"Catterskill Falls" by William Cullen Bryant

Time to re-post this:

http://www.poetryatlas.com/poetry/poem/719/catterskill-falls.html

Black Bear's Hudson Valley Tale - 1 minute "info-mercial"

"Bear Tale" CD Review!

from THE DOUBLE REED, Vol. 34, No. 1,

Quarterly Journal of the International Double Reed Society

“BLACK BEAR’S HUDSON VALLEY TALE” – A Musical Storytelling

CD reviewed by Jacqueline LeClair, Bowling Green, Ohio

This 2009 CD contains one work, “Black Bear’s Hudson Valley Tale,” a musical story for young children presented by the eclectic and imaginative ensemble, Madera Vox. The narrator/singer along with musicians colorfully paint the story with original music written by the group’s percussionist, David Gluck. Children’s author Iza Trapani wrote the story, an adventure in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains that takes Black Bear on a archetypal transformational journey. The performance is lovely and the children’s chorus that sings on some the songs is a nice touch. Gluck has written evocative music to go with Trapani’s story. The music is playful and fun, a combination of styles including influences from Classical, folk, jazz and popular musics. Madera Vox’s perfectly quirky collection of instruments adroitly portrays the spectrum of moods and characters called for by the exciting story, ranging from sad ballads to hair-raising chase scenes. The oboe, English horn and bassoon are particularly well featured in solo passages.

The sound quality and balances on this CD are excellent and add to the CD’s clear, easy to understand quality. Families with children ages 4 – 8 or so would love to listen to this musical story. Madera Vox performs this musical story live in their community and on tour along with other intriguing repertoire. We can also look forward to their IDRS Conference appearance this summer.

Chamber ensembles like Madera Vox that perform in a variety of community locations like libraries, coffee houses and schools – bringing live classical music to the community – are essential for maintaining the vitality of serious live music. Of course, it is especially important to perform for children to spark their imagination about our instruments and music. Bravo to Madera Vox for their commitment to this terrific repertoire and reaching out to families and kids!

Spring Song

by Ogden Nash (1929, The Golden Trashery of Ogden Nashery)

Photo: Spring Peeper (he awakes all winter sleepers so it's been told...)

Listen, buds, it’s March twenty-first;
Don’t you know enough to burst?
Come on, birds, unlock your throats!
Come on, gardeners, shed your coats!
Come on zephyrs, come on flowers,
Come on grass, and violet showers!
And come on, lambs, in frisking flocks!
Salute the vernal equinox!
Twang the cheerful lute and zither!
Spring is absolutely hither!
Yester eve was dark despair,
With winter, winter, everywhere;
Today, upon the other hand,
“Tis spring throughout this happy land.
Oh, such is Nature’s chiaroscuro,
According to the Weather Bureau.

Then giddy-ap, Napoleon! Giddy-ap, Gideon!
The sun has crossed the right meridian!
What though the blasts of Winter sting?
Officially, at least, it’s Spring,
And be it far from our desire
To make the Weather Man a liar!

So, blossom, ye parks, with cozy benches,
Occupied by blushing wenches!
Pipe, ye frogs, while swains are sighing,
And furnaces unwept are dying!
Crow, ye cocks, a little bit louder!
Mount, ye sales of paint and powder!
Croon, ye crooner, yet more croonishly!
Shine, ye moon, a lot more moonishly!
And oh ye brooklets, burst your channels!
And oh ye camphor, greet ye flannels!
And bloom, ye clothesline, bloom with wash,
Where erstwhile trudged the grim galosh!
Ye transit lines, abet our follies
By turning loose your open trolleys!
And ye, ye waking hibernators,
Drain anti-freeze from your radiators!
While ye, ye otherwise useless dove,
Remember, please, to rhyme with love.

Then giddy-ap, Napoleon! Giddy-ap, Gideon!
The sun has crossed the right meridian!
What though the blasts of Winter sting?
Officially, at least, it’s Spring!

Raccoon....

...will be ready for the Hoe Down just as soon as he puts down the cat.