Much of the following copy is co-opted (edited and paraphrased by me) from a letter Jo Floyd Lucas recently sent to me:

The following special classical music segment started out to be a show dedicated to my friend from St. Louis, Jo Floyd Lucas, who recently lost her favorite classical radio station to progress, but soon morphed into something else altogether.  Jo is participating in a special wedding on Saturday July 24^th.  It is the wedding of Tori Vaccaro and Dmitri Chouklina (Corporal, sorry about mis-pronouncing your name – LIVE radio!).  But, that’s not what this dedication is solely about.

In mid 2009, Tori’s father, Joel was diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer. By November, Joel had received one round of chemotherapy, and had gone from walking, to crutches, to wheelchair, to being bedridden.  Joel wanted so badly to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day, but this seemed destined not to be.

By mid December, hospice workers had been called, and every effort was made to help Joel and Sally, Joel’s wife, transition to the final stages of life. They were told not to expect Joel to make it to Christmas, let alone the July wedding date that Tori and Dmitri had chosen.

But his determined wife, Sally, would not give up. She found a new doctor, Doctor Simon Yu, who holds an M.D., but also practices Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a last resort, she struggled to get Joel into a car, and took him to see Dr. Yu. Dr. Yu set in motion the combined treatments of Western and Eastern medicine, using acupuncture, vitamin therapy, juicing, and even dentistry to slowly but surely affect change in Joel’s condition.

He made it to Christmas. He began to gain strength. He made it to New Year’s. The mass in his hip diminished in size.

Joel went from being bedridden, to a wheelchair, to crutches, to a cane, to walking on his own once again.  On Saturday, June 24, at noon, Joel Vaccaro escorted his lovely daughter, Victoria, down the aisle to take her vows with her beloved Dmitri.

And so, Sally, Joel, Tori and Dmitri, this show is dedicated to you.  May you all have long and happy lives.  And to my sweet friend, Jo Floyd Lucas, thank you for sharing this story with me.  This is also for you.

1)  Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet – Fantasy Overture – London Symphony Orchestra (LSO)

2)  Bizet: Intermezzo From Carmen, Suite I – (LSO)

3)  Beethoven: Symphony #6 In F, Op. 68, “Pastoral” – 1. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (LSO)

4)  Rachmaninoff: Adagio From Symphony No.2 – (LSO)

5)  Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43 / Variation 18 – Licad; Chicago Symphony Orchestra /Abbado

6)  Puccini: Crisantemi – André Kostelanetz & Orchestra

7)  Mascagni: Cavaleria Rusticana – Intermezzo – (LSO)

8)  Boccherini: String Quartet In E – Minuet – (LSO)

9)  Handel: The Messiah – Symphonie Pastorale – (LSO)

10) Haydn (FJ): String Quartet In F, Op. 3 #5 – Serenade – (LSO)

11) Bach: Little Suite – Chorale – (LSO)

12) Schubert: Symphony #5 In B Flat, D 485 – 2. Andante Con Moto – (LSO)

13) Chopin: Adaptation Fantasie Impromptu – (LSO)

14) Beethovan: Adaptation 5 The Pathetique – (LSO)

15)  Mozart: Divertmento K 563 In E Flat, – 6. Allegro – Gidon Kremer, Kim Kashkashian and Yo-Yo Ma

16) Tchaikovsky: Serenade For Strings In C, Op. 48 – 1. Pezzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo; Allegro moderato

17) Tchaikovsky: Serenade For Strings In C, Op. 48 – 2. Valse moderato; Tempo di valse

18) Tchaikovsky: Serenade For Strings In C, Op. 48 – 3. Elegia: Larghetto elegiaco

19) Tchaikovsky: Serenade For Strings In C, Op. 48 – 4. Finale (Tema russo): Andante; Allegro con spirito

Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade” was performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy and is, IMHO, the best performance of this piece ever recorded.  It is also my favorite passionate piece of classical music.  My beautiful wife, Marla, and I played it after we were presented as “husband and wife” at our wedding.

Thank you Mark Goldenberg.  I have loved this Tchaikovsky piece since you turned this Missouri bumpkin onto it way back in 1974 when we were neighbors in Chicago.  I have learned much since then, but you lit my path and showed me the way.

I hope you, my beloved and greatly appreciated listeners, enjoy all of the romantic classical masterpieces in this podcast as much as I do.

Danny Burns

1)  What You’re Doing – The Beatles – Beatles For Sale

2)  Cecilia -  Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water

3)  It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything?

4)  Rosalinda’s Eyes – Billy Joel – 52nd Street

5)  Long Distance Love – Little Feat – The Last Record Album

6)  Statesboro Blues – Allman Bros – Fillmore East

7)  I’ll Drown In My Tears – Johnny Winter

8)  Someday After A While – Eric Clapton – From The Cradle

9)  Empty Arms – Stevie Ray Vaughn – The Sky Is Crying

10) You Wreck Me – Tom Petty – Wildflowers

11) A Change Would Do You Good – Sheryl Crow

12) Genius – Duncan Sheik – Daylight

13) Last Plane Out – Toy Matinee –

14) In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel – So

1)    Second Hand News – Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
2)    Black Friday – Steely Dan – Katy Lied
3)    You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon – Graceland
4)    Long Tall Cool One – Bruce Hornsby – Harbor Lights
5)    You And Me – Lifehouse
6)    Driftwood – Travis – The Man Who
7)    The Little Things – Colby Caillat – Coco
8)    Trouble Sleeping – Corinne Bailey Rae
9)    Laura – Earl Klugh – Late Night Guitar
10) Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers – Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow
11) Be On Your Way – Dan Fogelberg – Home Free
12) Walking Man – James Taylor – Walking Man
13) Hurry Up – Poco
14) Those Shoes – The Eagles – The Long Run

My friend from high school, Winston (Dubby) Riley, his wife Anne, their daughter Darby, their Brother-in law, Scott O’Dell and three of his younguns stop by the studio for a short chat.  Later on, Linda VanTreese (I went to school with her from 6th to 12th grades) and her husband, Ken, join me for the rest of the show….and, of course, we play some great music.

1)      Bigger Than My Body – John Mayer

2)      Suite: Judy Blue Eyes – CSN

3)      Cry On My Shoulder – Bonnie Raitt

4)      What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers

5)      El Condor Pasa – Simon and Garfunkel

6)      Never Comes A Day – The Moody Blues

7)      Mr. Greedyman – The Vinyl Kings

8)      I Don’t Wanna Know – Sheryl Crow

9)      Romance Dance – Little Feat

10)    Keep On Growin’ – Derek and the Dominos

I chat with my classmate from 6th – 12th grade, Linda VanTreese and her husband Ken and play some great tunes.

1)      Rock Me On The Water – Jackson Browne – Saturate Before Using

2)      Runaway Boy – James Taylor – Never Die Young

3)      Way Back Then – John Prine – The Missing Years

4)      I Wanna Be Loved Back – Randy Scruggs/Trisha Yearwood – Crown of Jewels

5)      How Much Is Enough – Danny Burns – Love Is All There Is

6)      Ricochet In Time – Shawn Colvin – Steady On

7)      Seven Year Ache – Roseanne Cash – Title Song

8)      Good Thing – Patty Larkin – Angels Running

9)      Power Of Two – The Indigo Girls – Swamp Ophelia

10)    Still – Little Big Town – Debut

11)    In The Middle – Act of Congress – Declaration

12)    Sails – Chet Atkins – Pickin’ the Hits