5 on Friday -- Set 247 -- The Halloween Edition

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

"A gypsy fire is on the hearth

Sign of the carnival of mirth

Through the dun fields and from the glade

Flash merry folk in masquerade

For this is Halloween!"

-- Author Unknown

Happy Haunting, Everyone!

1 - The Rite of Spring opening movements -- San Francisco Symphony, directed by Michael Tilson Thomas -- composed by Igor Stravinsky

The spooky theme starts at the 3:30 mark.

2 - Cinderella's Waltz from the ballet Cinderella -- composed by Sergei Prokofiev

3 - Olim lacus colueram (Once in Lakes I Made My Home) from Carmina Burana -- composed by Carl Orff

4 - Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti (Don Giovanni, you have invited me to dinner)  -- Carlos Alvarez as Don Giovanni and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as the Commendatore (Knight Commander) -- composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

5 - Danse Macabre -- composed by Camille Saint-Saens

5 on Friday -- Set 194

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

I've just wrapped up my second annual Spooky Stories Author Series here at A Piece of My Mind. In case you're just finding out about them now, here are the links to this year's interviews with authors who write stories that tend toward the spooky side of things:

13 Questions for Stephen MacLean, Screenwriter for Wisp

13 Questions for Sherri Browning Erwin, Author of Jane Slayre and Grave Expectations

13 Questions for Kate Robbins, Author of Bound to the Highlander

13 Questions for Norah Wilson, Co-author of Enter the Night

Thanks to all the writers who shared their shivery tales and favorite scary movies, and who answered my favorite question from this series of interviews: Why do you think people like to be scared?

As we head ever closer to the spookiest night of all, let's enjoy some tunes that have eerie themes or which have videos with a decidedly Halloween feel to them.

1 - Wide Awake - Katy Perry 

2 - What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani

3 - Li'l Red Riding Hood -- Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs

4 - I Put a Spell on You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

5 - Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

5 on Friday -- Set 191

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Only nine more 5 on Friday's to go before I hit the magical 200th set here at A Piece of My Mind. Much rejoicing will take place throughout the land.

A few heads' up notices first --

Coming up in one month's time, Blog4Peace is an international peace event held online on Nov. 4th. Join me and hundreds of other peace-spreading bloggers by typing the words 'Dona Nobis Pacem' on:

Your blog

Your Facebook page

Your Twitter account

Your Pinterest page

Anywhere you like to hang out online, please join our day of peace by saying 'Grant us peace' with one voice. Sign up at Mimi Lenox's linky on the big day so you can find the other peace bloggers and they can find you. Travel the world from your computer screen and feel the love.

Coming up a few days after Blog4Peace -- I'll be appearing at Hal-Con from Fri Nov 8th to Sun Nov 10th at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. I'll be hosting a panel with angels-and-demons author Shawna Romkey on Heroes and Villains. More details on time and location as soon as I have them.

Warp Speed Passes are already sold out. Weekend Passes, Day Passes and Family Passes are still available.

In celebration of all things spooky during October, I'll be featuring interviews with paranormal authors for my Thursday Thirteen series. The first one launched yesterday with Spooky Screenwriter Stephen MacLean. This is my second year for the Spooky Author series which is turning into an annual event. Coming up next week: Jane Slayer and Grave Expectations author Sherri Browning Erwin.

And now, onwards to this week's musical set. The beginning of this spooktacular month brings preparations for haunting trick or treaters and Halloween party-goers. These videos feature costumes as their central focus. Will you be dressing up this year? 

1 - No Rain - Blind Melon  

2 - Paradise - Coldplay

3 - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) - Ylvis

4 - Truth Faith - New Order

5 - Mr. Roboto - Styx

CLICK HERE to watch the video

5 on Friday - Set 142

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

My Spooky Stories Author series wrapped up here at A Piece of My Mind this week with:

Linda Poitevin, author of SINS OF THE SON

If you missed the first three interviews, you can catch them here:

Natalie G. Owens, author of AN INCONVENIENT DEBT

Trish Milburn, author of MAGICK

Caleb Casey, author of NOW YOU'LL NEVER KNOW 

Halloween finally arrives next week. Happy Haunting to you! 

1 - Wicked Annabella - The Kinks

2 - The Witch Queen of New Orleans - Redbone

3 - Black Magic Woman - Santana

4 - Swamp Witch - Jim Stafford

5 - Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

5 on Friday - Set 141

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

My Spooky Stories Author series continues throughout October here at A Piece of My Mind.

If you missed the first three interviews, you can catch them here:

Natalie G. Owens, author of AN INCONVENIENT DEBT

Trish Milburn, author of MAGICK

Caleb Casey, author of NOW YOU'LL NEVER KNOW 

This week brings us to some truly classic spine-tingling compositions. Best enjoyed while walking through overgrown misty graveyards... 

1 - In the Hall of the Mountain King - composed by Edvard Grieg - performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

2 - Ride of the Valkyries - composed by Richard Wagner - performed by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

3 - Night on Bald Mountain - composed by Modest Mussorgsky - performed by Leopold Stokowski's Symphony Orchestra

4 - Danse Macabre - composed by Camille Saint-Saens - performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski

5 - The Isle of the Dead, part I - composed by Sergei Rachmaninov - performed by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

5 on Friday - Set 140

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

I'm already two weeks into my Spooky Stories Author series here at A Piece of My Mind, so my sets for the rest of October are going to be all-Halloween, all the time.

If you missed the first two interviews, you can catch them here:

Natalie G. Owens, author of AN INCONVENIENT DEBT

Trish Milburn, author of MAGICK 

The tone for this week begins with unchecked madness and spirals into the hell that follows... 

