Poetry Alive!

Vermont's second annual Poetry Alive! celebration of National Poetry Month got underway tonight at Montpelier's Kellogg-Hubbard Library with a reading by former Maine poet laureate Baron Wormser.
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He began the evening "with a couple of 'seasonal' poems -- about snow, and baseball".

Wormser continued, "Being a poet I'm not very interested in those people who get rich and famous and make it to the big leagues. I'm more interested in those who never leave the minors."

Poetry Alive! is a joint project between the Library and Montpelier's downtown association, with the purpose of emphasizing poetry as an everyday occurrence, not something reserved only for academics and special occasions.

Along with contributions from notables such as Galway Kinnell, Leland Kinsey, Sherry Olsen, Cora Brooks and David Huddle, for the next month poems will be posted in 70 Montpelier business by local poets at every level, from ambitious amateurs all the way to published professionals. The complete schedule of Poetry Alive! events is here.

I've appeciated and written poetry for most of my life. Learning about its relationship to classical music has only deepened that appreciation. When I listen to songs by Schubert, Schumann, Mahler, Eric Whitacre, Frank Ticheli, and so many others - I try to understand the relationship between the music, and the verse it supports. What makes a successful song setting? Which comes first in the inspiration, the poetry or the music? How does a good singer bridge the gap between words and melodies, by breathing life into the final creation?

This month on VPR Classical I'm going to be featuring a selection of poetry, read in the voices of the poets themselves, along with song settings and other poetic explorations. You can listen in weekdays from 8-10am for a celebration of National Poetry Month, and participate by leaving a comment here to share your favorite poet, poem, or recollection of how poetry has affected your life.

"The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things..."

Opera Quiz for March

From now through May when you listen to Saturday Afternoon at the Opera with Peter Fox Smith you'll have a chance to play the opera quiz. It's easy: you'll listen to a great operatic voice (past or present), pick up a clue or two, and take your best guess as to who the voice is.

This month's quiz took place last Saturday, with NO clues given except for the voice itself. If you were listening closely, however, you probably realized the very same voice was featured in the Met's production of Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" at 1pm.

Our singer first came to international attention in 1983 at age 23 when she won the annual Cardiff Singer of the World competition. She was still a student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki at the time. Her professional debut came two years later in the role of Pamina, in a Covent Garden production of Mozart's "The Magic Flute".

Perhaps her most - celebrated - stage appearance came in 2008, when the 49-year old singer took on the scintillating title role of Salome in the Metropolitan Opera's regular season production. Singers generally have the option with this role to go in the buff, as the screen action calls for, or to wear a more modest tight-fitted skin-colored leotard. Our singer created an outright sensation by saying she "had nothing to hide" when she boldly chose the first option!

With that many clues you probably already know the answer by now, so we'll bring this month's quiz to a "big Finnish" and reveal the mystery voice. She is.................Finnish soprano Karita Mattila!

Thanks to everyone who sent in guesses, the winner of this month's opera quiz is (again!) Edward Roesner of Saranac Lake, NY. Congratulations! He will be receiving an inscribed copy of Peter Fox Smith's book A Passion for Opera.

Listen for the next two Saturday Afternoon at the Opera quizzes on April 16th, and May 7th. And, until then - enjoy this delicious (but appropriately modest - don't worry) "Dance of the Seven Veils" scene from Mattila's famous 2008 Met appearance as Salome.

World Events, NPR and You

The pace of news in recent weeks has been breathtaking. You’ve probably found yourself tuning in to VPR more often, turning the volume up louder, and listening longer to hear the next update on events in the Middle East, North Africa and Japan.

When you look behind the curtain and count up the NPR reporters, producers, translators and editors involved in bringing us the latest news on these concurrent situations – it’s nothing less than amazing. Every story has required agility, expertise, technical know how and dedication in the face of some pretty frightening situations.

When the earthquake hit, NPR’s Asia correspondents rushed to the most devastated areas to report on the damage and recovery efforts. NPR’s Science desk was called in to explain the scale of the quake and why it triggered such a vicious tsunami. Then, when concern about the nuclear power plants near Fukushima escalated, NPR deployed more reporters, producers and the deputy managing editor to Tokyo to coordinate reporting on the ground.

A 12-member team of NPR journalists has been providing wall-to-wall coverage of the spiraling tragedy in Japan, providing expert, round-the-clock updates on the country’s damaged reactors and the profound environmental implications. Reporters have also fanned out to the shattered cities and devastated fishing villages along the coast. They’ve delivered heartbreaking accounts of the many Japanese who’ve lost loved ones, lost their homes and businesses, and drawn a portrait of an entire nation infused with a deepening sense of despair.

NPR is beginning to send in some replacement teams, so you’ll be hearing new voices in short order. Meanwhile, NPR has teams in Libya and Egypt and Suraya Sarhadi Nelson is trying to get into Yemen.

