Last night brought the honor of sitting in Tucson's beautiful Fox Theater, listening to Judy Collins perform. It was inspiring to see (and hear) what a 75 year old woman can be. Her voice is still angelic and crisp (well, okay, it tired slightly as the concert progressed), and her charm remains effusive and nonchalant. In keeping with the season, she included some Christmas carols, but also made certain the expected standards were there. She also did some storytelling, which she's quite good at. Her second number was "Both Sides Now" and her voice was sheer perfection that early in the performance. As I'd learned from her fascinating memoir*, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes, she tirelessly pursued classical voice training throughout much of her career - and it shows. Of the aging folk and rock performers I've seen recently, she is by far the most well-preserved vocalist. (Note what I had to say about her former beau Stephen Stills here in June.) A Sondheim medley gave way to "Send in the Clowns" - after which the mostly over 60 audience went wild. Her closing encore was Amazing Grace, which the audience joined in on. I noticed many people wiping away the tears as they sang, perhaps sharing my feeling that this was a blessed moment to share with a simply amazing woman.
*I highly recommend this book. Even better, listen to her read it as an audiobook, as I did.
*I highly recommend this book. Even better, listen to her read it as an audiobook, as I did.
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