Note about Bryn Terfel:
Born on a farm in Pant Glas in North Wales, (1965) Bryn Terfel’s first musical memories are of his parents singing Welsh folksongs. Today he is the world’s leading bass-baritone, singing in major opera houses around the globe. A keen rugby fan, he only gave up playing the sport himself after breaking his nose for the seventh time!
This week it is with great pleasure that I play for you one of my own favourite songs, Jesse.
Philip wrote to me asking if he could make a special request to play Jesse. He said “It’s for no particular reason except that, when the Performance was released everyone was raving about her treatment of After the Rain and the way she sang. I think she uses that voice to some extent in this track. It’s a beautiful song and again, one that Shirley has made her own.”
I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful track today.
Cover Image
Jesse from the Album “Good Bad But Beautiful”
Jesse from the 1976 BBC Show
You’ll see
Eleanor Rigby & Who wants to live forever
The dress Shirley Bassey wears for this performance is the same dress that was cut during her “Birthday special” in October 1996. In the description below it says that it was “Another audience with Shirley Bassey” which is not correct.
Neil explained that it was auctioned at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane on July 18th 1999 by actor Gordon Kaye (of “Allo Allo” fame). It was a fundraising evening by the famed “Water Rats” organization. It was called “A Night Of Knights” and the top table consisted of such luminaries as Dame Very Lynn, Dame Thora Hird, Sir John Mills, Sir Derek Jacobi and Sir Nigel Hawthorne to name a few…and they all signed the back of the presentation!
Neil said “‘I bought it from a lovely man called Gerry Palmer who said he wanted it to go to a good home, I happily obliged. Gerry was delighted with it`s new look and said I had done Shirley proud!”
Thanks to Neil for sharing this wonderful story
CLICK HERE for a previous post about the dress.
