Saturday, December 10, 2011

Her Way - Celebrating the Life of Ramona Miles

I received very sad news today of the passing of a very dear friend. We hadn't been as much in touch in recent years, but when we would talk we would always immediately start up right where we left off before and it was like no time had gone by at all. I spoke with her last early this past summer. While she had told me of some bumps in the road of her journey health wise, she was still the upbeat, vibrant, jovially spirited friend from days gone by. Ramona Miles passed away November 15, 2011. I had sent a Christmas card to her and her mother, per usual and got back a letter from her mother and her memorial program. To my fans, you may remember Ramona for her wonderful vocals in my dramatic, audio play Tears and Thunder (1996) where she sang with me on Amazing Grace for the funeral scene and did an awesome acapella version of The Lord's Prayer. Ramona was an amazing artist and I am so thankful to her now, more than ever before, because I will always have her voice as a gift to me, and her friends and family. I have included links to those videos later in this post, as well as a poem for and in memory of her.

HER WAY

a poem for and in memory of Ramona Lavette Miles
Sunrise: August 10, 1968
Sunset: November 15, 2011

You may be gone in the physical, my angelic friend
But you will never be too far away from me
With a steady hand and steadfast devotion to those you held dear
You always were a protector, a doer

When I think back on our friendship I smile, even though
Missing you, tears fill my eyes that I wipe away
Honestly, I want to thank you
For your candor, your laughter and simply, very simply, your way

You just had a style and grace that made you so unique
Set apart from any other I have known really
You were a find so rare and genuine
I knew it straight out, right from the beginning

There you were, laid out and decked to the nines
That first meeting was all about business
But from that point forward we were thick as thieves
Friendship was instant and ones like that you don’t question

Like two spirits moving through this world,
You showed me who I could be and to never feel shame or fright
You told me to embrace all that God has given
And how to seek out and shine that inner light

You always had a presence, an aura …a way
About you, that made me feel welcome
And everybody who we’d meet along that path
Would bask in the brightness of your beautiful smile

You are in Heaven, that I already know
For you wouldn’t have it any other way
I know you will watch over us left behind
Just as sure as tomorrow will follow today

My one singular moment with you that I remember the most,
It was a very dark day for me and I felt like I couldn’t go
I had made myself sick, felt unworthy and filled with nothingness
You took me by the chin and told me I had to do my show

There was no getting out of it,
That I was stronger than whatever negative thing bringing me down
Then you told a silly joke and we both laughed
Turning up a smile that seconds before was a mere frown

You pushed me to always keep going, that was the norm for you and I
It was nothing for you to show me a brighter side, a better way
If something doesn’t work at first, do it again, give it another try
That was just you, your spirit and essence of it; your fabulous, wonderful way

Copyright ©2011 Antonio Cassone

Pictured: Ramona and I out and about celebrating some sort of thing, which is what we would tend to do. A lot of laughter was involved for sure... Good times with a very good friend.

to hear Ramona with me singing "Amazing Grace (Funeral Scene)" from Tears and Thunder go to http://youtu.be/us_xJ95Zps8

to hear Ramona's version of "The Lord's Prayer" from Tears and Thunder go to http://youtu.be/ok9Jf2lhzwo

both recordings produced & engineered by Scott Sumner, The Disc Ltd (1996)

Friday, December 9, 2011

GRAMMY Watch - Classical Music Categories - Picks & Predictions for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards

Year by year, not much really, truly stands up to the classical music recordings. It is almost as though these artists are truly in a league all their own. Always very highly competitive and usually my picks are also my predictions. I allow myself this easy way out (lol) because a lot of these categories are too close to call. Some years are easy, as a lot of bloc voting seems to be the norm here. Sometimes it is obvious, like the one year the San Francisco Symphony won five awards. This is nearly impossible this year though, as there was really no one album with that many multiple nominations - and I haven't figured out if it is due to the scaling down of categories and rule changes or if it is the fact that the field truly is wide open.

