Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. Doddering old 2023 is on its last legs and will soon be replaced by a brand new year, 2024. Accordingly, we have just the thing for your listening and viewing pleasure while you attempt to navigate this always-treacherous transitional period. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to:

A Festival Of Auld Lang Syne Performances

Our first number will be on the musical saw with accordion accompaniment, plus there is a bit of the human voice. From 2006, here is someone named Nicki Jaine on both the saw and the vocal, accompanied by Roy Ashley on accordion, with Auld Lang Syne #1 (2:43).

Next, we travel through both time and space to Detroit, Michigan, in the year 1987 to hear the young Aretha Franklin and Billy Preston sing a Motown version of our festival theme, Auld Lang Syne #2 (2:07). For some unknown reason there is a brief appearance by comedian David Brenner at the end of the performance.

As we continue to mellow and chill and let the old year slip away, here with Auld Lang Syne #3 (4:52) is saxophonist Kenny G -- you may skip this video only if you majored in jazz saxophone in college and feel that Kenny G sold out for commercial success.

To close our Festival we reach all the way back to 1953 and the old master himself. Here are Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians with what must surely be the schmaltziest version ever recorded -- Auld Lang Syne #4 (2:10), complete with chromatic runs.

Our Festival is now at an end. If we have done our work properly, your transition from 2023 to 2024 will be a smooth one. You may now return to your normal life, where you are free to choose any kind of music that helps you get through your day.

Now go forth and multiply get one for the Gipper hold your head up high and face tomorrow with confidence.

Lord, for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time.

[Editor's note. I have published this post several times over the last 16 years of blogging, and it fairly begged to be brought out again from the archives for newer readers. I have edited it slightly so that the dates are current. For all of 2023's disturbing headlines and armed conflicts, it had some special high points for our family -- our oldest grandson and his wife presented us with our first great-grandchild, our two youngest grandsons both got married, and still another of our grandsons became engaged and completed college. Mrs. RWP (the lovely Ellie) and I pray that everyone who comes here will enjoy good health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year. --RWP]

Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine

Today is New Year’s Eve. Doddering old 2013 is on its last legs and will soon be replaced by a brand new year, 2014. Accordingly, we have just the thing for your listening and viewing pleasure while you attempt to navigate this always-treacherous transitional period. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to:

A Festival Of Auld Lang Syne Performances

Our first number will be on the musical saw with accordion accompaniment, plus there is a bit of the human voice. From 2006, here is someone named Nicki Jaine on both the saw and the vocal, accompanied by Roy Ashley on accordion, with Auld Lang Syne #1 (2:43).

Next, we travel through both time and space to Detroit, Michigan, in the year 1987 to hear the young Aretha Franklin and Billy Preston sing a Motown version of our festival theme, Auld Lang Syne #2 (2:07). For some unknown reason there is a brief appearance by comedian David Brenner at the end of the performance.

As we continue to mellow and chill and let the old year slip away, here with Auld Lang Syne #3 (4:52) is saxophonist Kenny G -- you may skip this video only if you majored in jazz saxophone in college and feel that Kenny G sold out for commercial success.

To close our Festival we reach all the way back to 1953 and the old master himself. Here are Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians with what must surely be the schmaltziest version ever recorded -- Auld Lang Syne #4 (2:10), complete with chromatic runs.

Our Festival is now at an end. If we have done our work properly, your transition from 2013 to 2014 will be a smooth one. You may now return to your normal life, where you are free to choose any kind of music that helps you get through your day.

Now go forth and multiply get one for the Gipper hold your head up high.

Lord, for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time.

We’re not quite done yet

If you clicked on Auld Lang Syne #1 in my previous post, you heard what I consider to be a really bad musical saw rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” by Nicki Jaine. I’m sure Nicki is a lovely young lady, but I fervently hope that her technique has improved since 2006 (the date of the clip). It made my ears hurt because of just how off-key it is in places and also because of the swoops and slides from note to note, never a good thing. I’m assuming you understand that I included it in our festival precisely because it was so bad, just as I included Darlene Edwards in an earlier post for the same reason, which some of you did not seem to catch. Of course, Darlene’s performance (a parody by the great Jo Stafford) was purposely bad. Nicki’s, I think, was not.

A new commenter, Michelle, gave us a link to a pitch-perfect rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” on the musical saw by a young lady who has performed it in the subways of New York every New Year’s Eve for the past 17 years.

Here is the same person playing John Rutter’s "Pie Jesu" in a trio consisting of musical saw, recorder, and piano in a Lutheran Church.

She is none other than Natalia Paruz, the increasingly well-known “Saw Lady.” Natalia has performed on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion and with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic.

Now we’re done.

Well, with New Year’s Eve, “Auld Lang Syne,” and the musical saw, at least.

For now.