Hello fellow Clay fans,
During my recent summer vacation, I discovered - completely by chance, on a local PBS station, while channel-surfing - an amazing new musical group called Celtic Thunder. Now don't me wrong, Clay is still my absolute favourite musician around, of course! But when I happened to fall upon Celtic Thunder's show, well, let's just say it was love at first listen.
I am of Scottish and Irish heritage (a few generations back), so I must have Celtic music running through my veins. It has always been a form of music that moves my soul in a very fundamental, to-the-core way.
Celtic Thunder is made up of five men - one Scot and four lads from Ireland - who range in age from 15 to 40. They sing both together and solo, traditional Celtic songs as well as music from a modern repertoire with an Irish take. Each of the five has a tremendously beautiful and powerful voice, and the sum of the five is something else to hear. Listen for yourself! Their Website offers this widget, which gives us a chance to hear so many of their songs, in full-length versions - not just snippets! Amazing. Next chance I have to get near a record store, I'm getting their CD, that's for sure.
They are all over YouTube as well, of course. So you can go check them out there and see them performing the songs you will hear. I quickly learned their names and voices by heart - they each have their own distinct, unique tone and style which are quickly recognizable, but their five voices blended together are overwhelmingly lovely.
Do you have (a) favourite(s)? I do... George Donaldson has a sensitive depth to his baryton voice, which I love. And tenor Paul Byrom, what can I say? Simply stunning. He brings tears to my eyes.
Lucky those of you in the United States (and in Toronto, Canada), because they will be touring near you this fall! They won't be coming to Montreal, unfortunately, so I won't see them live. Hopefully I will at some other time in the future.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the songs here. Hope you do too!
-- ClayKat
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Congratulations to new Daddy Clay!
Hello everyone,
We all heard the rumours, back a few months ago. Tabloids and gossip TV shows were saying that Clay's executive producer and friend, Jaymes Foster, sister to the famed David Foster, was pregnant - with Clay's baby. It quickly became a moot point on Clay's Online Fan Club, since people became passionate about different aspects of the rumours, and speculation and judgment ran rampant in all directions.
Was Clay or not the father of Jaymes Foster's baby-to-be? Had Clay and Jaymes wed, or were they planning to do so? Was the baby conceived in vitro or through traditional means? No matter the answers, everyone had an opinion. Me? I figured it was Clay's life, and not my business. I found some of the discussions somewhat distasteful, and especially, intrusive. I was thrilled with the idea of Clay becoming a father this year, because we know that for many years now, he has said that he is ready to take on that role, and we are sure he will be an amazing daddy.
I decided to sit and patiently wait, in case Clay let us know something in August. Eventually, most fans and our Websites became very quiet over the summer, waiting for August, hoping we would find out the truth at some point then.
I wasn't even thinking that we are now in August, what with the excitement over the Beijing Olympics, and on a personal note, hubby and me recently moving into our first real home together (we love it!).
And then, wham! We heard this morning - from Clay himself! Yes, he blogged on his Online Fan Club, and told us about the arrival into our world of little Parker Foster Aiken, this very morning! At 8:08 a.m., just minutes after the beginning of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, Clay's little boy was born. And what a time to be born: 8 minutes after the 8th hour, on the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year of the millennium! I know I'll never forget the time of this little one's birth, since 8 is my favourite number.
Welcome baby Parker, and congratulations to Clay and Mommy Jaymes! My warm, sincere wishes for a wonderful, healthy and happy life together. Parker is one lucky baby, with amazing, generous, loving and talented people as parents. This is truly a happy day in the Clay fandom, and my thoughts go to Clay and his family as they celebrate the first day of life of this new little one!
-- ClayKat
We all heard the rumours, back a few months ago. Tabloids and gossip TV shows were saying that Clay's executive producer and friend, Jaymes Foster, sister to the famed David Foster, was pregnant - with Clay's baby. It quickly became a moot point on Clay's Online Fan Club, since people became passionate about different aspects of the rumours, and speculation and judgment ran rampant in all directions.
Was Clay or not the father of Jaymes Foster's baby-to-be? Had Clay and Jaymes wed, or were they planning to do so? Was the baby conceived in vitro or through traditional means? No matter the answers, everyone had an opinion. Me? I figured it was Clay's life, and not my business. I found some of the discussions somewhat distasteful, and especially, intrusive. I was thrilled with the idea of Clay becoming a father this year, because we know that for many years now, he has said that he is ready to take on that role, and we are sure he will be an amazing daddy.
I decided to sit and patiently wait, in case Clay let us know something in August. Eventually, most fans and our Websites became very quiet over the summer, waiting for August, hoping we would find out the truth at some point then.
I wasn't even thinking that we are now in August, what with the excitement over the Beijing Olympics, and on a personal note, hubby and me recently moving into our first real home together (we love it!).
And then, wham! We heard this morning - from Clay himself! Yes, he blogged on his Online Fan Club, and told us about the arrival into our world of little Parker Foster Aiken, this very morning! At 8:08 a.m., just minutes after the beginning of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, Clay's little boy was born. And what a time to be born: 8 minutes after the 8th hour, on the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year of the millennium! I know I'll never forget the time of this little one's birth, since 8 is my favourite number.
Welcome baby Parker, and congratulations to Clay and Mommy Jaymes! My warm, sincere wishes for a wonderful, healthy and happy life together. Parker is one lucky baby, with amazing, generous, loving and talented people as parents. This is truly a happy day in the Clay fandom, and my thoughts go to Clay and his family as they celebrate the first day of life of this new little one!
-- ClayKat
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
