TWO   REGINAS,   ONE   CROWN   by Perkin Warbeck

 

One common feature which both islands of the UK Archipelago share is also one whch is rarely if ever commented upon.

That is the uncommon or garden fact that both islands, Ireland and Brexitland, can boast not one but two queens both simulteneously and concurrently.

In the case of Brexitland there is, first, the Queen who turned up for the Christmas Service at Sandringham, not. And then there is, second, the Queen who turned up for the New Year Service at Sandringham, not.

The   post-fact for which there is, seemingly, a widespread belief that both these Queens are one and the same Monarch.

Twaddle.

There are two reasons for disbelieving this plain post-fact:

1.Neither Queen actually turned up for their respective Services. So, to claim there is but one Queen is to prove that which is philosphically impossibe; a negative. Indeed, a double negative.

It is the turn of the (gulp) ashes of Spinoza to spin in their urn.

2.And this is the clincher: consider the following. Which of the following statemens (one a statement of fact, the other a statement of post-fact)   approximates more to the truth:

– The Queen celebrates not one but two birthdays.

Or

-The two Queens celebrate one birthday each.

Q.E.D, Fred.

Moving from the Mainland to the offshore island to the West: here you will find not one Regina but two Reginas.

-Doherty and Nathan.

Or, DAN.

If any one wishes to locate the malignant microbe at the heart of the Free Southern Stateen’s malaise one need look no further than DAN.

To quote Breandan Shine:

-Catch me if you can, me name is DAN, sure I’m your man.

In the sense that all the attention is on one Regina rather than the other Regina: on Doherty rather than on Nathan.

The easiest way to compare or rather contrast the two Reginas is to focus on their respective handling of (gulp) notes: whereas one does so with gobsmacking ineptitude (this is the Doherty R) the other  (that would be Nathan R) manages to do so with a sublime aptitude.

And herein lies the microbe: it is the first one, the Regina with a financial Flop for a Backdrop, the one with a mania for taking to the Rooftop of RTE, by insisting on becoming a camp-bed communicator, is the one who grabs 99% of public attention; whereas, the other Regina, Nathan the National Treasure, is left with a mysteriously meagre 1%.

The gobsmacking ineptitude of the Regina (who, untrammelled by an ounceen of self-awareness, sees herself -and is not shy about banging on about it –as the First Female in the not too far off Future) is best summarised by her former failed biz:

-in January 2013, Regina Dohety’s IT Consultancy company, Enhanced Soutions (!), went into liquidaiton with a debt of 280,000 euro, including   60,000 due to the Revenue Commissioners.

To say that Regina Nathan handles notes differently is to coast around the candy shore of the Republic of Restraint.

To listen to this supreme soprano giving voice to ‘Voi che sapete che cose e amor’ / ‘You know what love is’ from Posadh Figaro by Mozart is to fully appreciate the old saw in Leprechaun:

-Sheasfá cosnocht sa tsneachta ag éisteacht léi / You’d stand in the snow listening to her.

(As distinct from wanting to peg snowballs at the radio everytime the other Regina comes on, snowballs with stones in the middle).

One first encountered Regina Nathan from Kimmage, Dublin 6W in the Georgian grandeur of Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare where she wrapped her honeyed soprano around the shapely notes of the most celebrated aria by the man from, erm, Balfe Street, Dublin 1, Michael Balfe.

-I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls, with vassals and serfs at my side.

Not only does she possess a honeyed voice but it comes encased in a honeyed form and a warm personality. One could, erm, drone on but, indeed, it would take the expertise of an apiculturist such as Protean Paddykool to do full justice to the sweet quality of this Queen Bee. Never was there a Regina more aptly named.

Spotting a gap in the apres-performance The Perkin surreptitiously sidled over to She who had duetted with Placido Domingo and fawningly offered one’s services as either a vassal or a serf.

Thus, some weeks later, one found oneself rendezvousing with The Regina in the lobby of the Shelbourne Hotel. For the purpose of escorting her around the corner to The Doll House on Kildare Street where a Person of Influence awaited one who did not wield a whip.

Normally, this short walk would take no more than a minute or so on the Kildare side of five minutes but things did not quite work out that way. What with startled passers by first gawking and then, walking to the side of She who has a smile which can only be measured in solar waves, with extended hands and the hope of a chat, however hurried.

All in all that short walk took at least a minute or so on the Kildare side of fifteen mintues. Thus, had Perkin’s inner vassal (or was it serf?) had his first real brush with BIRGing, as distinct from verging on it. (Basking in Reflected Glory).

So: which Regina ought to occupy the Throne of Ochoneland and replace the rain with a Reign of Son et Lumiere?

Judge for yourself, dear loyal reader, but not before typing in :

– ‘Regina Nathan sings Queen of the Angels on youtube’.

Give yourself a treat. It is the ultimate (gulp) Enhanced Solution.

Vaut le detour, bigly.

 

 

 

3 Responses to            TWO   REGINAS,   ONE   CROWN   by Perkin Warbeck

  1. Sherdy January 15, 2017 at 6:32 pm #

    Many years ago I had heard Regina Nathan when I thought, from her looks, personality and the quality of her voice, that she was destined for great things. Memory tells me she was duetting with an equally youngish Finbarr Wright.
    Since then she went completely off my radar, though I had wondered from time to time what had happened to her. I thought possibly she had just married and retired, but am relieved to know that she is still singing.
    Thanks for the info – I’m off to YouTube for an hour or so!

  2. jaggedge January 16, 2017 at 12:00 am #

    yes she is bigly beautiful and gracious, in her demeanor and her singing is spectacular.

    thank you for directing me to her on Youtube.

  3. Perkin Warbeck January 16, 2017 at 1:51 pm #

    Thankfully, La Regina hasn’t gone away. Last November she performed the part of Maria Callas in a look back at the Prima Donna’s life in the National Concert Hall, Dublin 2.

    The Shelbourne Hotel got a mench in the Guest Blog. Coincidentally, this hotel became the eventual home of a previous Queen of Irish Divas: Margaret Burke Sheridan. Indeed, she features during this twilight role in light disguise as ‘La Sheridan’ in the novel by John Broderick ‘The Trial of Father Dillingham’.

    Her penchant was primarily for Puccini roles and when she sang the role of ‘Madame Butterfly’ in La Scala back in the 1920s, the composer was reported to have been spellbound by the bell-clear voice of ‘Maggie from Mayo’.

    There is a ballad by the spell-binding Shel Silverstein called ‘The Queen of the Silver Dollar’:

    -She rules a smokey kingdom
    Her scepter is a wine-glass
    And a barstool is her throne
    The jesters flock around her
    And fight to win her favour.

    One imagines a quartet of operatic jesters – Rossini and Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi – in competition with each other trying to pick out an ear-catching aria on the piano which will win the favour of Regina Nathan, aka:

    -The Queen of the Silver Coloratura.