September 30 - Donald Swann (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Donald Swann (30 September 1923 – 23 March 1994) was a Welsh-born composer, musician, singer and entertainer, best known as half of the duo Flanders and Swann. 

[For last year's limericks on Charles Villiers Stanford click here.] 

Swann Song

 

Michael Flanders and Donald Swann 

  Performed their act with charm and wit,

And if you happened thereupon

  You would have been entranced with it.

Unless, of course, you didn’t choose

To patronize such twee revues. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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February 6 - Natalie Cole; Arthur Gold (The Musical Birthday Series)

Natalie Cole (6 February 1950 – 31 December 2015) was an popular American singer

Duo 1

To sing duets with your dead dad,

  -- A most unlikely twosome.

Perhaps the thing is kind of sad,

  -- Or is it kind of gruesome?

Natalie Cole decided to try it.

  -- Recording with the dead.

And boy oh boy, did people buy it!

 -- That much must be said.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪    

Arthur Gold (6 February 1917 – 3 January 1990) was half of the distinguish piano duo Gold and Fizdale.

Duo 2

If you’re half of a musical act,

And share your partner’s bed,

It’s simply a practical fact:

Be careful where you tread.

Yet, once in awhile you find

(Or so the tale is told),

A successful ménage of the kind:

To wit, Fizdale and Gold.

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January 22 - Rosa Ponselle (The Musical Birthday Series)

Rosa Ponselle (22 January 1897 – 25 May 1981) was one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the last century.

Variations on a Theme

Facetious

The first time Ponselle

Sang opera on stage 

   Was in Forza. Her tenor? Caruso

It went very well,

But at her tender age

    It surely was risky to do so.

Not so Facetious

The very first time that Ponselle

Appeared in an opera on stage

Her nerves made her feel unwell,

But she sang and was soon all the rage.

After such an auspicious debut --

She was (hard to believe) twenty-one --

There were probably many who knew

An illustrious career had begun.


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September 3 - Dorothy Maynor; Thurston Dart (The Musical Birthday Series)

Dorothy Maynor (3 September 1910 – 9 February 1996) was an American soprano, concert singer, arts administrator.

The Maynor Attraction

Dorothy Maynor, pioneer,

Had a most distinguished career.

Then she built a school for arts

In New York City’s poorer parts.

And for this work received degrees

From several universities.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪

Thurston Dart  (3 September 1921 – 6 March 1971), was an English musicologist, conductor, and keyboard player. 

Fortune's Dart

Harpsichordist Thurston Dart

Was a most important part

  Of the Early Music Revival.

And his long productive career

Of records pressed by Oiseaux Lyre

  Ensure’s his work's survival

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August 30 - Regina Resnik (The Musical Birthday Series)

Regina Resnik (30 August 1922 – 8 August 2013) was an opera singer with a long international career and wide repertoire.

As a Matter of Fach

Regina Resnik, soprano turned mezzo -

How did it happen, and how did she gets so?

A dramatic soprano, who ranked with Ponselle,

A spectacular career, and everything well,

Then, on advice, by deliberate choice

She took a year off and rejiggered her voice.

She returned to her stardom, a diva, although her

Roles were now sinister, darker, and lower.

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