Tony and Antonia and Friends

A couple weekends ago, our friends John and Dominique drove over from Illinois and joined us for a quick trip to Sterling Heights, to see one of Jim's favorite performers.

Tony Bennett!

Lately, it seemed that every time we traveled, we'd see a billboard promoting a Tony Bennett concert, but it was always sold out. Jim started keeping an eye on Tony's website (yes, we're on a first name basis), and was finally able to purchase tickets to this show.

The show, with Tony Bennett and his daughter Antonia, was at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre. It was a beautiful evening, and we got there early enough to get food at the concession stand, and relax. (This is because our tickets listed the time as 6 pm. We thought we were late, but it turned out this is when the gates open, so we had time to spare.)

The sun was starting to set as everyone got settled in. 

Jim, Dominique, and John

It was a delightful performance. Antonia sang first, and was a real showman, chatting with the audience, highlighting the band members, and singing great songs. Tony performed a few numbers with her, as well as on his own. He is really amazing. He turned 88 on August 3, but still has a great voice, and charms and delights the crowd. At one point he asked, "would you mind if I sing some old standards?" Would we mind?!? What a silly question...

We spent the night at the Warren Courtyard Marriott, on Van Dyke (once we finally got out of the Freedom Hill parking lot, the hotel was just a few minutes away). (Nice hotel, decent breakfast in the morning.) We enjoyed a late dinner at Buddy's Pizza, nearby (Yum! Great pizza, and a charming waitress).

The next day, we drove up to Frankenmuth, since John and Dom' had never been to Bronner's Christmas store. We wandered around for a good while - they have every imaginable ornament, I swear. Showing great restraint, we bought just a couple ornaments (really, our tree has no room for more ornaments...!).

Bonnie was glad when we got home:

She got a walk, and we humans got some dinner, and then we talked and played Settlers of Catan (Dom' won on Saturday; Jim won Sunday's game).

With all the driving we did (and a late-night push), I finished knitting my hat:

It's reversible; this is the "inside"

Gilmore Artists and Other Musicians

In May, we several performances during The Gilmore Keyboard Festival. Now in its 25th year, the festival has, since its inception, chosen seven Gilmore Artists, and thirty Gilmore Young Artists. The artists are chosen via a confidential selection process, and the awards are significant ($300,000 for the Gilmore Artist, and $15,000 for the Young Artists).

On January 8, the 2014 Gilmore Artist was announced: pianist Rafał Blechacz. The Gilmore site relates some of his accomplishments:

In 2005, Blechacz was named the uncontested winner of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition – the first Polish musician to win the competition in 30 years. In addition, he was awarded First Prize as well as all the special prizes of the competition – a feat no other pianist has achieved. He has performed in Europe, Japan and North America to critical acclaim, and he has ensured himself a huge following among piano aficionados.

On May 6, Jim and I attended Blechacz's solo recital, at Chenery Auditorium. Of course he performed Chopin, with some Bach and Beethoven thrown in:

Bach: Partita No. 3 in A Minor, BWV 827
Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathétique”
Chopin: Nocturne in A-flat Major, Op. 32, No. 2
Chopin: Two Polonaises, Op. 40
Chopin: Three Mazurkas, Op. 63
Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 39

It was all amazing (though I confess a fondness for the Pathétique). It is hard to believe that we can hear such a wonderful musician, such fine piano music, right here in Kalamazoo.

Two days later, we attended another recital, this one presented by Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, one of this year's Gilmore Young Artists. He performed in Stetson Chapel, on the Kalamazoo College Campus.

Before the recital

This time, we went with Jess & Kevin, and their two oldest.

Kevin, Jess, Jim

K and L

I love the windows in Stetson Chapel

Sanchez-Werner performed these pieces:

Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann
Ravel: Alborada del gracioso
Beethoven: Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110
Sanchez-Werner: Chasing Serenity – first performance
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61
Rachmaninoff: Moments musicaux, Op. 16, No. 1 in B-flat Minor
Ravel: La valse

Afterwards, he graciously chatted with K & L - he confessed that he started playing "in his early two's". And on our way out, we met his mother, who was equally charming. (Young K was much more comfortable chatting with the mother, than with Sanchez-Werner!)

