What piece of music sets you remembering?

Before you all start sending in your most evocative tune, let me tell you about mine, a song entitled “Strada nel Bosco”.

In December ’44 I was at Rieti, in Central Italy, being re-trained by the Royal Armoured Corps.

Evening entertainment was at a premium and the local fleapit cinema used to do a roaring trade despite the fact that most of the films were Italian speaking and therefore not readily understood by the mainly British audience.

One night I saw a film that included a haunting song entitled “Strada nel Bosco” and, for whatever reason, the tune stuck in my head for the next sixty odd years.

In October 2006 I came across an Italian website (and that’s another story) called “a Trieste” http://www.atrieste.org/viewforum.php?f=34 and once I’d settled in and persuaded Peter G to also join, I started to try and trace the tune.

I have to thank Peter for finally finding me the definitive version and now, through the wonder of the internet and my new toy, the I-Pod Touch, I can listen once again to this haunting tune that conjures up for me the all the magic of being a callow youth in wartime Italy.

So that's my tune ...... what’s yours, and why?

Ron

 

This song will no doubt be to none of your tastes but it has alot of meaning for me and makes me sad.......to get the full effect of the song you need to listen to it to the end.........its about a proud father who dies due to Cancer and leaves a young son....very powerful song...

YouTube - Plan B - Cast A Light Ft. Jose Gonzalez

Donnie.

 

Mum told me that dad sang this song in his sleep on his last leave home


The Whiffenpoof Song / From the tables down at Mory's mp3 midi free download beach motel Sechelt bed breakfast


The Whiffenpoof Song

 

Anytime I hear Renata Tebaldi sing "Ebben" from Catalini's La Wally - I am transported back to a turret of a Churchill Tank on guard in the pouring rain in the Liri valley - the raw voice of Tebaldi in this aria still sends shivers up my spine.

Cheers

 

Since my late school age most evocative song is for me is Metallica's cover for Whiskey In The Jar, which still associating for me with un-successful relations I had with one girl and the song was releases the same time we were dating, but no luck, no luck whatever I did.. Although the song itself is mostly positive it still causes some deep sad feelings in me... (YouTube - metallica whisky in the jar).

Another song that is most evocative for me is Rammstein's Du Hast wich is associated with another hard period in my life, Rammstein's songs supported me at that time, really (YouTube - Ramstein - Du Hast, in english YouTube - Rammstein - Du Hast (English)).

PS: misic is playing huge role in my life, its an enegry source for me in hard & good times )

 

Vincent by Don McLean brings back good, strong memories from a long time ago in school. YouTube - Vincent - Don Mclean

Middle of the Road by the Pretenders reminds me of a girl I dated after high school.
YouTube - the pretenders - middle of the road

Rock of Ages (the hymn, not the Def Leppard tune) makes me think of my grandmother, who died when I was 19. We were very close and she sang this song often as she did housework.
YouTube - Gaither "Rock of Ages" live Augustus Toplady 1778

A college tune Lone Justice - Ways to be Wicked
YouTube - "Ways to be Wicked" by Lone Justice

and finally:

Unforgettable by Nat King Cole always brings back visions of my wife, because she loves this song and, well, she is unforgettable.
YouTube - Nat King Cole - Unforgettable

 

deadb tch -
"Rammstein - Du hast" is music ???

it's no wonder there is so much violence in the world to-day with that satanic cacophany - try your own Tschiakowski's "Pathetique" Symphony - especially the second movement - you might find some peace there - or the prelude to " La Traviatta"- or my own particular favourite Mascagni's "Intermezzo" from "Cavaleria Rusticana" - all peaceful stuff - lets you forget everything ....
Cheers

 

It has to be 3 tunes

This one Samuel Barbers Adagio For Strings, composed in 1938 I believe. a real sense of teh looming war
YouTube - Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings, op.11

And Elgar's Nimrod, always brings a lumg to my throat thinking of the soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan brought off the planes in coffins, makes me feel more British then any other tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HqOowRwGxA

When I'm drawing I am a little weird and like to listen to Early English music such as Orlando Gibbons amongst others
YouTube - Orlando Gibbons - Madrigals
Henry Purcell
YouTube - Henry Purcell - "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary" (3)
and Bach all seem to get me in the 'zone'
YouTube - Johann Sebastian Bach (organ works) - Sonata in flat major

Which is very odd as I came from a sink estate in Brixton!

 

My favorites are:

Elgar - Nimrod

Status Quo - In the Army Now, as this was one of my uncle's favorite songs, and unfortunately he died young 6 years ago suddenly (he was a in the local T.A.)

