Simply Me

Yesterday on the way back from airport, I turned the radio to 98.1 CHFI, to my surprise, they played x'mas songs already!! I don't remember CHFI aired x'mas songs as early as November. I think it's because CHFI was the official radio station of the Santa Claus Parade.

Beginning of December, I love turning to CHFI for x'mas songs while driving alone back and forth to work. Especially Christmas shopping officially kicks off and Christmas spirit in the air.

If you'd noticed the newly added feature on my blog - you can listen to music on my blog!! My intention is to make you feel comfortable while reading my blog. Hope you like the music I picked.

Christmas is just around the corner, I will upload more Christmas songs to my playlist (hope u don't mind). Right now, there are only two songs from my favourite orchestra group - Trans Siberian Orchestra. The band's musical style incorporates progressive rock, symphonic metal and heavy metal - awesome!! It was about three years ago, I first discovered this awesome band plays "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" (I like to call it Carol of the Bells). The piece describes a lone cello player playing a forgotten Christmas carol in war-torn Sarajevo...

...the cello player born in Sarajevo many years ago who left when he was fairly young to go on to become a well-respected musician, playing with various symphonies throughout Europe. Many decades later, he returned to Sarajevo as an elderly man—at the height of the Bosnian War, only to find his city in complete ruins. What most broke this man's heart was that the destruction was not done by some outside invader or natural disaster—it was done by his own people. At that time, Serbs were shelling Sarajevo every night. Rather than head for the bomb shelters like his family and neighbors, this man went to the town square, climbed onto a pile of rubble that had once been the fountain, took out his cello, and played Mozart and Beethoven as the city was bombed. He came every night and began playing Christmas carols from that same spot.
It was just such a powerful image—a white-haired man silhouetted against the cannon fire, playing timeless melodies to both sides of the conflict amid the rubble and devastation of the city he loves. Some time later, a reporter traced him down to ask why he did this insanely stupid thing. The old man said that it was his way of proving that despite all evidence to the contrary, the spirit of humanity was still alive in that place...

Every time I heard this music played on CHFI, I sure crank up the volume, this music uplifts my spirit especially on a cold, dark winter morning driving to work with my sleepy eyes.

"Carol of the Bells" video clip http://ca.video.yahoo.com/watch/142870/1451710 I tried to upload here ... will try again! Take this for now.