A Voice and Memories from the Past

Judy Collins is one of my all-time favorite singers and songwriters.

She has been well known as a folk artist for decades, as well as a social activist.

So many songs she has sung brought such peace and gentleness to my soul over the course of a lifetime.

I also admire her always defending and fighting for those who are less fortunate.

Some of my favorite songs she has sung include  "My Father," "Suzanne," and "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"

  People, places, and things from our past become alive again when they are revived in our memories.

That became true for me recently when Judy Collins gave a concert with an old friend of hers, Stephen Stills, another well known folk artist.

They came to a Tanglewood, a venue in Western Massachusetts, that is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Music lovers set up chairs, blankets, and picnics on an expansive lawn, dotted with beautiful, old trees.                                              

Along with other concert-goers, we sat in the shade of one of the trees.                                                                                                 

There's a huge open-sided shed where guest artists perform and the music flows out onto the lawn.

Colored umbrellas create a kaleidoscope of color as well as provide shelter from the sun.

           

Judy's voice has changed from her early days but, to me, it's still clear and powerful.
One song she sang at the concert,  titled "Maria," told the story of a young Dreamer and her family.

It was  poignant,  clear, and very tragic.  She sang it a cappella.

The audience sat, transfixed, as she sang the story about hard-working immigrants coming to America to make a better life for their daughter, Maria.

Even the birds seemed to be silenced while the song told the heart-wrenching struggle of the immigrant family.

That song, alone, was worth the price of the $26 admittance.

Born on May 1, in 1939, Judy Collins is now 79 years old and still contributing mightily to the music world as well as to what is going on around us.  

How incredible it is that she is still striving to make the world a better place.  

How many of us can say that about our own lives?

What a thrill it was for me to hear her once again.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FOLK SINGER?