Mark Likes Music

I've never seen the Monty Python sketch that John Clare posted a month or so on  ClassicallyHip , but one thing I know: lupins are poisonous. Never joke about lupins.

Handel premiered his  Messiah   and its oft-quoted Hallelujah Chorus  in April 1742 in Dublin, and in the years following it was a perennial Easter favorite, not a Yuletide staple, as it is today.

There are tons of parodies and appropriations of the Hallelujah Chorus  on television programs, in movies, and in ads;  WQXR posted its top five last December . I've yet to find a version for zipper: Thanks, Joe Lehman (one of the funniest guys on Facebook; no foolin').

Pretty well everyone has heard the Hallelujah Chorus: It's a Christmas staple, on its own or as part of Handel's Messiah ; it's also become one of those pieces that people love to make their own. Since 1993, Marin Alsop has been performing a gospel version of Messiah , conceived with Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson, called Too Hot to Handel , with a particularly swinging Hallelujah Chorus: H ere's a "mildly cynical update"  by Edward Current and Steven Clark from the UK (only Brits would find this "mildly cynical"): And only Canadians would find a Hallelujah Chorus flash mob cool :

Anthem fails: they're not just for Americans  anymore. Deadspin   gives an account  of this very, very unfortunate version by Measha Brueggergosman of my country's big song: While the average length of "O Canada" as sung before an athletic contest is a bit shy of 50 seconds, Brueggergosman stretched it to almost two minutes and drew titters from players on both benches as she warbled her way through a nearly unrecognizable rendition.  The most cringe-worthy moment comes when, clearly dying out there, the Canada's Got Talent judge enthusiastically calls for the crowd to sing along. Polite Canadians, they do. I wonder how the Kazakhs would handle a butchering of their national anthem ? Maybe we'll find out: It was pretty classy of the medalist, Maria Dmitrienko, to keep her composure in what could only have been a humiliating and confusing situation.

Signature Brew of London has released Craig Finn's Clear Heart, a nod to the Hold Steady singer's new solo album . Pairing up with musicians to co-brand lines of beer is Signature Brew's marketing hook, but so far it has only one other act on its roster, a band called the Rifles . And how do you drink this beer? In a red solo cup, of course: Get More: Red Solo Cup , Toby Keith , Toby Keith Videos

Immediately after posting Darth Vader in a kilt (and on a unicycle playing bagpipes; can't forget that), I came across this on Facebook: And this on Tech Crunch: Face it, people: the Empire won.