leonardcohenforum.com

Friends one & all,

This is just to let you know briefly how our 11th LC birthday celebration event went.

I'm just now starting to wind down from our big weekend. It turned out to be quite a happy and fun event, but was also quite draining. The main night session had less people than I expected (40 - 45 people at its peak) but saw some spirited celebrating and enthusiastic participation to make up for this! On Sunday we had a smaller more relaxed group who shared lunch and enjoyed some acoustic guitar accompanied LC songs, with the wonderful camaraderie that this experience engendered. On this occasion we also raised our glasses for a 69th birthday toast and one of our group also read out a special and personal poem she had written to/about Leonard (a few years ago).

Henning's CD proved to be quite a hit - I played it on Saturday night & then drew the lucky door prize number for someone to win it. It was really good that our furtherest travelled participant (from Sydney) won it - he was totally over the moon about this! What made this even better was that he not only loves the music on the CD, but also knows Henning from the chat room!

My more expansive report (with photos) will be on the LC Files in due course.

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

Dear Andrew ~

Yours sounds like a perfectly respectable Leonard's Birthday Celebration to me! Perhaps because I live in such a non-Leonard-oriented region, your 40-45 sounds great! I should BE so lucky, as to be in the company of so many Leonard lovers without having to book a plane. What a super idea for a door prize, with the frosting of already knowing Henning. Why don't you ask the woman to come here and join, and post her poem in the Forum Poetry section? I'm looking forward to seeing your photos and more detailed report. It sounds very charming from the information you've already given. My weekend was considerably lower key .....it seems to me you have no complaints !

~ Elizabeth

Being a 12 hour drive from Sydney to Toowoomba, I took the opportunity to play my whole Leonard corpus on the way to the birthday celebration. For the 12 hour drive home, Henning's CD alone kept me company (sorry Leonard). The celebration was great fun - the Saturday afternoon was fascinating with various videos of interviews and documentaries of the man, interspersed with his songs. Many thanks to John and Peter for their contributions to the live music on Saturday nite and Sunday lunch. Thanks of course also to Andrew for organising the whole weekend. I'll be there again next year! - rerum

Aha! So you're the Chatroom winner! Congratulations, Greg ! When I went into the Chatroom last night, rerum had been silent for 50 minutes. I'm wondering if you got my hello/goodbye upon your eventual return.

~ Lizzytysh

lizzytysh wrote:Dear Andrew ~

...so lucky, as to be in the company of so many Leonard lovers...

Why don't you ask the woman to come here and join, and post her poem in the Forum Poetry section?

~ Elizabeth

Elizabeth

We certainly have some "diehard fans" at our event, but given the type of venue this is held in, we also have a considerable number of folk who just want to enjoy a good night out (who may or may not fully appreciate LC as a poet/singer/songwriter) - it's a reality we just have to accept. Anyway, such exposure to LC's work may win over a few more folk!

As for the poet and her poem, I have put your suggestion to her, but not heard back from her yet.

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

Well, you're right on that, Andrew! At least they're being exposed, and with that lies hope. Even if the poet woman isn't interested in joining herself, perhaps she might consider allowing you to post it ? One never knows...... .

Greg

Thank you for your words of appreciation and encouragement - it was great to have you join us and to know that the big drive was worthwhile! I just hope more folk from the south will make the effort in coming years - it's good to see LC fans in Oz overcoming the tyranny of distance!

I also can't wait for the day when some of you, my LC friends from overseas, make it down here for our LC birthday celebration - you will be treated with whatever personal hospitality I am able to extend and I'm certain will be warmly welcomed by everyone else as well! I am heartened to know that some of you are seriously considering or perhaps planning such a trip. (Of course, with the cost involved, I know you would have to make the most of such an opportunity and have a decent trip around our land 'down under' - there's certainly plenty to see and enjoy, to make this travel experience worthwhile!)

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

It's too bad you can't planepool, the same as your southerners would do well to carpool. Chartering a flight might be an option , but you know how tough to coordinate that could be for this group . One day, some way, I'll show up, however.

If any of you make it downunder, and take up Andrew's suggestion of making the most of your trip, then you have a guide for the Sydney and surrounds part of your tour - just look me up!

lizzytysh wrote: Even if the poet woman isn't interested in joining herself, perhaps she might consider allowing you to post it ? One never knows...... .

Elizabeth

I did suggest that to her, so I'll wait to see what transpires - maybe she's just busy or away at the moment.

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

lizzytysh wrote: ... Chartering a flight might be an option ...

... One day, some way, I'll show up, however.

Elizabeth

Maybe we should check to see if Richard Branston (Virgin Airlines) is a Cohen fan & would give globe-trotting fans a hefty discount to attend LC events (complete with in-flight LC music & videos)!

We'll look out for you, however and whenever you choose to get here!

Andrew (Darby)

What a great idea, Andrew ~ and such a befitting airline for Cohen people to fly on, in Leonard's honour ! Y'know, you could start on Richard now, send him a cd, et al. Why not? Again, one never knows.....stranger things have certainly happened! Wouldn't that be awesome , and he could come along!

I'm sure you'll hear back from your woman friend at some point. We're patient. We can wait.

I've been thinking about Greg's return home, and that rather than a slight ["sorry Leonard"], it was more a thrice-over compliment to Leonard. First, that Henning chose to put some of his poems to music. Second, that he was so diligent and exacting in doing so that he created a high-quality, highly-listenable product. Third, that Greg [and others] are just as interested in listening to his now-transformed poems.

Is this not a first? Singers and musicians have done covers of Leonard's songs, but has anyone, to date, created songs from his poems? It's certainly a level of admiration that Leonard understands, given the path he took with Lorca. I hope Leonard gives Henning his blessing with the final results. It was an ambitious undertaking, and I'll soon be having it affirmed for myself how he measured up and exceeded all expectation.

~ Elizabeth

Hi Lizzy

What you say is true. Besides the enjoyment of listening to the CD, Henning, through this work, has encouraged me to seek out more of Leonard's poetry, an ambition which was confirmed when he recently "recited" some of the 1958 poetry in the chatroom. My friends thought I was obsessed already, they ain't seen nuthin' yet!

Greg

~ Good for you, Greg!!! Are you speaking of his Ten New Songs timeframe, surprize appearance in the showroom? Right on, with the increased interest in his poetry ~ that's something I hadn't even considered .

~ Lizzy