Can't See Him, But Can Hear Him - Leonard Cohen's Beautiful "Come Healing", Seattle Concert Nov 9,12 (Partial)

January 25, 2012

"Come Healing" Seattle Nov 9, 12 wide angle & close-up (screenshots)

I love this new song from Leonard Cohen's latest album "Old Ideas" and wanted to capture it when I was on my last six concert adventure.  However, it was not to be.  Each venue presented an obstacle, either my seat location or strict no video security. The challenge in Seattle was my seat location, albeit first row but off to the side.

Leonard Cohen kneels when singing his "penitential hymn" and the camerman blocked him from my view. I started to video this song hoping the camerman would alter his position, but he didn't. I finally gave up part way through the song, put my camera away and just sat and listened to this delicate intense hymn.

I was very impressed with the Webb Sisters' brilliant harmonies. For the second verse, the two sopranos varied their harmony to match Leonard Cohen's lower register bass and the effect was superb.  Very rich and gripping.

Even though my video is only a partial, it is still a beautiful memory of how comforting Leonard Cohen's song of healing is at this particular time in my life.

I hear it as the Mi Shebeirach, a Jewish prayer for healing which asks God who blessed our ancestors to bless and heal our loved ones.

Come Healing

Chorus:
O, gather 'round the brokenness
Bring it to me now
The fragrance of those promises
You never dared to vow

The splinters that you carried
The cross you left behind
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind

And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

Leonard:
Behold the gates of mercy
In arbitrary space
And none of us deserving
Of cruelty or the grace

Together:
O, solitude of longing
Where love has been confined
Come healing of the body
Come healing of the mind

O, see the darkness yielding
That tore the light apart
Come healing of the reason
Come healing of the heart

O, troubledness concealing
An undivided love
The heart beneath is teaching
To the broken heart above

And let the heavens utter
Let the earth proclaim
Come healing of the altar
Come healing of the name

Chorus:
O, longing of the branches
To lift the little bird
O, longing of the arteries
To purify the blood

Together:
And let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

O let the heavens hear it
The penitential hymn
Come healing of the spirit
Come healing of the limb

Seattle COME HEALING (partial) Nov 9.12 - by Arlene Dick

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Come Healing lyrics from Lyrics Mania

"Who By Fire" Leonard Cohen Concert at Seattle Key Arena November 9, 2012

January 22, 2013

Javier Mas & Roscoe Beck (screenshots)

It's a funny thing about camera memory cards and file transfers. Often, a missed gem lies waiting to surprise and delight.

Such is what happened last night. I discovered my video capture of Who By Fire at the Leonard Cohen  Seattle concert on Nov 9.12.

In spite of the pesky cameraman (who blocked my view for most of the concert), I am rather proud of this video.

Javier Mas's new solo intro for the Old Ideas World Tour was...well, running out of superlatives...exquisite. And, Roscoe Beck's outro was powerful.

Leonard Cohen's intense, eyes closed prayer interpretation was spellbinding. The UtanenahTokef prayer on which his song is based resonated deeply and gave me the chills. (see my earlier post Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire and the Unetanah Tokef Prayer in High Holiday Services, 5772)

Seattle WHO BY FIRE Nov 9.12 - by Arlene Dick

Leonard Cohen Commemorates November 11th Wearing The Emblematic Poppy

November 11, 2012

Yesterday, when exiting the hotel in Seattle to  make my way to Portland for the next concert, I ran into Leonard Cohen with guitar on his back who was doing the same thing, albeit heading for a different vehicle.

I pointed to his poppy and recited the first two lines from the poem In Flanders Fields. Those two lines were all I could remember from my Toronto school days when we had to recite the poem every year to commemorate "Remembrance Day".

What happened next was thrilling.

But first, a little background,

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month," in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields". These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

In Flanders Fields
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields

So what happened after I recited only the first two lines of the poem?

Leonard Cohen recited the entire poem back to me.

That was thrilling to say the least.

I call November 11th Remembrance Day. He referred to it as Armistice Day and added that his father was in the military and fought in the war.

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• Yes I will admit, it took a lot of chutzpah on my part to recite a few lines of a poem to Leonard Cohen
• More about the poem and author here
• Thanks to Kelsey (KaimikK) for snapping the great photo.

Leonard Cohen FRIENDS Meet-up at Palace Kitchen In Seattle Night before Concert at Key Arena Nov 9.12

November 9. 2012

Clockwise 

Dee Sulenski (Willietattoos)

Alice Kaufmann (Goaskaliceok)

Arlene Dick (bridger15)

Wendy Marshall (Mabeanie1)

Diana Dahart (Lady Di) 

Gonnie Hallmans, Natyam's twin sister visiting from Holland

Natyam Shraven & Leslie PY (Mutti)

Thanks to Leslie PY for arranging our meet-up at the Palace Kichen. It was great seeing everyone again. Natyam's sister is visiting from Holland and will be going with us to the Leonard Cohen concert tonight.

Wendy Marshall brought me a surprise treat all the way from England. Battenberg Cake is one of my favourites. Difficult to find on this side of the pond.  Thank you Wendy.

Alice Kaufmann gave me lots of tips for using my new iPhone 5. Wow. She's a wiz. Thanks Alice for this and the treat.

 

Um...it's cold here.

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FRIENDS names in parentheses are from the  Leonard Cohen Forum