Robert Bateman - Chipmunk, Franz Joseph Haydn - Suprise Symphony, Phillis Wheatley - On the Death of A Young Lady of Five Years of Age

Robert Bateman obviously loved nature.  This cute little creature is captured so well you think if you move he'll dash off the page.

© Robert Bateman

 A reader kindly let me know that the link to my Picassa Web Album of Robert Bateman Paintings wasn't coming up.  I had not realized that I needed to set it to a public viewer setting, so I am sorry to any of you who tried earlier and found it inaccessible it should be accessible now.  Also the Robert Bateman foundation has graciously given copies of the paintings we are using in a larger format with more pixels so they should be better for printing for your educational use.  Sorry to any of you who have previously tried and had trouble and thank you to the reader who let me know the difficulties.  

Today's piece by Franz Joseph Haydn is fun.  It's called the Surprise Symphony. Following is a quote from Wikipedia, "Haydn's music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of the otherwise piano opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic, as if nothing had happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke." - children enjoy listening for the "surprise".  Hadyn's Suprise Symphony.


Our Poem by Phillis Wheatley 

On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age

FROM dark abodes to fair etherial light
Th' enraptur'd innocent has wing'd her flight; 

On the kind bosom of eternal love

She finds unknown beatitude above.

This known, ye parents, nor her loss deplore,
She feels the iron hand of pain no more;
The dispensations of unerring grace,
Should turn your sorrows into grateful praise;
Let then no tears for her henceforward flow,
No more distress'd in our dark vale below,
Her morning sun, which rose divinely bright,
Was quickly mantled with the gloom of night;
But hear in heav'n's blest bow'rs your Nancy fair,
And learn to imitate her language there.
"Thou, Lord, whom I behold with glory crown'd,
"By what sweet name, and in what tuneful sound
"Wilt thou be prais'd? Seraphic pow'rs are faint
"Infinite love and majesty to paint.
"To thee let all their graceful voices raise,
"And saints and angels join their songs of praise."
Perfect in bliss she from her heav'nly home
Looks down, and smiling beckons you to come;
Why then, fond parents, why these fruitless groans?
Restrain your tears, and cease your plaintive moans.
Freed from a world of sin, and snares, and pain,
Why would you wish your daughter back again?
No--bow resign'd. Let hope your grief control,
And check the rising tumult of the soul.
Calm in the prosperous, and adverse day,
Adore the God who gives and takes away;
Eye him in all, his holy name revere,
Upright your actions, and your hearts sincere,
Till having sail'd through life's tempestuous sea,
And from its rocks, and boist'rous billows free,
Yourselves, safe landed on the blissful shore,
Shall join your happy babe to part no more.