Moments that touch you

I always thought about pursuing a career in the arts – specifically drama and singing. I was strongly interested in both. But my biggest issue was not being confident in my abilities and therefore, holding myself back when performing. This was in part, because the criticism was quite crushing to me. That issue of holding myself back, translated into me not properly providing the emotion necessary for the song. Because although I may have been technically perfect, the art of performance really comes down to connecting with your audience. Making them feel the emotions that you are performing. 

Again – it is not a science, but an art. 

But being the recipient of touching performances has definitely been something that has stirred me throughout my life. My dad used to automatically know what would cause me to cry and would teasingly say to me, let me see your face, knowing that it would be tear soaked.

And as anything, those moments where you are so caught up in the emotion, are truly moving and memorable moments. 

I had one such moment last night. I was watching the final 9 performances of The Voice, and there was one performance that really touched me. Lila Forde, provided her rendition of Canadian great Joni Mitchell’s The River. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkEmtjw02o8 

I have always admired Joni’s work, but this was the first time that this song really struck a chord with me. And that is the beauty of the arts, isn’t it? Sometimes, your life experiences or where you are in a particular moment of time, causes you to have a different reaction to a song, than in previous instances. This was one of those moments. I have heard the song many times before, but this particular performance really touched me, to the point where I am a bit embarrassed, that I had a little sobbing session. I don’t know what triggered that reaction, but it was like I was hearing the words of the song for the first time and for the first time, I understood and related to the lyrics:

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don’t snow here
It stays pretty green
I’m going to make a lot of money
Then I’m going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I’m so hard to handle
I’m selfish and I’m sad
Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
Singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/en-GB/lyrics/joni-mitchell-river

Part of it has been that this is the first year where I am having a hard time connecting to the Christmas spirit. In part, the state of the world. In part, how busy things have been. In part…..everything? 

And for the first time after hearing that song, I wished “I had a river I could skate away on” just to find some peace. And so for me, this song and specifically this performance, really resonated with me. And it seemed to for others, because John Legend, Lila’s coach, started crying when he was providing his feedback, because he was very moved as well. And that is powerful, isn’t it? That we can have that stirring of emotions from a performance and it strikes a universal chord – there is something uniting in that. 

It is probably why concert venues are at capacity – we are all looking for a shared emotional connection, especially after the pandemic and especially with everything going on in the world.

And so – I am thankful for the arts and these moments of feeling an intense emotional connection to a performance, that transcends all!

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

#The River #Joni Mitchell #Lila Forde