FRIDAY FAVOURITES No 9

I think I have a fairly wide, if old fashioned, taste in music as you may have already discovered and this is a song that I have always loved and it is also one of Phil's favourites.    "O mio babbino caro" ("Oh my beloved father") is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi (1918) by Guacomo Puccini to a libretto by Giovancchino Forzano.  The area was first performed at the premier of Gianni Schicchi on 14th December, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York by Florence Easton,  It has since been sung by many sopranos. 

Dame Joan Hammond won a gold record in 1969 for 1 million copies sold of this aria.  Joan was born in Christchurch New Zealand on 24th May, 1912 but grew up in Australia where she moved with her family at six months of age.   She studied both singing and violin at the NSW Conservatorium of Music in Sydney.  She was also a champion golfer and sport journalist.  Here she sings the English version of this beautiful song.

In case you have never seen this. here is 9 year old Amira Willighagen who sang the above song on Holland's Got Talent.  It is difficult to listen to this rendition without it bringing tears to your eyes.  This little girl has amazed everyone that has ever listened to her.  She won the final singing Nessun Dorma.