With all this piano talk, I am reminded that back on April 3, I attended a student recital, where K and L both performed. Unfortunately, I only have a picture of L's flute-playing:

L and Annette

Plenty of good music to go around, here in Kalamazoo!

Here is Hope: the Lamb of God

Until recently, I hadn't heard of the Easter Oratorio, Lamb of God. Then, Jen Randall decided that Kalamazoo needed this. So Jim and I have been rehearsing with the choir, and have fallen for the music, just as Jen did. I've been wanting to share some thoughts regarding this, but it is hard to know where to start.

By way of an overview, here is what the composer, Rob Gardner, wrote:

My thought was to tell the story of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ through the experiences of those who witnessed them--those He knew and loved. It was most interesting to me to see what their decisions, their actions and their interactions with Him teach us about the Savior Himself. And it was important to me that Hope shine through even the darkest moments. I decided early on that I didn't want any actor or singer to portray or represent the Savior in this piece, mostly because I think it's extremely difficult to do so in an effective way. I chose instead to represent His voice with the solo cello. I also felt that, where the choir sang in moments of underscore, I wanted them to sing in Aramaic--the language the Savior and his contemporaries would have spoken. I have to confess that the reason for that was mostly that English just didn't seem to evoke the power and emotion I was looking for, whereas the guttural and consonant-laden sounds of Aramaic did so beautifully. There are many more decisions I made that I'll leave you to discover for yourself.

You can read the lyrics here. As envisioned by Gardner, they present the final days of the life of Jesus Christ, His Atonement and Resurrection. But the lyrics alone are not enough - the miracle is in the entire production - chorus, soloists, orchestra, narration. It grabs my heart and makes me weep, makes me want to change, to be a better person, a better disciple.

Here is a promotional video that features the cello (representing Christ's voice) during the piece Gethsemane:



A second video includes the piece Hosanna, celebrating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem - a piece that we in the chorus love to sing!



So far, the chorus and orchestra have rehearsed separately. Our rehearsals have been joyful, wonderful occasions. And next week, finally, we have a combined rehearsal with the orchestra. I simply cannot wait to hear it all come together.

Then there will be the dress rehearsal, and, finally, our performances. Do you live near Kalamazoo? If so, our 65-member orchestra, 15 soloists, 140-voice choir and narrators will offer you an experience you don't want to miss. This oratorio will touch your heart, and magnify your Easter celebration.

The two performances (Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22) are at Chenery Auditorium. Tickets are only $5 each and can be purchased at www.lambofgodkalamazoo.com, or through Miller Auditorium.

Come - be part of a miracle!

Wright and Wilson

After our visit with family, in Chicago, we continued into Iowa. There were some places Jim had been wanting to visit, and we decided to combine it with a trip to Rockford Illinois.

We drove as far as Cedar Rapids, and stayed in a hotel by the river. In the morning, we noticed a sign showing the water level, from the flood in 2008  - it was well above my head! The cashier said that the current was so strong, no one could get near the hotel. It's hard to imagine what that must have been like.

(I remember the 1972 flooding in Pittsburgh. Dad took us to Neville Island, to see where water was coming up through drains. This was not nearly as impressive as seeing the Golden Triangle under water - I guess it was a perspective that was more easily grasped. I remember coming across the Fort Pitt Bridge and seeing roadways under water.)

We continued on to Mason City, Iowa, where we visited the Stockman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Interpretive Center was quite interesting, describing the Prairie School Architecture used in a number of homes and buildings in Mason City.

