Concert

Always a relief when you can look back on the concert! Mostly I did ok, I was annoyed with myself for succumbing to what, nerves, finger stupidity? Anyway, in the Proc of the Nobles there is a pretty exposed downward passage in thirds with 5 flats that just does not lie well, and I just didn't play it! Fortunately the clarinets were very strong there and I don't think it was any big deal -- that song is all about the brass anyway. I played all the other stuff perfectly *sigh*.

The Haydn went surprisingly (?) well, the strings really cleaned up some of the hard little fuguey bits. And our poor flute didn't have a coughing fit - she is struggling with some sort of cold - and she has big solos in that symphony (101, the clock). The most interesting part was in the second mvt it really does sound like a clock, and there is a grand pause in the middle where I suppose you think the clock stops. Well David (conductor) and various other masterminds thought how funny if he just bent over like the doll from the aria in the Tales of Hoffman (which we did last year)and the concertmaster (Dr. Phil, hahaha) whips out this big key and winds him up (complete with ratchet sounds from the percussion section. I think the audience was kind of surprised (out of their sleep?!!) because when D bent over they all started to applaud. Then P holds up the giant silver key someone came up with and they all cracked up. I hope Haydn would have enjoyed the moment, at least for our (not terribly sophisticated) audience it brought their focus to the orchestra again, I think we probably have a lot of "drifters".

Oh and I got a solo bow at the end, always a good thing.

The Brahms Double was great, I think pitch was better than it had ever been and all the little solo-y bits in the orchestra went well. The soloists were both really good, and after the concert the cellist went out to TGIF with a bunch of us - fun although the service was REALLY slow.

We have tried to go to the Outback (which closes in our town at 10pm on Saturdays) and various other places, some people have their kids so we can't do bars very well. My friend in a far off place says she has an arrangement with a Thai restaurant where all the members of her chorus that want to go pay $20, and they basically get unlimited food (no ordering, just lots of yummy different stuff) and soft drinks. Great idea IMHO. It is fun to go out, but I want to eat immediately!

So a great opener for our season. My biggest annoying thing was before we actually started the president of the board comes out and makes a "greeting" speech. I have no problem with them upping visibility, but it should be SHORT!!! This poor woman went on, and read from the program (which I have to believe MOST of out audience can read for themselves) EVERY concert for the orchestra and the chamber group! And then she introduced a woman dressed as a pumpkin (??) who announced a few more things, not really sure why she was dressed as a pumpkin...ALL of which were in the program. Then she introduced David, but after he came out and we all stood and were ready to go, she still had her prepared speech, so while he stood there she read from him bio (in the program) about his accomplishments! Argh! This all could have been said in about 30 seconds - Welcome, special thanks to sponsor XXX (applause), please note our future concerts listed in your program on page X, and now here is David XXX! Pet peave of mine.