Katherine’s First Post

From Katherine: I am hoping to engage via email again with all of you—at least with those who respond to my collective memo.  I realized, after the service for Forella, how very much I miss that comradery that was, for me, so much a part of the Handel Seminar.  Let us take up that rose again—now, after feeling the thorn of losing Forella.

From Katherine:  My dear Handel Seminar friends.  I write to inform you (in case you did not receive earlier memos) that our wonderful friend and convener, Forella Wainwright, died two months ago.  Though, as you know, sadly plagued by vision issues, she made it to the impressive age of 100 years and continued up until the very last few months to remain engaged with family and caretakers. I attended the funeral, along with Ross, of course, and saw Peter, Allison, Angela, Annie, and Randolph there as well.  It was a lovely and moving service, officiated by the new minister at the UU church, as Forella had requested.  As you might guess, she had asked to have a Handel piece shared at the service—not, “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Messiah but rather Handel’s “Lascia la spina” from his early oratorio, The Triumph of Time and Truth. Our dear Alison sang the aria and sang it beautifully. Thank you, Alison.

Let me say a little about that aria.  I love the translation of the first line:  “Leave the thorn, take the rose.” The Italian original is below:

Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa;
tu vai cercando il tuo dolor.
Canuta brina per mano ascosa,
giungerà quando nol crede il cuor.

There have been various translations of the rest of the verse.  My favorite is something like: “Leave the thorn, take the rose; you go searching for your pain. Gray frost by hidden hand will come when your heart least expects it.” I had these words in mind as I listened to Alison sing the aria.  Forella and I must have shared an appreciation for this piece. I don’t recall talking with her about it, but then there are so many things I do not recall these days.

I am hoping to engage via email again with all of you—at least with those who respond to my collective memo.  I realized, after the service for Forella, how very much I miss that comradery that was, for me, so much a part of the Handel Seminar.  Let us take up that rose again—now, after feeling the thorn of losing Forella.