She has a fabulous, classically operatic voice.- storied at the New York Met.
She will sing in our Classical Roots concert.
Dr. Augustus Hill will conduct some of the music, and his chorus, The Brazeal Dennard Chorale
will sing.
Leonard Slatkin is conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at our Orchestra Hall here.
Ms. Battle is famous.
Leonard Slatkin is Americana famous.
Orchestra Hall is famous for its acoustics.
Classical Roots is semi-famous.
Dr. Hill is a master at black music with a dual degree Ph.D. in theory and composition from University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, as well as a Ph.D. from the U of M in choral conducting.
Recently, Dr. Hill and the Chorale won a Gold and Silver medal at World Choir Games in Ohio.
(Funny aside: one of the presenters at World Choir Games looked at the Chorale with puzzlement
saying, "You don't look Brazilian!")
Orchestra Hall is sold out for tonight, or nearly so.
Brande Everett is not famous. However, she does have some solo parts in tonight's concert.
One of her best pieces can be heard on soprande.com from a concert done in Ireland.
The rehearsals for tonight's concert are a pretty good story.
The chorale does Classical Roots every year. They didn't know a famous opera singer would sing
with them this year. They still aren't quite sure how she chose them.
These rehearsals have been going on all week.
On Monday Ms. Battle was chanting "I chose you!" She had a lot of changes to make, and she wanted total cooperation.
As the week wore on, I guess people snapped into shape, so she became more amenable to what would happen with them on concert night.
Then Leonard Slatkin got onto some artistic temperament shrugging over how Ms. Battle wanted
the music for her spirituals with the DSO. He admitted he hadn't known what a spiritual was until
Dr. Hill told him last year. But he is the conductor, so she has to work with him.
She talked about cadenzas and plagels and the choir felt some "diva" had begun to show up in her.
Late in the week professionals seemed to be in all areas of the hall, offering critiques.
Ms. Battle spoke then through her assistant.
When she spoke to the choir in person she let them know to pronounce the words in the spirituals
the way the original African American composers spoke.
She would not allow any sort of broadcast or taping.
At one point when Ms. Battle felt she was looking at a camera light, she threatened to phone
her management company.
She insisted to the DSO that the Brazeal Dennard Chorale stay on stage for the entire concert.
Kathleen Battle is from Cleveland; but here she is a true citizen.
She called Dr. Hill "Gus" as a sign of their professional camaraderie.
Slatkin, however, kept calling him, 'Mr. Hill".
We Detroiters are so proud on this concert and of our continued committment to the African
American spirituals.
Wish us luck for tonight.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
One Nightmare Leads To Another
In the 16th, 17th, and 18th century, Portugal, Spain, then England, and England by way of the
British colonies in North America, grew richer and richer from slave colonies first in South and Central America, and then in North America.
Even Rome by way of the Popes of the time grew their coffers.
British colonies in North America, grew richer and richer from slave colonies first in South and Central America, and then in North America.
Even Rome by way of the Popes of the time grew their coffers.
The Russia Reagan Created
The fall of the Soviet Union was highlighted in this country by the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
However, so many diplomats, statesmen, professors and journalists warned of the certainty of consequences like the ones we endure in present day Somalia, and with Al Queda.
We were also warned that Star Wars would destabilize the Soviet countries in such a way that they
would forever be subject to prisoner-of-war treatment by Russia and pro-Soviet forces.
Reagan refused to listen. As predicted, leaders of the collapsing Soviet Union who stopped getting paid by a bankrupt treasury, sold everything they could get their hands on,
to any group which could pay them. They didn't make political distinctions about possibly outfitting future terrorists. We were told that they wouldn't.
It took mammoth efforts and a tremendous fortune to track down the nuclear
materials which of course were still never all completely gathered or neutralized.
We got so many bad deals from the Reagan years. Present day Crimea and Ukraine are only the latest.
There was Georgia, Chechnya, and there will be more.
Many of us could care less about the former Soviet countries. We don't have to care. But Europe has
refused fracking. So when our aquifers are all oily enough for us have the energy we want
at cheap prices, Europe may trump us and the former Soviets to boot by selling us the fresh water
we need. Oil prices are way more stable when Russia and the Ukraine can agree on borders and
mutual autonomies. We need those prices stable, because we have begun to prize the greasy over
the universal solvent.
