Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.: June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021 |
Riding & Writing...
Gina McKnight, Monday Creek Publishing Author, Freelance Writer, Equestrian, Blogger, and Poet! Welcome to my international blog about horses, writers, authors, books, cowboys, equestrians, photographers, artists, poets, poems, and more horses. As seen in #FloridaEquineAthlete, #ArabianFinishLine, #HorseGirlTV, #LivingRuralTV, #AmericanHorsePublications, #trueCOWBOYmagazine, #HayNetUK, and #GirlGab.com...
Monday, March 18, 2024
Milliron Monday: Letters Home Oct 10 1960
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Sherry's Quarter Notes - Celebrating an Icon of Irish Music History: Tenor Michael Kelly
Happy St.
Patrick’s Day! No other day of the year presents a more significant platform
through which to honor Irish culture than the annual holiday. Worldwide
celebrations abound for revelers with and without Irish ancestry. For on this
day, everyone is considered to be a part of the Emerald Isle and welcomed to
partake in the festivities.
Besides the
coveted pints of Guinness, music is also a central part of the observance. A
soundtrack featuring traditional Irish music with tin whistles, fiddles and
flutes can be heard everywhere in conjunction with contemporary sounds. Even the
most ardent non-dancers are motivated to twirl about and cut a rug!
Evidence of
music in Ireland dates back to the Iron Age around 500 BC. Traditional Irish
music is rich and diverse. There’s more to the genre than the stereotypical
jig. There’s also more to Irish artists than the music of their homeland. So, I’ll
embrace the opportunity to introduce you to an extraordinary Irish artist whose
name escapes most curricula, programs and publications.
Tenor
Michael Kelly was born in Dublin on Christmas Day 1762 and rose to prominence
as a teenager in his native city, which was at that time a renowned musical
capital. News of his ability reached visiting Italian artists who recommended
further opportunities for his study and performance in Italy, where he became
the first Irishman to appear on stage. His popularity in Italy led to his
employment in Vienna, where he eventually met Mozart.
Michael Kelly |
In his 1826 memoir,
Reminiscences, Kelly gifted posterity with some of the most descriptive
first-hand accounts of the composer. He described Mozart as “a remarkably small
man, very thin and pale, with a profusion of fine fair hair, of which he was
rather vain. He gave me a cordial welcome to his home and I spent a great deal
of time there. He always received me with kindness and hospitality. He was fond
of billiards and many a game have I played with him, but I always came off
second best.”
Kelly received
one of the greatest honors of his career when he was cast in the premiere of
Mozart’s opera, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) where he performed
not one, but two tenor roles: Don Curzio (judge) and Don Basilio (music
teacher). While working on the opera, Mozart introduced him to a duet he was composing
entitled “Crudel! Perchè finora” and they sang it together with Mozart at the
keyboard.
It’s amusing
given that this particular duet represents a scene where Count Almaviva is
trying to seduce his wife’s maid Susanna! I wonder who sang which part? If I
had to guess, I’d say Mozart sang the role of Susanna. Constanze Mozart wrote
of her husband’s voice that it was “a tenor, rather soft in oratory and
delicate in singing…” With both Kelly and Mozart being tenors and men of the
theater, I can only imagine the beauty of their harmonic and emotive exchange!
Kelly
described it in his memoir: “A more delicious morceau never was penned by man;
and it has often been a source of pleasure to me, to have been the first who
heard it, and to have sung it with its greatly-gifted composer.”
Kelly was a
celebrity in his own right and became particularly famous as a singer and
theater manager in Great Britain and Ireland, but what I glean from passages in
his memoir is that no other accomplishment seems to have compared to his encounter
with Mozart.
"I
remember that at the first rehearsal of the full band Mozart was on the stage,
with his crimson pelisse and his gold-banded cocked hat, giving the time of the
music to the orchestra. I shall never forget the little animated countenance
when lighted up with the glowing rays of genius. It is as impossible to
describe it as it would be to paint sunbeams."
Explore Reminiscences
via the University of Pittsburgh’s Digital Collections at: https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735056285756
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Feeding the Birds: A Short Story by Gary Flory
In the Spring of '63, I was sitting on the porch in the swing drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee. My neighbor, John, was across the road working up a patch to plant his garden. We had been neighbors for over twenty years and I always admired the man. My job didn’t require me to be at work until 9 am, so spending a half hour in the swing in the morning allowed me to organize my thoughts. Many times I would see John and his dog heading to the barn to feed his few head of cattle. The chickens usually followed close behind waiting their turn.
Isaiah
40:31 - But they that
wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not
faint.
Monday, March 11, 2024
Milliron Monday: Letters Home Sept 27 1960
Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.: June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021 |
Friday, March 8, 2024
An Interview with Ohio Author Pam Croft
From Lancaster, Ohio,
welcome author Pam Croft. Pam is the author of Give a Little Bit: When Are
You Coming Back? a story about Mr. Fred Hillman, the founder of Lancaster Sales.
Pam writes, “I worked for Mr. Hillman for 23 years. He was a holocaust survivor
and was a very beautiful man, but rough at times. He taught me so much and I
helped take care of him as he aged. In the book, I give insight into what
happened to Mr. Hillman’s stores after he passed away. I truly want people to
know how amazing he was. Writing the book helped me heal after his death.”
Welcome, Pam!
GM: What is the premise for your book?
Connect with Pam…
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
The Shining Ball: A Short Story by Gary Flory
All the kids were back in school and vacation time was over for most of the families, leaving the beach empty except for a few retired people. I just put new batteries in my metal detector and figured this would be a good time to hit the beach. The weather was nice, so we decided to take the picnic basket and blanket along to make a day of it. I knew of an isolated section of beach where no one walked and there weren’t many houses close by. That might be the perfect place to find some washed-up treasures. We drove up to an old parking lot. Much of it was covered in sand and wasn’t used much. We grabbed our stuff and started walking along the beach. Cath had a sack and picked up some nice shells along the shore, while I found an occasional coin, but no Spanish gold coins.
Monday, March 4, 2024
Milliron Monday: Letters Home Sept 19 1960
Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.: June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021 |
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Milliron Monday: Letters Home Oct 10 1960
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An Interview with Ohio Author and Historian Jacob L. Bapst Writing of Ohio’s cultural history, Jacob L. Bapst has an extensive resume of r...
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