April 7 - Percy Faith (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Percy Faith (7 April 1908 – 9 February 1976) was a Canadian bandleader, orchestrator, composer, and conductor. 
[For last year's thought on Charles Burney click here.] 

Oh Ye of Little...

Percy Faith, the butt of jokes

From grave and high-falutin’ folks,

Checked in on his bottom line

And found that he had done just fine.

Perhaps we shouldn’t second guess

The kind of popular success

That Percy Faith achieved while christening

The new-found genre “easy listening.”

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 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 6 - Gheorghe Zamfir (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Gheorghe Zamfir (b. 6 April 1941) is a Romanian pan flute musician. 
[Last year's entry on André Previn may be read here.]

Z is for...

Listen my children and you shall hear

The pan flute playing of Zamfir,

Then hold a finger in each ear

And maybe it will disappear.

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 5 - Agnetha Fältskog (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Agnetha Fältskog (b. 5 April 1950) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and actress. 
[For last year's verse on Louis Spohr click here.]

By Any Other Name

Agnetha Fältskog had a name

Inimical to U.S. fame.

But as for ABBA, joy to tell it!

Even Anglophones could spell it.

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 4 - Stephen Storace (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Stephen Storace (4 April 1762 – 19 March 1796) was a British composer.
[Last year's verse on Elmer Bernstein is found here.]

Passing Fancy

Rest assured, I will not bore us

With the life of Stephen Storace.

Success to him was not a stranger

As composer and arranger,

But posterity is rotten

And Stephen Storace is forgotten.

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 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 3 - Alessandro Stradella (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Alessandro Stradella (3 April 1643 – 25 February 1682) was an Italian composer. (There seems to be uncertainty about his birth date, but today is cited in a number of sources, and will do for our purposes.)
[Last year we celebrated Reginald de Koven click here.]

Musical Affairs

Alessandro Stradella,

A lascivious fella,

Jumped at the chance

For illicit romance.

Husbands, made jealous,

Historians tell us,

Hired some guys

And arranged his demise.

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 2 - Marvin Gaye (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Series)

Marvin Gaye (2 April 1939 – 1 April 1984) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.
[For last year's entry for EmmyLou Harris click here.] 

How Sweet It Is

Marvin Gaye sang R & B

  That changed a couple’s history,

His music got them in the mood --

  (We’ll close the door on what ensued.)

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 1 - F. Melius Christiansen (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

F. Melius Christiansen (April 1, 1871 – June 1, 1955) was a Norwegian-born American choral conductor.
[For last year's thoughts on Sergei Rachmaninoff click here.]

Christiansen and Sons, Inc.

F. Melius Christiansen, 

Beloved by choirs,

Master of music

That soothes and inspires,

Founded traditions,

Collegiate and moral,

A family business,

Norwegian and choral.

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]