Louis-Hector Berlioz - "La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24, H. 111: Ballet des Sylphes"

Louis-Hector Berlioz  (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer. His output includes orchestral works such as the Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy, choral pieces including the Requiem and L'Enfance du Christ, his three operas Benvenuto Cellini, Les Troyens and Béatrice et Bénédict, and works of hybrid genres such as the "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette and the "dramatic legend" La Damnation de Faust.

The elder son of a provincial doctor, Berlioz was expected to follow his father into medicine, and he attended a Parisian medical college before defying his family by taking up music as a profession. His independence of mind and refusal to follow traditional rules and formulas put him at odds with the conservative musical establishment of Paris. He briefly moderated his style sufficiently to win France's premier music prize, the Prix de Rome, in 1830 but he learned little from the academics of the Paris Conservatoire. Opinion was divided for many years between those who thought him an original genius and those who viewed his music as lacking in form and coherence.

At the age of twenty-two Berlioz fell in love with the Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson, and he pursued her obsessively until she finally accepted him seven years later. Their marriage was happy at first but eventually foundered. Harriet inspired his first major success, the Symphonie fantastique, in which an idealised depiction of her occurs throughout.

Berlioz completed three operas, the first of which, Benvenuto Cellini, was an outright failure. The second, the huge epic Les Troyens (The Trojans), was so large in scale that it was never staged in its entirety during his lifetime. His last opera, Béatrice et Bénédict – based on Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing – was a success at its premiere but did not enter the regular operatic repertoire. Meeting only occasional success in France as a composer, Berlioz increasingly turned to conducting, in which he gained an international reputation. He was highly regarded in Germany, Britain and Russia both as a composer and as a conductor. To supplement his earnings he wrote musical journalism throughout much of his career; some of it has been preserved in book form, including his Treatise on Instrumentation (1844), which was influential in the 19th and 20th centuries. Berlioz died in Paris at the age of 65.

Some days you just need to get down in the darkness and dance with the wicked beautiful ones.

So today, with a little bit of silver lining peaking through, I choose Louis-Hector Berlioz’ “La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24, H. 111: Ballet des Sylphes” as my, under the moonlight, with fog floating from my fingertips, while the wicked ones watch from their precarious perches, song for a, wander purposefully, with eyes half closed, tempting those whom have never known temptation, Thursday.

The La's - "There She Goes"

The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1983 and Mavers joined the next year, although for most of the group's history, the frequently changing line-up revolved around the core duo of Lee Mavers (vocals, guitar) and John Power (bass, backing vocals) along with numerous other guitarists and drummers including Paul Hemmings, John "Timmo" Timson, Peter "Cammy" Cammell, Iain Templeton, John "Boo" Byrne, Chris Sharrock, Barry Sutton and Neil Mavers.

After the departure of Badger in late 1986, the band signed to Go! Discs in 1987 and commenced recording of their debut album. Following the release of singles "Way Out" (1987), "There She Goes" (1988) and "Timeless Melody" (1990) and having aborted several recording sessions with different producers, the band released their debut album The La's in 1990 to critical acclaim and modest commercial success. John Power left The La's to form Cast and the group entered a prolonged hiatus in 1992 which lasted almost two decades. The group later reformed briefly in the mid-1990s, 2005 and 2011. However, no new recordings have been released.

Today is a day to just keep going, so I choose The La’s “There She Goes” as my, go on, keep running, you’re almost there, you have more endurance than you thought, song for an, it’s always easier to do for someone you love, take the time to keep your heart healthy, remember what your heart is for, Wednesday.

Ralph Vaughan-Williams - "Symphony No. 3 'The Pastoral Symphony'"

Some days, when the noise is blaring and fear is spreading all around, it is everything you can do to stay calm, breathe, and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Ralph Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 3, published as A Pastoral Symphony and not numbered until later, was completed in 1922. Vaughan Williams's initial inspiration to write this symphony came during World War I after hearing a bugler practising and accidentally playing an interval of a seventh instead of an octave;this ultimately led to the trumpet cadenza in the second movement.

The work is among the least performed of Vaughan Williams's symphonies,[citation needed] but it has gained the reputation of being a subtly beautiful elegy for the dead of World War I and a meditation on the sounds of peace. Like many of the composer's works, the Pastoral Symphony is not programmatic, but its spirit is very evocative. None of the movements are particularly fast or upbeat (the composer himself described it as "four movements, all of them slow"),[This quote needs a citation] but there are isolated extroverted sections.

It was first performed in London on 16 January 1922, with Adrian Boult conducting.

