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Jk
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:22 am
Location: Wigan

Home Page

Post by Jk »

Hello Gerald, thank you for another superb Christmas home page. Well Done.
Regards
John.

Gerald Lawrence
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Location: Kenilworth, UK

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

Thank you John. I knew you would be one of the first! It was only completed less than an hour ago. I must admit, this is one of my favourite Home Pages, so although we know this time of the year can be a sad one when we think of Ruby (hence the use of a black background) it must also be a time when we are happy for our families and friends.
Gerald

Graham Bunn
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Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 5:17 am

Post by Graham Bunn »

Hello Gerald,

I just knew that you would not let us down.........Thank you so much for such a nice website page........Now I know that Christmas is just around the corner.

Take Care
Graham

Bernie Burgess
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Location: Sutton Coldfield

Post Subject

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Hello Friends,

Nostalgia time is with us once again. It's a very special time for remembering, especially Ruby but seeing as I remember her each day of my life very little will change as far as remembering her is concerned.

Being an ex performer, Christmas time always meant pantomime time but sadly pantomimes are few and far between these days, more is the pity. Unfortunately, all the traditional perfomers, like the comedy Dame characters have long since left the scene and have all been replaced by television soap stars who really have no idea what pantomome with it's slapstick comedy is all about.
I do sound like a real stick in the mud don't I? Turning to a happier note, the Christmas home page is a real joy to behold once again, thanks to Gerald. I don't know whether I am the only one but I have no falling snow and no picture of Ruby with the snow piling up on her hood.

I really must look out my Christmas cake recipe and try to upload it for all the fans/friends to read it's very comical, especially if I could perform reading it for you.

Perhaps a little premature but I'd like to wish everyone a -----------

--------------------------- VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS --------------------

Adios Amigos. BERNIE.

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Jk
Posts: 402
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Location: Wigan

Post by Jk »

Hi Bernie, plenty of snow on Ruby on my computer. Might be to warm in your apartment and melting before it lands.
Regards
John.

spudmurph
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:06 am
Location: Lisburn, Northern Ireland

Home Page

Post by spudmurph »

The home page is beautiful with a lovely selection of song snippets. Thank you very much.

Kathleen

Gerald Lawrence
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:48 am
Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Post Subject

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

Bernie Burgess wrote:I don't know whether I am the only one but I have no falling snow and no picture of Ruby with the snow piling up on her hood.
Hello Bernie, it sounds like the old Java problem again. In order to see the snow you must have Java enabled. Here is a link to the instructions which I hope will sort you out! http://www.rubymurray.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=261

Thank you all for the nice words.
Gerald

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rbl.ca
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Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 6:35 am
Location: Calgary, AB, CANADA

Gerald's Very Clever Home Page

Post by rbl.ca »

Hi, everyone.

I, too, would like to thank and congratulate Gerald on another terrific home page.

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas season.

Ralph

Bernie Burgess
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Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Post Subect

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Hello Friends,

It's snowing here today, not outside I hasten to add but thanks to Gerald's directions the snow is piling up on Ruby's hood. - thanks Gerald.-
Usually at Christmas time here in the Costa Blanca I manage to get one of Ruby's Christmas songs played but, due to the prevailing conditions and the lack of radio waves the largest British speaking radio station has gone off the air. I will have to try to persuade one of the other stations to oblige me.
The station that has gone, O.C.I (Onda Cero International), via Vince Tracey, regularly played a Christmas record for me and I always plumbed for 'The Very First Christmas Of All' but Vince's favourite was 'Christmas in Killarney'. HIs favourite Ruby record was 'Trotting To the Fair', he played that quite often too.

My Very Best Wishes to Everyone.

Adios Amigos. Bernie.

MARTIN FOSTER
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Location: MANCHESTER, UK
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Post by MARTIN FOSTER »

Hi friends,

Hope everybody is well and looking forward to the joyous season.

Gerald, well done on the new home page. It looks really great, especially Ruby in the red pullover - one of my favourite pics. Thanks for all the hard work you do for the website.

