Fascinating evening

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company

Saturday evening at Ravinia was a classic late summer night with yummy food, sitting with friends, and running into all my favorite people.

The evening was titled, "Fondly Do We Hope?Fervently Do We Pray".


The music, libretto, and dancing were full of intensity and beauty expressing three hundred years of stories from the past, present, and future. Video screens on either side of the stage added a different perspective of the dancing.

Bill T. Jones wrote, " Lincoln's "The Ghost Train"--- the spectral procession of folk legend said to be departing Washington every April to follow the route of the Funeral train, yet never arriving in Springfield."


A few days before this event I interviewed Bill-

In the excerpts Bill talks about the Ghost Train of Lincoln, writing the Libretto, and how musicians, dancers, stage designers, and choreographers collaborate.


Lincoln's Ghost Train

Bill T. Jones' Libretto

About collaboration within this dance company

Summer Creations

When I am not at WFMT you can find me outside in my edible landscape, or pounding copper in my basement with my friend JoAnn.


Plate 1 with homegrown Hungarian Wax Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes

Plate 2 with Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes

Bowl by JoAnn with William Carlos Williams poem stamped inside.

This is just to say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

World Orchestra for Peace

JOIN 98.7 WFMT FOR A VERY SPECIAL CONCERT TONIGHT SEPT. 1 AT 7PM.

THE WORLD ORCHESTRA FOR PEACE (www.worldorchestraforpeace.com)

CONDUCTED BY VALERY GERGIEV IN CONCERT FROM CRACOW, POLAND

THE WORLD ORCHESTRA FOR PEACE WAS FOUNDED BY SIR GEORG SOLTI IN 1995 TO DEMONSTRATE "THE UNIQUE STRENGTH OF MUSIC AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE."

THIS CONCERT IS TO COMMEMORATE THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE...AND THE INVASION OF POLAND.

Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, wrote these welcoming words for the program booklet:

Four years ago, I had the great privilege to serve as the honorary Patron of the World Orchestra for Peace's Anniversary Tour through the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and China and to provide the introductory remarks for a booklet similar to this. Then, as now, the idea of the late Sir Georg Solti could not have been more relevant. In a world that continues to be marked by war and strife, the diverse orchestra which he created serves as a symbol of peace and a practical demonstration of humanity's potential for harmony, tolerance and cooperation. Listening to the beautiful music performed by this Orchestra helps us to connect with our fellow human beings across different languages, cultures and traditions. The existence of this Orchestra reminds us that peace in our world is possible.

As we commemorate two events that could hardly be more different, the World Orchestra for Peace under Maestro Valery Gergiev is ideally suited, both for its unique composition and underlying ideals, to mark this historic occasion. Equally, Krakow could not be a more fitting location for the World Orchestra for Peace to perform as it witnessed both the dark hours of 1939 when the German invasion of Poland sparked the Second World War, and the bright dawn of 1989 that brought open societies across the whole of Europe. While remembrance of the former warns us of the terrible consequences of war, reflection on the latter raises the hope for democracy, freedom and the rule of law.

Much like the United Nations, the World Orchestra for Peace is in itself a message of peace. Let us hope that the title of the piece by Krzysztof Penderecki, which the Orchestra is performing publicly for the first time tonight, will once be used to describe our troubled times; that today's prelude will indeed lead to a peace for all that is here to stay.

Kofi A. Annan
Kofi Annan Foundation

Grant Park Music Festival

The city was out last Wednesday night enjoying the balmy evening. The people were picnicking under the 'The Bean' with French Dances and Fairytale music drifting over from the Grant Park Music Festival.

This Grant Park Music Festival Concert was conducted by Gilbert Varga. Through his father, Tibor Varga, Gilbert is linked very closely to Brahms and Franz Listz. Tibor was a student of violinist Jeno Hubay the most prominent student of Joseph Joachim, Brahm's close friend.

Here is Tibor Varga performing on YouTube:

The Beethoven Romance in F

Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 mvt. 1

Tibor Varga's instrument by the French craftsman Nicholas Lupot, was destroyed during the war. In London he played a Guadagnini and later owned the Guarneri "del Gesu" of 1733.

Red lentil clean-up in aisle 4

Yep. I spilled the red lentils and it wasn't my first disaster of the day, just my biggest mess. Pounds of red lentils were everywhere.

Bungle number two was the volume level on the wonderful conversation I recorded with Duain Wolfe, the CSO Chorus Director, about their new CSO 'Resound' release. These levels are easy to fix, but you have to go back, adjust them, consolidate them, put them on to a new CD, check the final version and enter the interview into our main computer. Maybe that was as big a mess as the lentil incident.

Here's a small part of what Duain Wolfe had to say about Ravel's 'Daphnis and Chloe'. Lisa Flynn featured this recording on 'Lisa's New Release of The Week'.

CSO Chorus Director Duain Wolfe

Now back to the cup of red lentils that made it into the pot for a tasty soup.

On a low heat in a Dutch Oven (heavy stock pot)

• Sauté five cloves of garlic, chopped fine with 4 tbsp. olive oil
  
• Add 1/2 lb. of fresh peeled and minced tomatoes or a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  
• 1 cup of little red lentils
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Many handfuls of fresh spinach placed on top of the brew

Simmer 15 to 20 minutes with the lid on.

• Add water or more tomatoes if needed to obtain the right consistency.

Serve with lemon wedges and crusty French bread

Variations that I threw into the simmering pot today were-

• Mushrooms
• Garbanzo beans
• Braised small lamb chops
• Ground cumin to taste
  

When the soup is ready listen to 'Daphnis and Chloé' from this new Resound CD, or tune into WFMT, and enjoy your evening.

April is National Poetry Month

Searching for the right poems to air on WFMT has sent me to a land where the sky and ground have become one. I am lost. Wise friends have suggested that I just sit down and stay still until I have a plan, no matter how long it takes. Thank God there's a volume of poetry beside me to leaf through, helping me pass the time.

Starting my journey out of nowhere is a collection of poems called 'A Shropshire Lad' by the English poet A.E. Housman. 'Loveliest of Trees' is from this collection.

Loveliest of Trees

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

Many composers including Vaughan Williams and Butterworth set these poems to song.

I like Bryn Terfel singing Butterworth's settings with Malcolm Martineau at the piano.
DG 445946

On Amazon, C. Day Lewis recites the poem in the Anthology of English Verse, Vol.1.

Bernard Herrmann composed a priceless melodram, intended for radio, based on three of these poems from 'A Shropshire Lad'; 'Reveille', 'When I was one-and-twenty', and 'With rue my heart is laden'.

Check it out on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwqyrYNr_ts

Cydne