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I reformatted Sauron, but he still hiccups over opening internet pages. Maybe it's the university server. Hi-ho...

In other news, I went to hear the St Paul's College Choir tonight, which was lovely. Have you ever *really* listened to the words of Danny Boy? They're kinda creepy... The music master had arranged it with acapella accompaniment by the choir, and the whole effect was slightly spooky.

Speaking of choirs, this via Ardvarcaeology:

Aardvarchaeology explains:

I've posted a fine example of Ansiktsburk song lyrics before: listen to a song in a language you don't understand, and try to imagine that it is actually sung in your own language though with a funny accent. Then write down whatever words you can half make out. Thus the Swedish drinking song "Helan går" becomes "Hell and gore, shun hope Father Alan, lay!".

Now Paddy K directs my attention to a new permutation of this idea. Here's a piece of choral music sung in English in such a way that the real lyrics are difficult to make out -- and the ansiktsburk poet has set new English words to it. Look at the ladies toward the end -- their lips are actually synching with the nonsense!

In which I plug my other blog again

Some fun things on the Naked Philologist lately:

King Edmund has his head stolen, in the first two parts of an ongoing series in which I do violence to Aelfric in the name of humour.

I am disappointed to find that the phrase 'man your wives' does not exist in Anglo-Saxon.

Plus miscelaenous links to other blogs, in which you could learn about: the dangers of Old London Bridge; singing statues at Wells Cathedral; bird cults in Cornwall; and some of the things that go wrong with old-fashioned 's'-es, which resemble 'f's.