August 14 Dateline

Birthdays

1810 - Samuel Sebastian Wesley, English organist and composer of the Church of England, son of Samuel Wesley (contemporary of Mozart, and called by some, "the English Mozart".)

1836 - Sir Walter Besant, English novelist and historian. He founded the Society of Authors in 1884.

1926 -  Alice Adams, American short story writer and novelist. In 1982 she became the third author of only four to receive the O. Henry Special Award for Continuing Achievement for her short stories (others having gone to John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alice Munro).

 

1941 - David Crosby, American musician, known for his use of alternate guitar tunings and jazz influences. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. He has released six solo albums, five of which have charted. He formed a jazz influenced trio with his son James Raymond and guitarist Jeff Pevar. Crosby's work with the Byrds and CSN(Y) has sold over 35 million albums.

1945 - Steve Martin (born Steve Glenn Martin), American actor, comedian, author, filmmaker, and musician. He became popular as a frequent guest on The Tonight Show. In the 1970s, he performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines on national tours. Since the 1980s, Martin has become a successful actor, as well as an author, playwright, pianist, and banjo player, eventually earning Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards, among other honors. 

1960 - Sarah Brightman, English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. In 1981, she made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats and met composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, whom she later married. She went on to star in several West End and Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera,(Four Phantoms Medley ft. Sarah Brightman), where she originated the role of Christine Daaé. ('Music of the Night' - Brightman with Michael Crawford.) Her original London cast album of Phantom released in CD format became the biggest-selling cast album ever. Brightman's 1996 duet with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, "Time to Say Goodbye", topped the charts all over Europe, becoming the highest selling single of all-time in Germany. Brightman is the first artist to have been invited twice to perform the theme song at the Olympic Games. In 2012, Brightman was appointed as the UNESCO Artist for Peace for two years. Since 2010, she has been Panasonic's global brand ambassador. S. Brightman - Time to Say Good-bye. Uploaded by VideosMusicaVEVO. Accessed August 14, 2019.)

 

1966 - Halle Berry (born Maria Halle Berry), American model and actress. Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama film Monster's Ball, becoming the only woman of African American descent and the only woman of color to have won the award.

1973 - Kieren Perkins, OAM (Kieren John Perkins), Australian swimmer. Former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events. One of the world's best-ever long-distance swimmers, he won two Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996 in the 1500-metre freestyle, and a silver medal in 2000.

Lefties:
None known 

 

More birthdays and historical events today, 14 August - On This Day.

 

 

Featuring:  Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

Samuel Sebastian Wesley was a master of melody and harmony, and famous for his anthem of 1861, 'Praise the Lord, O my Soul.' The original version for alto solo, choir and organ, "Lead Me, Lord," which is the final section of the anthem, is so inspirational and moving. S.S. Wesley's "Lead Me, Lord" with The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford Robert Smith (organ) David Crown (conductor). Accessed August 14, 2018.

"Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness, make thy way plain before
my face.  For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety."
Words from Psalm 5:8, 4:9

Historical Events

1880 - The Cologne Cathedral in Germany is finally completed, with its construction starting in 1248 being interrupted repeatedly.

1945 - Japan surrenders at last. VJ (Victory over Japan) is celebrated on 15th of August, the following day.

August 13 Dateline

Birthdays

1820 - Sir George Grove, English engineer and musicologist known for Dictionary of Music and Musicians. His interest in the music of Franz Schubert, led him and his friend Arthur Sullivan to go to Vienna in search of undiscovered Schubert manuscripts. Their researches led to their discovery of the lost score of Schubert's Rosamunde music, several of his symphonies and other music in 1867, leading to a revival of interest in Schubert's work. Grove was the first director of the Royal College of Music, from its foundation in 1883 until his retirement in 1894. He recruited leading musicians including Hubert Parry and Charles Villiers Stanford as members of the College faculty and established a close working relationship with London's Royal Academy of Music. Grove had a deep and scholarly knowledge of the Holy Bible. He contributed to the English literature on the subject, including a concordance in 1854 and a thousand pages of Sir William Smith's 1863 Bible Dictionary.
 
1879 - John Ireland (born John Nicholson Ireland), English composer and music teacher. Majority of his output consists of piano miniatures and of songs with piano. His best-known works include the short instrumental or orchestral work "The Holy Boy", a setting of the poem "Sea-Fever" by John Masefield, a formerly much-played Piano Concerto, the hymn tune "Love Unknown" and the choral motet "Greater Love Hath No Man". (John Ireland’s “Greater love” [orchestral]: St John’s Cambridge 1997 (Christopher Robinson). This orchestrated version was published in 1924. YouTube, uploaded by Archive of Recorded Church Music. Recording of a live radio broadcast from the chapel of St John's College, Cambridge, 13 August 1997, featuring the choir of St John’s College Cambridge with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Robinson. Organ scholar: Peter Davis. Accessed August 13, 2020.)

1899 - Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, English film director and producer, widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Known as "the Master of Suspense", he directed over 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades, becoming as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles in most of his films, and his hosting and producing of the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1965). Hitchcock made his directorial debut with the silent film The Pleasure Garden (1925). His first successful film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), helped to shape the thriller genre, while his 1929 film, Blackmail, was the first British "talkie". Two of his 1930s thrillers, The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), are ranked among the greatest British films of the 20th century. By 1939 Hitchcock was a filmmaker of international importance, and film producer David O. Selznick persuaded him to move to Hollywood. A string of successful films followed, including Rebecca (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), and The Paradine Case (1947); Rebecca was nominated for 11 Oscars and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. More popular films include Vertigo, North By Northwest, Rear Window, Dial M For Murder, Psycho, The Birds, Trouble With Harry, and Strangers On A Train.  His 53 films have garnered a total of 46 Oscar nominations and six wins. (Top 10 Alfred Hitchcock Movies. Uploaded by WatchMojo.com. Accessed August 13, 2015.)

Leftie:
None known

 

More birthdays and historical events today, 13 August - On This Day.

 

Featured Composer:  John Ireland 

John Ireland was born in Cheshire, in 1879. The majority of his output consists of piano miniatures and songs but he did write a moderate amount of church music, probably as a result of being organist and choirmaster of St Luke’s Chelsea, in London. His one film score was “The Overlanders” (Australia, 1942).

The anthem “Greater love”, a setting of texts “from the Scriptures”, was published 1912; when Ireland died in 1962, its opening words were inscribed on his gravestone as an epitaph:

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Love is strong as death. Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness. Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness, into His marvellous light..."


Featured Music:

Bernard Herrmann's "Scene d'amour" from Hitchcock's mystery and suspense film Vertigo (1958).  Conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.




Vertigo (film) is considered one of the greatest achievements of director-producer Alfred Hitchcock, referred to as "Master of Suspense. Set among San Francisco's famous landmark, the film stars James Stewart as former police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson, who is forced into an early retirement due to an incident in line of duty that caused him to develop acrophobia (fear of heights) and vertigo (false sense of rotational movement). Scottie is hired by an acquaintance as a private investigator to shadow his friend's wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak), who behaves strangely, rather icy but alluring. After Scottie saves her from drowning, he becomes fascinated with her.

Historical Events

International Lefthander's Day.  This day is celebrated as "Lefthanders Day." International Left Handers Day is an international day observed annually on August 13 to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of left-handed individuals. The day was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of Lefthanders International, Inc. In 1976, the first one fell on a Friday and was chosen to spoof the superstitions and myths associated with lefties. (Lefthanders Day)

1415 - Henry V lands at Harfleur in Normandy. He will fight the French knights at Agincourt two months later.