By Mary Lathem
This Mother’s Day, we’re showing our appreciation for the remarkable women who were there for us from the very start. Our staff members selected pieces of music to dedicate to their own mothers in celebration of this special day.
“Appalachian Spring,” Aaron Copland
Myelita Melton, Afternoon Host
“I’d like to dedicate the ‘Simple Gifts’ melody that Aaron Copland uses in ‘Appalachian Spring’ In Memoriam to my mother, Kathryn C. Melton. Since it was written during WWII in response to GIs coming home and the millions of deaths, it seems most appropriate now. You can’t beat the words of the old Shaker hymn:
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
’Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
The video is a recent virtual performance of the piece by the Toronto Symphony; they call it a virtual musical hug. I send this to everyone who has lost their mother and who knows the true value of our treasured ‘simple gifts.’”
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel
Frank Dominguez, General Manager and Content Director
“My mother loved movie musicals, and this song in particular always moved her. It seems to be enjoying renewed popularity during these days of isolation. While it’s an example of popular Broadway theater music, Rodgers’ gift for vocal melody resonates with many classical music singers and listeners, so I think of it as an appropriate selection for this Mother’s Day.”
“The Lark Ascending,” Ralph Vaughan Williams
Rachel Stewart, Associate Content Director and Host
“My mother loves nature and the outdoors, and she is especially fond of birds. This relatively short work by Vaughan Williams captures the flight and voice of the lark and other birds so beautifully. It is also contemplative and soothing, just like my mother.”
Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, W.A. Mozart
Mary Lathem, Marketing & Digital Communications Specialist
“This sonata and my mother, Leslie Jacob Lathem, have one very important thing in common: no matter what, they can always make me smile. It may sound simple, but there’s a zest for life about this piece that reminds me so much of her: the BEST vacation buddy, a big fan of simple pleasures, and the smartest, most warmhearted woman I know. Enjoy your day, Mom!”
“Va, pensiero” from Nabucco, Giuseppe Verdi
Ted Weiner, Music Director
“My mother Pegg was a big fan of Italian opera. Her favorite song was Verdi’s ‘Va, pensiero’ from Nabucco. When she died suddenly in November of 1995, just a few weeks after being with us in Charlotte for the birth of my first daughter, Beatrice, I was not able to fly back to San Francisco immediately because of the new baby. Sadly, I missed the memorial my brother had arranged for her at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. In her honor, the Grace choir sang ‘Va, pensiero.’ A few months later I was able to join my family when we scattered my mother’s ashes in San Francisco Bay – and in my mind was Verdi’s, ‘Va, pensiero.’ ‘Go, thought, on the golden wings…’”
“Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis,” Ralph Vaughan Williams
Will Keible, Director of Marketing and Corporate Support
“I doubt my mom has ever heard this piece, but it’s one of those masterpieces that immediately grabs hold of you. It transports the listener to a different time and place, one of beauty, mystery, and drama, and I think she’d love it. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you.”