dual personalities

Tag: music

November 2, 2015

Hearts are brave*

by chuckofish

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I went to see The Yeoman of the Guard by Gilbert & Sullivan on Friday night.

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The scene of this opera is laid within the precincts of the Tower of London, in the period of the 16th Century.

Admittedly, it was not the D’Oly Carte Opera Company, but I thought our local Winter Opera company was really quite wonderful.

My mother was a fan of Yeoman and we had the record.

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I think she liked it because it is the only W&S opera with kind of a sad ending. She could always relate to the fool/jester character in anything and there is a stellar one in Yeoman.

Anyway, I dragged the OM and the boy along (daughter #3 was otherwise engaged) and they enjoyed it also. We were all proud of ourselves for getting out and participating in a cultural activity.

It reminded me of the time back in 1964 when my mother bought tickets to see the actual D’Oyly Carte Company perform The Mikado. She took my brother and me. I was in the second grade, but she thought I was old enough to enjoy/appreciate this opportunity. (She may have over-estimated me.) Anyway, my father took my little sister (who was not old enough to enjoy/appreciate light opera) to see It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Ironically this film was on TCM last week and I DVR’d it and then watched it this weekend. It features literally every American comedian (plus Terry-Thomas) alive in 1963. It is overly long and drags some, but it does have its moments. Jonathan Winters is great and the scene in the gas station with Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan is priceless. There is a lot of yelling in this movie.

Speaking of movies, I also watched From Hell (2001) on Halloween and, despite the presence of Johnny Depp, I thought it was dreadful. Apologies for recommending it on Friday!

Sunday, as you know, was All Saints Day and we had an interminably long service complete with a children’s sermon dissecting the hymn The Saints of God. Oh, did I mention it was also pledge Sunday? Well, it was. On top of this, the woman sitting behind me was a beat behind or a beat ahead during every prayer and every hymn to the point where I was ready to slap her and slap her hard. I hate feeling that way in church.

And now it is November and the long slide to Christmas begins. Deo gratias.

Enjoy your Monday!

Point. I have a song to sing, O!

Elsie. Sing me your song, O!

Point. It is sung to the moon

By a love-lorn loon,

Who fled from the mocking throng,O!

It’s the song of a merryman, moping mum,

Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum,

Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb.

As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

Heighdy! heighdy! Misery me, lackadaydee!

He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb,

As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

–Yeoman of the Guard

Hymn #287

2 Comments
October 23, 2015

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

by chuckofish

Mary on horsie

Yesterday daughter #1 rode in from NYC for a little flyover R&R.

This time she will not be running in a half marathon but recovering from one she ran two weeks ago on Staten Island. ‘Taking it easy’ will be the byword for the weekend.

(Aren’t those white Keds the cutest things ever?)

I must also note that today is the birthday of my distant cousin, Dwight Yoakam!

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Old Dwight (who is my age) has had quite a career.  Fifteen-time Grammy nominee and three-time winner, his music career has been stellar indeed. But he must be congratulated for doing a great job of transitioning from country music heart-throb to “character actor.”

Dwight+Yoakam+Warner+Music+Group+2013+Grammy+9dXX2q1SFfIl

Would that we could all do it as gracefully.

Happy birthday, Dwight! We’ll be toasting you big time tonight!

2 Comments
July 15, 2015

Till hill and valley gaily, gaily ring

by chuckofish

Back on July 2 I failed to note that “three prophetic witnesses” were recognized with a feast day on the Episcopal calendar. They are Walter Rauschenbusch, Washington Gladden and Jacob Riis.

Washington Gladden (February 11, 1836 – July 2, 1918) you will recall, was a Congregational minister and early leader in the Social Gospel movement, whose ministry “was dedicated to the realization of the Kingdom of God in this world. Gladden was the acting religious editor of the New York Independent, in which he exposed corruption in the New York political system. Gladden was the first American clergyman to approve of and support labor unions. In his capacity as Vice President of the American Missionary Association, he traveled to Atlanta where he met W.E.B. Dubois and he became an early opponent of segregation.” (Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music)

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He was also a graduate of Williams College, class of 1859.

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While at Williams, Gladden wrote its alma mater song, “The Mountains.”

“I had been wishing that I might write a song which could be sung at some of our exhibitions,” wrote Gladden in his memoirs, “and one winter morning, walking down Bee Hill, the lilt of the chorus of “The Mountains” came to me. I had a little music-paper in my room in the village, and on my arrival I wrote down the notes. Then I cast about for words to fit them, and the refrain ‘The Mountains, the Mountains!’ suggested itself. I wrote the melody of the stanza next and fitted the verses to it. . . . That it would . . . become the accepted College Song, I could not, of course, have imagined.”

