Emma sang soprano in the All-Region Middle School Treble Choir February 2, 2013, at Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas. I especially enjoyed "El Condor," performed in Spanish and English. The song, based on a Peruvian folk tune, brought back memories of my childhood in Peru.
But I'd been puzzled ever since Emma first sang the song for us, before she was chosen for the regional choir, because I remembered the lyrics including "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail," and Emma's version didn't have those words. Thanks to a little Wikipedia research, I'm no longer baffled. Turns out the choir performed Earlene Rentz' version, which has different lyrics than the those of Daniel Robles, the Peruvian composer who wrote the song in 1913.
And, having come of age in the late '60s and early '70s, what I remember is the Simon & Garfunkel 's version from 1970, which DOES have the lyrics "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail, . . ." But no matter what lyrics are sung, the melody is melancholy and beautiful.
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| After the concert, we had dinner at Nomi, a Japanese steak house. Soooo delicious! |
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