Calliope Player In The News

Frank X. Prudent;18704 wrote: Debbie Fagnano, the Str. NATCHEZ's calliope player, was featured in a brief article in the Catholic Diocese of Covngton (KY.) weekly newspaper Messenger. The story is on page 15 of the October 2, 2009 edition. It's rather unusual having an article in the "News Briefs" section that doesn't have something to do with the Catholic Church. The article does mention that Debbie is Catholic, and that her playing the calliope brightens many a person's day. Also, just as calliopists have done for more than a hundred years, her steamy music still brings visitors in to ride the NATCHEZ.

Thanks for posting that Frank.

They have that edition online on Page 15:

http://home.catholicweb.com/covingtondiocese/files/Messenger/Oct_02_09_.pdf

Big feature article

That which you posted is a small excerpt from a front page feature article in the N.O. edition, which Debbie just sent me. I'll see if I can figure out how to post that. The occasion was the installation of the new Archbishop of N.O. at St. Louis Cathedral on a Sunday afternoon. As usual, Debbie was on top of the news and planned her calliope concert to match. The various clergy were lined up in Jackson Square awaiting entrance to the Cathedral for the 2PM service as Debbie played her 1:45 calliope concert, filled with religious 'hits' like Ode to Joy, and of course ended with the Saints. The new Archbishop is a N.O. native.

Well, that's a nice article. Nice to hear people taking mention to it and giving her credit for what she does. Go Debbie!

Judy Patsch;18709 wrote: That which you posted is a small excerpt from a front page feature article in the N.O. edition, which Debbie just sent me. I'll see if I can figure out how to post that. The occasion was the installation of the new Archbishop of N.O. at St. Louis Cathedral on a Sunday afternoon. As usual, Debbie was on top of the news and planned her calliope concert to match. The various clergy were lined up in Jackson Square awaiting entrance to the Cathedral for the 2PM service as Debbie played her 1:45 calliope concert, filled with religious 'hits' like Ode to Joy, and of course ended with the Saints. The new Archbishop is a N.O. native.

Here are the links Judy:

http://www.clarionherald.org/pdfs/2009/09_26_09/header/page01.pdf

http://www.clarionherald.org/pdfs/2009/09_26_09/header/page08.pdf

(I have Roman connections!)

I didn't know there was only two working calliopes in our country.......

Mat, there are certainly many more than that. A perfect example of how the news media gets things wrong. What they probably meant to say (and probably were told) is that there were only two steam calliopes being played on working steamboats this year.

Maybe they were just talking about the boats on the Mississippi/Ohio River Systems. Lord knows the calliope on the MINNE may not sound perfect, but it still plays. Gotta love the media, right?!

Love the Media ?

Matt and ALL ;; That's like a recent TV story about Steam CaLLiope 44 ..
Gee; I didn't know its over 100 years old .. If it is ,WHAT dose that make me.?!?
I'm Happy to see Debbie getting some good exposure though...

Glad that Debbie (who also serves as organist and director of music for a Catholic parish) is being publicized for her steamy music! Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" works well on the calliope and was often part of my concert repertoire. However, Judy, Dave Tschiggfrie and a few others might recall when I played it and the hymn "God of Our Fathers" on the DQ calliope as we departed La Crosse on a Sunday afternoon. I concluded with a long "AMEN". A passenger came over as I was closing up the console and said she thought it was nice that I'd played those pieces since the news had just come over the radio that the Pope had died!

"tribute to the Pope"

... and you didn't know that, you just played those because it was a Sunday!!!