A wonderful Memorial Day, 2008, to everyone!
I should tell you that I usually begin each day (among other things) with a a bit of research. I like to see whose birthday, within the classical composer realm, it is on any given day. So, today being like no other, I looked up May 26th.
1893 - Sir Eugene Goossens.
...
Who?
Nothing MEMORABLE about him, that's for sure.
...
Anyway, Memorial Day - yes, we probably all have some relative, at some point or another, who participated in the military forces of the United States of America. And so, to the men and women who have given their lives for an honorable cause, this day we remember you. I had a great-uncle (Nazi POW) in World War II, and an uncle in Vietnam. Neither lost their lives, but thanks are in order just the same.
Perhaps I should have started "Connecticutian Studies - 101" on Memorial Day - just another memorable thing, I'm sure you will all agree.
Anyway, getting to sleep in, due to said federal holiday, while nice, was rudely interrupted this morning by the sound/feel of a bee, which was buzzing around my room and crawling on my bed. I hate bees. Loathe them. A few months back, I announced the onset of "Aitken v. Bees Epic Challenge 2008". So far, the score (including this morning's ruthless SMOTING) is:
Aitken - 17, Bees - 0.
They're clever, too. And I've executed them with varying degrees of - hold on, there's another one. Be right back...
...
As I was saying,...they're clever. But DEAD too. Revised score:
Aitken - 18, Bees - 0.
As I attempted to kill this one just now, he quickly tried to make his way between my bedroom storm window and the screen. But before he got there, I dropped the open window right down on him, in effect crushing the "bee-geezes" out of him. As I said, EPIC.
Incidentally, Memorial Day is also informally considered the beginning of summer. How convenient, since in my opinion, spring never arrived. Of course, the allergies and the bees still did. But spring was in absentia.
So here's to the memory of: our brave lost American soldiers who protected what we all hold dear, two bees and their recent sunrise insurgency, and the 2008 season of spring.
Please enjoy "Spring Song", by Felix Mendelssohn.
6 comments:
You know what I like on my BIG hamburgers, BIG hotdogs, and other various BIG picnic food on holidays such as this BIG holiday? I like some BIG ketchup, BIG relish, BIG pickles, and of course...
BIG MUSTARD!
It thrills my heart that you're waging war against the bees--did I ever tell you that I despite them too? It's a phobia, actually--I go crazy when I see one.
I'm glad you started this blog, by the way. It makes you seem not quite so far away.
and yes, "despite" is a typo...I meant to say "despise" (yeah i'm an English major...)
As often occurs in the course of higher education, there comes a MERE STUDENT who teaches the MASTER TEACHER a thing or two.
I, SIR, am that pugnacious pugilist of tuneful topics.
Now that that is out of the way, we come to Sir Eugene Goossens. According to your blustery generalization, there is "nothing memorable" about him.
Well, SIR...
Sir Goossens has a greater legacy than simply having an avian last name. Let's put aside the fact that he won the silver medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and was the assistant conductor to Sir Thomas Beecham.
There are two HIGHLY IMPORTANT things about Sir Goossens.
ONE: He conducted the BRITISH PREMIERE of Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring for those disinclined to French), with Stravinsky in attendance. The first time that the ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD heard this monumental piece, Goossens was at the helm.
Okay, trivia, perhaps. However...
He was also responsible for contact a certain Mr. Copland across the pond (perhaps you've heard of HIM?), and asking for a patriotic piece that might help spur on the war effort. Mr. Copland responded in kind, with a piece that may have even filtered up to Connecticut...
THE FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN.
Just because the Fanfare isn't for YOU, doesn't mean that it, or Mr. Copland, or indeed Sir Goossens, is unimportant.
Looking forward to opening your mind in the future,
M. Lyle
I like that you have a blog now. It has inspired me to start writing in mine again. Read mine!! :)
youuuuuuuuu aaaaare sooo beauuuuuuuutifulllll
to meeeeeeee!!!!
this blog is already stellar. yay for c.s. aitken.
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