Monday, July 4, 2022

July 4

 


Inexplicable:

 



















But back to the tan lines:
















Just because:

Explicable













Bookish:






















Summer wedding:











Hey coach!

There's a situation in the locker room:


















America the Beautiful

In 1894 lesbian poet Katherine Bates (1859-1929) wrote the beloved words to America the Beautiful, inspired by the view from Pike's Peak. When her words were paired with the melody written by church organist Samuel Ward in 1903, it became a classic patriotic anthem. Curiously, Bates and Ward never met, and, while hard to imagine, Ward wrote his music for a different text. This morning I performed a solo jazz version written by Clare Fischer (1928-2012), famous as an arranger of songs for Michael Jackson, Celine Dion. Chaka Kahn, Prince, and Paul McCartney. Fischer's wife Donna sent me his manuscript to make the performance possible. This YouTube video of Fischer's piano arrangement performed on a pipe organ -- by organist Douglas Major (many years ago) on a July 4 concert at Washington National Cathedral -- is astonishing. Enjoy.

 


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