Good live music is everywhere these days. I was coming out of the Foggy Bottom metro stop yesterday on my way to the Kennedy Center to sing the second of the 3 Mahler concerts when I heard a a lusty 4-part harmony version of "Battle Cry of Freedom". It was a group of about 20 young people--probably college age, belting it out. I stood there in my tuxedo beaming at them--and mouthing the words. They had all 4 or 5 verses memorized. Very impressive. Ethnically mixed--black, white, oriental,, Hispanic. Virtually a model for the UN. They beckoned me up to join them.

Nobody else was even stopping to hear them.

Then one of their number (not singing) came up and handed me a brochure about Lyndon La Rouche's crackpot latest wild-eyed conspiracy theory---this time, " Rohatyn: The French-Nazi Connection." And I knew there was no way I'd sing with them.   He wanted to talk to me--so I shushed him--told him I wanted to hear the singing.

So I told them the truth--that I had a concert to sing in about an hour and had to get to the Kennedy Center. Could they sing another one?

They did--they said it was a German piece--didn't sound German to me--couldn't pick out any German words--and I speak German somewhat--2 years in Germany---and I'd never heard it.

But it sounded good.

So as I left, I told them I may not agree with them politically---but they sounded great.

Nothing like good live music.