Thrilling trilling
The Feb. 17 concert at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium was one its audience will not forget. The Portland Symphony Orchestra, under its new conductor, Robert Moody, performed wonderfully, and the featured soprano soloist, Renee Fleming, was superb. It was very exciting from a third-row front seat – a gift of our friends John and D. Lee Rich, who accompanied us – to look up to the first and second balconies, completely filled.
Renee Fleming is a beauty, with a charming singing style, frequent smiles and a magnificent voice.
The first numbers were Richard Strauss’ famous “Four Last Songs.” After intermission Ms. Fleming sang Rogers’ “Carousel Waltz” and “A Letter from Sullivan Ballou,” the last words of a Civil War soldier on the eve of a battle he did not survive. Then Ms. Fleming thrilled us in singing popular songs we all knew, Gershwin’s “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess,” Cole Porter’s “So in Love” from “Kiss Me Kate,” and Lerner and Loew’s “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.” She even gave us encores, and told us that she had enjoyed being here in Portland, and Maine, and hopes to come again.
She gave me memories I shall not forget; a lovely lady.
More birds
I had a call from Joan Ashley, who had more reports from Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth. Her recent visit gave her a view of more brants, a large group out on the grassy point. The day before, she had seen two loons in the water there, eating crabs. Also, at her home, she was very excited on the weekend to see a red-winged blackbird. I enjoy her reports.
Booming port
Michael Connolly, professor of history at S. Joseph’s College, spoke to the Westbrook Historical Society on Feb. 21. The subject was mainly the Irish longshoremen of Portland, but he wove in many other threads. Before the Civil War, most Portland waterfront labor was done by the descendants of West Indian sailors who brought molasses for J.B. Brown’s rum distillery. But the Irish, willing to work for any rate of pay, changed all that.
“They pushed the black population severely,” Connolly said. “I won’t sugarcoat it – much of what they did was racist, severely racist.”
An Andover native, John K. Poore, won over Montreal speculators to make Portland’s wonderful natural harbor the winter port for much of Canada’s trade, coal in, grain out, and in 1853, the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad (later the Grand Trunk) was built. From then until 1923, the port boomed and longshoremen found good steady work. The longshoremen were almost exclusively Irish in those days, and with the bustling port the union grew too, reaching a peak of 1,366 active members in 1919.
Canadian nationalist sentiment after World War I led to extension of railroads to St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1923, and a gradual decline in Portland’s port traffic began that continues today. The Portland longshoremen now number about 25 members willing and able to work, but with rare calls.
Connolly has recently written a book about the Irish who came to Maine, “They Changed Their Sky,” and another, on Portland native John (Feeney) Ford, “John Ford In Focus.” Connolly has a lively and bright manner, a clear voice, and offers lots of anecdotes. He must be a popular professor.
Lee’s flight
Westbrook police Lt. Michael Nugent gave a talk Feb. 27 on his recent book, “One Continuous Fight,” at the Walker Memorial Library. It was sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The topic of the book is the flight of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s southern forces after their defeat at Gettysburg, and the continued fighting with pursuers and even Pennsylvania citizens.
Nugent said he began reviewing military histories during his time in the service, and also contributing pieces to military journals. He co-wrote the book with two friends, fellow Civil War buffs, and credits the Internet with letting them share and edit each other’s contributions to the book. The library has two copies of the book to lend, and Nugent has copies for sale as well.
Leroux’s 900th
Dale Leroux, whom Harry Foote hired as cartoonist in 1979, when we owned the American Journal, is still doing his clever cartoons for the paper. His mother, Rhoda, has reminded us that this week’s issue, March 5, will contain his 900th cartoon. “He’s a self-starter, repeatedly coming up with humorous aspects of the world’s affairs. He’s careful to avoid an inflammatory approach,” says Harry.
Rice is nice
Today’s recipe is from “Let’s Cook It Right,” by Adelle Davis. I have a 1970 paperback copy.
RICE PUDDING
Combine and beat until smooth:
1?2 cup sugar stirred with
1?2 cup powdered milk
A?1?4 teaspoon salt
1?2 cup fresh milk
2 whole eggs or 4 yolks
A?1?4 teaspoon vanilla
Add and stir well:
2 cups fresh milk
2 cups cooked brown or converted rice
Pour into greased baking dish; sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in slow oven at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, or until temperature in center of pudding, taken with a meat thermometer, is 175 degrees. Stir once or twice during baking.
Variations: Add 1?2 cup of one or more of the following: raisins, chopped dates, shredded coconut, broken walnuts or pecans; or add A?1?4 to 1?2 cup wheat germ or soy grits and use 1?2 teaspoon salt. Use 3 tablespoons each sugar and dark molasses, or omit sugar and sweeten with 1/3 cup molasses.
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