Favourite versions of O Holy Night

Well it is that time of the year again and to really get into the xmas spirit I need to listen to a few xmas carols...

My favourite carol has to be "Oh Holy Night", which was written by a Frenchman, Placcide Capeau in 1847. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Holy_Night

My favourite versions being Swedish opera singer, Jussi Bjorling. Jussi, sadly now dead is simply amazing, managing to attack the high notes without the slightest hint of a struggle. It is a pity that his talent is not more widely recognised !



Admittedly Celine Dion can put on the airs and graces a bit but the ceremony and production values in this interpretation really add to the occasion.




and for a slightly different version Mariah Carey doing it gospel style and seeming to be really enjoying herself.

Top 10 PC Games

I've read plenty of game magazine articles about what makes up their top 10 games and it got me thinking about what would mine be if I ever had the chance to write the same article...

1) Star Control 2 (why oh why has no one produced a sequel yet...)

2) Civilisation (the first one...just one more turn)

3) Doom 2 (first game I played till day break the next morning...)

4) Medal of Honour (my first world war 2 shoot em up... ping... their goes another nazi helmet...)

5) North Atlantic 86 (time to reclaim Iceland....)

6) XCom

7) Ultima 6 ( loved it when I was first able to buy a boat...)

8) Command and Conquer (okay I admit Conrad - I did pull the modem cable when you finally beat me in our 100th or so networked game...sneaky bloody commando)

9) Half Life 2 (great story... great graphics)

10) Starcraft (superbly well balanced multiplayer game)

Paul Potts and a 100 years of the best tenors

I spent Saturday evening watching a new talent show with Rachel and was taken by surprise when I saw a cell phone salesman in Wales stride sheepishly to the microphone and belted out a version of Nessun Dorma…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Not bad eh ? Now this guy was incredibly good for an amateur but I wondered how his version compared with the great tenors from the last 100 years and so my search began….

So with my knowledge of Opera being pretty limited (currently 1-1 in the falling asleep stakes ! ) I started with someone I knew…Pavarotti…..everyone raves about him but as I was soon to find out he comes way down the list when it comes to who is the best….he does bring a wonderful musicality to his interpretation and probably after listening to all these people on this list, his last note was probably the best.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ONUCPKdGcrk

I then found out a bit more about Turandot and I think that nicola martinucci playing Calaf suited the part best on stage, ND was delivered with precision …..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9lUts3pOvs

Things got even better when I discovered this guy Mario Del Monaco, his voice was amazing someone buried a trumpet in his lungs as the power he was able to deliver was simply out of this world, the only flaw was perhaps the last note when he wasn’t able to quite hold the high note….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrJC7l5Pn-k

Not as powerful but with a bit more precision, came Franco Corelli…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9xi_zInSeY

Someone I’ve never heard of before but I think I’ve saved the best till last, a tenor who drank himself to oblivion, Jussi Bjorling had it all….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbA5y1hnFg

Not Nessun Dorma but sounded incredible when Jussi Bjorling sang it …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo75jFLjKaw

It was close thing really for sheer power Mario is the man but really for musicality, control I think the best has got to be Jussi Bjorling.

Interested to know what your opinion is ?