Monday Music: Morning Has Broken (Cat Stevens)

 In 1971, Cat Stevens awakened the public to a beautiful hymn from The Presbyterian Hymnal and Rick Wakeman’s piano artistry makes the recording a first-class presentation. The hymn, first published in 1931, was written by Eleanor Farjeon and set to the Scottish Gaelic tune, “Bunessan.” Stevens made the song popular, though he erroneously pronounced “re-creation” as “recreation.” An understandable mistake since hymnals typically will hyphenate words to fit the notes. One could see it and not realize that it is the actual hyphenated word, re-creation. Nevertheless, it is still a timelessly beautiful song.

 

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Monday Music: Peace Train (Playing for Change)

Yusuf / Cat Stevens joins a worldwide chorus of singers performing his 1971 hit, "Peace Train." Playing for Change shows us the song is still an inspiring anthem.

 

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Monday Music: Morning Has Broken

In 1971, Cat Stevens awakened the public to a beautiful hymn from The Presbyterian Hymnal. The hymn, first published in 1931, was written by Eleanor Farjeon and set to the Scottish Gaelic tune, "Bunessan." Stevens made the song popular, though he erroneously pronounced "re-creation" as "recreation." An understandable mistake since hymnals typically will hyphenate words to fit the notes. One could see it and not realize that it is the actual hyphenated word, re-creation. Nevertheless, it is still a timelessly beautiful song.

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Monday Music: Morning Has Broken

Most of us had either forgotten it or had never heard it in the first place. "Morning Has Broken," with its beautiful Gaelic melody, was in the Presbyterian Hymnal but it took Cat Stevens with his Top 40 radio hit to bring it to our consciousness. As Spring is awakening, enjoy this song again, along with the beautiful photography of Scott Wright.

Monday Music: God Is the Light

Our Muslim friends are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan and tomorrow is The Night of Destiny. Therefore, on this Monday Music day I am sharing "God Is Light" by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens).

T.S. Eliot and Cat Stevens: Winding up where they started

From T.S. Eliot's Little Gidding (No. 4 of The Four Quartets):

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

From Cat Stevens' "Sitting":

Oh life is like a maze of doors
and they all open from the side you're on.
Just keep on pushing hard boy, try as you may
You're going to wind up where you started from
You're going to wind up where you started from.

And a performance by Yusef Islam: