[Gocamino] Pavarotti in Obradoiro

[blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,
We, opera-loving New Yorkers, have been hit pretty hard of late.
First, unexpectedly, suddenly,untimely, we lost that Brooklynite of the world Beverly Sills. Those of us who knew her directly, and who musically lived day-by-day with her musically and New Yorkley, for decades, were, and are, devastated.
Then, the universal French Great Diva, Regine Crespin, who found time in her busy life to go to Santiago also left us.
Now, the one, and only one, Luciano Pavarotti....... most beautiful, soulful and perfect tenor voice since ever.
Darn.... a popular adage holds that misfortunes come in threes, why? why?.
On the last Xacobean Holy Year, 2004, Luciano went to Santiago; in the morning,? at Mass, after communion, impromptu and a cappella he sang Gounod's Ave Maria. Afterwards he held his scheduled, and woundrous, concert, at Obradoiro.? The date was June 29th.
On a TV interview afterwards he said that through his concerts he was saying goodbye and that, henceforth, he would spend his time resting and reading.?
And so he did.... mostly.
Last Christmas someone gave me a plaque that reads:? "Heaven is the place where all the dogs you've ever loved come to greet you".... Absolutely! Add to that the joyful Brooklyn charm of our Beverly Sills and Luciano's voice and that would, indeed, ?be?heavenly. 
In gratitude of Luciano's Obradoiro concert on June 29, 2004, which was called "splendorous" by reporters, the Santiago Cathedral will hold a Funeral Mass in his memory. Galician TV has been replaying the concert and, perhaps. some day, a tape of it?will be available.? 

Thanks forever, big guy.

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