Helpful votes received on reviews:
100% (5 of 5)
Location: Jacksonville, Fla.
In My Own Words:
For 28 years, I was program (Music) Director for a first-rate NPR station in Jacksonville, Fla. During that time, I had the joy of interviewing many of the artists whose recordings we see on Amazon. I did free lance concert promotions, publicity for the London Symphony Orchestra (Daytona Beach, Fla.), and have played trumpet professionally. Currently I sing with an oustanding Cathedral choir in … Read moreFor 28 years, I was program (Music) Director for a first-rate NPR station in Jacksonville, Fla. During that time, I had the joy of interviewing many of the artists whose recordings we see on Amazon. I did free lance concert promotions, publicity for the London Symphony Orchestra (Daytona Beach, Fla.), and have played trumpet professionally. Currently I sing with an oustanding Cathedral choir in Jacksonville. I produced a 4-hour weekly radio program in my specialty of sacred music, and collect Christmas CDs. I have also worked for John Rutter In the 60s, I was in the record retail business, started collecting rock music, and pop favorites. I'm also interested in world music, and have done radio interviews about new discs. My collection, of more than 2000 LPs and 3000CDs, includes Broadway musicals, plus 4 rare discs with Sir John Betjeman annotating great cathedrals of England. My family is very artistic, and I have roots in Alsace, France, with a long lineage of musicians.
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Reviews
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It was a bright Florida afternoon....not much traffic on the highway. I popped Rutter's new CD in my car stereo. Wrapped in the total sound of the disc, I gathered my thoughts for this commentary. Several years ago, the Rutters sustained the most painful, tragic loss of their young son, a computer whiz, and a singer. It was one of those accidents that should have never happened...a wayward car. This crushing blow seemed to have silenced the composer for awhile, as it would if one of us were to have sustained such a painful loss. Somehow all of us eventually find a venue to bring the pain out into acceptance, and get on with out lives. The "Mass for Children" brought sadness to… Read more
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Trinity Church at Wall Street was directly in the path of the World Trade Center's monumantal rubble showers when the buildings collapsed on 9/11. Consequently Trinity's magnificinet organ was a victim of dust and debris along with everything else in its path. As a sort of memorial to the late renowned organ, "Christmas at Trinity" is a tribute to not only the superb choir and its director, Dr. Owen Burdick, but a fond farewell (for the time being) to one of this country's finest musical instruments. And as the the parishoners get used to a decent substitute organ, the glorious instrument is being refurbished (at enormous, but worthy expense) to return to its place of honor at… Read more
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When I first became acquainted with Stan Kenton (1960s), I was a brass enthusiast, savoring works of Gabrieli in antiphonal settings to the contemporary, including "Chicago". Stan Kenton's arrangements,in his catalogue at that time, were constructed so each instrumental line would weave to prominence then fall back into the mix, or then form a smooth fabric of tightly-knit sound. Kenton's musical arrangers were absolutely top drawer. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" from Stan Kenton's Big Band came out in the late 60s when I had just gone through one of those life-altering experiences. So Christmas wasn't very merry, jolly, or anything else. I collect Christmas… Read more
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