My grandfather, Robert Charles Grotius (1924-2003), was a tremendous man. A WWII Veteran with a Master's Degree in education, an historian, political commentator, devoted father, committed Catholic, lifelong teacher and learner, he absorbed information like a sponge absorbs water. He'd impersonate the great actors - and sometimes actresses - of the Golden Age of Hollywood, softshoe around the house, and then open a big book of evolutionary biology of political history while drinking a Natural Light or Milwaukee's Best.
Just after he died, my mom told me that she'd been thinking of a song that he used to love, "Hollywood and the Stars," by Elmer Bernstein. It was used as the opening theme for a 1963 NBC documentary series and was frequently played on the Oscars. Since I was coordinating the music for his funeral, I wrote an original piece entitled "Hollywood Lament" in his memory. The piece includes a quotation of Bernstein's piece in a few places and ends with a quotation from the famous "I'll Be Seeing You," a song my grandfather and grandmother (a former USO performer) used to sing together.
Here's the piece, performed by members of the Boston College University Wind Ensemble and featuring pianist Adam Birnbaum. I'm guest conducting. The song itself begins at 4:20, after an introduction from Sebastian Boniauto, the composition mentor I mention in my "Ave Maria" post, and me.
Miss you, Papa!
Here's "Hollywood Lament."
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