I am listenining to 'Christmas time in Ireland' as I type this. Ruby really sings this with feeling. Is it just me or does anyone else feel that although Ruby cant be faulted in her vocals, the accompaniment of this track and also 'Christmas in Killarney' lacks that certain festive / Christmassy sound which can be heard to stunning effect on 'Very first Christmas'?This is just my humble opinion of course but I wonder what anyone else thinks?

Take care and bye for now.

Martin :D

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Timmer
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Re: Home Page

Post by Timmer »

Wonderful job on the home page, Gerald. Thanks for helping make this site special. :)

--Tim

Gerald Lawrence
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Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Home Page

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

Timmer wrote:Wonderful job on the home page, Gerald. Thanks for helping make this site special. :)

--Tim
It wouldn't be anything without the super start that you gave it, back in 1999, plus the fact that the site is special because the singer is special to us all.

Thanks again to all for their kind words. I just enjoy doing it!
Gerald

Gerald Lawrence
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Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Ruby's Christmas Songs

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

MARTIN FOSTER wrote: I am listenining to 'Christmas time in Ireland' as I type this. Ruby really sings this with feeling. Is it just me or does anyone else feel that although Ruby cant be faulted in her vocals, the accompaniment of this track and also 'Christmas in Killarney' lacks that certain festive / Christmassy sound which can be heard to stunning effect on 'Very first Christmas'?This is just my humble opinion of course but I wonder what anyone else thinks?
Martin :D
I fully agree with you over 'Christmas in Killarney' which uses the typical "Irish Folk Band" setting for the backing. While it is certainly a strong reminder of Ireland, the song could be about anything really if you only had the melody and the backing group without the words.
However, 'Christmas Time in Ireland' relies on the words rather than the backing to remind us of Ireland, and I do like the arrangement quite a lot. I like the sweeping strings, and I particularly like the little piano part that links the two lines.

But my favourite Christmas song of all time 'The Very First Christmas of All' succeeds because it has beautiful words that really remind us what Christmas is supposed to be all about, Ruby sings it with such feeling and emotion, and the backing is classically simple yet effective. Take for example the precise timing of the run on the harp to the words "They gazed from afar...." It comes at exactly the right moment. And the simple bell sound tapping out the first two beats of each bar that it appears in. Wonderful music!

That is why it is the song at the top of the Christmas Tree - it is not an accident that I put it there, I wanted visitors to hear that one first.
Gerald

MARTIN FOSTER
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Re: Home Page

Post by MARTIN FOSTER »

Hi guys,

Hi Gerald,

Thanks for the reply. I have listened to Bing Crosby's version of 'Christmas in Killarney' and that also has a similar arrangement to Ruby's with snippets of Irish jigs and reels inserted between the verses. Very nice, but not very festive.
'The very first Christmas of all' is great, both the words and the arrangement. I have never heard anybody else sing this song so I wonder if it has ever been recorded by anyone else?
I do like 'Christmas time in Ireland' and the strings are very attractive but I feel a few Christmas bells would have been a good touch and added to the whole scene. However, I agree it is the words that remind us of Ireland and it is a song with really good lyrics. I especially like the part about the candlelight glowing to guide the weary traveller. Not sure if anybody knows this, but this refers to the Irish tradition of placing a lighted candle in the window on Christmas eve in the belief that this would guide the Holy Family on their journey to Bethlehem.

Bye for now.

Martin ;-)

Graham Bunn
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Re: Home Page

Post by Graham Bunn »

Hello Martin,
Just a little bit more information on the recording of "Christmas In Killarney"

Ruby seemed to do a copy version of the recording that Bing Crosby had put out a few years before........But I have been collecting songs that Ruby sang that have been performed by other artists.........The song "Christmas In Killarney" goes back a bit and I have found a version by an Irish singer by the name of Dennis Day who was very popular and his version is slightly different.

The song itself would seem to be a comedy song and the comedy items have been left out of Bing and Rubys version of the song........I like it although I would agree that it is not as good as "The Very First Christmas Of All."

However if I could only chose one Christmas recording of Rubys it would have to be "Silent Night" I think the purity of her voice is wonderful upon that recording.

Take Care and have a wonderful Christmas.
Graham

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