So much chocolate.....
11:47 p.m.
Several years ago my husband wrote a piece for the symphony, a 10-minute work which was played to great audience and musician approval. Although I got paid for my part, the preparation of score and parts, he did not receive a single cent for the actual piece as the organization itself didn�t get the grant it had applied for. In lieu of payment, Hubby made a deal with the general manager that we would receive season�s tickets for the rest of eternity. Which means that we actually had tickets for tonight�s concert, but had totally forgotten about it.
Instead, after walking around in the rain in downtown Sh�brooke putting up more posters for the blues concert, we met B after her dress rehearsal and took her out for supper to a trendy bistro/café/restaurant/bar with extremely cute waiters, and we had a meal, ending it with something called �chocolate extreme”, three forks and excellent lattes. Our waiter was very nice, smiled at me a lot, and when he wished us a bon concert, he put his hand on my shoulder in a friendly squeeze. B was a little envious of this, and I had to explain that he �hit on” me as opposed to her because I am harmless; I�m obviously older, married, not going to take his advance seriously, but still good looking enough that he can show his attraction to me by a little touch. Whereas, B is young, very good looking, and might actually feel as though he were hitting on her if he touched her instead. I�m very used to men touching me, although I can�t say I like it (well, not if they�re not cute waiters in trendy restaurants). I think it has to do with being cute, petite, and harmless.
The orchestra played an interesting programme. They started off with a piece called Romantic Rhapsody by a deceased Quebec composer and orchestrated by a living person, and in my humble opinion, it was a piece of pure and unadulterated crap which should never have been allowed off the manuscript. It sounded like movie music, bad movie music, full of schlock turns of phrase, romantic heart throbs, and of course the ubiquitous �driving in the car� music. The saddest part of all is that the audience loved it, rising to a standing ovation at the end, applauding wildly. It�s just so typical of our provincial backwater.
This was followed with another rhapsody, this time a blue one, by that most famous of American composers, George G. This is a difficult piece, and I don�t really think the soloist was up to it. But again, the audience loved it. The clarinettist was superb. She really was the star of the show. The second half was Tchaik0vski�s fourth symphony, a long and colourful work. That was good, but it would have been nicer if the orchestra were larger. They really don�t have enough strings.
We hung around the reception afterwards long enough for Hubby to have a beer and shmooze with some of the musicians, the conductor and the general manager, and then we came home. Oh, and it�s still raining.
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