All of these events have required an enormous mobilization of resources for NPR.
Your support of VPR helps make all of this possible. So thanks for listening and thanks for supporting VPR.

(this post sites information provided by Margaret Low Smith, NPR Vice President of Programming and Acting Senior Vice President of News.

Conversation With Robert De Cormier

(Robert De Cormier ................................. with Walter Parker)

This morning Robert De Cormier joined Walter Parker on the air to talk about Counterpoint's "Legacy" concerts next weekend. The performances will be the final ones for De Cormier, who founded the ensemble in 2000 and has been their Artistic Director ever since.

If you missed the conversation or want to enjoy it again, it's now available online - complete with a rich selection of De Cormier's own compositions, performed by Counterpoint!

Radiolab Returns: Season 9

The wildly popular program Radiolab returns to VPR this weekend with a brand new season.

We start off on the right foot with a GOOD show, in fact, it is “THE Good Show”. Jad and Robert tackle altruism, kindness, selflessness, and generosity. Radiolab asks the questions: if natural selection boils down to survival of the fittest, why would one creature stick its neck out to help another? Is altruism an aberration, or just an elaborate guise for sneaky self-interest? Do we really live in a selfish, dog-eat-dog world? Or has evolution carved out a hidden code that rewards genuine cooperation? Experts and everyday folk tell their tales.

Join VPR for 5 weeks of Radiolab from WNYC beginning tomorrow afternoon at 4. Next week, Jad and Robert steer their way through a series of stories about getting lost, and ask how our brains, and our hearts, help us get home. In “Help!” Radiolab looks for ways to gain the upper hand over those forces inside us - from unhealthy urges, to creative insights – and explores stories of unlikely (and surprisingly simple) answers to seemingly unsolvable problems in “Soul Patch” . In the last episode of this season, Radiolab will set out in search of order and balance in the world around us.

Tune in Saturdays at 4 for brand new episodes of Radiolab.

Disney Jazz

It started with a listener's request for The Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Dave Digs Disney," which wasn't in our library. We ended up purchasing the CD (thank you generous listeners) and it has become a favorite of staff and listeners.

Up until recently, it was the only jazz compilation of Disney tunes. Oh, there was Disney's Jazz Album-Big Band & Swing CD (unfortunately
out-of-print) and there was Miles Davis' cover of "Some Day My Prince Will Come" and similar one song performances of classic Disney tunes, but no grand collection.

Until now.

Now there's "Disney Jazz Volume 1 / Everybody Wants To Be A Cat" with real jazz artists, such as Esperanza Spalding performing "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkle doing "Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag)”, both from Mary Poppins. There’s also vocalist Roberta Gamborini backed by the Dave Brubeck Trio on "Alice In Wonderland".

The list goes on and on, but for my ears the extraordinary achievement is that the jazz ensembles are small - duos to seven players - and the readings are melodic and true to each artist's style. No added strings, no sweetening, just great jazz. Plus, you already know most of the songs.

Join me Wednesday at 9 as we feature Disney Jazz.

Federal Funding Update: March 15

The past week has been very difficult for public radio. The unfortunate events at NPR have put the public radio system in greater jeopardy of losing federal funding, and have eclipsed the incredible service provided every day by the reporters, producers, and hosts at VPR, NPR, and at public radio stations across the country.


Federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides approximately $600,000 annually to VPR, and these funds, combined with listener contributions, business underwriting, and some foundation giving provide the essential revenue VPR needs to bring you the news, music, and cultural programming you count on every day. If CPB funding were lost, VPR would need to make cuts that would affect our program schedule and newsroom. 
 
This week, the U.S. House will take two very important votes regarding funding for public broadcasting:

On Thursday, the House is expected to vote on a “Defund NPR” measure that would prohibit any CPB funds from going directly to NPR and that would prohibit stations from using CPB money to buy programs from NPR, including programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

The House will also consider H.J. Res 48, a three-week continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through April 8th. While we are pleased that this legislation preserves the FY11 funding for CPB ($430 million), it eliminates funding for the Public Telecommunications Facility Program (PTFP), which has helped VPR repair, rebuild and/or replace critical broadcast equipment. Vermont’s harsh winters are tough on our broadcast equipment, and the mountainous terrain means that we need more broadcast facilities to provide a clear strong signal throughout the region. Most recently, PTFP funding allowed VPR to double the power of WRVT 88.7 in Rutland, increasing the quality of the signal for all listeners and expanding the coverage area to bring public radio to some residents of that area for the first time.


These two votes will have lasting implications for the future of public broadcasting. Please contact your Members of Congress in the House today to express your opinion. You'll find links to take action at www.170millionamericans.org or at the170 Million Americans Facebook page.

Thank you for all you do for VPR and public radio!