"Popera"

Ok, I'll admit it: I'm a fan of "popera", the genre of music that fuses pop with opera, made famous by Josh Groban and Il Divo. And I'll admit that I like Il Divo as well. In a world where modern musical lyrics are filled with *&^% words in every verse, it is a pleasant experience to listen to something soothing and gentle, both on the ears and also on the soul.

I first heard the popera sound with Josh Groban's hit "You Raise Me Up". It played on the radio while Mom and I were on our way back from one of her chemo treatments. By the end of the song, I was a flood of tears - enough to solve the current mid-west drought. Later that night, I searched iTunes and found Josh's album (is that still the correct term?) and downloaded it in its entirety. I have since played that album over and over, and I hear something different each time I listen (maybe that's because I'm trying to decipher/translate the Spanish/French/Italian lyrics?).

Listening to Josh, led me to Il Divo. Four international men with distinct voices (who look damn good in a well-cut suit/tuxedo). They sing pop songs, with an operatic twist and many of the songs are sung in the Romance languages (S/P/I). Something about their sound resonates in me; especially tenor David Miller's voice. I get all tingly when I hear him sing. To me, it has the same majesty as I would imagine an angel singing in Heaven. The group members have said that their biggest fans are generally "older moms". Well, I hope they aren't offended that this middle-aged man really enjoys their music. And if you like Il Divo, you'll enjoy the Canadian Tenors. I discovered them this week with the wonders of the internet radio and Pandora.

David Miller of Il Divo

Listening to the soothing music of the above artists has been truly beneficial this week while working on my Bachelor Puzzle quilt top. Many times I wanted to pull my greying hair out by handfuls. Out of the 560 individual squares and triangles, maybe half of those lined up properly. Putting the project away on three separate occasions when house guests took over my sewing room didn't help; nor did switching from one of my vintage machines (the 301A) to a modern one (L-500). But, it is assembled. I will machine quilt it with Singer Quantum L-500 - the main reason I bought that machine. I'm still pondering what pattern to use for the actual quilting. In the meantime I've set it aside and moved back into shirt making. I have loads of fabric and ideas for some great holiday shirts. If they are going to be finished in time, I really need to get a move on with those. Maybe I should go listen to some David Miller for inspiration. Ok...enough of that....it sounds eerily like a man-crush!