A Golden Moment
Wonderful memories glitter in the mind. The best memories
are shared with others. It is with this in mind that I write today’s blog.
I have been to many concerts; had moments in the theatre when
tears tracked down my face because of the sheer joy (or pain) of the experience,
I am easily moved by a painting or a sculpture.
A partial list includes: Rodin’s garden in a Parisian mist,
Michaelangelo’s Pieta, Picasso’s Guernica at the Sofia in Madrid, The Martha Graham dancers performing
at the acropolis in Athens, Jean Pierre Rampal and Lily Laskine at the Hollywood
Bowl, James Taylor sitting under a tree at the Boston Common and playing for
the few of us who were fortunate enough to happen by, Moody Blues and the
VSO under the stars My own production of The Ecstasy of
Rita Joe, A Fiddler on the Roof on
Broadway. A partial list, as I said but I am a fortunate gentleman to have been
able to witness such events.
Another such memory occurred Last night. At G.M. Place,
where generally Hockey holds sway, a seventy-four year old Leonard Cohen
treated the ten thousand or so gathered in the arena to the nonpareil of
concerts. He treated the members of his band with the reverence they deserved.
These accomplished musicians played brilliantly suffusing the arena with sounds
of longing and joy.
The husky baritone, now cracked with age, sounded even
more appropriate for the poetry of his lyrics. His joy in performance was contagious.
His back up singers lent perfect harmony to his whispered songs. It was a
transformative night.
He sang his heart out. For three and a half hours, he
covered every bit of his repertoire, from the youthful ballad to Suzanne to the
power of Hallelujah, to the painful lyrics of the Future.
He graced us with six encores that included Marianne and
my personal favourite First you Take Manhattan.
What a night. I am blessed to have been there.
I intend to use this site to register my thoughts about theatre and the world in general.
Come on along.
