Advent in Vienna - Click Here

  

Father Christmas - by Nigel A. JAMES

Advent is a wonderful time and the Viennese love it. The city is dotted with small Advent markets, and all, more-or-less, exactly the same. A beautifully decorated tree, hot spicy wine, Christmassy things one can buy, a wonderful Advent feeling, and, of course, Advently seasonal music. And, about ten years ago, I was at just such a market, and this is what happened.

I was having a wonderful time. Everything was great and everything Advently perfect. But, it was the choir that provided the spirit of the evening. And, singing mainly in English, they were very, very good. But, the evening went quicker than expected and soon came the very last song.

The conductor turned to the people, thanked them, and wished them a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. And then, after turning back to the choir, closed his eyes, and started conducting the very last number. And, the choir started singing, and the crowd started humming and singing along. It was all very magic.

And, then came the the very last line of this very last song. And, just like a half dying swan in great pain, the conductor, with still tightly closed eyes, raised his arms in an arch, paused for a second, then flutteringly and dramatically brought them back down again for the expected well practised majestic conclusion. But, the choir didn't stop. They simply carried on singing! The last line had not been the last line at all. The singers had been singing from their song sheets and not even looking at the conductor. And, the conductor, because of his tightly closed eyes, had not even noticed he was being ignored.

But, all's well that ends well. With a very red face, the conductor conducted hard to catch up, and, of course, brought the concert to a triumphant conclusion. And, the applause was fantastic. The audience had had a wonderful evening.

And, that's how it was. An evening of magic with with more than one or two glasses of hot spicy wine, and, of course, some Christmassy songs sung by a very fine choir.

Advent. A wonderful time that the Viennese love – and, I love it as well.

Vocabulary

attention - Aufmerksamkeit

conclusion - Schluss

embarrassing – peinlich

expectantly - erwartungsvoll

goes without saying – (go/went/has gone...) selbstverständlich

imitating - nachahmen

spirit – Geist

Susanne Amberg Schneeweis

The Power of Voice - Susanne Amberg Schneeweis

The first thing we see when meeting a person is sound! Speech is more visible than anything else. It not only has powers which are far greater than looks, but, is a way to our characters, too. The way that we speak is the one first impression that counts! And, when meeting Susanne Amberg Schneeweis in person, I was happy. For, she was just as I thought her to be! My first impressions had been right. They had come from the radio and they were her voice. And, the way she spoke had the quality of magic.

And, her life has been magic as well. Realizing her destiny, she followed a path of singing and speaking, but, as time went on, it was teaching that took centre stage. Voice, she says, is one of the things we all have in common, and by training it we can alter our lives. A clear strong voice not only provides for clarity of understanding, but, makes for happiness, too.

But, the secret of voice lies in our breathing. The second thing which we all have in common. Breathing is life. And, it is from there that all energy flows. And correct breathing, says Susanne Amberg Schneeweis, is something that everyone can not only master, but should! And, she knows what she's talking about. She has been passing on the magic of sound for a very long time, and, having just passed 70, has no intention of stopping. And her schedule is not only full, but impressive as well.

Not only does Susanne Amberg Schneeweis teach at the VHS in Vienna, she also provides tuition in her very own studio. And, there is more. She has also written some very amazing books. One of them being, Singing Makes Happy.

But, all in all, it's her passing on of her gifts that's impressive. And, her greatest talent of all is the showing that these talents of breathing speaking and singing rest in us all! All we have to do is open our eyes, enjoy the sounds we are seeing, and learn how to breath as we should! And then, whatever you do, your life will take off! Happiness is then guaranteed!

For full info, please google Susanne Amberg Schneeweis!

Why We are Better than Everyone Else!

 

Holding up the Weight - by Nigel A JAMES

Why We are Better than Everyone Else!

Some thoughts on comparison by Nigel A JAMES

There are many things that most people have in common, and, at the top of the list is the conviction that they know better than everyone else. 99% of the entire world population is convinced that it is their way of life that is better than everyone else's.

And then, at the same time, nearly everyone everywhere believes that everywhere else is better than where they are presently at! If they are at home, then everything abroad is better; and then, when in foreign fields, there is no place like home! This is what people are like. So far, two very self-canceling contradictory sides to the same animal. And the questions are many!

To begin with, do people actually understand the depth and the joy that this life has to offer? Seemingly no! The hidden truth lies in the very visible differences that surround us! Every way is the right way and acceptance is the key to discovery! And the only way to discover is to go behind the way of one's very own thinking! And this, too, is a process of questioning!

First of all, if our way is the only way, then why is this so? What have we got to offer that is simply much better than “theirs”? Let us examine ourselves!

Firstly, one could easily assume that everyone from all over the world would enjoy dressing in the same old boring way that we do! After-all, who needs exciting clothes, anyway?

What we eat could be the second thing which we look at. If we work hard enough, we could assure that everyone everywhere would soon end up as unhealthy as we are!

Our taste in music would be a good thing to put third on our list. Soon everyone from Africa would be queuing up to get tickets for Wagner, and sales of Strauss waltzes would hit heights of never before dreamt of dimensions!

Then what about our pets? Why not encourage everyone to buy a dog? It's great fun! Just imagine the fun that everyone would have whilst waling their dogs in the winter!

Of course, the list of the things which we are better at is much longer than just these two or things, but, on the other hand, which things from elsewhere would we like to adopt as our own? We could start with music and go on to religion and everything in between! And, maybe, this is beginning to happen already! Who knows what life will be like in just twenty years time?