Faces of Children (Visages d'enfants) │ Jean Forest

 Jean Forest

"Faces Of Children (Visages d'enfants) 1925" is a haunting film about a troubled child.  Even though it was released eighty-six years ago, it is still very powerful and moving.  Jean Forest plays the part of Jean Amsler, who is mourning the death of his mother, and is not quite able to come to terms with his personal loss.  In this edition of Angelfire Love we are featuring a very beautiful edit of "Faces Of Children" that was put together by MikeLesMiserables.  He was able to distill the essence of the movie from two hours down to seven minutes.  Please click on the video widget below for a very emotional experience.

Libera │ Silent Night

It doesn't get much better than this.  Libera, the magnificent choir from England singing, "Silent Night", the greatest Christmas song of all time.  Aunt Martha and I spent the whole day, and most of this past evening, searching for something special to feature on Angelfire Love, for this Christmas season.  We "auditioned", literally, hundreds of videos.  Many of them were very promising, but they had to be rejected because of faulty, and clipped audio, and/or video.  But, Aunt Martha, with her preternatural sixth sense, finally suggested Libera's hauntingly beautiful version of "Silent Night".  I told her, "Aunt Martha, we already posted a video of Libera singing a Christmas song.  "Yes, my dear Endyr", she said, "But that was recorded in a cold-hearted TV studio, without any warm ambiance.  I was never satisfied with that post.  Let's find a version of Libera singing 'Silent Night' in a more formal, and atmospheric setting."  As usual, Aunt Martha was so right.  But, we could not find such a version.  Even though we searched and searched, nothing came up.  We were ready to give up, but Aunt Martha was persistent.  I was exhausted after many hours of fruitless searching, and was ready to crash and burn, when Aunt Martha cooked my favorite meal for me, which is a thick cheeseburger deluxe, with her special homemade french fries, and to wash it all down, liters of Coca-Cola.  I was really buzzing now!  As it usually happens in situations like this, we found just what we were looking for, but it was discovered in a most unlikely place.  Needless to say, Aunt Martha and I would like to present to the fans of Angelfire Love, Libera, singing "Silent Night" in a beautiful setting.  Aunt Martha and I would like to wish all of you a Very Merry, and Happy Christmas, and a Happy New Year.  Aunt Martha also sends her love to each and every one of you.

Cory │ Believe

This has got to be the most mystical version of "Believe" that I have ever heard.  It is sung by a young singer called Cory.  Unfortunately though, I was not able to find any information about Cory, which is a shame, as I like to give credit where credit is due.  Cory has such a beautiful sweet voice.  It is very special, and it's a pleasure to share it with all of you on Angelfire Love.  For those of you who are not familiar with this song, it is from a movie called "The Polar Express".  The original version of "Believe" was sung by Josh Groban.  Click on this link to purchase the "The Polar Express" DVD from Amazon.com:  The Polar Express  For a special treat please listen to Cory's hauntingly beautiful rendition of  "Believe".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angelfire Love, wherever you may be.

Bedtime For Sniffles │ A Christmas Tale

In this edition of Angelfire Love, we are featuring an incredibly cute Christmas Eve cartoon called "Bedtime For Sniffles".  Sniffles tries to stay up late on Christmas Eve so that he can get a glimpse of Santa Claus, and the results of this are charming to say the least.  Unfortunately, Sniffles has vanished from the world of cartoons.  He was first created in 1939 by animator Chuck Jones, and very few cartoon shorts of Sniffles were ever made, or released.  Sniffles has always been one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters.

Noche De Paz │ Michaelangelo

As it so often happens, I have found cool videos in the most unlikely places on the internet.  I was browsing some of the little known sections of cyberspace when I accidentally came upon an obscure Eastern European based website.  All of thfe text on it was written in the Cyrillic Alphabet, and the online Google translator had a hard time determining if it was Russian, Ukrainian, or whatever.  Well, that's where I discovered this beautiful video of a young singer from Puerto Rico who goes by the unlikely name of Michaelangelo singing "Noche De Paz (Silent Night).  Yes, that is the actual spelling of his name, and that was all that I could figure out for certain about him.  Look in the bottom left hand corner of the video when it starts to play and you will see that the composer of "Noche De Paz" is incorrectly listed as Irving Berlin.  The lyrics were written by an Austrian priest by the name of Father Joseph Mohr, and the melody was composed by Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber.  The carol was first performed in the Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818.  With all of that said, please click on the video widget below to enjoy an incredibly heartfelt rendition of "Noche De Paz".  By-the-way, notice that great beatific smile that Michaelangelo flashes at the very end of the video.

 

The Christmas Shoes

In this edition of Angelfire Love we are featuring a remarkable video called "The Christmas Shoes".  What can I say about "The Christmas Shoes" without sounding banal or trite?  It is very moving, and fills the soul with deep sentiment.  "The Christmas Shoes" is the perfect Christmas story.  My Dear Aunt Martha and I found it on the internet this past Christmas, and we could not stop crying after watching it, and we watched it over, and over again.  The Christian musical group NewSong originally released "The Christmas Shoes" in 2000, and since then it has grown in popularity to become a  perennial favorite for the holidays.  There are many video versions of "The Christmas Shoes", but this one is the best by far.  The soundtrack contains the original NewSong version of "The Christmas Shoes".  The MP3 of "The Christmas Shoes" by NewSong  can be purchased from this Amazon.com link:  The Christmas Shoes - NewSong   My Dear Aunt Martha and I felt that because of the way things are going in the world today, we all need something to pick us up, and remind us that the greatest gift of all, is the gift of sharing.  May The Peace And Love Of Pure Angel Light, Bless, And Keep All Of You Safe.

O Holy Night │ Libera

In this edition of Angelfire Love we are featuring Libera, the extraordinary choir from England, singing "O Holy Night".  Please click on this link to purchase the MP3 of Libera singing "O Holy Night" from Amazon.com:  O Holy Night - Libera

Lord Of The Flies │ Angelic Choir Boys With An Attitude

The images and the plot of "Lord Of The Flies (1963)" are so intense, and at times so horrific, that it makes one forget, or not notice, that the film itself contains an incredibly beautiful soundtrack.  Raymond Leppard, the composer, wrote a couple of sensational variations on the liturgical "Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy)" theme.  In this edition of Angelfire Love we are presenting two different settings of the "Kyrie Eleison" from "Lord Of The Flies".  The first one is a cheeky, breezy, almost insouciant rendition by the rogue choirboys as they are marching along the beach at the beginning of the movie.  The second "Kyrie Eleison" is sung darkly to accompany the death of Simon.  I call this one the "Kyrie - Requiem".  The murder of Simon the mystic is so disturbing and senseless, that it makes me mourn for him every time I see this scene, but underscoring it is a "Kyrie Eleison" that is both haunting, and unforgettable.  By-the-way, the 1990 remake of "Lord Of The Flies" just does not have the impact, and power of the original.  It is my opinion that too much editing, and rewriting was done. Please click on this link to purchase the DVD of "Lord Of The Flies" from Amazon.com:  Lord of the Flies - The Criterion Collection

  "Kyrie Eleison" - On The Beach

 

 "Kyrie Eleison" - The Death Of Simon