1 - Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

2 - 21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson

3 - All the Madmen - David Bowie

4 - Riders on the Storm - The Doors

5 - Home by the Sea - Genesis

5 on Friday - Set 38

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Continuing with Halloween Week here at A Piece of My Mind, I've collected five spooky pieces of ballet music that should send shivers up your spines.

1 - Cinderella's Waltz - Cinderella - Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra

Composed by Sergei Prokofiev



2 - Montagues and Capulets - Romeo and Juliet - Stuttgart Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Sergei Prokofiev

The main spooky theme runs till the 1:49 mark.



3 - La mort d'Hilarion (The death of Hilarion) - Giselle - Tokyo Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Adolphe Adam

Giselle is, at its heart, a ghost story. In this scene the vengeful spirits known as the Wilis (pronounced 'will-eeze') - as in, 'you're giving me the willies' - trap spurned lover Hilarion in the forest and force him to dance to death.

In the ballet, the Wilis are the spirits of young betrayed women who were denied their wedding day and died of broken hearts.



4 - The Augurs of Spring: Dances of the Young Girls - The Rite of Spring - Mariinsky Ballet Orchestra

Composed by Igor Stravinsky

The main spooky theme runs till the 1:35 mark. It definitely brings to mind John Williams' Jaws theme, which followed Stravinsky's composition 62 years later.

This particular performance is a reconstruction of the 1913 original choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. At the turn of the last century, this music and dance's modernism was so disturbing to the audience at the premiere, they literally rioted.



5 - 1st Tableau and The Enchanted Garden of Kashchei (an evil immortal who terrorizes young women) - The Firebird - Bolshoi State Academic Theater Orchestra

Composed by Igor Stravinsky

The main spooky theme runs till the 4:20 mark.

Thursday Thirteen - 182 - 13 of My Favorite Pop Culture Costumes

In time for Halloween, here are some costumes to which I've always been rather partial.


1 - Rob Roy

Includes a sword














2 - The Phantom of the Opera

Fought with a sword














3 - Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress

Love her cheeky practicality














4 - Gladiator

Used many swords in the arena














5 - The Pirate King








Pirates of Penzance

Has a rapier sword and a rapier wit - and very sexy thigh-high boots


6 - Willie Wonka

Swings a mean walking stick














7 - The Artful Dodger

Could get a sword if he wanted one





























8 - Mr. Tumnus

I always found it charming that he carried too many things.














9 - Darth Maul

Has a lightsabre





























10 - Xena, Warrior Princess

Has a sword and a chakram (the round frisbee-type weapon she throws)








11 - Laura Ingalls' red calico dress

Got into fistfights in the schoolyard. Always loved her fierce nature.











12 - von Trapp children's curtain playclothes





More cheeky practicality




13 - Elvis Presley's gold lame suit

When I was little, we had this album cover and I used to stare at it, with its multiple images of Elvis and the proclamation: "50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong."

It's so iconic that anyone who wears anything gold lame is referencing this suit. To me, it's the ultimate in establishing that personal brand.

Wordless Wednesday - 172

Poetry Train Monday - 175 - The Hag

Heading into Halloween Week, here's a 362-year-old poem to set the scene.

Happy Haunting!














The Hag

The Hag is astride,
This night for to ride;
The Devill and shee together:
Through thick, and through thin,
Now out, and then in,
Though ne’r so foule be the weather.

A Thorn or a Burr
She takes for a Spurre:
With a lash of a Bramble she rides now,
Through Brakes and through Bryars,
O’re Ditches, and Mires,
She followes the Spirit that guides now.

No Beast, for his food,
Dares now range the wood;
But husht in his laire he lies lurking:
While mischiefs, by these,
On Land and on Seas,
At noone of Night are working,

The storme will arise,
And trouble the skies;
This night, and more for the wonder,
The ghost from the Tomb
Affrighted shall come,
Cal’d out by the clap of the Thunder.

- Robert Herrick, 1648

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Happy Haunting

I hope those of you with little trick-or-treaters have had a wonderful evening. We've had a lot of cuties show up at the front door so far.

It's an uncharacteristically beautiful Halloween night here in Halifax. I watched an orange sunset through the newly-bare trees as I waited for the little dashing figures, running over the crunchy leaves I haven't raked up yet.

So while I give out treats with my mom, here's a peek at my post from last Halloween - 10 of my favorite spooky films. Boo!

Poetry Monday - 72 - Wuthering Heights

More lyrics for Poetry Monday. I'm really enjoying this - hope you do, too.

Since it's Halloween this week, I figured a shivery tale would be just the thing. What could be better than Catherine Earnshaw haunting her tormented lover, Heathcliff?

Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite stories/films/songs. I own several editions of the 1847 novel by Emily Bronte. The 1939 film with Laurence Olivier is one of my favorite films of all time, and this 1978 song by Kate Bush has been a favorite of mine for 30 years.

So for Halloween, enjoy this song written from the ghostly Cathy's point of view as she calls to Heathcliff from across the moors.


Wuthering Heights


Out on the winding, windy moors
We'd roll and fall in green
You had a temper like my jealousy:
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you. I loved you, too

Bad dreams in the night
You told me I was going to lose the fight
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering heights

Heathcliff, it's me - your Cathy
I've come home. I'm so cold
Let me in your window

Ooo, it gets dark! It gets lonely
On the other side from you
I pine a lot. I find the lot
Falls through without you
I'm coming back, love
Cruel Heathcliff, my one dream
My only master

Too long I roamed in the night
I'm coming back to his side, to put it right
I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering heights

Heathcliff
It's me, your Cathy - I've come home
I'm so cold
Let me in your window

Ooo! Let me have it
Let me grab your soul away
Ooo! let me have it
Let me grab your soul away
You know it's me - Cathy

- Kate Bush, 1976