Anne Hills has released a CD called "Beauty Attends: The Heartsongs of Opal Whiteley". Michael Smith set the lyrics of Opal Whiteley to music, Scott Petito created the arrangements and produced the CD, and Anne Hills guided the project and delivers a stunning performance. This is a magnificent CD!

If you are unfamilar with Opal Whiteley, let me give you a brief introduction. Whiteley was born at the end of the 19th century and grew up in rural Oregon.   She started a diary when she was 6 years old that described her closest companion - nature. She gave names to the flora and fauna using inspiration of classic literature. Her pet was named Lars Porsena of Clusium, the name of a king in ancient Rome. Her dog was Brave Horatius, the roman hearo of Thomas Macaulay's poem "Horatius at the Bridge". The family draft horse was William Shakespeare.   The charm and insight makes for a compelling read.   Her love of nature and the wonders it holds was inspirational.   In 1920, when Whiteley was 23, the Atlantic Monthly began serializing the diary and eventually published a best selling book.

As soon as the book became a best seller, the work was questioned. Critics felt that the writing was not that of a six year old and raised questions that it was a con run by Whiteley and Atlantic Monthly. In the book Whiteley said that she was an orphaned French princess, and that statement became an issue.   Quickly the book was out of print, and Whiteley forgotten. She went to India and Europe to try to prove her claims, and ended up in England. She was eventually diagnosed as mentally ill and spent the remaining 50 years of her life in an institution. She passed away in 1992 at the age of 95.

A fascinating story. Regardless of the "truth" behind the creation of the book, the words are compelling and provoking. In recent years there has been renewed interest in Whiteley, and this CD will hopefully resurrect interest in her works.

Anne Hills is one of the finest interpreters of song performing today. I can't think of anyone else who would have done justice to this work. The arrangements are beautifully done, allowing the listener to absorb the message and be drawn back to a special time and place.   This is a work of art!!

I did a further review on my website with additional background information and photos - www.ronolesko.blogsite.com

Anne Hills can be reached at her site -
www.annehills.com

I highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in Americana and/or great music!