My Musical Obituary

I was never a great singer - never a soloist or a small group singer. But the frequent bouts with bronchitis killed what little singing voice I left. I worked hard enough to get into Massachusetts All-state Chorus once, Central District Chorus three times, Concordia Youth Chorale (three weeks in Europe 1974), Worcester MasterSingers, Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and the Messiah Chorus at Calvary Methodist at least three times. I hadn’t sung much in choirs the last 20 years or so due to insomnia & throat problems. But today, while listening to the Pittsburgh Symphony & Mendelsohn’s recording of Mozart’s Requiem from March 2025, a piece I can sing from memory, all I could do croak. So this is my choral singing obituary.

Wicked and I...

 I've long enjoyed Wicked ever since I read the Gregory Maguire book back in 1995.  It was a twisted retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the "wicked" witch of the west's point of view.  Clever and very inventive.

A few years later, Winnie Holzman adapted the Maguire book for a Broadway play with Stephen Schwartz supplying the music and lyrics.  Loved the songs, which was all I knew for a few years until the production started going on a national tour (though I would have loved to have seen Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel on Broadway!).  I saw it the second time it came to Pittsburgh and loved it.

I liked the first Wicked movie, but honestly, did not love it.  The leads, Ariana Grande and Cynthis Erivo were both fantastic, but I felt John Chu and the production designers made every scene twice as big as it needed to be, and that detracted from the performances at times.

And then there was the way "Defying Gravity" was staged at the end.  That's such a magnificent song, having the song start and stop multiple times was a big disappointment.

 I went to see Wicked For Good today and liked it a little better than the first Wicked movie.  John Chu seemed to have better control over the smaller, quieter scenes.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering the ICE/Border Patrol Murder Victims - a Candle in the Window

Most of the country can’t drive due to a big snow/ice storm.  Some protests are happening in this country today, but many cannot go,  Put a candle in the window at night in memory of the people murdered by ICE or the Border Patrol so far this year: Keith Porter, Renee Good, Alex Pretti.  Yes, I understand under the Trump Regime this can be dangerous, but we still, in theory anyway, have freedom of expression.

A friend suggested putting put a blue candle and so I did.