Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Cultural Notes from All Over

First:

[Winston] Churchill evidently knew Byron's lengthy "Childe Harold" by heart and later recited it to his daughter Sarah in the eighty-five mile drive from Saki airfield to Yalta in February 1945.  Sarah Churchill, A Thread in the Tapestry 78 (New York: Dodd Mead 1967)
--Jean Edward Smith, FDR 547 (Random House paperback, 2008)

And second: my friend Elizabeth tells me how she, as a small child, was left in the care of an old lady who served her lemon bars and champagne. Her minder also played her highlights from Verdi's Requiem, and declared that she hoped this music would accompany her as she entered into heaven.




2 comments:

Jimbo said...

I prefer Ravel's "Pavane pour Une Infante Défunte" myself - not that i am a princess or anything.

Ken said...

Arg! The clip stopped right at the best part! YouTube to the rescue! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-p659VMCc starting at 19:15. There, I feel better now.