This version of the song “These Hands”, was recorded during Celtic Colours International Festival 2020 and features the powerful lyrics sung in English, Mi’kmaw, Gaelic, and French by Dave Gunning, Darren Stevens, Mary Jane Lamond, Nicole LeBlanc, and Kaia Kater.
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These Hands
Songwriters: Dave Gunning and George Canyon
Some hands have held the world together.
Some hands have fought in wars forever.
Tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
Some hands have blessed a million people.
Some hands helped free the world from evil.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
The world could use a hero of the human kind.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
Some hands can stop a life from dying.
Some hands comfort a baby crying.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
The world could use a hero of the human kind.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
I want to sing it from my heart, I want to hear it in the wind. 'Til it blows around the world, and comes back again. All that we can ask, is for ours to be free. To use them when we want, for whatever the need.
Some hands give voice to a nation.
Some hands wrote "The Times They Are a-Changin'".
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
The world could use a hero of the human kind.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
What shall I do with these hands of mine?
The world could use a hero of the human kind.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
So tell me what shall I do with these hands of mine.
This movie was much more formulaic than I’m used to for Christmas movies. Like, we had the young recently married couple to foil the miserable couple who constantly fight, we had the guy who lost his wife and infant son in childbirth to foil the guy who hasn’t been appreciating his wife and son and may lose them. We have the adult with dyslexia to foil the child with autism.
So, the premise of the story is that this group of seven (later 8 and eventually 9) people get stuck in a snow storm, so they’re bunking in a church. I know I just went through all the foils, but let me give you the breakdown for each character. James Mason (Aaron Pearl) is a struggling pastor who lost recently lost his wife and his position in his church. Joe Wells (Dan Payne) is trying to get home to spend time with his son Matt (Valin Shinyei) and hopefully also his recently separated wife Mary (Allison Hossack). Is it heavy handed to have the main couple in a Christmas film be named Mary and Joseph if it’s not a nativity story? I would argue yes. Darryl (George Canyon) is too good of a man to be real- former EMT, currently postal worker and musician, aspiring doctor. Also just so nice the whole time. Like he’s the most unrealistic thing here. Drake (David Nykl) and Madeleine (Lori Triolo) are driving home from seeing her parents for Christmas and fighting relentlessly. Nick (Randal Edwards) and Christy (Siobhan Williams) are on their way home from their 3 day long honeymoon.
It’s kind of hard to go through anything that happens because a lot of it is, again, very formulaic. Like it’s one project after the other and they rotate who helps with what and who reveals what about themselves until they’re all besties for life. But specifically Joe, James, and Darryl are besties. I do think that this was a true Christmas movie, and while the attitude towards autism leaves much to be desired, I have no other complaints. But while I’m on that subject, why would you respond, “I’m sorry,” to someone who says their son has autism? And I don’t like that Mary seemed to accept it. Joseph has a much better attitude about it when he says basically quit trying to make him normal and embrace how special he is. I have stated in past reviews that children with autism are my favorite humans so I call out any misrepresentation or mistreatment.
Anyway… while I don’t have many other complaints, I also wasn’t moved terribly or impressed. Like we’ve all been stuck somewhere in a snow storm. My family got stuck at a farmhouse with a 50something stoner woman named Carla who made spaghetti and watched Indiana Jones all night. Overall, I give it 3 stars.
We love the little tail-flags of high-spirited wrens. Here’s a little guy we never see in our region, the Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus), which is a western and southwestern bird, down through Mexico. Canyon Wrens prefer steep rocky environments, arid landscapes, and deep canyons; not much of that around here in southeastern Wisconsin.
This chromolithograph is from a painting by American ornithologist Robert Ridgway, the first curator of birds at the Smithsonian Institution, from our 2-volume set of Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty, by the late-19th-century director of the Milwaukee Public Museum Henry Nehrling, and published in Milwaukee by George Brumder from 1893-1896.