Sad News to come home to...Nina Simone

Sad News...The news came out today that Nina Simone died yesterday in Southern France, aged 70.
Was listening to Radio 3 on Saturday, and picked up some of Matthew Parris, the political diarist, outlining his "Private Passions". He chose a wonderful Nina Simone song, a really celebratory song about freedom...After it ended, he said, "And where is Nina Simone?"...I think just gently registering that she's been kind of "quiet" for a while...Nonetheless, one of those jarring coincidences.
I recall in particular Nina Simone's heart-rendering rendition of "Baltimore"...First heard it in 1984, when in the midst of a very bad and crazy time. It was a song that helped me through that period, and to which I constantly returned.

Sad news to come home to, after a wonderful afternoon walking across Hampstead Heath with a good friend, in the delicious summery weather of the Bank Holiday.
This was capped with a browse around Waterstones books shop (where, for no apparent reason, I ended up buying a book on Javascript) and a sumptuous Chinese meal on Hampstead High Street, called "Opera"...

If I had to spend the rest of this year eating supper in "Opera", and listening to "Baltimore" performed by Nina Simoned during the day beforehand...Well, I'd have no complaints!