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE

My Pick & Prediction:

BRAHMS: SYMPHONY No. 4
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
[Deutsche Grammaphon)

With two nods of the 5 from the BBC Philharmonic & Orchestra, I figure these two will cancel each other out beaming the trophy to LA.

BEST OPERA RECORDING

My Pick & Prediction:

VERDI: LA TRAVIATA
Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renee Fleming & Thomas Hampson, principal cast; James Whitbourn, album producer; Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus.
[Opus Arte]

I have two words for you: Renee Flemming. I think it is no contest, but I could be wrong - and I don't care. That, plus Verdi, plus La Traviata, plus the Royal Opera Orchestra AND chorus... plus, plus, plus!

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE

My Pick:

BRAHMS: EIN DEUTCHES, REQUIEM, Op. 45
Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master; Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jerrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim, principal soloists; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire, chorus.
[Seraphic Fire Media]

My Prediction:

BEYOND ALL MORTAL DREAMS - AMERICAN A CAPPELLA
Stephen Layton, conductor Choir of Trinity College Cambridge
[Hyperion Records]

This was very tough for me. Something about American A Cappella, for me, will give it an edge over the competition with Grammy voters. However, Brahms' Requiem is so classically classical - it just feels worthy and right.

BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

My Pick & Prediction:

A SERAPHIC FIRE CHRISTMAS
Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor Seraphic Fire.
[Seraphic Fire Media]

What can you say? Seraphic Fire had a banner year and it just seems like they may be a lock here.

BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO

My Pick:

RACHMANINOV: PIANO CONCEROS Nos. 3 & 4
Leif Ove Andsnes; Antonio Pappano (London Symphony Orchestra)
[EMI Classics]

My Prediction:

SCHWANTNER: CONCERTO FOR PERCUSSION & ORCHESTRA
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)
[Naxos]

THIS is a very, very, very competitive category. The solo classical ones always are. For my pick, I was torn between the two Rachmaninov pieces, which I think may cancel each other out (for my prediction), but that leaves three very rich performances and all sort of themed in a way with Nashville Symphony's Christopher Lamb tackling percussion for orchestra (and Nashville Symphony has been a Grammy darling in recent years), Copenhagen Philharmonic's Michala Petri's take on Chinese Recorder Concertos - East Meets West and Ursula Oppens sublime piano adaptations on Winging It - Piano Music of John Corigliano. Like I said, a very tough choice indeed.

BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL SOLO

My Pick & Prediction:

HANDEL: CLEOPATRA
Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haim; Le Concert D'Astree)
[Virgin Classical]

Hands down: One of the best OVERALL performances of the year. I know there is competiton here somewhere, I just didn't want to see it after witnessing what I did of Dessay's nothing short of a tour de force. Brava Diva!

BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION

My Pick & Prediction:

ALDRIDGE, ROBERT: ELMER GANTRY
Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein, composers
[Naxos]

The Nashville Symphony Orchestra... need I say more. I think they will have another stellar Grammy showing - and with this American classic being adapted for the Opera. Bravo!

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS on Sunday, February 12, 2012 on CBS at 8pm/EST. For full coverage and complete list of nominees visit www.grammy.com.

Pictured: Natalie Dessay in the Le' Concert D'Astree production of Handel's Cleopatra; credit to the photographer






Sunday, December 4, 2011

WINNERS - 2011 Cassone Channel Honors - Season 14

I am proud to present the winners for the 2011 Cassone Channel Honors for Season 14 of the videos that premiered on my YouTube Channels during the eligible time. Thank you to all who voted.

