Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Begin the Beguine

The song Begin the Beguine had special meaning to Meher Baba which he never explained.(LM 5424) By his earlier request, when he dropped his body the song was played several times at his samadhi on a hand-cranked phonograph. It must have been a strange sight, the ambulance at the top of Meherabad Hill, with strains of Begin the Beguine wafting from the tomb. This is the Artie Shaw version of the Cole Porter song. I'm pretty sure it is the version that was played.



Here is an interpretation of “BEGIN THE BEGUINE” written by Patricia Sargent


Correction: 10/19/13

The version played at Baba's tomb was sung by Leslie Hutchinson. (See This Post)

3 comments:

  1. A quote that suggests the 13th century Beguines might have been like Meher Baba lovers today: "The Beguines were women who, according to thirteenth-century chronicler Matthew Paris, 'call themselves "religious," and take a private vow of continence and simplicity of life, though they do not follow the Rule of any saint, nor are they confined within a cloister.' " (from William Harmless, "Mystics" (Oxford: 2008, p. 110) Some Beguine authors: Marguerite Porete, Hadewicjch of Brabant, and Mechthild of Magdeburg.

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    1. Lorenzo Durham April 12, 2014
      I have been out of touch with much of the Baba community for the last yea-many years so I do not know it this piece of information has been stated before so here it is...from me:
      During the second arrival of people to the Great Darshan in 1969, Judge Henry Kashouti brought out his cornet when we arrived at the tomb and played a deeply emotional solo of Begin The Beguine from the hill -which echoed in total silence over the entire area. Creation was touched by Henry's gift of Baba's keynote song. again, after all these years -Thank you Henry!

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    2. Are you sure it was not a trombone?

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