For those of you who don't know our parliamentary system in Canada, the highest position is not that of Prime Minister, but the Vice-Regal appointment (approved by Buckingham Palace) of Governor General. Likewise, (with the Queen's approval) the Queen's representative provincially (and over the Premier) is Lieutenant-Governor. The posting usually runs four to five years, and is of the highest honour. I give you this background, as I was asked by our most recent Lt-Gov. if she could ride with me out to Cape Breton's Celtic Colours (she doesn't drive... in office she has a uniformed driver).
I picked the Honourable Mayann Francis up at her lovely downtown Halifax condo. As I put her bags into the luggage area, I noticed that she climbed into the front passenger ("shotgun") seat. When I got behind the wheel, I asked Dr. Francis if she wouldn't be more comfortable riding in the rear seat. She replied with a smile: "I'm not going to have you be my driver!". I responded that I didn't mind at all if it made her more comfortable..... as long as she didn't insist I wear a cap.
After we wound through the city and hit the highway (as we made small talk), I suggested she look through my music file if she liked, to choose some tunes (there was something of almost every genre in the case). She asked if she could listen to one of our shows. I chided her, and said "You don't want to listen to two hours of that; AND be stuck with me in the car for FIVE hours!". (After the opening Gala, I would drive her out to her sister's home in Sydney.) She disagreed and asked if I had the one with Celtic Colours Executive Director Joella Foulds (the wonderful woman of great vision and energy who conceived and put the entire international festival on the map), which Dr. Francis had not yet heard. Indeed I did, as we had just edited it.
I picked the Honourable Mayann Francis up at her lovely downtown Halifax condo. As I put her bags into the luggage area, I noticed that she climbed into the front passenger ("shotgun") seat. When I got behind the wheel, I asked Dr. Francis if she wouldn't be more comfortable riding in the rear seat. She replied with a smile: "I'm not going to have you be my driver!". I responded that I didn't mind at all if it made her more comfortable..... as long as she didn't insist I wear a cap.
After we wound through the city and hit the highway (as we made small talk), I suggested she look through my music file if she liked, to choose some tunes (there was something of almost every genre in the case). She asked if she could listen to one of our shows. I chided her, and said "You don't want to listen to two hours of that; AND be stuck with me in the car for FIVE hours!". (After the opening Gala, I would drive her out to her sister's home in Sydney.) She disagreed and asked if I had the one with Celtic Colours Executive Director Joella Foulds (the wonderful woman of great vision and energy who conceived and put the entire international festival on the map), which Dr. Francis had not yet heard. Indeed I did, as we had just edited it.
Canso Causeway viewed from Cape Breton We sailed along the highways, listening to that particular program. As we got closer to the Canso Causeway that crosses the Strait and is the only roadway onto Cape Breton Island, the show was ending. In it, we had featured many songs by the artists appearing at this year's festival (to help promote), along with Joella's own personal choices (50% of the music). With that done, and remembering that Joella and Jim Foulds are known for their unusually close and loving relationship, we asked Joella when she would take her big sigh of relief. Was it after the opening night gala when she knew that her year-round brilliant office staff, plus hundreds of artisans and (now) over 2,000 volunteers, would allow the event to roll along and take on a life all its own; or whether it was at the very end -- after the closing night huge gala in Sydney?
Ms. Foulds replied "after the opening night gala". (So this was now the moment for our tee up, as we like to use radio to fire people's imaginations.) "O.K., we've come to our last song. This is for no one else in the world, not for any of the other listeners, but just for the two of you: husband Jim, and you, Joella Foulds. It's after the opening gala in Port Hawkesbury, you're very tired but happy as you pull into the driveway. The porch light is on, as is the hallway light, but the kitchen is dark. Jim is waiting there for you, with a glass of bubbly, and he's asked you to dance. This is a gorgeous song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, only for the two of you. It's Frank Sinatra: Come Waltz With Me."
The song finishes, then our theme plays as I read/speak from our only scripted part -- the show's closing. When it's all signed off, Dr. Francis turned to me and asked: "Paul, did you really listen to that Sinatra song?" Moi: "Well, not the entire thing, but I know the opening music and lyrics. Why?" "Well, it's an absolutely stunning, beautiful song. But it's all about breakup."
Ouch.
Ms. Foulds replied "after the opening night gala". (So this was now the moment for our tee up, as we like to use radio to fire people's imaginations.) "O.K., we've come to our last song. This is for no one else in the world, not for any of the other listeners, but just for the two of you: husband Jim, and you, Joella Foulds. It's after the opening gala in Port Hawkesbury, you're very tired but happy as you pull into the driveway. The porch light is on, as is the hallway light, but the kitchen is dark. Jim is waiting there for you, with a glass of bubbly, and he's asked you to dance. This is a gorgeous song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, only for the two of you. It's Frank Sinatra: Come Waltz With Me."
The song finishes, then our theme plays as I read/speak from our only scripted part -- the show's closing. When it's all signed off, Dr. Francis turned to me and asked: "Paul, did you really listen to that Sinatra song?" Moi: "Well, not the entire thing, but I know the opening music and lyrics. Why?" "Well, it's an absolutely stunning, beautiful song. But it's all about breakup."
Ouch.
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