Choir party

So my bell choir job is basically over for the summer, just have our end of year picnic to organize...we thought this year it would be fun to have a music picnic instead of just the bell choir, since so many people are involved in both. However, the date we chose (a month ago) is this Saturday, and I STILL have not heard where and when! One of the bell people offered her place, but a vocal person REALLY wanted it at her house (according to the director, I don't know this person even by name) so we were going to have it there after the vocal director checked on times etc. Since then I have left various messages but have heard nothing. I haven't even called the bell people because I didn't want to call with the date and call again with directions, but now I wish I had! Of course I've been gone this weekend too. I just feel badly because probably some people won't be able to come because we weren't organized. Do I really want to do this job again next year??

I'm gettin old

Just heard the new principle oboe for Atlanta Symphony is 21 year old Elizabeth Koch. Holy cow. And I can't even get up the nerve to audition for the sub list of our "big" (4th tier) orchestra! But we do with our lives what we can, and I'm pretty happy with the little symphony right now. Glad we are playing a few "real" pieces for our pops concerts.

summermusic

Tonight we had our first rehearsal for summer orchestra, we ARE playing all of Wm Tell! Yay. Also the Hebrides Overture, and a couple of fun marchy things, but the rest is jazz and they actually have several people doubling on saxes - they are excited to do it but I just hate that stuff. I'm glad they didn't just put in an obligatory oboe part though. Of course we are doing a few things with oboe doubles the trumpet all the way through, and what is up with that oboe part in stars and stripes???? No one can possibly hear it, and in the original band parts it is only piccolo (at least our principle flute told me that). It is fun to play but completely superfluous.

vacation

Scrambling to get out the door this morning, I want to practice for an hour, then go to the gym and leave from there. It is about a 6 hour drive to my mom's house, so not a horrible drive but you notice it.

Picked up music for my orchestra last night - we're actually doing some fun stuff for the "symphony on the sand" concert. NOT looking forward to playing on a beach, but if the weather is perfect it could be fun. I'm hoping we do all of William Tell, we did it for a children's concert a few years ago and only did the loud part. I'm guessing we will do it all, but we are skipping the slow mvt of the Schumann 1st Symphony (which we did on our May concert). Of course, that mvt is as long as the whole W.T. so who knows. Can't wait to get back for that, keep forgetting that on Monday (same day I drive back) I have a band concert! I suppose I should get excited for that too, but I'm just glad it will be over and I get my Monday nights back.

Marcia Funebre

This is a sad day, our stupid dog slid off her tether and attacked the neighbor's dog again (last time he had a $1200 vet bill). He was pretty mad (understandably) but very understanding...I don't know what else we can do but put her down. She is a nice dog when she's around us, but I guess she must have had some puppyhood trauma or something.

Daniel (5) seems to be taking it ok, I told him Bella was not able to be around other dogs, and maybe people too, so she would have to go away. I don't like glossing over death, but in this circumstance (where we are essentially going to be responsible for her death) I think it best. We will still have our other dog Donna, who is just a big old softie.

I guess as responsible dog owners, you have to take do the right thing for society even if it means the dog has to go. Sad sad sad.

workin

We have moved all the furniture out of the kitchen now - any second now we will get the floor ripped up so we can put in the fake hardwood floor! Actually I am going to my mom's house this weekend so hopefully Jim will get it done while I'm gone (hahahaha!). That would be great, but I'm not holding my breath.

Fireworks

We also do this really cool gig in July that is called the Fireworks concert - they hire the original instrumentation for the Fireworks Music (Handel) which is 20-24 oboes, 16 or so bassoons, 8 horns, 8 picc trumpets, serpent and ophiclide (sp?) and various timpani. They always play the Fireworks music at the end of the concert, with actual fireworks shot off in tempo (more or less) which is so cool. But the first half of the concert (which takes place on a floating stage in the river, sort of like a nod to the Water Music) we play other pieces, usually from the period but not always that they orchestrate for that group. It is a blast because there are so many double reeds, and no competition since we are all just playing the same part (oboes divide into 3 when there are eh parts, bassoon sometime have 1st and 2nd). The same people sometimes come from the far reaches of the earth (we've had people from Austrailia and Germany) so it is always a great social event.