Humans can live much longer without food than they can without water.
And places like West Virginia already endure way more natural abortion and birth defect rates
than the country at large because of the non-quality of their water.
Maybe Right To Life should get on that band wagon.
Europe, America, and Japan all have aged populations. If we want to survive as the most powerful
economy in the world, we have to adjust to righting so many of the disgusting trends we embraced in the retarded Reagan presidency. Aids, for instance, put the last bit of dirt over the coffins of an
ailing health care industry, and closed so very many emergency rooms, mainly in heartland America.
Republicans went right along with those eighties policies whole-heartedly. Now we are paying
the price so much so that we have no choice but to overhaul our entire health care system.
The only truly fine-toothed comb medical centers came to be at university hospitals; and that has
put so very much pressure on university systems that many more middle-classed students are priced
out an education than has been true since WWII.
At the time, I'm sure America loved all these truly awful policies because Reagan's was a backlash presidency. But we have been
paying for these backward thinking excitements for so long now, we're hemorrhaging resources.
We are a country with miles of arable land we need to protect and to keep viable. The world is way
too interconnected now for us to think Putin's antics won't affect us.
As a matter of fact, I believe I'm feeling more of a pinch at the pump right now, like prices seemed
to be higher yesterday than they were last week. I can't see this as part of a good summer, at a time
when food prices are going up because we have emergency disaster drought conditions in California.
Besides, we can expect food prices in the fertile west Ukraine to go up now since they will need
the money, which means everything in Europe, in our trading partner countries will go up soon as well.
It's a good thing we are positioned to expand trade in the Pacific Rim now. We have to educate our
manufacturing sector to perform more technologically sophisticated tasks as we relinquish some 20th
century skill level work to other nations. If we don't do this, especially when Russia seems to be co-opting all the countries once again who would like to be partners with countries we trade with already, China will move into that space because they are looking to do the same thing we're attempting: upgrade manufacturing centers to more technologically sophisticated wonders.
As we keep down oil prices, we need to keep down food prices as well. That means Republicans
are finally right if they will do what John Boehner says they will: cooperate with President Obama
in helping Russia to see it has to compete, not annex.
We have enough fresh water to keep our crops safe at this moment, but not if we threaten our water to keep energy prices down. Since it's hard enough to convince the oil and gas industry this is true as it
is, this year is a bad, bad time for crises to threaten oil prices here.
We have every reason to want to keep Russia and the Ukraine from stand-offs. Germany has a great
vested interest in this as well.
Why care about Germany?
Well, Germany is dependent on oil stability in that region as well land Germany and Duetchbank are the principal entities keeping Europe from deeper recession. We do need some healthy economies in our trading partners, after all, and we need NATO.
If Europe slips more quickly into recession at this time, how do we get paid?
I hope President Obama will do all he can do diplomatically, to calm the Russian aggression
without making Moscow feel too desperate.
However, so many diplomats, statesmen, professors and journalists warned of the certainty of consequences like the ones we endure in present day Somalia, and with Al Queda.
We were also warned that Star Wars would destabilize the Soviet countries in such a way that they
would forever be subject to prisoner-of-war treatment by Russia and pro-Soviet forces.
Reagan refused to listen. As predicted, leaders of the collapsing Soviet Union who stopped getting paid by a bankrupt treasury, sold everything they could get their hands on,
to any group which could pay them. They didn't make political distinctions about possibly outfitting future terrorists. We were told that they wouldn't.
It took mammoth efforts and a tremendous fortune to track down the nuclear
materials which of course were still never all completely gathered or neutralized.
We got so many bad deals from the Reagan years. Present day Crimea and Ukraine are only the latest.
There was Georgia, Chechnya, and there will be more.
Many of us could care less about the former Soviet countries. We don't have to care. But Europe has
refused fracking. So when our aquifers are all oily enough for us have the energy we want
at cheap prices, Europe may trump us and the former Soviets to boot by selling us the fresh water
we need. Oil prices are way more stable when Russia and the Ukraine can agree on borders and
mutual autonomies. We need those prices stable, because we have begun to prize the greasy over
the universal solvent.
Humans can live much longer without food than they can without water.
And places like West Virginia already endure way more natural abortion and birth defect rates
than the country at large because of the non-quality of their water.
