The innocence of birdsong

The following is an excerpt from Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. Jack Firebrace is a soldier in the trenches of World War I, and in the following passage he reflects on his son and the nature of his innocence.

‘His thoughts turned towards home. Eight and a half years earlier when his wife had given birth to a son, Jack’s life had changed. As the child grew, Jack noticed in him some quality he valued and which surprised him. The child was not worn down. In his innocence there was a kind of hope. Margaret laughed when Jack point this out to her. “He’s only two years old”, she said. “Of course he’s innocent.”

This is not what Jack had meant but he could not put into words the effect that watching John had on him. He saw him as a creature who had come from another universe: but in Jack’s eyes the place from which the boy had come was not just a different but a better world. His innocence was not the same thing as ignorance; it was a powerful quality of goodness that was available to all people: it was perhaps what the Prayer Book called a means of grace, or a hope of glory.’

Birdsong is a compelling and beautifully written book (although I must warn you that it contains some very strong sex scenes), but the thoughts of this character really made me think about what it means to be innocent and seen through the eyes of faith it offers a real hope to those weighed down by the world and their own sinfulness. People talk about losing their innocence, usually in reference to the carnal temptations of a secular society. But I think if somebody can lose their innocence then they can regain it as well. Like Jack says, ‘it was a powerful quality of goodness that was available to all people’. I think this gives hope to people who feel that they have lost their innocence through their mistakes and misadventures in life, often in the area of sexuality. Their soul can be reborn, in a sense, and regain that ‘powerful quality of goodness’. It is also something that is reflected in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The Father not only forgives his son but he clothes him in his best robe, gives him new sandals and puts a ring on his finger. The memory of our misdeeds might remain, and still cause occasional pain, but there is no black mark on our soul that cannot be washed away by God’s mercy and grace. This is a very reassuring thought.

A fine balancing act

Recently a friend asked if I was conservative when it came to politics. I denied this but it made me think. I think some people just want change for the sake of change and so that people will view them as progressive. I think this is a dangerous mindset because good politics is a fine balancing act between conserving what works well and reforming for the general benefit of all. This takes discernment and wisdom, qualities which is greatly desired in our present day politicians. We only have to look to the foolishness of Glasgow city council in the 1960’s when they pulled down many beautiful Victorian buildings and erected blocks of concrete in their place. This was all done in the name of progress. Thankfully there remains many building of impressive architecture in Glasgow but still significant damage was done by these politician who wanted to be hailed as visionaries and men of reform. Ego can often blind people and the politicians who could not see the value of conserving Glasgow’s beautiful architecture must indeed have been blind.

Ceremonials by Florence And The Machine

Ceremonials is Florence And The Machine's much anticipated second album. The follow up to her hugely successful debut album, Lungs, was always going to be a difficult task. Ceremonials is much in the same vein as Lungs: similiar sound and layers of instruments, and of course Florence Welch's powerful voice. But, although Ceremonials is a decent album and will please many Florence and the Machine fans, it does not quite hit the same heights as Lungs. There are a couple of great tracks, most notably the haunting ballad 'What The Water Gave Me', and 'Lover To Lover', a catchy number which allows Florence to show off her impressive vocal range and power. There is also 'No Light, No Light', full of emotion and energy, which strikes a tasty chord. The follow up to a successful debut album is judged to be something of a poisoned chalice but there are enough good songs on Ceremonials to keep Florence's mojo alive and well. An atmospheric, aspiring, bold album with some notable highlights. 7/10

Philharmonics by Agnes Obel

Agnes Obel, the Danish born, Berlin based singer/songwriter, is a quiet force of nature. A first listening of her debut album, Philharmonics, did not overwhelm me with bigs sounds and attitude. However, over the course of a few spins in my cd player I was gently won over by Obel's whimiscal, well crafted songs, warm vocals, and the bewitching rhythm's of her piano playing. All music is a expression of something human, but many pop acts are restricted by their lack of talent, their lack of vision and the big money of bland corporate shallowness. Stand up Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. But in Philharmonics there is a strong sense of freedom and integrity, of a young woman more focused on adventure and self-expression through her music. Agnes Oble is not alone in that sense, and the same accolade can be laid at the feet of many other modern alternative acts, like Fleet Foxes, PJ Harvey and Bat For Lashes, to cite some examples. It is ironic then that for a few years Obel struggled to get a recording contract until her breakthrough came when one of her songs was the soundtrack to a corporate ad on television. This got her the notice she deserved and her debut album became a reality. Philharmonics was recorded over three years but there is no sense of disjointment and the songs flow really well together. Obel produced the album as well, giving her more creative control, and maybe this is the reason that instruments are used sparingly and to very good effect. There is a sense of intimacy throughout the album that I found very comforting and appealing. I liked her lyrics without really undestanding them. They are enigmatic and tinged with melancholy, with strong images of nature. Philharmonics is a curious delight and a very promising debut. Standout tracks: Riverside, Brother Sparrow, Avenue, and Close Watch.

