RDF/RSS Feed
Atom Feed
The concert on January 26 was amazing. Everyone had worked so hard and so well getting ready for it, and the weather (which had been icky all week–that kind of “weeping” cold winter rain) cleared off so it was a perfectly clear, sunny afternoon, not too hot or too cold. The musicians were *wonderful*–not just talented musicians but genuinely nice people, lovely people. And though I’d been just a little scared of bringing a chamber music string quartet to this community…it was a hit. Everybody liked it (well, maybe the 10 yo boy was tired of it by the long second half, but not the rest). I could feel the electricity from audience to musicians and back. Everything I’d worried about (how will the acoustics be in that space? What about having only one restroom? What if not enough people come? What if, what if, what if (a novelist can imagine complications and disasters VERY easily) didn’t happen and better things did.
Set up for the concert. Chairs courtesy of The Vinyard at Florence. Most of the chairs were filled. Behind that bookcase at the end is another room we used for a green room. You can see it’s a very intimate space, and it turned out the acoustics were fantastic. That freestanding bookcase at the end acts like a soundboard.
The Library Board President had leftover wedding invitation paper from doing a granddaughter’s wedding last summer; we used that; I designed the front and back (this is the front; the back listed the music.) That heavy cream paper made it look really good.
The Library Board set up refreshments for the audience before and at intermission on tables at the front. Setup is still happening here, before the audience arrives.
The first audience members arrive. And I took no more pictures, being fully involved in things and once the music started, unable to coordinate enough to take pictures of the musicians playing.
(This image courtesy of Bob Ragan, long-time library supporter and local sculptor. Taken in the “green room.”
After the concert, L to R: First violinist Nicholas Tavani, cellist Alan Richardson , violinist Rachel Shapiro, Sis Beck (founder of the Florence Public Library), violist Gregory Luce, Mary Condon (orange jacket) our mayor, me, and Colleen Beck, CEO of the local bank.
Comment by Julia Coldren-Walker — February 3, 2015 @ 6:39 am
Congratulations on a job very well done. Love the scarf but not quite long enough to a a Dr. Who version.
Comment by elizabeth — February 3, 2015 @ 8:47 am
It’s a pashmina bought from a street vendor in NYC, when I was walking with my former editor, Betsy Mitchell. I love it. One side is more turquoise and one more hot pink. luckily the turquoise side was out when I was standing next to Mary, or we’d have clashed bad enough to spoil the picture.
Comment by Annabel — February 3, 2015 @ 3:08 pm
It sounds like a fantastic concert; I’m glad you had a wonderful time.
I have been thinking of Paksworld just lately as we are, of course, at the half-evener, and what is forecast for this week? Gales and storms! So Kieri’s view of the half-evener storms is not wrong!
Comment by Wickersham's Conscience — February 3, 2015 @ 5:47 pm
Congratulations on a successful “house” concert! And they are wonderful, delightful folks, aren’t they? While in Fairbanks, they took a day to go out into the public schools and work with the music students. In the last piece of the first set, they invited some of those kids to join them on stage for a bit of Bach.
I hope you found time to have fun and appreciate the music.
Comment by Linda — February 3, 2015 @ 9:03 pm
Looks like a great event. I hate that “what if nobody comes anxiety.” So glad that you had fun.
Comment by Fred — February 4, 2015 @ 5:27 pm
Wonderful! An event like that can take much more effort than it looks like, so I’m glad it worked out well!
Comment by Daniel Glover — February 5, 2015 @ 3:56 pm
Congratulations on a wonderful evening and for all the work that went in to the details. I see you found four music stands.
Comment by Jonathan Schor — February 7, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
By any chance, is there either a video or an MP3 available of either this or some other concert so your fans can hear you sing?
Comment by elizabeth — February 10, 2015 @ 1:05 am
There are two I could find online. One is from a hymn festival in 2013, and the other is from December 2014, the send off we gave our former organist, Austin Haller.
The first has far better sound quality, and shows our organist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aek22KRuYSc
Austin on jazz piano is…incredible. But also incredible on the organ and I’m sorry there’s no recording of him playing any of the “big” organ pieces.
I’m in the front row, second from the left, near the organ.
The second is marred by everyone’s emotion and the inferior sound quality, but you might enjoy it. Mary (director of the youth music program) is directing, and our director is playing the piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RYfCIFnZQ0
I’m far in the back on the right, nearest the organ pipes.
Comment by Jonathan Schor — February 10, 2015 @ 1:29 pm
Thanks. Ms. Moon is truely multifaceted – there are some really interesting videos of her on YouTube.
It is good to do many things.
Comment by elizabeth — February 10, 2015 @ 2:42 pm
I am not going to look for “interesting videos” of me online. I’m sure there are, in today’s connected world, but I will be happier not knowing. Except for the choir ones. (That is a hint not to send me links, thanks so much.)
Comment by GinnyW — February 20, 2015 @ 8:48 pm
Congratulations on the successful concert. If belated.