[SCA-BMDL] Great Performances

[Pamela Hansen]

This is slightly out of period, but did anyone happen to see Great 
Performances last night on PBS?  Sting was singing Elizabethan music, 
primarily by John Dowland, from his album "Songs from the Labyrinth".  
Sting's voice was definitely a change from they style you usually hear 
in Elizabethan music, and I suppose whether you like the music has a lot 
to do with whether or not you like Sting (and how accepting you are of a 
bit of anachronism in the style; personally, I found it intriguing).  
The lutenist was amazing, though.  I think it's probably worth watching 
just for the lute music.

The show itself was a little cheesy -- they cut in with discussions 
about Dowlands life and Sting's take on his music.  I'd have preferred 
to just hear the music.  But the visuals were beautiful; it was filmed 
mostly outdoors at Sting's manor house in England and his Italian 
villa.  (Oh, to have such a burden as to own _both_ a manor house and a 
villa!) 

If you're interested, the show airs again this week on WQED:

Wednesday, February 28, 3:00am
Wednesday, February 28, 5:00am

They're not exactly prime time viewing, but you may be able to tape/TIVO 
it if you're intrigued.

And yes, we're still alive, relatively well, and lurking on the list.  ;-)

-- Anastasia/Pamela