Haines His Way

Hmm... Nathan Gunn is featured in the pledge breaks...

I was just listening to his debut CD, American Anthem, yesterday.  Yep, he's got the total package!  And that is not a euphemism.  I mean, I wouldn't know...  

Thanks, DR Jane!

I was just listening to his debut CD, American Anthem, yesterday.  Yep, he's got the total package!  And that is not a euphemism.  I mean, I wouldn't know...  

Well, alas, his wife would.

DR singdaw - YES!  That's the hem of my brown jacket right next to that blue light on the tree!

DR JoseSPiano, have you ever seen/heard Nathan in Billy Budd?  It's supposed to be quite something.

Lovely photos, Slingblade.

So did you sing along?  I love it when audience members do that.

Umm... No I did not.  But my fingers did move along every now and then.

Although, I do have to say I was a bit put off by some of the audience members who condescendingly "sssshhhhh'd" some people when they began applauding after his first Schubert song.  Yes, it's polite and tradition to wait to applaud until after the whole grouping has been sung, but I really detected some venom in some of those "ssssshhhh's".  -Besides, he wasn't singing a particular song cycle of Schubert's, just some selected songs.

...And then during the Hahn cycle in the second half, some people applauded after a particular beautiful rendition of "La Barcheta" ("The Little Boat").  -Each section ended with an extended "Ah...." that he just kept spinning out, note after note - no breath after no breath!  Well, he acknowledged the applause, and even said, "Yes, I know it's hard to resist."  

*He also inadvertently started one of the songs off with the wrong verse... So, after a quick wave of his hands to his accompanist, "Oh, let's start this one again."  Very endearing.

Or if you prefer some Beef with your Bel Canto...

Is that Nathan Gunn in this photo.  He looks different than I remembered.

DR JoseSPiano, have you ever seen/heard Nathan in Billy Budd?  It's supposed to be quite something.

I almost went up to San Francisco during the run of What If? to catch him up at SFO, but I could not make the timing/travelling work.  

Hmm... There's not one in F-sharp major, but there is a gorgeous one in G major?

Sonetto XXX

Veggio co' bei vostri occhi un dolce lume,
 Che co' miei ciechi già veder non posso;
 Porto co' vostri piedi un pondo addosso,
 Che de' mie zoppi non è già costume.
 Volo con le vostr'ale senza piume;
 Col vostr'ingegno al ciel sempre son mosso;
 Dal vostr'arbitrio son pallido e rosso,
 Freddo al sol, caldo alle più fredde brume.
 Nel voler vostro è sol la voglia mia,
 I mie' pensier nel vostro cor si fanno,
 Nel vostro fiato son le mie parole.
 Come luna da sè sol par ch'io sia;
 Chè gli occhi nostri in ciel veder non sanno
 Se non quel tanto che n'accende il sole.


 I see through your lovely eyes a sweet light
 which through my blind ones I yet cannot see;
 I carry with your feet a burden
 which with my lame ones I cannot;
 I fly with your wings, having none of my own;
 with your spirit toward heaven I am always moving;
 by your will I turn pale or blush,
 cold in the sun, warm in the coldest weather.
 Within your will alone is my will,
 my thoughts within your bosom are born,
 in your breath are my words.
 I am like the moon, alone,
 which our eyes cannot see in the heavens
 except that it is illumined by the sun.

I looked it up.  It's XXX, the tonality is G major but the accompaniment keeps slipping into F-sharp over it.

I received a very special package in the mail yesterday.  My aunt sent a collection of pins from the ships she and my mother traveled on when they were young.  There are also a few from Australia and England.

She also sent a doll that had been her daughter's.  She thought one of her aunts in England had sent it when my cousin & I were young.  When I opened the package I realized my mother had made the doll, the yarn on the sweater is almost identical.  I say almost because my doll has been sitting out all these years & my cousin's was packed away so the colors on mine are somewhat faded.

My younger cousin passed away 5 years ago & it was very nice of my aunt to send me the doll.  I still miss my cousin.

The timing for this package is very good, just what I needed emotionally.  I have been having problems coping with my upcoming birthday.  Not because I’m another year older, a very joyous thing indeed.  I’ve just been thinking a lot about my cousin & other closely related, young female, family members who all passed away from what I call “the family curse”.

For the most part I’ve been coping rather well with this for years, thing is on this birthday I will be the same age my older sister was when she died.  It is strange and scary.  

I need to get out and do some serious hiking tomorrow-get those endorphins going

First Keith is going to make some popcorn for all of us.