Robin, outside the interpretive center

Window in the interpretive center

The Stockman House

Alas, no photos allowed inside

I loved the openness of the house - with some modernization, and insulation, it would be a pretty nice place to live. Jim disagreed - the ceilings were a bit low. Apparently Wright didn't like tall people; he called them weeds. Humph. I'm rather fond of my "weed"!

We stopped by the Park Inn Hotel, also designed by Wright, but decided against a tour there. We looked around on our own, and then visited the Meredith Wilson Museum. Wilson, of course, is known for writing The Music Man, but I was surprised to realize he had quite a career, in the service, in radio and TV, and on Broadway.

Meredith Wilson

Nyckelharpa

The museum also had instruments on loan from the National Music Museum. (We stumbled on that gem back in 2010, when we visited family in Ponca, Nebraska. It is an amazing place.)

This instrument - a nyckelharpa - caught our eye - we had no idea what it was. According to this site, it is a traditional Swedish instrument, "somewhere between a typewriter and your grandpa's old crackly fiddle."

This video shows Peter Puma Hedlund performing Blekingepolskan on the nyckelharpa. - according to another YouTube site, this is a traditional tune from the village Bingsjö in Dalarna, Sweden (That video had drums - not really what I was looking for!).


When we'd finished with the museum, we headed for Spillville, Iowa, where Antonin Dvorak once spent the summer - more about that in the next blog post.

Dreams and Visions

Work has been rough the past few weeks, but I think the worst is finally behind us, and we're able to come up for air. Whew. So Jim & I escaped town yesterday, and headed to Dave & Joyce's home in Chicago. It was a brief visit, because we have not only Bonnie the Beagle to worry about, but also a guest pup, but a short visit is better than no visit!

Most of Dave & Joyce's children were in town, so we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up just a little bit. Emily & Jeff, Sarah & Adam, David P & Cassie, Jon & Laura, and their kids were all there. (We missed Doug & Mandy...).

Some things we did:

• Watched the grand-nieces and grand-nephews playing together
• Reminisced about past pregnancies (really? yep)
• Watched videos of Jeff's fireworks shows
• Ate caramels that Jim & I picked up at the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market. (I finally tried one of the Habanero caramels.) (In the future, will stick to the salted caramels.)
• Folded programs for the Chicago Pilgrims' Chorus concert
• Admired the qualities of the crepe pan that Sarah bought in France
• Made Adam's ears burn
• And so forth. Nothing spectacular, but it was pleasant to just hang out a bit.

In the afternoon, we all attended the Chicago Pilgrims' Chorus concert, Dreams and Visions: In the Mind's Eye.

Dave & Jon are the tall guys in the back row.
Joyce & Laura are 4th & 3rd from the right, in the front row

Joyce founded and conducts this chorus, to provide "an outlet for choral singers to practice their art during the summer months when other choral organizations may be less active." Their program yesterday explored the power of visions and dreams. There were a number of selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah oratorio, along with more contemporary pieces that addressed "the vision by which we interpret the world."

He Never Failed Me Yet, by Robert Ray, was my favorite piece in the concert. I'd never heard this before, but found it surprisingly moving. Here's a performance of the piece, from YouTube:



Another piece that I enjoyed was Song for the Mira, by Allister MacGillivray. This is a folk song, inspired by the Mira River in Nova Scotia. It is sweetly nostalgic. This version is by John McDermott.



After the concert, we enjoyed a bit more visiting, and then headed home - just as a wicked thunderstorm arrived. We discovered, to our dismay, that the gas gauge was on empty (how did we let that happen???). So, notwithstanding the pouring rain and blowing wind and lightening and thunder, we had to stop for gas - only to discover that the storm had knocked the pumps out.

We finally were able to fill the tank, just inside Indiana. We traveled home with that storm, slowed down by the pouring rain that reduced visibility. When we finally reached home, we seemed to have arrived ahead of the storm - but it never made it to Kalamazoo. We got a bit of rain, but nothing as dramatic as what we drove through.

Jim did most of the driving this trip - which meant that I was able to finish the scarf I've been knitting for Foster Care to Success - hurrah!!!

