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July 07, 2005
The London Bombing
On this morning of the London bombing, I am reminded of a concert given shortly after the 9/11 attacks. It was an annual event, a concert series called the Proms held in England in the late summer through early fall.
This particular concert was the last in the series, and it was the first held after 9/11. The orchestra's conductor was an American, something that had been a bit of a controversial choice a few years earlier, but all had come to accept and embrace him over time. There was no mention of 9/11 until almost the very end, when he addressed the audience.
He thanked them for all their support over the previous years and in particular the outpouring of support in that prior week. "I know that this, the last night of the Proms, is supposed to be a happy and joyous occasion, but as you know, my nation is in grief. In England, your national music of grief is...", alas, my memory fails me. "In my country, it is Barber's Adagio for strings."
What followed was the most heart-rending performance of that piece I have ever heard. You may not be familiar with the piece, or you may know it without realizing it. It was most famously used as the end-title music for the 1986 movie, Platoon. Sufficed to say, by the end, the audience was in tears.
It was followed by a full-chorus performance of that timeless British anthem, "Jerusalem", a piece known so well, the audience gladly joined in.
In many ways, England is the father of the American nation, and while they fought in America's adolescence, they have come to appreciate each other: the father proud of his son's accomplishments, the son proud to have come from such a lineage.
Today, America weeps for its father.
Narrative by Dan at July 7, 2005 09:58 AM
Comments
hello, would it be possible for you to get the william orbit- adagio for strings html code for me please because its to put on my web site on the sad movie page, its all about the 911 attack and about a little girl who lost her dad so i thought that that particular song would be appropriate. thanks.
luv bryony
xxxx
Posted by: bryony at February 11, 2006 11:47 AM