A few days early but thought I'd start it up anyway =)

This song is called Adagio from a group called Secret Garden (Not the movie I don't think) Enjoy!

https://www.box.com/s/ilcvrgqao6oe1qeq8siz

lLadypayne - well played. Feels like I'm in a movie in a Paris cafe.

Here is an arrangement of Miss Jane Wedderburn's Strathspey from William Sheperd's 1st Collection.

It starts just like Auld Lang Syne. Probably derived from the same folk tune.

https://www.box.com/s/0pjdkggboz3zl7tu8hg5

ladypayne - Great opener for the bar this year - happy New Year!

stumbler Yes, it sounds sort of like a jazzed up version of Auld Lang Syne at first, but it's clearly different - well played!

... and I thought I might be first! New Year's Day here for me.

As is often the case, I was actually working on something else for the bar and playing this as 'relief'.

For No-one (Lennon-McCartney)

Happy New Year!

LadyPayne - a lovely tune. I see the bar for the bar is being raised - two parts!
Stumbler - nice arrangement (very full)

Happy New Year Everyone!

LadyPayne - I can see you've been inspired as we all have by Amaruk's haunting simulations of a street accordian. That was lovely!

Stumbler - What a gorgeous original arrangement! Thanks for sharing it.

Newman - The first two lines totally describe how I feel this morning. Love the harspichord! I can't believe how accomplished and adept you've become at arranging and accompanying yourself in such a short period. It must be some kind of world record.

TCM only played movies yesterday that had something to do with New Years Eve. One of them, Till We Meet Again, reminded me I'd arranged the title song by ear when I heard it in the film over two years ago. It also is the first time I attempted to sing while accompanying myself (and the only time I did until I started voice lessons last April). I say attempted because I thought I was totally off key, but much to my surprise, although there are a few pitch problems, it wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered. Or is it?

https://www.box.com/shared/uxmoe7aucf

Thanks, Starr Keys. In honesty the arrangement is a simplified version of the recording. I can't quite manage the part in the middle where he plays the melody in a two/three part chord thing. But after working on Eleanor Rigby I found I was able to play that RH thing in the middle section. No world record. I've been on leave since the week before Christmas and have devoted many hours to playing.

Till we meet again - is not as bad as you may remember it. As you note, a few misses - but more hits.

ladypayne: The adagio arrangement is very good.
stumbler: Miss Jane Wedderburn's Strathspey, well played.
Newman: For No-one, your singing and the accompaniment is very good.
Starr Keys: The Till WE Meet Again waltz, very good for ear. Your voice is touching.

Thank you for the good music you presented.

This my first submission for the new year:
Mussette, No. 11 First Lessons in Bach
https://www.box.com/s/xnzqvk6rjik92fimicjm

Ladypayn: That was lovely, such mournful strains. Really tugged at my heart strings. Were you playing the piano?

Stumbler: That was an interesting arrangement. I've never heard it before but I enjoyed it. I thought it had both a jazzy and classical feel to it.

Newman: That was super cool! It sounded so much like the Beatles in concert. You're so talented.

Starr Keys: I felt wistful and maudlin listening to your song and your singing, which was beautiful. You were not off key at all. It felt like a song from the Casablanca time - the piano playing, singing, aura, feel. Just so lovely.

Weiyan: Your Bach was very sweet. I've never played it but I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks all.

Newman, this is one of your best.

Starr Keys, you have a good voice, and your choice lends a nice variety to this months piano bar.

Weiyan, you captured the feel of this one well. Your playing is much smoother too.

My first submission for the year, though I had recorded it in October. I'm a big Disney fan and this was my first Disney piece.

SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS (THE ARISTOCATS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzWTvJD15s

Thanks for watching and HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

stumbler - I love your strathspeys. I was a Scottish country dancer for about 10 years, and I loved some of the strathspeys. Now the band I'm in plays for Scottish country dancing a couple of times a year - we're doing Burns Night this coming Saturday, and I've *finally* learned a strathspey written by Muriel Johnstone, who is the music director of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. She gave a workshop this past fall as part of a dance workshop here in Santa Fe.

But you do a lovely job with the strathspeys.

Cathy

The scales and arpeggios is very musical.

candlelightpiano, delightful.

Cathy, thank you. I've been working with fiddle tunes I obtained from the Highland Music Trust. They have a number of collections available for free download.

weiyan and candlelight piano - while I don't know anything about classical pieces I enjoyed listening to yours.

Oh dear I already have so many collections of tunes I'll never get thru them all, but this is way tempting Of the ones for sale I have the Athole collection, but not the others. Oh dear, again. I've been trying to clean out my sheet music. Oh dear.

Thanks for the info, tho - what a treasure chest.

Cathy

Thanks, Weiyan, Stumbler and Newman. I enjoyed your music very much, too. This is my first time participating in and following a piano bar and I'm enjoying the different genres of music. It opens up a whole new dimension for me.

One of my favorite parts of my favorite Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is the scene where Bert and Ernie are singing a duet outside of George and Mary's window on their wedding night.

Since neither Bert nor Ernie were available when I did this today I used the harmonizer that is built into my Roland to assist me on the vocal.

I Love You Truly

Thank you Newman, Weiyan, Candlelight and Stumbler for your kind and encouraging remarks and for overlooking the flaws in my recording. This was the first time I used a mic for a vocal at the piano before I figured out how to have it pick up my voice without picking up the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard.

Interesting how people get so retro and sentimental on New Years. I think Bill's song was written in the same era as mine, which actually was closer to World War I than the era of the World War II classic, Casablanca. But both his song and mine were used in movies made around 1940. Unfortunately, I'm away from home and I don't have my headphones, so I haven't been able to listen to it yet but I look forward to it. (and the same goes for Weiyan's)

Bill M, sensitive performance.

Its been a number of years since I last watched "Its a Wonderful Life". My first thought upon seeing "Bert and Ernie", was that there had been a muppets remake---silly me.

Candlelightpiano - I'm sorry I didn't mention looking forward to hearing you with Bill and Weiyan--I almost missed you. I love Disney too, what a great way to get back in condition practicing scales and arpeggios after hand injury. Well done!

Weiyan -- what a lot of bang for a buck or under a buck if one minute equals a dollar in performance currency I see definite improvement in smoothness and expressiveness. Keep it up!

BillM -- Definitely evoked the duet performed by the beloved twosome. Brilliant idea to use the harmonizer. Nice choice in terms of both the season and your signature style. Thanks!

Thank you, Starr Keys, for your kind and encouraging remarks on my Scales and Arps. Yeah, it was a good way to get back into paino.

BillM: I LOVED IT TRULY! Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Elvis Presley? You have such a beautiful voice and you sing with so much heart. Loved your piano accompaniment, too. Your song moved me.

BillM - that harmonizer makes for an interesting sound - an addition to your repertoire!

Ladypayne - you are becoming quite creative. Enjoyed it.

Stumbler - Very competently played.

Newman - I always enjoy your Beatles covers. Seems you have added more echo than normal on this one. Sounds good.

Starr Keys - I love these great old songs. This one suits your voice nicely.

Weiyan - your playing is becoming more fluid each month. Good progress!

Candlelightpiano - I also am a big Disney fan but must have missed this one along the way. You play with confidence and style - love the camera angle. It is great to see who is behind the (excellent) playing.