Pictured is "Mother Caldwell" from the Best Special Class Video Winner In Memoriam: A Lifetime of Love, Loss and Tributes. The only video to capture multiple wins was the somewhat controversial, yet very funny season finale Getting Ready webisode 334: The 'Gays,' which took home Best Webisode and Best Guest Star - Jennifer Diane. The formula of Cassone meeting up with a female friend and hashing out the events of the day seems to be working in the eyes of subscribers and voters, as this combination has happened in season's past with AnnMarie Battaglia (two times). This will be kept in mind for future plans for the series, so stay tuned.

Both videos in the top two categories were also the most viewed for Season 14.

Nancy Ross joins Diva Kingsley (with 13 career wins) in the 10+ club. These two artists are in a league of their own in the eyes of my channel subscribers. They are the darlings of the awards. Nancy Ross adds two more wins under their belt (for a total of 12 career wins) winning Season 14's Best Supporting Player prize for their appearances on Getting Ready and also shares the Best Special Class Video award, as one of the prop masters/location producers. A total of 44 individuals share that prize, which is a new record for the awards.

Congratulations to all of the Season 14 winners.

And the winners are:

THE 2011 CASSONE CHANNEL HONORS

SEASON 14

BEST WEBISODE – SEASON 14

334: THE “GAYS”

Jennifer Diane, performer. Antonio Cassone, performer, director, producer, concept, sound mixing & editor.

Watch this award winning webisode at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vtkFZNfjFE


BEST SPECIAL CLASS VIDEO – SEASON 14

IN MEMORIAM: A LIFETIME OF LOVE, LOSS AND TRIBUTES

A.D., Paul Miller, Bob Drews, Pat & Carol & Brian Bragg, location producers/props. Doris Petroski, Alvin Davis, Marie Villapondo, Arva Thomas, Andre Streeter, Petronella “Grandma Anna” Cassone, Larry Vara, Donald & Sandra Cassone, Raymundo Guzman, Ophelia Prado, “Rose” Marie Gibbs, Danny Turner, Rita Southers, Kenneth Dix, Rosemary Conroy, Cecil Gibbs, Christy Philyaw Harrison, “Mother” Peggy Caldwell, Darlene Jones, Moldavia Ishtar, Melba Moore (a.k.a. Robert Brunner), Louise Fritschen, Doris Blackwell, Genevieve Jedro, Ralph Fritschen, Shawn Abraham, Reggie Thompson, Irene Fecko, Dennis Ashby a.k.a. Rita Porter, Sharon L. Cassone, Robert “Rocky” Cassone, William “Billy” Earl Gibbs II, Walter McCoy, Elizabeth “Liz” Patrick & Margaret “Googles” Dickensheet, honorees. Sia, song recording artist. Antonio Cassone, photographer, photo editor, video slideshow director, producer & editor.

Watch this award winning video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrI6gwx1sM


BEST LEAD PLAYER - SEASON 14

JAMIE PAGE, “326 & 327: Daybreak,” “Edge of the World” & “Prince of the City”

Watch Jamie's award winning performances at (webisode 326) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eq1FmKVhXY, (webisode 327) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6cxtvQ8KNU, (Edge of the World) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va4PXz744QM and (Prince of the City) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQjM-oMo46E

BEST SUPPORTING PLAYER – SEASON 14

NANCY ROSS, “315: Don’t Leave Me Greyhound Bound” & 320: Power Ballad le Deuces”

Watch Nancy's award-winning performance in webisode 320: Power Ballad le Deuces at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQGNTQHKTmU - NOTE: I did have to swap the audio on this video, so as not to bare copyright infringement and to keep with the terms of use on the host site.


BEST GUEST STAR - SEASON 14

JENNIFER DIANE, “334: The ‘Gays’”

Watch Jennifer's award winning performance in this webisode at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vtkFZNfjFE

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS - SEASON 14

TONI HEDGES, mini stage & cake design, “319: The Gift a.k.a. Judy’s Birthday Surprise”


WALTER MC COY LIFE LEGEND AWARD – SEASON 14

DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY

Watch the video presentation for this category at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6vq8HQrKck