Elgan speaks
...and her words thunder across the land

Happy Daylight Savings, everyone!

Sunday, Apr. 4, 2004
1:20 p.m.
Finally, I get to enter my impressions of last night�s symphony concert. Buddy Boy monopolized the computer first thing this morning. Just as he gave it up and I sad down to type, my mom called and kept me on the phone for close to an hour, and then Little Princess needed it for some homework assignment. At last it�s mine, all mine, BWA HA HA HA HA HA!

First off, Hubby�s piece went really, really well. This is not a great orchestra, but they still did a good job, and the audience response was very positive. His timing for it is 12 minutes, and it lasted exactly 15, so some of the tempos needed to be brought up. Considering the amount of rehearsal time, though, it was still quite fine.

This was followed by the Berlioz Symphony Fantastique, which, it occurred to me, would make great background music for an �Itchy and Scratchy� cartoon, if you know what I mean. The last movement could have moved a little more, been a little more bacchanalian, so to speak, but over all it was quite nice. There was some beautiful oboe playing, which is always a pleasure. After the intermission the Choeur Symphonique joined the orchestra with a soprano soloist and performed John Rutter�s Magnificat, which was less than magnificent, believe me. Hubby has renamed this choir the Choeur G�riatrique, as most of its 120 members seem to be of the blue-haired set, and sound like it. John Rutter�s music is insipid at best and really awful at worst, and last night it fluttered between the two. The soprano soloist I must give credit to, for she did some absolutely beautiful singing with the most uninspiring of music. Unfortunately I didn�t see her at the reception after to congratulate, but I would have loved to.

There was a reception afterwards, as usual, and I actually had a pretty good time. My friend Vlad was there, so we hung out a bit, and I introduced her to my Barbadoan friend (the boyfriend of one of the orchestra�s big shots), who was entertainingly witty, as always. Little Princess hung out with two of her girlfriends who came to the concert, and Buddy Boy sat quietly by himself on the steps leading to the balcony until I brought him into the group and he actually started enjoying himself in conversation with the first horn player and the bass trombonist. For the occasion I wore my leather pants with the top I wear for belly dancing (it�s like a fitted tank top with princess seaming, very chic), and the belly-dancing beaded black scarf I bought especially to wear as a shawl (it�s gorgeous). Little Princess actually said that I looked very nice, which is encouraging. Sometimes I worry that I look like a middle-aged woman trying to recapture her youth.

|

<~~~ * ~~~>