Maybe Right To Life should get on that band wagon.
Europe, America, and Japan all have aged populations. If we want to survive as the most powerful
economy in the world, we have to adjust to righting so many of the disgusting trends we embraced in the retarded Reagan presidency. Aids, for instance, put the last bit of dirt over the coffins of an
ailing health care industry, and closed so very many emergency rooms, mainly in heartland America.
Republicans went right along with those eighties policies whole-heartedly. Now we are paying
the price so much so that we have no choice but to overhaul our entire health care system.
The only truly fine-toothed comb medical centers came to be at university hospitals; and that has
put so very much pressure on university systems that many more middle-classed students are priced
out an education than has been true since WWII.
At the time, I'm sure America loved all these truly awful policies because Reagan's was a backlash presidency. But we have been
paying for these backward thinking excitements for so long now, we're hemorrhaging resources.
We are a country with miles of arable land we need to protect and to keep viable. The world is way
too interconnected now for us to think Putin's antics won't affect us.
As a matter of fact, I believe I'm feeling more of a pinch at the pump right now, like prices seemed
to be higher yesterday than they were last week. I can't see this as part of a good summer, at a time
when food prices are going up because we have emergency disaster drought conditions in California.
Besides, we can expect food prices in the fertile west Ukraine to go up now since they will need
the money, which means everything in Europe, in our trading partner countries will go up soon as well.
It's a good thing we are positioned to expand trade in the Pacific Rim now. We have to educate our
manufacturing sector to perform more technologically sophisticated tasks as we relinquish some 20th
century skill level work to other nations. If we don't do this, especially when Russia seems to be co-opting all the countries once again who would like to be partners with countries we trade with already, China will move into that space because they are looking to do the same thing we're attempting: upgrade manufacturing centers to more technologically sophisticated wonders.
As we keep down oil prices, we need to keep down food prices as well. That means Republicans
are finally right if they will do what John Boehner says they will: cooperate with President Obama
in helping Russia to see it has to compete, not annex.
We have enough fresh water to keep our crops safe at this moment, but not if we threaten our water to keep energy prices down. Since it's hard enough to convince the oil and gas industry this is true as it
is, this year is a bad, bad time for crises to threaten oil prices here.
We have every reason to want to keep Russia and the Ukraine from stand-offs. Germany has a great
vested interest in this as well.
Why care about Germany?
Well, Germany is dependent on oil stability in that region as well land Germany and Duetchbank are the principal entities keeping Europe from deeper recession. We do need some healthy economies in our trading partners, after all, and we need NATO.
If Europe slips more quickly into recession at this time, how do we get paid?
I hope President Obama will do all he can do diplomatically, to calm the Russian aggression
without making Moscow feel too desperate.
Good For Mr. Steve Kornacki
Mr. Kornacki happens to be one of those principaled American journalists who realizes those weren't
cars stranded on the GWB, crossing New York and New Jersey, they were citizens.
They were not pawns for Christie and Cuomo to disagree about as important or not important commuters.
No matter who ordered what, U. S. citizens were sitting duck victims of a terrorist act.
I am so glad this journalist and his colleagues have lead the charge to show our citizenship is worth a lot more than what someone can pay for, or play with to tickle the fancies of their narrow self-interests.
No group of citizens should ever be trapped in this way, and either Governor should have picked up
the phone to insist those cones come off that thoroughfare...especially in New York!
I have not seen so many densely stacked orange cubes in my lifetime.
Something colossal was clearly at stake for someone and something trumping public safety.
I am shocked that citizens didn't simply push those cones out of the way themselves.
cars stranded on the GWB, crossing New York and New Jersey, they were citizens.
They were not pawns for Christie and Cuomo to disagree about as important or not important commuters.
No matter who ordered what, U. S. citizens were sitting duck victims of a terrorist act.
I am so glad this journalist and his colleagues have lead the charge to show our citizenship is worth a lot more than what someone can pay for, or play with to tickle the fancies of their narrow self-interests.
No group of citizens should ever be trapped in this way, and either Governor should have picked up
the phone to insist those cones come off that thoroughfare...especially in New York!
I have not seen so many densely stacked orange cubes in my lifetime.
Something colossal was clearly at stake for someone and something trumping public safety.
I am shocked that citizens didn't simply push those cones out of the way themselves.
