Ann-Marie Parchment, Contributor

The show was a fantastic success. A full and enthusiastic audience jumped to its feet even before the end of the concert. It was a fitting tribute to the man who had made a successful return to what he does best.

Internationally acclaimed bass-baritone Dr Curtis Watson had his first performance overseas since suffering a stroke last September. The congregation at the Grace Moravian Church in Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York, on August 9 was an appreciative one, and so, too, was Dr Watson.

"I am extremely grateful to the Lord for sparing me to enjoy this incredibly important moment in my life with part of my family and friends," he said.

"I had trepidations that I would not live to see this crucial moment, following my initial recovery. I am ever conscious, however, that the more serious aspect of my rehabilitation is yet to be achieved. Therefore, I do not fool myself that it is over.

"Now, people understand why these performances are titled 'Thanksgiving Concert', as opposed to a mere regular/mundane concert."

Family

Dr Watson was accompanied by his three daughters officiating onstage. Nadene and Gracelyn worked as compéres, while Megon worked as page cum confidante.

His family also extended to the audience in the form of two sisters, two brothers, two sons-in-law (one of them videotaping the concert), one brother-in-law and his granddaughter. "Sadly, I am missing my wife and two sons from the equation. Still, I am one of the proudest and happiest men in the whole universe," he said.

He was also accompanied by Eva Zinger and Karl Fraser, both on piano and organ.

Despite a challenge with his throat (a new problem since the stroke), he had his audience with him from the very first Oratorio Suite. He opened with the frightfully demanding Why Do The Nations Rage, a virtuoso Aria da Capo from Handel's Messiah. Following a heart-rending translation of the Italian, impressively read by Gracelyn, Dr Watson gave a very moving account of Pieta Signore (Lord Have Mercy) by Alessandro Stradella. The final piece in the suite, The Lord is my Light by Frances Ellitsen, seemed to have 'hit the spot' and provoked an early ovation.

The abridged opera suite, with an immaculate translation of Prince Igor's Cavatina done by a Russian Academic, got the Russians (in the audience) very excited over Dr Watson's "flawless Russian language!". He already has a small cadre of excited new Russian fans, resulting from his concert. The suite ended with 'I got plenty o' nuttin' from the opera Porgy and Bess to pandemonium.

The sacred suite with The Lord's Prayer by Malotte and The Holy City by Adams drew an understandable ovation. He sang the Prayer as though he was on his way to Heaven. He invited the audience to join him in the choruses of The Holy City. Everyone had a ball 'singing up a storm' into the short intermission.

The Broadway suite opened the second half with So in Love from Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter, I Love You, For Sentimental Reasons by Derek Watson and William Bent, and ended with the very popular Mona Lisa. In this number, Dr Watson's youngest daughter, Megon, took the spotlight. She followed her father around with a huge bunch of red carnations (as his sidekick) into the audience. Watson wowed the ladies, singing Mona Lisa, while giving them carnations from Megon's bouquet. Simply enchanting!

Pianist Zinger ended the suite with her J.S. Bach Partita, ably replacing the Grace Moravian Church Steel Orchestra, which did not perform for some technical reasons.

Sombre moment

Up came the fun segment, Jamaican folk suite, which got people 'jigging', singing and really enjoying themselves. The hilarious, though serious arrangements of Watson's Dry Weather House and Liza, followed by Harry Belafonte's Jamaica Farewell, made this the most outrageously exciting suite of the evening.

But after the madness came a very sombre, gratifying and serious moment. The opera singer, as if transformed, sometimes in tears, addressed the large audience, which was struck by profound silence. He explained his ordeal; how he could not sing, speak nor walk normally following his devastating stroke; how he took this experience as a "personal farewell call".

In his most destructive moment of depression, when he decided to stop eating and taking his medication, in order to die, he received a text message from his daughter in New York, Nadene (then very pregnant with her first child).

The message read: "Daddy, if you don't want to live for anybody else, please live for your granddaughter. Daddy, it's not over until God says it's over!"

This message so moved him that he defied his doctor's orders, got on a plane, flew to New York City unannounced and showed up at his daughter's baby shower. This surprised everyone, except his two sisters and a family friend, who helped him plan the surprise appearance. Thus, the singer lived for his granddaughter!

At that moment he declared he was a changed man. God had used three major 'catastrophes' in his life to transform him. He regards two of these as a "broken pact" with God.

In 1984, he nearly totalled his brand new custom-built Volvo car, as well as himself, in the Soviet Union. Upon regaining consciousness from the horrific accident, he promised that if God spared his life he would serve Him forever. He strayed. "God then afflicted me with a frightening heart attack." He again made his pact but strayed a second time. "So, God fetched me yet a mighty blow. This time, a devastating stroke crippled my entire right side. I could not sing, walk nor play the piano," he said.

"I decided not to take anymore chances with God Almighty," he stated. So with an impassioned affirmation he declared: "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

New meaning

With those words, he resolved, that his life and singing would, from that moment, have a different meaning and purpose.

His performance on Sunday at the Grace Moravian Church was a reflection of his new-found path.

Dr Watson ended his performance with the Negro spiritual suite with a heart-wrenching performance of Lawrence Brown's Dere's a Man a Goin' Roun' Takin' Names (Oh Death is de Man Takin' Names). Watson sang the last two verses in genuine tears for his dead mother and brother, respectively. He also managed to pull tears from his audience in the process.

As if not just seemingly grief-stricken, Dr Watson opened the closing song, the powerful Ride on, King Jesus, arranged by Hall Johnson, with such determined bravado that it defied all the odds. Dr Watson could hardly sing the final note of the song before the audience jumped to its feet in a prolonged standing ovation.

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