Day 1 - 15 Days of Thankfulness - Author, Artist, Musician

Let the attitude of gratitude begin!

November 10 - Day 1
An author, artist and musician you are thankful for.

I love the arts so I have many favorites and it is difficult to pick just one. I will share the ones that have been speaking to me presently.

AUTHOR - Thomas Moore

Picking one author was very hard because I like so many different genres. I narrowed it down to Jayne Austin and Thomas Moore. I settled on the poetry of Thomas Moore because it brings back precious memories for me. When my father was in the last few weeks of his life I would take books that I knew he enjoyed and read to him daily when I visited him. Reading the poetry to him that he had shared with me when I was young was a comfort to me. A particular favorite of ours was The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls. At a very young age I was drawn to Eire and this awakened my love for the High Kings and the magical Hill of Tara.

The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls

Thomas Moore 1779-1852

The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more!

No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells;
The chord alone that breaks at night,
Its tale of ruin tells.
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
The only throb she gives
Is when some heart indignant breaks,
To show that still she lives.

ARTIST - William Waterhouse

In one of my posts from the 44 Days of Witchery series I shared my fondness of the artist William Waterhouse. Historically, the Victorian Era is one of my favorite periods in time. The artwork of Waterhouse rose in popularity during the latter part of the 19th and in to the 20th century. His subject matter included images from literature, fantasy and history. Among my favorites is The Lady of Shallot in the boat. This painting is based on the poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. This poem was also put to music by Loreena McKennitt. I know I shared this image previously, but it is worth sharing again. Because of the age of the artwork, William Waterhouse's artwork is public domain.

The Lady of Shallot

John William Waterhouse - 1888

MUSICIAN - Loreena McKennitt

I have followed her since she first appeared back in the late 1980's. Her voice is so amazing.  She sings effortlessly and the beauty of her voice is haunting. I love the fact that she sings both old and new songs and some of the subject matter of her songs is based on classic Literature and those relating to the Ancient Ways.

My husband I went to see her in concert a few years ago when she was touring in the United States to promote the release of Ancient Muse. I have never seen an artist perform where the songs sounded just as they did on the recording before that night. Her show was about two hours and you could see from the way she and her back up musicians interacted that they all were doing what they loved. That love came through by presenting the most inspiring live concert I have ever witnessed.

It would be impossible for me to pick just one song that was a favorite. Her CDs are a combination of vocal and instrumental offerings. Her latest release was The Wind That Shakes The Barley and among the songs is Brian Boru's March which has been a favorite song of mine for a long time. I fell in love with the version she and her talented musicians created. I often have said that when I hear this song, in my mind, I can see the men marching near the Hill of Tara.

* * *
The exceptional works from these three talented people bring me joy.
I am truly thankful for the gifts they have given us.

This post is part of 15 Days of Thankfulness