wee lassie! She died of a fever and no one could save her and that was the end of sweet Mary Morrison! Not even 21 and never married! Sad she had many gifts but health and strength of body were not hers. .But I think she must have felt the thrill of being loved and admired as least for a while and perhaps was waiting for her majority to say yes. The story of Mary Morrison tells us that no one is master of the line of his or her life.

When you find love TAKE IT! Don’t delay! You may never have another chance.

Poosie Nancy’s one of Robert Burns’s pubs. I have been there and had dinner and a few drinks afterward. I recited his poems and as the evening wore on we walked to the graveyard to see the stone of MARY MORRISON: