Christopher Convery

In this edition of Angel Watchers, I'm featuring Christopher Convery, who is a multifaceted young artist.  I first saw Chris on a few episodes of "Gotham".  He played the part of a mute boy by the name of Martin.  Oswald Cobblepot took a shine to Martin, and a very interesting chemistry developed between the two of them.  It was magical, especially since Oswald generally has a mostly disagreeable personality. Chris was able to transcend that, and was able to soften the abrasiveness of Oswald.  What was very intriguing to me about Martin, is that even though he had no dialogue, he was able to communicate his feelings fluently: Almost as if he were a mime.  That demonstrated to me that Chris has very special abilities as an actor.  I next saw Chris in an episode of "Stranger Things".  He played the part of a young "Billy".  His performance was stunning, and it brought tears to my eyes.  Chris was that good.  He has appeared in films, television, Broadway, commercials, theater, and in live performances at different venues.  If those credits were not enough, he can also sing, dance, and play classical piano.  What more does he need to learn?  He has so many gifts, and has accomplished so much for one who is so young.  It is very interesting to me that Chris is a wandering gourmet, with excellent tastes.  The "The Good Eatz" video below is his review of an Asian-Fusion restaurant called Tao, located in New York City.  That struck a personal chord with me, because here in Hawaii, we have a plethora of restaurants featuring Asian cuisine, and I just love Asian food!  Here is a link to Christopher's YouTube channel: Christopher Convery on YouTube  Christopher Convery is the young star to watch, as he is lighting up the entertainment scene with so much preternatural luminescence.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

FaWiJo │ Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Saint Alexei, Tsarevich of Russia

Tsar Nicholas Romanov, and his wife, the Empress Alexandra, along with their five children, were executed (murdered is a better word) by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.  Nicholas was the last Tsar of Russia.  The whole family was canonized as saints by the Russian Orthodox Church on November 1, 1981.  Saint Alexei, Tsarevich of Russia, was two weeks shy of his fourteenth birthday at the time of his death.  His four sisters, The Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatyana, Maria, and Anastasia were were 22, 21, 19, and 17 years old, respectively, when they were murdered. I have adopted Saint Alexei as my patron saint.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

The Tree │ Loki Elvar Esrason

Loki Elvar Esrason

I just got permission from director Fairai Richmond to feature his magnificent short-film "The Tree" on Angel Watchers.  I've been waiting a long, long time to do this, as "The Tree" needs to be seen by a larger audience.  On August 25, 2018, I did an interview with Fairai Richmond, and a review of "The Tree", on Angel Watchers.  That interview can be found at this link:  The Tree - Fairai Richmond   In that post I gave a lot of background information about the film that I won't be repeating in this article.  Needless to say, the star of "The Tree" is Loki Elvar Esrason.  His angelic looks gives the film an otherworldly, and magical feel.  Loki was born and raised in Hawaii, and is featured in another short film called "Abysmal", that was directed by Jorge Monteallegre.  That film, unfortunately, has not been released, even though it was completed in 2017.  Incidentally, Jorge is the cinematographer of "The Tree".  Fairai Richmond is now working on a new feature film called "Higher", and I'm really looking forward to seeing it when it is completed.  You can watch "The Tree" by clicking on the video widget below.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

A Special Easter (Holy Week) Presentation

"Miserere Mei, Deus (Have Mercy On Me, O God)" composed by Gregorio Allegri, is probably one of the most remarkable musical compositions to come out of the Italian Renaissance.  It was written around 1630 during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, for the exclusive use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the Tenebrae services on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week.  The Tenebrae (Latin for shadows or darkness), which started at 3 a.m., consisted mainly of Gregorian Chant, and this went on for hours on end.  One can just imagine how numbing this must have been to the ears and minds of the worshipers in the Sistine Chapel.  Well, an acoustical respite was in store for them during the last part of the service which usually occurred around 7 p.m.  First they would hear a G minor triad, the most lovely of all minor chords being sung, then the polyphony that followed all of the monophonic chanting of the day, and early evening, would melt away, and this ethereal music would resound from the walls of the Sistine Chapel.  The contrast between the Gregorian Chants and the "Miserere Mei Deus" was so drastic, that it caused the listeners to be spellbound.  It is no wonder that the Pope ordered the Sistine Chapel's choir master to protect the score of the "Miserere Mei, Deus" and it was reserved exclusively only for the Vatican's use.  During the rest of the year the score to "Miserere Mei, Deus" was kept under lock and key in the Vatican Archives, and secured under the Papal Seal.  Adding to the mystery surrounding the "Miserere Mei, Deus", transcribing it, or performing it elsewhere was punishable by excommunication from the Catholic Church.  But, as with most forbidden things, the score of "Miserere Mei, Deus" did not remain a secret.  The fourteen-year old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was visiting Rome, when he first heard the piece during the Wednesday Holy Week service in the Sistine Chapel.  Later that day, he wrote it down entirely from memory which is a remarkable accomplishment, as the music is incredibly complex.  He returned to the Sistine Chapel that Friday to make minor corrections to his transcription.  Some time later during Mozart's travels, he met the British historian Dr. Charles Burney, who obtained the transcription from Mozart, and Burney took it to London where it was published in 1771.  Once the "Miserere Mei, Deus" was published and in the hands of the general music establishment, the Papal ban was lifted.  Mozart was summoned to Rome by the Pope because of this, but instead of excommunicating the boy, the Pope showered praises on him for his feat of musical genius.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring an incredible performance of the "Miserere Mei, Deus" by the Boys Air Choir.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Hawaii Calls │ Bobby Breen

Bobby Breen, who was born on November 24, 1927 in Canada, was the finest treble voice of the late 1930s.   It is astonishing, but he started to perform in night clubs at the age of four.  Bobby then went on to become a leading child actor in Hollywood, and he appeared in many movie musicals in the 1930s, and 1940s.  Bobby's vast repertoire included not only popular standards, but also classical music, including opera.  He was an eclectic child star, and was the first to create a certain mystique in the eyes of the movie going public.  It is not widely known, but Bobby is one of the people that The Beatles admired, and he is pictured on the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover.  Bobby is in the front row, right in-between George Harrison and Marlene Dietrich.  Now that was quite an honor, and goes to show you just how highly esteemed the music of Bobby Breen was.  In 1938, Bobby starred in the movie "Hawaii Calls", which was also the name of a very popular radio show, featuring authentic Hawaiian music that was hosted by the legendary Webly Edwards. The show was broadcast live every week from Waikiki Beach by KGMB, a radio station in Honolulu, and later distributed by "electrical transcription (an early type of  recording device that used acetate/aluminum disks)" throughout the continental United States.  Please remember that at that time Hawaii was still a Territory Of The United States, and there was no technically reliable way to transmit a radio show "live" to the mainland.  Bobby's co-star was a Hawaiian boy who went by the name of Pua Lani, which means "Heavenly Flower" in the Hawaiian language.  Not only that, but scores of Hawaiian, and hapa haole (half Hawaiian) children, were used as extras in the film.  In "Hawaii Calls", Bobby sings a beautiful operatic piece called "Macushla", accompanied by a full symphony orchestra, but instead of using that song, in this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring a novelty number from the movie called "That's The Hawaiian In Me", that was composed by Hawaiian entertainers, Johnny Noble and Margarita Lake.  It is a really cool song, and beach scene.  Click on the upper video widget to watch this clip.  I find it interesting though, that on the side wall of the now defunct Waikiki Theatre (it opened on August 20, 1936 and closed in November of 2002), located in Waikiki of course, there is a huge full-color movie poster of "Hawaii Calls".  It makes me smile whenever I see it.  "Hawaii Calls" is in the public domain, and the complete movie can be watched for free by clicking on the lower video widget.  Bobby Breen passed away on September 19, 2016 at the age of 88, in Pompano Beach, Florida, three days after the death of his wife.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

David Kawika Crowley │ E Ho'o Pili Mau I Ku'u Pu'u Wai

David Kawika Crowley And His Family

In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring David Kawika Crowley singing the very haunting "E Ho'o Pili Mau I Ku'u Pu'u Wai (Forever Close to My Heart)".  It's quite possibly the most beautiful song to come out of the Big Island of Hawaii.  This song was composed by David, and it's about the love that he feels for his wife, and also the love he has for Hilo.  He lived in Hilo for many years, but now lives on Oahu.  "E Ho'o Pili Mau I Ku'u Pu'u Wai" appeared on the first "Home Grown" album that was produced by Honolulu radio station KKUA in 1979.  It's the last song on the second side of the album.  Unfortunately, the sound quality of the LP version is extremely poor, as it was recorded in monophonic sound.  The version in the video below was re-recorded recently in full stereophonic sound, and it's a sonic delight to hear.  I've been searching for "E Ho'o Pili Mau I Ku'u Pu'u Wai" for about 30 years, and I finally found it today on YouTube.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be