This is the moment when Duncan Nelson
Is supposed to show up with his cap
and bells on,
But your bard, for the nonce called
to western Mass,
Must "malheursement" take a
pass
On providing lyrical "program
note" filler
On Frances Fitch and Jonathan Miller.
None with an ear wearies
Of seriatim attending this series
Of concerts conjured up by Kathleen
To bring drama to our Annisquam
scene.
Yet fear not, you won't be left in
the lurch
By your laureate at the Village
Church,
For not a single beat shall be lost
In the baton being tossed
To Benjamin Franklin John Steel,
Who saying "C'est Moi" will
now reveal
A joie
de vivre, and elan and eclat
That will put your erstwhile worry at
Not only to shame for have stood
You up but by being at least as good,
If not more so, than your erstwhile
bard.
But enough of "preludio,"
time to regard
With thanksgiving this baroque dance
card
We have been treated to today,
As, though pressed into pews, we
sashay
To allegro and then to cantabile
As these masters, in their respective
fashions,
First arouse and then still our
passions,
As an ex-Paganini and ex-Piatti
Cello treats us to lots of Scarlatti,
Vivaldi, and concludes with Bach
Underscored by harpischord leaves us
in shock
And awe of a blessedly different sort
Than in time of war. For these two
have held court
In the 18th century High Baroque
In such a way as to soak
Us, on this Sunday night occasion,
In a fine art focused on persuasion,
These composers able to disarm
And discompose us with wit and charm
So great that even as the floor
Drops beneath us we cry out "j'adore!"
To Francie and Jonathan, begging for
more
Returns to this church on Cape Ann's
shore
For encore after encore after encore!
And happily soon "Wood and Wire
and Wind" will organically conspire,
At the hands of Andrew and Beverly
Soll
Six musical centuries to unroll.
So here at the end let's all raise
A glass to give Jon and Francie high
praise.
No comments:
Post a Comment