|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:02:16 GMT -5
I am sad tonight for the loss of Senator Kennedy. Whatever his personal failures and tragedies, he worked hard for the disenfranchised and underprivileged, a class that was affirmatively not his own. I have little hope for another such champion. But I felt it would be appropriate to have an Irish wake for him. Wakes are not all about tears and wailing; they can also be a celebration of life, love and family, for tears and laughter and food and drink and song. So, if I may, let us begin with this piece, an elegiac Irish jig written in memory of Frankie Kennedy, a founding member of the Irish band Altan, following his death in 1994. It's called "A Tune for Frankie" www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH-zidcDpFQbut can easily be a tune for Ted. Wanna blog?
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:04:48 GMT -5
Good evening, Katie. Some laughs would be very welcome.
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:04:47 GMT -5
Definitely. Good evening, everyone. I thought this might be an appropriate way to drink Teddy's life ... A shot of Jameson and a chaser of Guinness. Godspeed, Senator. Thoughts and prayers to the Kennedy family. But really, Teddy Kennedy belonged to ALL of us.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:06:34 GMT -5
Definitely. Good evening, everyone. I thought this might be an appropriate way to drink Teddy's life ... A shot of Jameson and a chaser of Guinness. Godspeed, Senator. Thoughts and prayers to the Kennedy family. But really, Teddy Kennedy belonged to ALL of us. Yes. He did. Which is why I refer to him as UNCLE Ted. Slainte.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:08:25 GMT -5
Good evening, Katie. Some laughs would be very welcome. Will see what we can come up with, Linda. How hot was it in San Antonio today? 89 and nasty humidity here.
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:12:25 GMT -5
Hi, Moon. Although I can't stand it, I think we should have a glass of Guinness. Incidentally, it was my grannie's tipple of choice. The clearest memory of her was of her sitting in the snug at the Racecourse hotel enjoying a glass of Guinness and a slab of Dundee cake. That of her asking me to go to the local bookie to place an illegal bet for her, is another fond memory. Her reasoning was that the police wouldn't arrest a little girl. ;D
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:13:23 GMT -5
Good evening, Katie. Some laughs would be very welcome. Will see what we can come up with, Linda. How hot was it in San Antonio today? 89 and nasty humidity here. Only 98 at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:14:38 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no?
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:15:35 GMT -5
Will see what we can come up with, Linda. How hot was it in San Antonio today? 89 and nasty humidity here. Only 98 at the moment. YIKES!!! Cold front!!!!
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:18:32 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no? Yep. That, too.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:19:28 GMT -5
Hi, Moon. Although I can't stand it, I think we should have a glass of Guinness. Incidentally, it was my grannie's tipple of choice. The clearest memory of her was of her sitting in the snug at the Racecourse hotel enjoying a glass of Guinness and a slab of Dundee cake. That of her asking me to go to the local bookie to place an illegal bet for her, is another fond memory. Her reasoning was that the police wouldn't arrest a little girl. ;D LOL--that's definitely an Irish-wake type memory. My paternal grandmother was--pardon my French but it's the truth--rather a hellcat, but my maternal grandmother was sooooo prim and proper. Her one vice was dipping snuff. Levi Garrett sweet. And she was PETRIFIED of the idea of somebody from her church finding out she used it. My brother in particular used to tease her mercilessly about it.
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:20:16 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no? I first heard Bryn Terfel about 10 years ago. Having concentrated on the tenors, he made a nice change. The brass is excellent in this piece.
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:20:28 GMT -5
Hi, Moon. Although I can't stand it, I think we should have a glass of Guinness. Incidentally, it was my grannie's tipple of choice. The clearest memory of her was of her sitting in the snug at the Racecourse hotel enjoying a glass of Guinness and a slab of Dundee cake. That of her asking me to go to the local bookie to place an illegal bet for her, is another fond memory. Her reasoning was that the police wouldn't arrest a little girl. ;D Of course, we have Guinness. That's a funny story. Reminds me of my mother in some ways.
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:21:34 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no? I first heard Bryn Terfel about 10 years ago. Having concentrated on the tenors, he made a nice change. The brass is excellent in this piece. Yes, all of the orchestration. Some sweet fiddles, too.
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:23:36 GMT -5
My granddad was Irish and my grannie was Welsh. Talk about a culture clash!
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:24:32 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no? I first heard Bryn Terfel about 10 years ago. Having concentrated on the tenors, he made a nice change. The brass is excellent in this piece. I think the first time I heard him was in this production of The Marriage of Figaro (it's apparently the 1998 one at the Met, which also marked Cecelia Bartoli's Met debut)--roughly the same time as you first heard him. Up until then, like you, I loved (with the exception of Hampson, of course ) tenors. Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras--Jerry Hadley-- And I agree about the brass.
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:24:33 GMT -5
Well, okay. No one is touching the beef or the stew ... so here's some baked salmon. I'm pretty sure that those little white pearls that look like cous cous are actually little, teeny, tiny Irish potatoes.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:27:21 GMT -5
My granddad was Irish and my grannie was Welsh. Talk about a culture clash! Both Celtic--I'm three quarters Celt, myself, with Irish ancestry on Mom's side, Scots on Dad's, and a great-grandmother whose maiden name was Morgan--about as Welsh as it gets! So yep. Celts can be wild.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:28:30 GMT -5
Linda, for you-- www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsmvqPOB3QAMoon, should explain here that Bryn Terfel is generally considered a bass-baritone--a bass whose upper range accomodates baritone roles. However, the difference in timbre from Hampson's lyric baritone is noticeable, no? Yep. That, too. Okay, yeah, he's not as handsome as Hampson either. ;D
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:29:04 GMT -5
Well, okay. No one is touching the beef or the stew ... so here's some baked salmon. I'm pretty sure that those little white pearls that look like cous cous are actually little, teeny, tiny Irish potatoes. I didn't even see the stew. Tonight, after turning the A/C way down low, I had some chili. Comfort food.
|
|
|
Post by moonstone on Aug 26, 2009 19:29:17 GMT -5
Yep. That, too. Okay, yeah, he's not as handsome as Hampson either. ;D True. But he is one .. big .. man.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:30:16 GMT -5
Well, okay. No one is touching the beef or the stew ... so here's some baked salmon. I'm pretty sure that those little white pearls that look like cous cous are actually little, teeny, tiny Irish potatoes. Uh--Moon, I'll take this, no questions, cause I love fish and potatoes--but the beef and the stew didn't show up on my screen at all.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:31:07 GMT -5
Okay, yeah, he's not as handsome as Hampson either. ;D True. But he is one .. big .. man. Yep. He's a whopper.
|
|
|
Post by Fairweather on Aug 26, 2009 19:31:50 GMT -5
Confession time, ladies. Is anybody actually watching COUNTDOWN? Lady Fair is as usual not even in the same room.
|
|
|
Post by nanalinda on Aug 26, 2009 19:33:30 GMT -5
Confession time, ladies. Is anybody actually watching COUNTDOWN? Lady Fair is as usual not even in the same room. The TV is on, the sound is off and I'm sitting with my back to it. Why in h-ll is the TV even on?
|
|