Eileen Farrell sings Debussy's " Noël des enfants qui n'ont plus de maisons."

[racheleleeba]

The more Eileen Farrell on YT, the better. Thank you, Edmund.

[EdmundStAustell]

Thank you. She was a wonderful singer. I met her once, back in 1964, after a performance. She was very down to earth and pleasant. My word, what a voice! I could hardly believe the vocalism--a solid pillar of sound all the way to the top. Amazing singer!

[racheleleeba]

@EdmundStAustell Was this after a Met performance? For whatever reason, she wasn't there long. Maria Callas reportedly said, "The Met thinks they have everything, but they don't have Eileen Farrell."

[EdmundStAustell]

No, actually it was after a Bach Chorale performance (Jan Peerce was the tenor, I talked to him also) in Winston Salem, North Carolina.  I sat very close to her, on nearly the same level, and I was just amazed at that column of sound...I don't think I had ever heard anything like it. She was apparently very independent. There are lots of Farrell stories, usually involving some pretty rough language. She told conductors what she thought, pretty directly. That doesn't go over well at the Met:)

[Bivolari]

She was a wonderful singer. So well schooled.

[EdmundStAustell]

Absolutely agree. I love Farrell; always did. One of the voices of the century, imho.