Wonderland By Night

Sunday, November 13, 1960 - 'Tonight's Song' - Wonderland By Night. Kenny had written from Fort Jackson, SC, telling me about this great instrumental he loved. I had finally heard it for the first time on Saturday. Obviously it took some time to make it to the radio stations in the Midwest! I was predisposed to liking it because he did, but it was really great. So haunting and yearning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_pDTaRRR-w&feature=related By January, it was number one on Billboard for three weeks.
Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He composed the music for some of my favourite songs, such as - Strangers In The Night, Spanish Eyes, Red Roses For A Blue Lady, Wooden Heart and Danke Schoen.

I had been at play practice that afternoon. Ellen, Donna, Sandy Harlow and I made posters. Afterwards we scooped the loop, flirting with a car load of boys from Creston. By the time I got home from play practice, "It's real foggy out and so peaceful and calm. I love it. I guess I love a lot of things."
Eventually, words were written to go with the music. Engelbert Humperdinck's version was one of the most popular: Stars hang suspended, above a floating yellow moon; Two hearts were blended while angels sang a lover's tune. And so we kissed, not knowing if our hearts could pay the price. But heaven welcomed us to paradise, blessing our love. Then came the sunrise fading the moon and stars from sight, recalling always our Wonderland by Night.

The diary entry ended - "Wonderland by Night - like tonight's fog and last night's northern lights."

I remember seeing the northern lights quite a few times when I was young. Even though they've been visible here several times in recent years, the last time I remember seeing them was ten or so years ago while we were still on the farm. There was a faint green glow in the northern sky, but the lights from town were making them hard to see. So we took our mothers and drove out to a dirt road north of Lake Icaria away from the city lights where we could watch and enjoy the mostly green Northern Lights. Just one more, Wonderland by Night.