Our Most Heartbreaking Moments
At least 12 Years A Slave was based on a true story.
I thought the Harriet Jacobs saga would be the next slave story to hit Hollywood. For me, it was the
most brutal- aside from my great-grandma's story. But stories with black characters often give me
a big fat headache.
I left before Training Day was over. Denzel Washington was already dead. How many times
did the director need us to see him get riddled?
Jhango was terrible, not for the language, but because Carrie Washington got savaged.
I loved that Morgan Freeman finally told Miss Daisy he was interested in her mostly as a paycheck.
But truly, I haven't seen many of these movies since "Daisy".
Green Miles, maids, butlers, slaves...even Halle Berry had to get trashed- once in the film, then onstage accepting the Oscar.
I am happy, though. I just love "Boyz 'N The Hood".
Menace To Society was even better... an anthem.
It isn't a perfect or joyous description of us- but hey, it's in the hood. I know most of the doctors, lawyers, scientists, musicians, actors and actresses etc. come from here too.
Where else can we live?
In Michigan, for instance, we are replete with militias.
No, they are not equal opportunity employers.
I thought the Harriet Jacobs saga would be the next slave story to hit Hollywood. For me, it was the
most brutal- aside from my great-grandma's story. But stories with black characters often give me
a big fat headache.
I left before Training Day was over. Denzel Washington was already dead. How many times
did the director need us to see him get riddled?
Jhango was terrible, not for the language, but because Carrie Washington got savaged.
I loved that Morgan Freeman finally told Miss Daisy he was interested in her mostly as a paycheck.
But truly, I haven't seen many of these movies since "Daisy".
Green Miles, maids, butlers, slaves...even Halle Berry had to get trashed- once in the film, then onstage accepting the Oscar.
I am happy, though. I just love "Boyz 'N The Hood".
Menace To Society was even better... an anthem.
It isn't a perfect or joyous description of us- but hey, it's in the hood. I know most of the doctors, lawyers, scientists, musicians, actors and actresses etc. come from here too.
Where else can we live?
In Michigan, for instance, we are replete with militias.
No, they are not equal opportunity employers.
I Love Butterfly McQeen
Perhaps she didn't mean to do it, but she uttered the best and most memorable line in all of American
film, "Ah don't know nothin' bout birthin' no babies!"
None of the rest of it is as memorable to me. I know. Call me strange; but she summed up slavery, she summed up servitude, she summed up all in this world we could ever possibly owe this country
no matter what else might happen. And yet, we continue to give.
We continue to do without. That is the legacy of millions of sacrificial lambs. And the legacy of what much of Amercia thinks we should embody as is encompassed by what William Faulkner's narrator thinks of Dilsey in the last lines of The Sound and The Fury: "she endures."
film, "Ah don't know nothin' bout birthin' no babies!"
None of the rest of it is as memorable to me. I know. Call me strange; but she summed up slavery, she summed up servitude, she summed up all in this world we could ever possibly owe this country
no matter what else might happen. And yet, we continue to give.
We continue to do without. That is the legacy of millions of sacrificial lambs. And the legacy of what much of Amercia thinks we should embody as is encompassed by what William Faulkner's narrator thinks of Dilsey in the last lines of The Sound and The Fury: "she endures."
Saturday, March 1, 2014
POTUS: What Do You Mean?
Our kids don't need excuses. They have reasons.
We need excuses. We either shelter them and offer them real opportunity. or we don't.
We aren't Miniver Cheevy; but we also have reasons.
Trayvon didn't need an excuse. He was wearing Hollister.
Jordan didn't need an excuse. He was driving a Durango.
Jordan and Trayvon had very loving fathers. They could have done nothing more.
So what does this country want from us?
Or maybe we have enough savvy to be attractive to Burkina Faso. I hear it's nice there this time
of year.
We need excuses. We either shelter them and offer them real opportunity. or we don't.
We aren't Miniver Cheevy; but we also have reasons.
Trayvon didn't need an excuse. He was wearing Hollister.
Jordan didn't need an excuse. He was driving a Durango.
Jordan and Trayvon had very loving fathers. They could have done nothing more.
So what does this country want from us?
Or maybe we have enough savvy to be attractive to Burkina Faso. I hear it's nice there this time
of year.
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