I heard an angel sing
my silver chord affirms
this; a voice so sweet
so pure, no crystal known
could ring as clear,
nor take the soul so far
from earth, or all the pain upon it
this voice sang through
this voice rang true
country jazz or bluesy blues,
she sang them all
she paid her dues
made strong men cry too
I heard this angel sing,
my silver chord affirms
this; so-tall Georgia trees
abloom sunlit breeze
her bridge too far
for silver birds to fly,
her troubled waters all gone by
I think willows weep now
sway mournfully, whisper
eva eva eva, we grow so high
to shade you so,
if only through the thicket
you would go once more
I heard this angel sing
my silver chord affirms
this; she knew misery
merriness run through
man, yet had no bridge across
troubled waters,
her courage
all women giving birth
we will remember you
you sang us through fields of barley
too,
these falling leaves drift past
my window, I hear you
in every color red green and
gold,
I swear eva if I had
wonderful life to give you
I could never weave one as fine
as you have done,
it takes a journeyman to portray
life's rainbow design - and you -
your heartsong rings through it.
In loving memory,
Eva Cassidy 1963-1996
Please visit Eva's website created and maintained by her cousin, Laura Bligh, to learn more about Eva's phenomenal talent. While listening to Eva's Live at Blues Alley recording for the first time, I couldn't hold back the tears as I heard the breath-taking clarity and emotional depth of her voice. Listening to her stirred an urgent need to write down what I was experiencing. Thoughts rushed into my mind so quickly and flowed onto paper in the form of what some people consider automatic writing producing this poem, Eva, which incorporated some of the words of the songs she sang and I just ran with it. I don't think I've ever been touched so mightily by a voice before and I doubt I will again in my lifetime. Eva sang jazz, folk, pop, gospel and blues. She sang lead, background vocals and, on Oh, Had I A Golden Thread by Pete Seeger, not only did she sing lead in a jazzy-gospel-goose-bump rousing rendition, but the back-up choir vocals as well. On many a song she did sing all vocal parts; lead, background, & choir. I'm of the opinion the level of talent possessed by Eva Cassidy comes but once in a hundred years or so and singing wasn't her only gift to us; she was an accomplished instrumentalist who played acoustic & electric guitar, keyboard, cellos, and strings. She was an artist extraordinaire - painting, sculpting, drawing, decorating furniture & clock faces, designing jewelry. She studied the works of great painting masters such as Van Gogh and Vermeer. It can be said nature became her - she hiked, bicycled and worked as a landscaper. From the moment I first heard her voice - her true essence - she made a home for herself in my heart. And for me her greatest gift is the ability to transform the heart, elevate the soul into the ethers where pure music is made. She now dwells among the stars forever - she passed over into Eternal Love which is God.
