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| Chicago
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About three years ago I was on Christmas vacation and saw a
special on CNN about a girl named Charlotte Church from
Wales. She was rehearsing in this room with a pianist.
What I heard was unbelievable. This young,
lovely girl singing like an advanced opera singer? I,
being a music major at the time, had to purchase her CD to
believe it. When Voice of an Angel was
released in the USA, I heard it with my son who was only six
months at the time. Her voice was, how should I say,
well like an angel singing to Our Jesus Christ on the cross.
So pure, so soft, so innocent, so natural. I
soon developed a special ritual with my son: during
his supper, I would play Panis Angelicus on CD on
repeat mode. His eyes would sparkle, his cheeks
would swell in joy as he heard that angelic voice. The
DVDs were gradually released and so were other albums and he
too loved them as much as I did. The one day I saw
that Charlotte Church was on tour. I wanted my son and
I to see her. The nearest place for me to see her was
in Chicago (I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana.) I wanted
to take my son so badly so he could cherish with me a sweet
musical evening, but he was still too young to travel--two
and a half.
So, on Thursday, May 3rd
I dropped my son to daycare and told him that I was going to
see Charlotte. He looked at me as if I was punishing
him. He wanted to go, but I knew he could not stand
the Bus ride. So I kissed him and he told me in his
own little way to give her a hug if I could on his behalf.
I packed my bags, took a Greyhound Bus and headed to
Chicago to see<
Charlotte Church.
I arrived at the Chicago
Theater around 6:15 p.m. because the doors opened at 6:30
p.m. Incidentally, the Chicago Theater is near the
Honorable Mayor Daley Plaza (the same plaza where the Blues
Brothers drove their car in the movie). Anyway, doors
opened a little after 6:30 p.m. A priest, some elderly
couples, two young couples, a navy officer and various other
people began strolling into the main hall of the Theatre.
I dashed to the souvenirs to get something for my son
and, of course, me. I got him a medium T-shirt (big,
but it will do) one for me and two pictures of her
autographed--he was going to love them. Before the
concert started, I met Rhodri Davies, Charlotte's harpist.
He was a nice man with a firm grip. We chuckled about Bampy's whistling at the Hollywood Bowl
concerts (I read that incident in her book.) Soon, the
concert was about to begin and my emotions rose high. The
best things in life are very much worth waiting for. I
was finally going to hear LIVE this voice given from
God to a little girl named Charlotte Church.
A little passed seven
thirty, lights went out and this small girl walked from
upper stage left wearing a stunning red dress and began
addressing the audience--it was Charlotte Church. She
promised us a "wicked" concert with loads of fun.
She introduced Jesse Cook as the opening act of her
concert--now that is being courteous and humble. Jesse
Cook and his two
other friends played beautiful Spanish, Cuban guitar music.
After they were done, Charlotte came out wearing an
elegant black dress and began asking questions to Jesse
Cook. Go figure, Charlotte and Jesse are interviewing
each other on stage--what a riot. This helped the crew
remove Jesse's equipment and for the orchestra to prepare.
Jesse asked Charlotte who was
the most impressive person she has met thus far. She
admitted that Pope John Paul II and Hillary Clinton were
kinda tied. The crowd broke out laughing.
The two left the stage.
The orchestra tuned. The conductor came out and
began the concert with a luscious medley of West Side
Story.
Charlotte arrived to the
stage and began singing Somewhere and everyone's
breath was caught in mid air (how can she reach such high
notes, they all wondered). After that song, I was in
total awe. What a voice from heaven. Thank you
Dear Father for such a lovely gift and thanks to you
Charlotte for sharing it with us. She sang many tunes
from Broadway, especially one that Nan begged her to sing.
You see, before Charlotte left for her American tour,
Nan asked her to sing her favorite song from Carrousel If
I Loved You. Tears came streaming down my eyes as
she sang that love song.
Then, intermission came
and you could hear people's praise of her beautiful voice.
There WERE teenagers there who also loved her music.
So Charlotte, if you are reading this, not only do you
appeal to the very tender and older crowds but also to YOUR
age as well.
After intermission, she
again came out in another exquisite dress (boy, does she
love shopping and dresses and changing). This second
half of the concert, she mesmerized her audience with her
beloved standard repertoire. She sang some tunes that
she has been singing for "many, many, many, many
years" with Lulu.
Panis Angelicus.
With the first notes of the Cello caressing the
air, my mind went back to my son and tears soaked my cheeks.
How I wished then for my son to sit on my lap and hear
her sing. He would surely ask for his juice and
blanket while I rocked him to sleep.
Pie Jesu. Judy
Garland never bored her audiences with Over The Rainbow and
Céline Dion has eternally christened My Heart Will Go On
as The love song of the '90s. By now, I would
never, never, ever, ask her the question, "Is there
someone in the audience singing for you?" I
became a believer in musical miracles.
Then, when the audience
thought to have seen it all, Charlotte challenged herself to
sing without a microphone and be accompanied by her
harpist, Rhodri Davies, on Mae Hiraeth yu y Môr. Again,
more jaws fell to the floor and you could hear old people
looking for their false teeth that had fallen to the floor.
Now, she kept telling us
how nice we had treated her, especially for the wonderful
shopping Chicago offers... But she was tired, needed
sleeping and studying with Richard and Catherine for her
exams so she needed to go.
Oh no you're not!
She had to put up with A FULL HOUSE STANDING OVATION
audience that was willing to bolt down the doors until she
screamed "ENOUGH." In the end, the audience
was vindictive. She sang Bridge Over Troubled
Waters (which she admits is the most mature song she
sings), her fav song of all time Summertime from
Porgy and Bess--magical performance with Jesse Cook
and his buddies.
And for us Irish, her
final musical blessing was Danny Boy, which left the
old Irish men bursting in tears and yearning to be back in
their sweet motherland.
Her blessings were all
exhausted and her spirit had parted her that night and left
with us, her fans, new fans and overburden bodyguards with a
night that will always be remembered as magical,
miraculous and angelical. . .
"Thank
You" my son says to you, Charlotte.
Gregory
(IgnatiusSJ@aol.com)
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