8/10

Condescending Cameron

I was watching breakfast television through bleary eyes this morning at the ungodly hour of 7.30AM and I listened with growing annoynace to David Cameron telling us that 2012 would a tough year in terms of the economy. Thanks David, for telling us something that is already painfully obvious and something that you personally will not experience, despite the fact that 'we are all in this together'. But don't worry, he assured, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics will help cheer us up and get us Brits through this difficult time of recession. I find this very patronising. We don't care about priviliged people spending tax payers money. What we want Mr Cameron is a stable economy, an end to small to medium businesses becoming insolvent, an end to corruption, more jobs and a better deal on pay and pensions. This is further evidence that David Cameron and the Conservative elite are totally out of touch with the ordinary working class man and woman. I am going back to bed. Maybe when I wake up this nightmare will be over.

The best of 2011

Best books (that I've read this year)

1. The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

2. North And South by Elizabeth Gaskell

3. Adventures In Two Worlds by A.J. Cronin

4. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

5. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

7. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

8. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

9. Paradoxical Undressing by Kristin Hersh

10. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

Best albums (that I bought in 2011).

In alphabetical order.

A Thousand Years Of Popular Music by Richard Thompson

Automatic For The People by R.E.M.

Debut by Bjork

Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses

Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

God Willing & The Creek Don't Rise by Ray Lamontagne

Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

Limbo by Throwing Muses

Passenger by Lisa Hannigan

Philharmonics by Agnes Obel

The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

University by Throwing Muses

Best films of 2011 (that I saw. Due to ill health I missed quite a few films that looked great, like Drive, Midnight After Paris, etc. They will be on my dvd list of 2012.)

1. The King's Speech

2. True Grit

3. The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

4. Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy

5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (US version)

6. The Fighter

7. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

8. 127 Hours

9. Source Code

10. Limitless

Best DVD's (that I watched in 2011)

1. Amadeus

2. Of Gods And Men

3. The Secrets In Their Eyes

4. North And South (2003 tv version)

5. Away We Go

6. The Remains Of The Day

7. 21 Grams

8. The Orphanage

9. Harry Brown

10. Adam

Babes of 2011 (my favorite part of the list)

1. Lucy Liu

2. Amanda Seyfried

3. Norah Jones

4. Nia Long

5. Camilla Belle

6. Cobie Smulders (Robin from How I Met Your Mother)

7. Freida Pinto

8. Zoe Saldana

9. Monica Bellucci

10. Anna Friel

Amadeus

Creative license is a great thing. And it is applied to great effect in Milos Forman's glorious Amadeus. All it needed was a decent car chase and some kung fu action scenes and it would be nothing short of a masterpiece. I watched the director's cut and it did not drag for one second of the 173 minutes of its runtime. This is due to great storytelling, sumptous costume and set designs, wonderful acting, a sharp script and of course the sublime music. The right music is used at the right time in the film, so take a bow Milos Forman and your staff of editors and writers and musical advisers. The portrayal of Mozart caused some upset when it was first released in cinemas. The Mozart in the film is giddy, frivolous, temperamental and naive, hence the creative license, but this is intrinstic to the plot. The story centers around the relationship between Mozart and Antonio Salieri, court composer for Emperor Joesph II of Austria. Salieri is infuriated that God has blessed the childish Mozart with such genius and he is so consumed by jealousy that he schemes to wrestle fortune and fame away from his rival. It is also a form of revenge against God, who he feels is mocking him through Mozart. Salieri was a real person and a much respected composer and teacher in 18th century Vienna, but to the best of my knowledge the depiction of his character in Amadeus is highly fictionalized. I've conducted a little research (okay I just looked up Wikipedia) and there might be some truth that the two composers viewed each other as rivals but this seemed to be purely on a professional level and without the drama and tragedy of the film. Revenge and envy are the driving forces of Amadeus, much of the film being a flashback told by an elderly Salieri to a priest in confession, but significant aspects of Mozart's life and music are shown with a mixture of humor and poignancy: his married and family life, the ups and downs of his musical career, his relationship with his father, and of course his genius. Tom Hulce was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Mozart but he lost out to his co-star F. Murray Abraham. Both are wonderful but, for once, I think the Academy got it right in giving Abraham the award for his portrayal as Salieri. Amadeus is a fascinating, powerful and delicious piece of cinema. 9/10