The symphony was dismissed by Constant Lambert, who wrote that its "creation of a particular type of grey, reflective, English-landscape mood has outweighed the exigencies of symphonic form". Peter Warlock's often-quoted comment that "it is all just a little too much like a cow looking over a gate" was in fact a comment on Vaughan Williams's style in general, and was not aimed specifically at A Pastoral Symphony, which he on the contrary described as "a truly splendid work" and "the best English orchestral music of this century". Vaughan Williams emphasized, however, that the work is "not really Lambkins frisking at all as most people take for granted" (i.e., English pastoral scenery); its reference is to the fields of France during World War I, where the composer served in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

So, with breath held, I choose Ralph Vaughan-Williams’ "Symphony No. 3 'The Pastoral Symphony'" as my, look to the spring, find the green hopeful shoots of life, with every drop of rain there is the promise of a flower, song for a, wrap yourself tightly in hope, cloak yourself in joy, defend your heart with kindness, Tuesday.

Alicia Keys - "Gummi Bears"

There are days when you just need a little nostalgia, some adventure, and a few good giggles.

So today, with a shout out to the big kids in my life, I choose Alicia Keys’ version of Disney’s “Gummi Bears” theme song as well as the original TV Version, as my laugh it off, shake it out, rub some dirt on it, song for a, precious only gets you so far, bounce right up to honesty, and when all else fails - drink your juice, Monday.

Randy Edelman - "Cora (from The Last of The Mohicans Soundtrack)"

American musician, producer, and composer for film and television Randy Edelman began his career as a member of Broadway's pit orchestras, and later went on to produce solo albums for songs that were picked up by leading music performers including The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, and Dionne Warwick. He is known for his work in comedy films. He has been awarded many prestigious awards, including two nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and twelve BMI Awards. Edelman was given an honorary doctorate in fine arts by the University of Cincinnati in 2004.

While he was often tagged to add supplemental music to scores, it was often his music that made the entire score better. As in with this piece, the entire score to the movie was raised by this gem of a melody. Truly, a classic film score where his little jewels are oft overlooked, but without them the entire score would be so much less.

So today, toasting the unsung heroes, I choose Randy Edelman’s “Cora (from The Last Of The Mohicans Soundtrack)” as my, with love as your guide, with passion as your compass, with determination as lantern, song for a, break my heart gently, hold my love in your callused hands, kiss away the weary tears, Friday.

Dua Lipa - "Be The One"

She re-wrote the rules of pop music. With her smokey voice and devil may care attitude she’s been re-shaping how we think about female pop stars. Producing Bop after Bop she’s becoming the one to look to for freshest content.

English singer, songwriter and model Dua Lipa started her musical career began at age 14, when she began covering songs by other artists on YouTube. In 2015, she was signed with Warner Music Group, and released her first single soon after. In December 2016, a documentary about Lipa was commissioned by The Fader magazine, titled See in Blue. In January 2017, she won the EBBA Public Choice Award. Her self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017. The album spawned seven singles, including the top-10 single "Be the One" and the number-one single "New Rules".

Lipa's self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017. Its sixth single, "New Rules", released in the following month, became Lipa's first number one in the UK, and the first by a female solo artist to reach the top in the UK since Adele's "Hello" in 2015. Her best-selling single to date, the song also charted in the top ten of other territories, including number two in Australia, number six in the US, and number seven in Canada.  Lipa performed at the Glastonbury Festival in June. The following month, Lipa performed at the We the Fest, an Indonesian music festival in Jakarta. She performed on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland in October. In December, Lipa was named the most streamed woman of 2017 in the UK by Spotify.  She had four singles reach the UK top 10 in 2017, with "Be the One", "New Rules", "No Lie", and "Bridge over Troubled Water", a charity single for the families of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

In January 2018, Lipa received nominations in five categories at the Brit Awards, more nominations than any other artist that year. She was nominated for MasterCard British Album of the Year for Dua Lipa, British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year for "New Rules", British Female Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough Act, winning the latter two. This was the first time that a female artist had received five nominations. She performed at the awards ceremony held on 21 February at the O2 Arena in London.

The singer collaborated with American DJ Whethan on the song "High" for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, released in February 2018. She started working on new material for her second album in March 2018. On 6 April, Lipa and Calvin Harris released the single "One Kiss", which topped the UK Singles Chart on 20 April, making it Lipa's second number one in the chart; Lipa provided the vocals and is also credited as a writer. The single went on to become the biggest selling song in the UK of 2018 and topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks. She performed in the opening ceremony of the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final in Kiev on 26 May. It was reported that Lipa would be releasing collaborations with other artists coming out later in 2018, such as one with Mark Ronson and Diplo's newly-formed superduo Silk City.  Ronson later confirmed the song's title would be "Electricity". The song was released on September 9th 2019 and blew up the charts.. Lipa was also featured in "If Only", a song from Italian singer Andrea Bocelli's sixteenth studio album Sì.

