Almost five months into the pandemic, music and singing look different for congregants of GCPC, and in our personal lives. While we cannot sing together yet, we are still listening to music, singing in the shower or with our families, and some have recorded music virtually for our listening pleasure.
GCPC asked you for submissions of favourite music that has helped you to cope, lifted your spirits, given you peace, or made you smile so far during the pandemic. We are thrilled to bring you the first installment of your music!
Addition July 30: You can now view our Pandemic Playlist as a playlist on YouTube, IE listen to all the songs on the list in order…with two exceptions: because of YouTube policies, we cannot add #13 “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (we’re going to the moon)” by the Oodlums or #20 “Let it Go” from Frozen; for those, you’ll have to the click on the individual links to YouTube in the list below.
Pandemic Playlist #1
If the song/piece title is hyperlinked, you can click for more information, and/or click on the other hyperlinks.
- “Someday We’ll be Together” performed by Diana Ross and the Supremes, submitted by Rev. Helen Smith. Watch on YouTube.
- “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher, submitted by Rev. Helen Smith. Watch on YouTube.
- “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles. “Father Mackenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear. No one comes near.” Submitted by Rev. Helen Smith. Watch on YouTube.
- “My Love Colours Outside The Lines” by Gordon Light, about doing things differently. Submitted by Rev. Helen Smith. Watch on YouTube.
- “We’ll meet again”, performed by Vera Lynn in 1939, and which resonated with Allied troops in World War II. Submitted by Ann and Ian Daly. Watch on YouTube.
- “You’re Not Alone” by Semisonic. “I wrote ‘You’re Not Alone’ a couple of years ago at a time when a lot of people, including me, were feeling isolated and despairing about the state of the world and the direction our country was going.” Submitted by Wendy Claire Barrie. Watch on YouTube.
- “The Miracle of Love” by the Eurythmics, submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube.
- “Love Comes Quickly” by the Pet Shop Boys, live at the Royal Opera House London in 2018, submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube.
- “Prelude from the Te Deum in D major H 146” (1688–1698) by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, performed by Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie. The first eight bars of the prelude are the theme for Eurovision broadcasts by the European Broadcasting Union, and the full prelude is played at the start of every Eurovison Song Contest broadcast. Look for the guitar-like double-necked theorbo behind the conductor. Submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube (the prelude is the first 1:44 only).
- “Let’s Fall in Love” by Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics), performed by Diana Krall, from her DVD Live in Rio, 2009. Great version by a strong and professional combo, with just the right amount of showmanship. Submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube.
- “The Boy from Ipanema” by Antônio Carlos Jobim (music) and Norman Gimbel (English lyrics), performed by Diana Krall, also from Live in Rio. Love how she changes the words from the original “girl” to “boy”, and then has the audience in Rio sing along in Portuguese (original Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes). Magical bossa nova. Watch on YouTube.
- “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from the oratorio “Solomon” by George Frideric Handel, played by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain as part of their “Ukulele Lockdown – Series 2”. A well-known piece played by capable musicians, on interesting instruments, who know how to have fun. Submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube.
- “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (we’re going to the moon)” by the Oodlums, for fun! Submitted by Rev. Helen Smith. Watch on YouTube.
- “Safe Place” by Pelago, submitted by Ezra Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “Safe Place” by Enter the Worship Circle with Karla Adolphe. Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. Watch on YouTube.
- “A Million Dreams” by Pasek and Paul, from the soundtrack of “The Greatest Showman”. The soundtrack album won a 2019 Grammy. Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “This Is Me”, also by Pasek and Paul, also from the soundtrack of “The Greatest Showman”. Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “Never Enough” also by Pasek and Paul, also from the soundtrack of “The Greatest Showman”. Originally performed by Loren Allred, and performed here by her with David Foster on the PBS special “An Intimate Evening with David Foster”. Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “Let It Go” by husband and wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, performed by Idina Menzel, from the Disney animated movie “Frozen”, winner of the 2013 Best Original Song Oscar, for fun! Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “Get Back Up Again” by Pasek and Paul, from soundtrack to the movie “Trolls”. Performed by Anna Kendrick. Submitted by Eva Glasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- “One Day at a Time” written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, performed by Daniel O’Donnell, submitted by Betty Coulthard. Watch on YouTube.
- “An Irish Blessing” by Roma Downey from her album “Healing Angel”, submitted by Betty Coulthard. Watch on YouTube.
- “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”, BWV 565, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Canadian Luc Beauséjour. The Toccata and Fugue is an organ piece, and Beauséjour is an organist. But he is most famous as a harpsichordist, so this is a version on the harpsichord, with a set of bass pedals! Didn’t know they existed, but they did and do (used at home for organists practicing, apparently). He’s a great player, and the harpsichord makes for an interesting and appealing live performance. Submitted by Rob Quickert. Watch on YouTube.
Thanks to everyone for their submissions, and to Carolyn Glasgow for compiling the list.