March 11 - Lawrence Welk; William Vincent Wallace (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 11th may be found here:  Carl Ruggles (2019), Lawrence Welk (2020), Henry Cowell; Astor Piazzolla (2021), Lawrence Welk; Bobby McFerrin (2022), Lawrence Welk; Mercer Ellington (2023), Lawrence Welk (2024), and Graham Lyle (2025)

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Lawrence Welk (11 March 1903 – 17 May 1992) was an American bandleader and accordionist who had a successful television career. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safe

A nineteen-sixties Sunday rite

Was Lawrence Welk on Sunday night;

And though each costume and each set

Was blandly corny, don't forget

That Grandma knew it was foreseeable

That nothing would be disagreeable.

 

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William Vincent Wallace (11 March 1812 – 12 October 1865) was an Irish composer and pianist active on three continents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Sayin'

Wallace was a brilliant musician, but even his famous Maritana is now performed only by amateurs. — "Australian Dictionary of Biography" at adb.anu.edu.au/biography

Even if an opera by William Vincent Wallace

Is given a production that the critics say is flawless, —

You don't need to call us.

 

 

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February 14 - Florence Henderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 14th are here: Renée Fleming (2020), Aida Overton Walker (2021), Francesco Cavalli; Alexander Dargomyzhsky (2022), Francesco Cavalli; Fernando Sor (2023), Michael Costa; Irving Gordon (2024), and Víkingur Ólafsson; Fred Scott (2025)

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Florence Henderson (14 February 1934 – 24 November 2016) was an American singer and actress. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

She debuted on Broadway in the musical Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred on Broadway in the long-running 1954 musical, Fanny (888 performances) in which she originated the title role. – Wikipedia

The Brady Bunch defined her career,

So some forget, or very near,

Her talents in another sphere;

Neglecting how she, year by year,

Would go to Broadway and appear,

With Playbills as a souvenir.

I'd never criticize or jeer

At Carol Brady, and won't smear

A sitcom mom whose so sincere;

Nor never would I want to sneer

At TV shows that some revere.

I only want to make it clear

Why Florence Henderson is here,

Where music is the subject we're

Commit strictly to adhere

To when we give a birthday cheer.

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]