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  1. I do believe if he had sung any longer in that concert, the ladies in the audience would have fainted or rushed him.
    The much-loved singer had a magnificent baritone, and sadly, died of brain cancer at 55.
    One of his crowd favorites was “Ombrai Mai Fu,” or “Handel’s Largo” from his opera Serses.
    Serses, or Xerses as we know it, was a king of Persia, and in this song, he is singing the praises of his favorite shade tree in his garden, no doubt a valuable and scarce thing in Persia.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6CA522JTY

    Go to 1:50 to get to the familiar melody and the heart of the song.
    There never was a shade,
    a dearer and a lovelier shade;
    Of any green thing,
    And never from the sun’s fierce heat,
    Was a more agreeable retreat.
    Nor more sweet, dearer and lovelier,
    Ombra mai fu
    di vegetabile
    Di vegetabile,
    cara ed amabile
    Cara ed amabile,
    soave più.

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