When I Rise, Doc Film on Barbara Conrad

[Senta]

Hi GMG! My goodness it has been a while, hasn't it - took me a while to remember my login.

Late Saturday night over a marvelous bowl of potato soup I had made, watched this wonderful, wonderful documentary on Houston PBS - When I Rise, their latest installment from the doc series Independent Lens - it is really worth seeing. I was not previously that familiar with Barbara Conrad, her most active opera years when I was very young - this doc tells her story of the struggle she faced as an African-American trying to make it in the classical world in the 1960s, focusing around the story of her being removed from her role as Dido in a production while at music school at Univ. of Texas iin the late 50s because of such protests.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/when-i-rise/film.html



Oh neat, looks like you can even see it in its entirety online free at PBS for a short time, yay, here's the link:

http://video.pbs.org/video/1784212283

It's a fascinating and very moving story, and I love the way it is brought full circle at the end. She is still so graceful and beautiful, there is a clip of her singing at the end at the Capitol in Austin, and many clips and pictures from her younger opera career throughout.

Makes me really want to get this album now!

[bhodges]

I saw this on PBS a few weeks ago--very moving. Was not really that familiar with her, either, and she has a great story.

Thanks for posting that CD cover; didn't realize that was available.

--Bruce