The Mountains

O, proudly rise the monarchs of our mountain land,
With their kingly forest robes, to the sky,
Where Alma Mater dwelleth with her chosen band,
And the peaceful river floweth gently by.

CHORUS
The mountains! the mountains! we greet them with a song,
Whose echoes rebounding their woodland heights along,
Shall mingle with anthems that winds and fountains sing.
Till hill and valley gaily, gaily ring.

Beneath their peaceful shadows may old Williams stand,
Till suns and mountains nevermore shall be,
The glory and the honor of our mountain land,
And the dwelling of the gallant and the free.

I have fond memories of singing this rousing song while a student there in the mid-1970s. Check it out:

Have a great Wednesday!

3 Comments
June 9, 2015

“I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses”*

by chuckofish

Today is Cole Porter’s birthday.

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This makes me want to SING!

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
Don’t fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don’t fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin’ breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don’t fence me in
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise
I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can’t look at hobbles and I can’t stand fences
Don’t fence me in
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
Don’t fence me in
Let me ride through the wide country that I love
Don’t fence me in

Why this song comes to mind and not one of a dozen more sophisticated ones–well, that’s just moi I guess. Love those internal rhymes!

It also makes me want to roadtrip to Peru, Indiana!

Seven Pillars natural rock formation in Miami County

Seven Pillars natural rock formation in Miami County

Peru, you will recall, is where Porter was born and raised. It is the county seat of Miami County and is located on the Wabash River. Among its many claims to fame is the fact that Public Enemy John Dillinger robbed the Peru police department armory in 1933. And did you know that Peru was the winter headquarters for several famous circuses, including Ringling Brothers, Hagenbeck-Wallace, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and others?  That is why for years it was called “The Circus Capital of the World.”

But you know Cole Porter is definitely the most famous son of Peru. His maternal grandfather was James Omar “J. O.” Cole, “the richest man in Indiana,” and he had plans for his grandson. Young Cole was sent to Worcester Academy, funnily enough, and it is reported that he brought an upright piano with him. This helped him win friends; he was always the life of the party. Although he seldom returned to Peru after going off to school, he is buried there in the Cole/Porter family plot.

portercole

Are these the strangest headstones ever?

So a toast to Cole Porter! And you can listen to old blue eyes while you do.

 

*Cole Porter, who else?

2 Comments
May 21, 2015

This and that: “Toiling on, toiling on; Let us hope, let us watch…”*

by chuckofish

boyntonHere’s more pictures of that wonderful home overlooking the Missouri River that I covet. And another lottery ticket to purchase I guess.

Not that I buy lottery tickets. You know I don’t approve.

Here’s something fun to do this summer. TCM is collaborating with Ball State University and Canvas Network, an open online educational platform from Instructure, to present Into the Darkness: Investigating Film Noir, a free online multimedia course open to the general public.

Burt and Ava in The Killers (1946)

Burt and Ava in The Killers (1946)

Film Noir isn’t really my thing, but they are showing some good movies in July.

This is a really good album. And Fred Vargas has a new book coming out Tuesday. Life is good.

susieflowers1

Have a good Thursday! Take time to smell the flowers!

 

*”To the Work” by Frances J. Crosby

6 Comments
April 29, 2015

Festina lente

by chuckofish

Fred Ndercher, 1922, "Spring Landscape" in the St. Louis Mercantile Library collection

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –

When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;

Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;

The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush

The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?

A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,

Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,

Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

“Spring” by Gerard Manley Hopkins

A friend at work brought this poem to my attention by stopping by my office and quoting, “What is all this juice and all this joy?” He was alluding to the beautiful spring day of course. We have certainly enjoyed an exceptionally beautiful spring with long strings of crisp, clear days in the high 60s. Carpe diem, I say–but I am glued to a desk. Sigh.

Anyway, it is also the birthday today of Sir Thomas Beecham (29 April 1879 – 8 March 1961) who, you will recall, was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras.

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From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain’s first international conductor. If you are like me and my dual personality, you were brought up on Sir Thomas Beecham’s recordings. True, some may have considered him low-brow for saying things like, “I would give the whole of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for Massenet’s Manon, and would think I had vastly profited by the exchange.” But I can’t say I disagree with him.

I remember in particular an LP titled “Beecham Bon-Bons” which included popular favorites by Faure, Delius, Sibelius, Ralph Vaughan Williams and the like.

