A Seraph on Governors Island

A sea of patrons lined the expansive, lush lawn on Governors Island, off the coast of Manhattan in New York City on Sunday, on the pavement to the sides, to gain a glimpse of a serenading angel on the stage.

The great majority of this human tidal wave were between the ages of 65 and 90, though the sheer wonder in their eyes belied the ravages of time. لعبة سلوتس It was like witnessing a fraction of Woodstock through a time-capsule – only appropriate since the folk legend on stage sang with the protest poets once upon a time and continues to perform those riveting pieces to this day.

Trinity Wall Street Church and the Governors Island Alliance, along with several other island-bound activities, host an annual event called “Folks on the Island,” for which renowned folk artists hold free concerts atop its hill.
This year, their performer is the iconic Judy Collins.

Collins, a child prodigy who began performing Mozart’s “Concerto for Two Pianos” as a pianist at the age of 13, turned 70 this year, though that apparently negligible fact is hardly evident in the youthful vigor of her physique or the clear, seraphic quality of her voice.

The sounds, at once penetrating and serene, reverberate through the small make-shift music hall as swarms of spectators swam between a tranquil trance and enthused participation. An entire hour and a half on stage, intermittent with anecdotal breaks, the entire isle was ablaze with music and song.

Among the more memorable of those was her powerful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the “Les Miserables” soundtrack. “I got on my normal morning meditations on google,” joked the recent recipient of an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Pratt University. “And somebody had written: Susan Boyle’s version of this song just blows Judy Collins’ out of the water. افضل كازينو اون لاين The first thing I thought was: Patti LuPone is going to be so pissed off. And then I thought: I never recorded the song.”

A genuine fan of Boyle’s story and work, Collins dedicated her performance to the Scottish sensation with well-wishes for an “extraordinary career.”

She delighted her audience by revealing that sometime soon – maybe even later this week – she will be recording a duet with fellow folk-legend Joan Baez and subsequently graced her spectators with her unique, solo rendition of “Diamonds & Rust.”

Although most of her music was met with silent awe, Collins’ signature “Amazing Grace” had the crowd riveted with participation. Though hushed in respect for the vocalist’s melodic poise, harmonized waves surrounded the expanse of the lawn as spectators – many of whom were simply too old and too tired to stand – paid their own respect in amazement, to grace. العب وربح

Amid the trees and foliage, enveloped on each side by antique military barracks, the soothing tone of siren’s song was emitted unto the revolutionaries of yesteryear, now withered with age and all involved were transfixed with awe.

You can check out video from the performance here.

-Photo by Kaushik Majumdar