Youthful talent!

The wangling of blossoming talent among young people is forever an enigma of the universe! And it is a conundrum as unfathomable as it is rhapsodizing! Recently we were acquainted with the burgeoning flair of a young lady on the pianoforte which happens to be my instrument of choice. It inspired me to see and hear her dispatch her task so assiduously. Her posture on the bench was perfection! The performance on the keys was mastery! Clearly it is an artistic devotion of untold consequence for her as well. It was long ago that I played for others in an audience. Championing the production is not to be taken lightly. It requires preparation, practice and application – not exactly what one expects naturally to exude among the sometimes distracted youth of society. The youthful performer – her name is Maeve – is the granddaughter of dear friends of ours.

Amused as I am by the serendipity of life, I would be remiss not to mention the fortuity of Maeve’s production with the celebration today on Hilton Head Island of Saint Patrick’s Day in anticipation of the traditional day of quaffing of ale on March 17th midweek next.

Maeve is a traditional Irish name that is steadily rising in popularity. The name comes from the Old Irish name Medb, which may mean “the intoxicating one” or “she who rules.” The name appears in Irish mythology, too, as the name of the Queen of Connacht and the name of the queen of the fairies.

By further coincidence one of the longest-running and largest Saint Patrick’s Day (French: le jour de la Saint-Patrick) parades in North America occurs each year in Montreal (whose city flag includes a shamrock in its lower-right quadrant) where I was born.

The parade has been held yearly without interruption since 1824. St Patrick’s Day itself, however, has been celebrated in Montreal since as far back as 1759 by Irish soldiers in the Montreal Garrison following the British conquest of New France.

We chose however to forego the bands, parade and crowds by visiting instead the beach from Coligny Park.  As you might imagine, given the current cold front and the popularity of the parade, it was a lonely excursion to Sea Pines Beach Club. I am nonetheless content to acknowledge the on-going evolution of virtuosity exhibited by young Maeve!