Here are some more pictures (such as they are):

A good shot of Sarah; not such a good shot of M!

Girl cousins! S, N, M

Chilling before the concert

Grandkids bring flowers for the conductor

More flowers - little J is not so sure about this

The youngest little guy, with S

Laura & Jon and one of their boys

Back home, pups share the couch

The finished scarf

Beagles, Ghosts, & Other Goings-on

It's been an interesting week. But first, did you know "Goings-on" is really a word? According to Merriam-Webster, it means "actions, events," and its first known use was in 1775.

Last Monday, I took our Bonnie to the vet. She'd been a bit 'off' over the weekend, wasn't interested in eating, and seemed to have belly pain. An x-ray indicated some foreign object, but it didn't appear to be obstructing anything, and was small enough that it should pass on its own. The vet felt that whatever she'd eaten was irritating her stomach, and recommended treating her for gastritis, with some medication and a diet of hamburger and rice. We did that (Bonnie particularly approved of the new diet), and over the next few days she improved greatly. By Friday, she seemed to be her old self, barking for her walk and eating everything in sight.

But today, she is unwell again. I don't know if this is the same or a different problem, but she isn't eating, is throwing up, and at one point just lay on the bed, shivering and whimpering. Poor girl! I'm keeping an eye on her, letting her out often, and hoping whatever this is will get through her system. She's been sleeping, which seems to be a good thing, and now she's laying on the couch with me; maybe she wants to watch a movie (that's what I like to do when I don't feel well).

Friday night, we had a social at church. Rand and Jeremy and others prepared a delicious Italian meal: salad, appetizer, various pasta dishes, and fruit for dessert. Yum! Afterwards, Kevin explained the rules of Scopa, an Italian card game, and we all gave it a try. Our table had a good time (it helped that Jim remembered most of the rules from when Kevin tried to teach us one night at their place).

Yesterday, we held the Stake Relief Society Women's Conference (I'm the stake RS secretary). It was a long day - I arrived around 7:30 am, got home at 3:30 pm, and was on my feet nearly the whole time in between. But it was a successful conference. Our theme was service ("Helping Hands - Happy Hearts"), with three sisters presenting workshops with different service perspectives.

Kim taught "A Full Reservoir," about taking care of our needs, so that we can then share with others. Heather taught "Reaching Beyond our Circle," about service in our communities. Rachel taught "Making Your Home a Service Station," about service within our families.

We also had a service project, managed very well by Sean, a Boy Scout working on his Eagle project. He had fleece marked and ready to cut and tie into baby blankets, for DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids.

For lunch, we had a salad bar, several different soups, and homemade rolls. (Alisha baked the rolls; they were delicious!) President Witt made some closing remarks, and everyone headed home (or started cleaning up!).

The sisters seemed to enjoy the classes; we heard positive feedback again and again. Tying the fleece blankets turned out to be a popular session (we finished 50), with lots of good conversation paired with the service. And the simple meal was a hit.

I'm glad it all went so well. And I'm glad it is over!

I went home and took a lovely nap, and then Jim and I went out again. We had dinner with friends, at the Oakwood Bistro, and then attended a performance of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, at Chenery Auditorium. It was a wonderful concert (as demonstrated by the fact that, exhaustion notwithstanding, I Stayed Awake!).

The highlight was Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Major, K. 622. Anthony McGill was the guest soloist, and played with skill and enthusiasm. I enjoyed watching his performance as much as listening to it; his face and body reflected his feelings during the entire piece (even when he himself wasn't playing).

I was surprised to recognize all three pieces in this concert. In addition to the Mozart, they performed Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B Flat, D. 485. It was all wonderful, and pleasing to both the ear the the spirit.

Bravo!

If you've made it this far, here's a Halloween photo for you. This is my favorite Halloween display so far this season, in a yard on Turwill Lane. Bonnie wasn't particularly impressed, but she did wait while I took a picture.