Week 40 – Think Bensonium

Day 280: O Come all ye faithful (Christmas Day)

Roderick Benson — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exaltation
Oh sing all ye citizens of Heaven above Glory to God
All glory in the highest
O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord

Happy Christmas everyone!

Day 279: Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Christmas Eve)

Roderick Benson — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

This is one of my all time favourite Christmas carols. As I get older, I realise the reality in which we find ourselves leaves us with a stark choice. We can make our way through life looking for the odd joy here and there but anyone who really ponders the human condition realises that if there is really no power outside of ourselves then things are existentially very bleak.

While I am a Christian, I accept that my only tiny understanding of reality means that I could be mistaken. However, for me the Christian message appears to be the most coherent and correspondent (for a more formal explanation of these ideas which are used in the practice of science see my first lecture) explanation of the strange life in which I find myself. While sometimes, in my darker moments, I think surely the gospel is too good to be true, I choose to continue to hold onto the hope that there is a good God who made us and who one day will put everything to right, despite our best efforts to mess everything up.

Day 278: Fairytale of New York, The Pogues

Roderick Benson — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

OK so I’m still prioritizing Christmas songs I enjoy over cheery content. This song from the Pogues is a classic although again doesn’t quite fit the traditional Christmas theme. However, in all honesty the song does touch on a Christmas reality that all social workers know about.

My first job was working in a drug and alcohol clinic in Sydney and it was well recognised that the busiest time of the year for the clinic was indeed Christmas time — such is the tragedy of the human condition where often family conflicts are at their worst at a time that is meant to be good will for all men.

Day 277: Happy Xmas (The war is over), John Lennon

Roderick Benson — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

So I’m not a great fan of lots of Christmas hits produced by rock stars but I have always thought this one from John Lennon is pretty good although not particularly a cheerful Christmas ditty.

Day 276: Do they know it’s Christmas?

Roderick Benson — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

So it’s Monday of Christmas week and over next days I will be releasing Christmas classics that have been produced by rock stars over the years; let’s face it, there are quite a few! We shall start with the 1984 Christmas hit that was produced to raise money for those suffering from African famine. Sadly human suffering does not stop at Christmas time.

Day 275: Hope Christmas Gets You To Me, Lapwing

Roderick Benson — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Well it’s the beginning of Christmas week so I thought I would start with this little song. I have a good friend who helped me when I was writing my book The Wormwood Deception and his son has released this very pretty tune for Christmas. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to its sentiment especially given that as I write these words, we have just learned in the UK that a new tier 4 has now been introduced for some areas of London — meaning that folk in those areas now must cancel their Christmas plans. Even more shocking given that London was in tier two up to a few days ago, although this classification was more for political rather than scientific reasons.

Day 274: Song for Dylan, David Bowie

Roderick Benson — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I ended last week’s Covid Island Discs with another song from Bob Dylan. This reminded me of a David Bowie song which is a tribute to Dylan’s musical genius. Really think the lines below that Bowie penned about Dylan are quite appropriate.

About a strange young man called Dylan
With a voice like sand and glue
Some words had truthful vengeance
That could pin us to the floor
Brought a few more people on
And put the fear in a whole lot more