Kraftwerk - Neon Lights

Kraftwerk - Tour de France (as my favorite sport is cycling, and I get that from my dad)

Mussogsky - A night on bare mountain, it reminds me of a thunderstorm circling the mountains in France.

 

Soren -
Samuel Barber's "adagio for strings" has an effect on me also - I want to throw up !

When you are drawing - try Bach's "Air on G Strings ' - that's peaceful !

Cheers

 

Adam,

I made a valiant effort to listen to the those tunes, but I failed, espcially with the dude on the tall building. He needs help.

Alright, go ahead and rip into my memories.

 

deadb tch -
"Rammstein - Du hast" is music ???

it's no wonder there is so much violence in the world to-day with that satanic cacophany - try your own Tschiakowski's "Pathetique" Symphony - especially the second movement - you might find some peace there - or the prelude to " La Traviatta"- or my own particular favourite Mascagni's "Intermezzo" from "Cavaleria Rusticana" - all peaceful stuff - lets you forget everything ....


Probably I'm too young to understand classics , but most impressive for me is Nessum Dorma when perfomed by L. Pavarotti.

If talk about peaceful stuff - that's probably one and only Nothing Else Matters by Metallica (YouTube - metallica - nothing else matters). Song for my heart and soul from the beginning till the end. Probably

 

Reading your many responses made me quickly appreciate the obvious. No one tune can lay claim to being the most evocative and I hasten to add to my own first choice.

In December 1947 I met the love of my life and in July 1949 we were married. The photo is purely for any of you romantics

My days in Italy were still fresh in my mind and at our wedding reception I persuaded Nita to "open the ball" with the Italian classic "Santa Lucia" .

From that day on this was always regarded as "our song" and whenever we are on holiday and the bar or restaurant has a band or pianist I always make a point of greasing someone's palm to have "Santa Lucia" played.

In Venice in 2007 I found this obliging accordianist and ditto the chap in Sienna in 2003.

If you like Italian "oldies" then use this link: L'Italia in Brasile - Alcune tra le più belle canzoni italiane del passato
You can find virtually everything here, including Strada nel Bosco, Santa Lucia and that wonderful old favourite "Oh Mari !"

 

Ron - weren't you the swishiest pair in that photo .....well done that there man !

 

Lets get back to the real war time nostalgia.... "Jatendrai" by the "Little Sparrow"
I have the war time recording here at home. Plus the first ringing of damaged church bells from the shelled church at Hermanville, And a recording as they are today.
Sapper

 

Well two Little Sparrows in a row.
"Non je ne regrette rien" No Regrets - is my number one by Edith Piaf.

These are all very personal so they will all be different - Thank God.

YouTube - Edith Piaf - Non, je ne regrette rien (1961)

My second is Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLEBAQLZ3Q

 

ok theres a few for me (And no Owen, they aint Cheesy party anthems!):
Marvin Gaye :whats going on (A Capella)
YouTube - What's Going On A Cappella - Marvin Gaye
No music just Marvins voice and such a beautiful song too.


Art of Noise Moments in Love: YouTube - Art Of Noise - Moments In Love
Got me through bad times when I were a wee lad

Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway Back together again: YouTube - Back Together Again- Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway 1979


The next batch of songs I just find awe-inspiring:
Vangelis (Theme from 1492): YouTube - Vangelis - 1492 - Conquest Of Paradis

Ennio Morricone "Deborah's Theme" from Once upon a Time in America: YouTube - Ennio Morricone "Deborah's Theme", live in Warsaw

James Horner: Theme from "Glory": YouTube - Glory - Main Theme

And some songs that remind of my wife (Bless her!):
The Black Family Colcannon
YouTube - The Black Family - Colcannon

Shaun Davey - Granuaile: YouTube - Granuaile

The Pogues - Thousands are Sailing: YouTube - The Pogues- Thousands Are Sailing

Sinead O'Connor - She moves through the fair: YouTube - Sinéad O'Connor - She moved through the Fair - Sult 1997

 

Another one thats quite evocative: YouTube - The Green Fields Of France

 

Reading through the list of tunes was fascinating to say the least and as a lover of all types of music except I might add the so called modern music it was an eye opener
From the beautiful Cavaliria Rusticana by Mascagni to the wonderful Operas by
Puccini “Tosca “and so forth in our time during the war in Italy of course it was Benjiamino Gigli to hear him sing” Core Ungrato” made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and even now sung by Luciana Pavarotti is one of my favourite pieces of music but as Ron says my most emotive song was sung by it seemed the whole population of Italy at that time was a Neapolitan song called Momma and it showed how they held their mothers in the highest esteem

Cheers niccar