We were already fans of Sting’s song, “Fields of Gold.” Then we encountered Eva Cassidy’s wistful and delicate rendition, thanks to Michelle Kwan’s bittersweet performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Figure skating fans of a certain age may recall how 1998 silver medalist Kwan had been the front runner to win gold at the Salt Lake City games, only to be overtaken by her teammate Sarah Hughes and Russian skater Irina Slutskaya. At the post-competition figure skating gala, Kwan took to the ice in a shimmering gold costume designed by Vera Wang. What might have been conceived as a golden victory lap instead unfolded in a still-gorgeous, hushed performance, tinged with a bit of sadness.
Sorry as we were to see our longtime favorite fall short of becoming an Olympic champion, we were also inspired to buy “Songbird,” the 1998 Eva Cassidy collection that was itself made more bittersweet because of Cassidy’s untimely death at age 33.
After countless listens to “Fields of Gold” over the years, it was a lovely surprise to find this piano solo of the Eva Cassidy arrangement.
Where to find it: “Fields of Gold” sheet music digital download available for purchase at musicnotes.com
So Many Songbooks 