It is now Monday May 7 so this account was begun two weeks ago. Time goes by so fast I fall way behind. But this is not a complaint as my life at 94 is enviable in its richness.
April 23, and Jenny left for home on April 23 after 12 days here. It was a rich, eventful time with the last RVS concert of the year, two dinner parties, a painting session and -for Jenny – lots of practicing and exercise at the Y. She came earlier because there was an extra rehearsal for strings. The program consisted of a new work, the last of 5 commissioned for the orchestra’s’ 50th anniversary season, and Beethoven’s 9th. She was practicing heavily, as she has for the last 4 months, because she had an audition scheduled for the first Sunday afternoon. She has been a sub since December but to become a full member she had to audition, an event she had long vowed never to experience again because it gives her stress and anxiety. But she really wanted to join the orchestra as a regular member. So she spent months getting back her violin skills and prepared for the audition by playing for friends on Whidbey Island and then here. We had already planned a dinner party for Sunday evening, with Martin, Carla, and Gary and Coralie Farnham. The Farnhams are close friends of Martin’s and Jenny had been to dinner there after the last concert and loved them. And the audition was scheduled for that afternoon. So we did a lot of prep the day before with Jenny doing the chopping and I assembling a chicken casserole and making dessert. Carla Ecker, the new concertmaster, was scheduled to audition just before her. Both auditions went well and everyone came back here already buzzed and ready to celebrate. Martin brought champagne and we started with a toast to the newly installed members accompanied by grilled artichokes with a dip and prosciutto-wrapped cheese rolls. And the talk began and never paused for the next 4 hours. It was a super-special evening. Everyone was in high spirits and for me it was very, very special. Now Jenny will be coming at least 6 times in winter, as well as 3 weeks in summer for Britt. And I am becoming more and more embedded in the symphony. Gary pronounced me a new ‘instant best friend’ and invited me to join them for dinner the following Sunday after final concert.
The week went by swiftly and dress rehearsal on Thursday night was at the Craterian Theater in Medford. The 9th requires such a huge assemblage that our small recital hall in Ashland couldn’t be used (a large orchestra, 100 choir members, and 4 soloists). The commissioned piece – How can you own the sky? – was close to an hour long and fortunately was pretty fine. It was reminiscent of the commission for the Britt piece two years ago for the Crater Lake Centennial, the theme was local native American history. The composer (Ethan Gans-Morse) lives here and the woman who wrote the narrative poem,Tiziana DellaRovere, now does too, as they married after the last concert! There was a drum with 4 chanting drummers and a narrator for the poems and a large orchestra. The glorious Beethoven 9th followed, with a quartet of excellent singers.
Lolly arrived on Friday afternoon and we played catch up for hours, and then went off to the concert. Martin’s pre-talk was enlightening, as always, and he had guests representing both works on stage with him. The concert lived up to all expectations, the 9th was spectacular, and conducted without a score.
At the reception afterwards we were joined by Tiziana and dove into wine and snacks, having had no dinner. The composer came in next and he was elated with the performance. Said the it was an exact realization of his vision – and that must surely be a rare event.
The second dinner party was a week later at the Farnhams after the last concert (there are 3 in every series) and not only was the orchestra well represented by Martin, Carla and Jenny, but the 4 soloists came as well. And our hosts Gary and Coralie, who did all the cooking, serving and clean-up, gave us a grand feast. Starting with a cheese board with 12 French cheeses and a special cocktail I cannot describe; followed by salad, chicken and a pear comfit for dessert, all done to perfection. The wine was their own, as they have a vineyard right next to the house, and make wine in their cellar. They have 5 acres and a large house they designed, and a 20-year history of making wine from their own orchard. Gary is a retired Emergency Room physician, Coralie was an ER nurse. They travel widely and the next trip is to Russia. Hosting members of the Chamber Music series is their particular pleasure, and includes spectacular dinners, often with groups of up to 50. I hope to see a lot more of them.
The quartet was an exuberant bunch, there were absolutely no lulls in the conversation.
When we finally left the table Norman Garrett, the
baritone in the Beethoven 9th, sat down at the piano
and played a lovely, quiet moment from Tristan and
Isolde for us. I thought he was a marvelous singer
from the first thrilling note of the chorale, and his piano
skills were pretty great, too.