Music on PBS

 One of the last things that Dad said to me when I talked to him on the phone the other day was to make sure that I watched the Memorial Day Concert on PBS this coming week.  He loves that concert and watches it every year.  I have seen it before and it's overall a pretty good concert.  It's very traditional and, honestly, if you've seen it once you have pretty much seen everything they'll do.  Years ago, Charles Durning and Ossie Davis were on there every year and gave the same speeches.  Good speeches, but after awhile you could repeat them word for word.  Now, it's Gary Sinise who does the same speech every year.  That's not really the point of this concert though and it should be enjoyed for what it is.

Growing up, I loved these kinds of concerts.  I still do, actually.  But for me, it was a time spent with family.  It seems like every holiday out there, PBS had some kind of musical special to go along side of it.  Memorial Day, Christmas, New Year's, Veteran's Day, 4th of July....there was always some kind of special music program on to enjoy.  Sometimes it was the whole family, sometimes it was only me and Grandmother watching.  But it was always family in one sense or another.

And every month, for a long time while it aired, Mom and I would watch Evening at Pops.  How I miss that show.  Thanks to Youtube, you can find those again online.  I have and really enjoyed them.  Performances you won't see anywhere else.  I wonder if they're still airing it up in Boston?  hmmmmm.

  I have PBS streaming right now, not in real time, so it seems like I enjoy the current concerts after they have aired, which is fine.  It works for me.  But I miss having someone to share those concerts with.  They were never Michael's kind of thing, so I never asked him to join me in watching them.  So it would be nice to have friends that love this kind of thing.  Sit back and enjoy the music for no other reason than it's a holiday and a good concert.  That would be lovely!

That is all.