November 29, 2023
When George Harrison died in 2001, then WAIS editor British-born Ronald Hilton started the discussion on the Beatles. This is where I started my research on music in general and pop music specifically. The discussion included a comment by WAISer and author Tim Ashby who happen to personally meet Paul McCartney in 1972. In October 2006, Editor Ronald Hilton announced that WAISer Anthony Smith, CBE, founder of TV Channel 4 (U.K.), former Director of the British Film Institute and President of Magdalen College, Oxford, between 1988 and 2005, has commissioned Sir Paul McCartney to compose classical music to celebrate the opening of the new concert hall at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Cutting to the chase, in 2009, my music research, among others, led me to get the drinking birthday song we’ve been singing since we were teens written down, copyrighted and recorded. I’ve tried several musicians to play the music but no one would want to work on it. Then I met Brittany Lark. It took me five (5) years to find someone who would play and sing the Birthday Song For Marianette so I could copyright the song. And in the process, we were doing marketing research, overseas gigs in remote viewing. We also found out that music is a weapon, a very effective weapon. Whether the music is classical or pop, both are still cover musical performances. It never occurred to me that Brittany was into cover live band music. I never asked and she never ever hinted that she plays in a live band.
Here are the WAIS posts on George Harrison, the Beatles and Sir Paul McCartney.
1. Sunday Dec. 02, 2001 – Death of George Harrison whose death was mourned on both sides of the Atlantic, attracted the attention of WAIS editor Prof. Ronald Hilton.
Mourning on both sides of the Atlantic: Westminster Abbey and Abbey Road (Ronald Hilton, USA, Sunday 12/02/01 2:20 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=64124&objectTypeId=58374&topicId=104
2. Monday Dec. 03, 2001 – Tim Ashby mentions discussing with (now) Sir Paul McCartney the song “Revolution” in 1972.
The Beatles: Abused angels or devils in disguise? (Ronald Hilton, USA, 12/03/01 2:17 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=64120&objectTypeId=58370&topicId=104
3. Tuesday Dec. 04, 2001 – Bienvenido Macario comments on the Beatles’ first and last world tour.
The Beatles: Abused angels or devils in disguise? (Ronald Hilton, USA, 12/04/01 2:17 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=64119&objectTypeId=58369&topicId=104
Why is Magdalen Oxford pronounced maudlin?
Magdalen takes its name from the Greek Magdala, the name of the town on the Sea of Galilee (from an Aramaic word meaning ‘tower’), from which Mary Magdalen originated. In the Middle Ages this word’s pronunciation became anglicised to “maudlin” – as reflected in the contemporary spelling maudlyn.
4. Monday Oct. 02, 2006 – Prof. Hilton announced on the WAIS forum that Anthony Smith CBE commissioned Sir Paul McCartney to write classical music in celebration of Magdalen College, Oxford’s new concert hall. Prof. Ronald Hilton asked: “How could a Beatle with no formal training in music transform into a classical composer?”
Magdalen College and Sir Paul McCartney (Ronald Hilton, US, 10/02/06 4:01 pm)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=11412&objectTypeId=5662&topicId=1
5. Tuesday Oct. 03, 2006 at 9:25am – Anthony Smith the founder of TV Channel 4 in the U.K. and later Director of the British Film Institute explains that when he commissioned Sir Paul McCartney to write the write “Ecce Cor Meum” (Behold my heart) to celebrate the opening of the College’s new concert hall, it was Paul McCartney’s fourth long religious work in over the last decade. (Wow!)
Re: Magdalen College and Sir Paul McCartney (Ronald Hilton, US Tue. 10/03/06 9:25 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=11421&objectTypeId=5671&topicId=1
6. Tuesday Oct. 03, 2006 at 1:32pm – Ronald Hilton clarified that Sir Paul McCartney doesn’t compose IT music. Anthony Smith explained that Sir Paul uses IT devices to write traditional music.
Re: Magdalen College and Sir Paul McCartney (Anthony Smith, UK) Tuesday 10/03/06 1:32 pm)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=11425&objectTypeId=5675&topicId=1
7. Thursday May 03, 2007 – Paul McCartney was presented with the Best Album Award at the Classical Brits for Ecce Cor Meum, at the Royal Albert Hall. The award was voted for by readers of Classic FM magazine and listeners of Classic FM. The album reached number 2 in the Top Classical Albums charts from the US.
Acclaim: Ecce Cor Meum (Behold my heart) was more than eight years in the making and its origins follow in the historic tradition of composers commissioned to write music for the world-renowned Magdalen College in Oxford. Paul was invited by Anthony Smith (President of Magdalen College 1998 – 2005) to compose something to set the seal on a new concert hall for the college.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecce_Cor_Meum
Ecce Cor Meum was voted Classical Album of the Year in 2007 in the Classical Brit Awards.[141]
From : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney
8. Tuesday May 27, 2008 – Sir Paul McCartney was given an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Music) at Yale University.
Music: McCartney Receives Honorary Degree at Yale (Bienvenido Macario, Philippines/US, 05/27/08 6:41 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=21491&objectTypeId=15741&topicId=1
9. Wednesday June 03, 2009 – Tim Ashby finally followed up on his Dec. 3, 2001 post and provided details of his meeting with (Sir) Paul McCartney in 1972 while on holiday in the Bahamas.
Music: McCartney and Ashby (Tim Ashby, US, 06/03/09 11:57 pm)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=42353&objectTypeId=36603&topicId=92
Some WAISers are classically trained musicians and perhaps the best example is David Wingeate Pike, former President of the American University in Paris, France. On Nov. 20, 2019 he organized a Piano Concert at the American Church in Paris. Founded in 1931 the American Church in Paris is located at 65 Quai d’Orsay, 75007 Paris, France. Below is the WAIS post from David W. Pike that included the Concert Program.
Piano Concert in Paris: The Program(David Pike, -France, 11/19/19 6:38 am) https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=136339&objectTypeId=100664&topicId=143
Here is the specific program for tomorrow’s piano recital at the American Church, Paris.
JE comments: See below. David Pike is the featured performer after the Intermission. David, I’ve never tried to play Liszt beyond the simplest pieces. Legend has it that Liszt is so challenging because of his huge hands. Rachmaninoff also stretches your tendons to the limits of endurance. In addition to the keyboards, the two maestros would have been outstanding on the basketball court.
Best of luck and bravo, David!
After the intermission, according to the program . . .
David PIKE, piano
CHOPIN
Piano concerto N° 2 in A minor, Op. 21, Larghetto
Piano concerto N° 1 in E minor, Op. 11, Larghetto
LISZT
Nocturne N° 3, Liebestraum
WAGNER
Isoldes Liebestod (adapted for piano by Emil Kaselitz and Schultze-Biesantz)
Earlier in 2019, the American Church in Paris held Chopin Recitals which was announced on WAIS:
David Pike to Perform Chopin, April 3rd and 10th (Paris) (David Pike, – France, 03/29/19 2:53 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=123721&objectTypeId=89728&topicId=143
Below is the Recital Program as posted on WAIS.
On the 10th year anniversary of 9/11, WAIS editor John Eipper, asked WAISers where we were they on that tragic day. David Pike was with British-American actress Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland DBE. Here’s the WAIS link to David W. Pike’s post on 9/11.
Memories of 9/11 (David Pike, France, 09/11/11 4:38 am) https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&objectTypeId=61211&topicId=44
