This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Marching into the Winner's Circle ( #BOTB Results )

 Just as I was getting used to the time change here we go again back into Daylight Savings Time.  I mean, really, do we really need to keep doing this?  So I guess this means after this coming Sunday we're back into summer again?  Aw, who needs spring anyway...

         Actually spring is maybe my favorite season.   I'd like to have a nice spring.  However here in Los Angeles it's kind of moot.  The real question here might be:  How do we know when it's spring?  Here in L.A. I mean.  Mostly things stay kind of the same here.  There are fluctuations in the weather of course, but not all that much.

       Perhaps out in Southern California where I am one needs only to look at the calendar to see what the season is.   When April comes then it must be spring--right?  Or at least we know in the blogging world that the coming of April means it's time for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  Yeah, that thing.  Guess I need to start getting ready!

        But for now let's get to something more immediate...

Battle of the Bands Results



Toy Shop Marches

        My most recent Battle was between two classic march tunes from over a hundred years ago.  Due to the similarity between the two pieces, this was a tough decision for me and possibly for some of the other voters.  But in the final analysis I had to cast my vote for the grander of the two, Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys".  From the trumpet clarion call that opens the piece to the stately march that comes nearly midway into the piece, this is a big production worthy of the Arthur Fiedler touch in the version that I used.  Jessel's piece is certainly fun, but Herbert's is epic.

         The outcome of this Battle was quite good with votes coming in for both.  However as one would hope, there was a clear winner in this match, as you can see from the final vote count...


Final Vote Tally

Leon Jessel  "Parade of the Tin Soldiers"       6 votes

Victor Herbert  "March of the Toys"              8 votes


And now, to celebrate the victory, here is a fun scene from the 1961 Disney version of Babes in Toyland featuring Herbert's March of the Toys with an army of toys in stop motion.  It reminds me of the old George Pal Puppetoons that I loved so much as a child.   Hope you enjoy...






Next Battle on Wednesday March 15

       I've got a couple more marches lined up for a midmonth Battle.  These are more recent marches that I'm sure you all know well.  Hope you'll stop in then to see what they are.




6 comments:

  1. We have definite seasons, but spring and fall are really short as they blend in with summer.

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  2. While I'm not thrilled about having to set the clocks forward an hour this weekend, I am excited for the extra hour of sunlight in the early evenings.

    Your battle was a close one. I'm on the winning side this round. Yippee! I have my results up. Have a bandtastic day, my friend!

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  3. I wish, once we change to DST, they would leave it there! The extra daylight in the evening is wonderful, but losing an hour's sleep sure isn't. And I hate going back in the fall, when it gets dark so early.

    Close battle! Those are the best kind, IMO. Glad to be on the winning side. ☺

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  4. I hate changing the clocks. My husband likes how light it is at night but I hate how dark it will be during the morning. And if we changed permanently (which has been tried twice and it failed) kids will be going to school in the dark until 8am during the winter.

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  5. Great Battle, and great Disney clip, too.
    I didn't realize your Battle was that close; I thought Victor Herbert was running away with it, but I thought rong.

    I don't think I ever saw Disney's 'Babes In Toyland'. I need to fix that! When I was a kid, I had a GAF Viewmaster reel from the movie, which intrigued me, but I don't recall having ever seen it. Which is surprising, because I've always been a fan of the OLD Disney classics.

    ~ D-FensDogG

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  6. I thought they weren't going to do that Daylight Savings thing any more. It only messes up television program times around here, but it's still a drag.
    Aw, dang. My vote didn't help the win. What a great battle, though. Both songs took us out of the here and now, if only for a couple of minutes.

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Lee