So today, with a bit of a shine, I choose Dua Lipa’s “Be The One” as my, hopeful hearts, loving looks, sweet smiles, song for a, work for something, strive for something, build something beautiful - together, Thursday.

Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line - "Meant to Be"

So I can honestly say, that while I knew of both of these artists before I hadn’t really delved into them as performers. While I knew Florida Georgia Line to be great country artists and I’d heard a few of Bebe Rexha’s bops I hadn’t given either of them much more thought than that.

Well, wasn’t I wrong.

Rexha's musical style has switched with each album, but she has been labeled as a pop artist. Her songs span a wide range of genres, including hip hop, alternative rock, EDM, R&B and country. She was mainly influenced by Lauryn Hill whom she calls the "Queen of R&B". She was also influenced by other artists such as Bob Marley, Madonna, Blondie, Alanis Morissette and Coldplay.

Florida Georgia Line was formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee and began as a cover band. In December 2011, they signed to the Big Loud Mountain label. Their second EP, It'z Just What We Do, was released in 2012 and charted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Several months later they signed with Republic Nashville, part of the Big Machine Label Group. They released their second album, Anything Goes on October 14, 2014. Their third album, Dig Your Roots, was released on August 26, 2016.

They were discovered by Nickelback producer Joey Moi at a county fair, and the three began entering the studio together. Unlike typical country music sessions, the group spent days polishing songs, which were collected on the duo's second EP, It'z Just What We Do (2012). In terms of production, the band modeled their sound on bands such as Nickelback, Shinedown, and Three Days Grace, while Moi aimed for each song to resemble hair metal group Def Leppard in structure.Major labels became interested when the song "Cruise" first aired on satellite radio on The Highway channel and began selling well in the iTunes Store, leading to a deal with Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group.

This song hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. Simple, honest, rousing and toe-tapping, it slips into your feels when you least expect it.

So today, with a smile and some tears, I choose Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line’s "Meant to Be" as my, go on and get it, hope for the hopeless, look for the silver lining, song for a, hope never hurts, hold your own hand, dream a little dream for me, Wednesday.

Billie Holiday - "Easy Living"

Billie Holiday remains (four decades after her death) the most famous of all jazz singers. "Lady Day" (as she was named by Lester Young) had a small voice and did not scat but her innovative behind-the-beat phrasing made her quite influential. The emotional intensity that she put into the words she sang (particularly in later years) was very memorable and sometimes almost scary; she often really did live the words she sang.

Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), professionally known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz singer with a career spanning nearly thirty years. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.

After a turbulent childhood, Holiday began singing in nightclubs in Harlem, where she was heard by the producer John Hammond, who commended her voice. She signed a recording contract with Brunswick in 1935. Collaborations with Teddy Wilson yielded the hit "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", which became a jazz standard. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream success on labels such as Columbia and Decca. By the late 1940s, however, she was beset with legal troubles and drug abuse. After a short prison sentence, she performed at a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall, but her reputation deteriorated because of her drug and alcohol problems.

She was a successful concert performer throughout the 1950s with two further sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Due to personal struggles and an altered voice, her final recordings were met with mixed reaction, but were mild commercial successes. Her final album, Lady in Satin, was released in 1958. Holiday died of cirrhosis on July 17, 1959.

She won four Grammy Awards, all of them posthumously, for Best Historical Album. She was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1973. Lady Sings the Blues, a film about her life, starring Diana Ross, was released in 1972. She is the primary character in the play (later made into a film) Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill; the role was originated by Reenie Upchurch in 1986, and was played by Audra McDonald on Broadway and in the film. In 2017 Holiday was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

The way Armstrong changed jazz trumpet, Holiday changed jazz vocals.  Her delivery – the way she would play with the phrasing and tempo, singing behind the beat, sculpting the words – was so radically original that it spawned an entire generation of singers in her wake, including people like Frank Sinatra, who credited Holiday as a major influence.  But, Holiday’s importance cuts deeper than music.  First and foremost, she was a strong female presence in an era where black women were mostly forced to occupy the lowest rung of society.  Holiday, along with other legends like Ella Fitzgerald, was a different kind of black woman – one who could command a room and demand respect with the sheer power of her talent and personality.  But, unlike Fitzgerald, Holiday was also political, singing a song that foreshadowed the Civil Rights movement, “Strange Fruit.”

She had a magic we can’t seem to find anymore, and somehow that is both saddening and inspiring.

So today, with your hope filling my heart, I choose Billie Holiday’s “Easy Living” as my, living for you, living for love, living to let the light in, song for a, press outward, press into the sore spots, press on young fighter - the win is yours for the taking, Tuesday.