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I wiled away many an hour with Beecham’s music in the background. So a toast to Sir Thomas Beecham! And I think I’ll look him up on eBay and see what I can find.

Beecham's grave in

Beecham’s grave in Surrey

By the way, the painting at the top of the page is by St. Louis artist Frank Nudercher (July 19, 1880 – October 7, 1959)–“Spring Landscape” in the St. Louis Mercantile Library collection. Nudercher is sometimes referred to as the “dean of St. Louis artists.” You can read about him here.

4 Comments
November 6, 2014

“I live in my own mind, ain’t nothing but a good time”

by chuckofish

I missed Lyle Lovett’s birthday on November 1, so I will note it now belatedly.

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Lyle, you know, is a 5th-generation Texan and a Grammy-winning country music singer/songwriter and actor. He is one of my favorites. I have actually seen him in concert three times! His picture is proudly displayed on my wall at home along with Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler.

So let’s toast him tonight. Here are a couple of Lyle’s videos to watch and enjoy:

2 Comments
October 14, 2014

Leave the light on in the yard for me

by chuckofish

Last week daughter #2 sent me a present–a new CD! Way to make my week automatically better. (I had been listening to 1970s CSNY. Woof.)

Anyway, the CD was Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs, which is an indie rock band I was not acquainted with. So I have been listening to it non-stop in my car and it is wonderful!

Clearly the lead singer is greatly influenced by Bob Dylan. The album is also reminiscent of Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen–all fine with me. Indeed, there is a lot of “homage” going on and, again, that is fine with me. Try it, I say. You will like it.

Here’s a sample:

 

So make your week better–and as they say, treat yourself.

 

6 Comments
September 17, 2014

“Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.”*

by chuckofish

So did everyone watch Dancing With the Stars on Monday  night? As you know, I am not a fan of reality television, but I do sometimes get caught up in watch DWTS.

Since I was already depressed by daughter #1’s exit to the big city, I figured I would be a couch potato and check out DWTS. And I admit–I enjoyed it! Yes,  it is pretty low-brow, but one can’t read the Psalms by candlelight every night. Also, I had the 4-way texting thing going with my children, which definitely raises the enjoyment level ten-fold. Even daughter #1, who was at work, had it on, because it is, after all, an ABC show! (The boy was watching some game, but he threw in a comment or two about Lolo Jones.)

Okay, so my faves are:

of course, Sadie Robertson, Duck Dynasty heiress. She is another untrained natural, like Kellie Pickler, who is great to watch. (And I love her parents in the audience.)

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Sadie and her dad

Jonathan Bennett, the cutie from Mean Girls whom my daughters derided, but it is probably a case of methinks-the-lady-doth-protest-too-much;

and Alfonso Ribeiro was quite the dancer–and props for not doing the Carleton!

But I am very disappointed that Lolo Jones didn’t make it to the second week. She is so beautiful and talented! And that is what is so stupid about this show–she is off and Betsy Johnson, Tommy Chong and Michael Waltrip are still on!

For now, I am on Team Sadie. How about you?

*Anne Lamott

5 Comments
September 12, 2014

“Sorry don’t get it done, Dude.”*

by chuckofish

Since it is her birthday week, daughter #1 made the movie pick for this Friday.

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Directed by Howard Hawks, Rio Bravo (1959) is John Wayne’s answer to High Noon which he thought was “Un-American”. You remember, in High Noon, Gary Cooper is the sheriff who asks for support from his town and gets none. Supposedly it is an allegory of the McCarthy era in Hollywood. Please.

Well, in Rio Bravo, John T. Chance, the sheriff, is surrounded by allies—a drunken deputy (Dude) trying to pull himself together, a young untried gunfighter (Colorado), a “crippled” old man (Stumpy), a Mexican innkeeper (Carlos) and his wife (Consuela), and an attractive young gambler (Feathers) whom Chance tries to kick out of town. He repeatedly turns down aid from most of these people because he thinks they will get hurt helping him, as his friend Ward Bond does at the beginning of the film. They all come through and help him anyway. That is the American Way. A motley crew bands together and vanquishes the Bad Guy, who is rich and powerful and has a lot of hired guns.

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It is a great movie. It even has several musical interludes thanks to Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson.

It is a classic John Wayne role and he is ably supported by Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ricky Nelson.

Howard_Hawks'Rio_Bravo_trailer_(27)Daughter #1 and I highly recommend it.

* John T. Chance in Rio Bravo

4 Comments