September 24 - John Rutter; Anthony Newley (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

John Rutter (b. 24 September 1945) is a well-known and prolific choral conductor, composer, and arranger.

 [For last year's verses on John Rutter and Václav Nelhýbel click here.]

 

 

Boy, What Day Is This?

When you need a Christmas carol

Rutter has them by the barrel.

Pleasant, peppy, slightly skittish,

And, of course, extremely British.

 

 

 

 

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

Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer and songwriter.

 

 

Sing Along

“On a wonderful day like today”

  Try singing some Anthony Newley,

His songs are vivacious, but they

   Are never debauched or unruly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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September 23 - John Lomax; Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Last September 23 I presented a series of nonsense couplets called "Nopes".  I decided to continue this idea this year. (click here)

John Lomax (23 September 1867 – 26 January 1948) was a pioneering American ethnomusicologist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. 

Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (23 September 1853 – 22 February 1923) was a musician and composer.

 

Nope 4

When out in the West with the cowboys John Lomax

Was told not to bring his Atlanta Braves foam axe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nope 5 

Marie-Elisabeth von Saxe-Meiningen

Never composed after having a Heineken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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September 22 - Andrea Bocelli; Anton Filtz (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Andrea Bocelli (b. 22 September 1958) is an popular Italian tenor and songwriter.

[For last year's limerick on Debby Boone click here.] 

Crossover and Out

The gods gave Bocelli

  A nice little voice,

Then asked why the hell he

  Made opera his choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Anton Fils [also Antonín Fils, Johann Anton Fils, Johann Anton Filtz], (bapt. 22 September 1733 – 14 buried March 1760) was a German classical composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Late Great

 

"the greatest composer of symphonies who ever lived" ["Ich halte ihn für den besten Symphonienschreiber, den jemahls gelebt hat."] ---  C. F. D. Schubart, Ideen zu einer ästhetik der Tonkunst (1806), 141

Schubart thought he walked on stilts,

That symphonist named Anton Filtz,

But arbiters have reassessed…

And Anton Filtz was NOT the best.

 

 

 

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September 21 - Leonard Cohen (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Leonard Cohen (21 September 1934 – 7 November 2016) was a Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist. 

[For last year's thoughts on Gustav Holst and Billy Porter click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Let’s Talk about Sex, Baby

“[The book] received good reviews but did not sell particularly well, setting yet another precedent for Cohen’s future career." - biography.com

“I think it’s a good song, but I think too many people sing it.” -- Leonard Cohen on "Hallelujah", to the Guardian

 

“Do Republicans Know ‘Hallelujah’ is about Sex?” - Headline at motherjones.com

*      *     *     *     *     * 

In spite of the fact that there wasn’t much dough in

Releasing a song by the late Leonard Cohen,

His label's reward was the praise that would flow in.

The single exception, a really big deal,

Was when Hallelujah’s relentless appeal

Spawned dozens of covers that cloy and congeal.

The throngs who have heard it aver that they feel

That something inside them compels them to kneel.

And while on their knees, while they pay their respects,

Apparently none of them ever suspects

That the lyrics they’re hearing are all about sex.

 

 

 

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September 20 - Ildebrando Pizzetti (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Ildebrando Pizzetti (20 September 1880 – 13 February 1968) was an Italian composer, musicologist, and music critic. I know of no basis in fact for the (plausible) rivalry fantasized about below.

[For last year's elegy in limericks for William Kapell click here.] 

He

Ildebrando Pizzetti,

   Prolific and weighty,

Was minor, and yet he

   Hoped to be great. He

Worked and he worried,

   On the verge of fatigue. He

Tried to ensure he'd

   Rank with Respighi.

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September 19 - Karen Khachaturian (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Karen Khachaturian (19 September 1920 – 19 July 2011) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Armenian ethnicity and the nephew of composer  Aram Khachaturian.

[For last year's, perhaps unlikely, tributes to Cass Elliot and Rex Smith click here.] 

Don’t Be a Karen

Karen Khachaturian,

  A name with family splendor,

Caused confusion in the West

  At least in terms of gender.

It seems that in Armenia

  When you become a dad

“Karen” is a common name

  To give a little lad.

Perhaps this is a case in point

  Of why we’re taught today

To drop the “him” and “her” and use

  The neutral pronoun "they.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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