Holiday (quick) round-up

We wrapped up 2011 with a bunch of fun stuff.  Quite similar to prior years, actually.

Started holiday things with the POC + Nicole visit mentioned here, and the Christmas concert mentioned here. 

Zinc Bistro

Patricia and I did a little shopping on December 22, and then stopped for a surprise (and leisurely) lunch at Zinc Bistro.  Then wandered around the shops in that area for awhile, stopped back for coffee (French press, of course) at Zinc, then home.  Dinner at Vincent's that eve (OK food, very nice time).  A fine day.

Rokerij

Patrick and Kerry arrived for the holidays on December 22/23.  Christmas Eve dinner at Rokerij.  Christmas Day dinner at home - our cooking crew truly outdid themselves.  Card games, board games, movies, etc. throughout.  MB hosted for dinner December 27.  Checked out the PJr-Nedda wedding site on one of our outings (this was on December 28); followed by lunch at Fuego Bistro (out in the sun on the patio of course as this was a gorgeous day).  Followed by bocce ball at the park. 

New Year's Eve - much enjoyed the evening; the kids (if I can still use that term) went downtown shortly after dinner; we had friends over 'til midnight, some nice beers, etc.

Unfortunately this did have to end, as Patrick and Kerry made their returns on January 1/2.
 

i-team at wedding site

checking out wedding site

bocce ball at our underused park . . . I think we (K and me) won.

 2011 = very fine year.  Again.  

Concert/fun (December 19, 2011)

We have had the good fortune to have Laura Inman conducting the Choral Union at ASU for two-and-a-half years now; she invited us to attend the holiday performance of the professional chorus she sings with (Phoenix Chorale).  PJ, Chris, PJr, Nedda, me attended at Brophy Chapel.

This must be the best choir I've ever heard live (ok, it is a fairly short list); we've heard them twice now (first time being this delightful experience).  And the program (posted below) was just the mix of Christmas music that I would go for.  I think "Of the Father's Love Begotten" is about my favorite Christmas song (and it is so rarely performed); except for maybe "Lo, How a Rose" or Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium"; and now perhaps also the Ola Gjeilo version of "O Magnum Mysterium".  All these were on the program(!), which was nice for me; along with other fine works, notably the arrangement of "Away in a Manger."  (The crowd definitely was captivated by the time the Gjeilo work came along, it was completely quiet, I needed to move a falling-asleep foot but was terrified to do so in case the creaky pew might have creaked.)

Then we met up at the "Vig Uptown" for some v. nice post-concert yakking (including LI and our Choral Union buddy, Bob), with refreshments.

Nice evening. PC Program 12 19 11

Nicole + POC in AZ (December 15-18)

 We enjoyed a quick holiday visit from Nicole and POC - they arrived Thursday evening (fortunately for them, in time for a wondrous chicken saltimbocca meal courtesy of PJ).  They brought some Christmas gifts along (and all in all the gift-giving process was more exciting than anticipated); some gifts were from their South African honeymoon, including a "cape of good hope" t-shirt for me (which is quite fine since I do like to think about that particular spot).

Friday evening they treated us (including Nedda and MB) to dinner at a place we've been wanting to try - Beckett's Table - this was a delightful experience.  Also the only point during the weekend during which we took photos.  Highlights included watching a hobo get disavowed by POC and chucked out the door; best-in-show meal = pork osso bucco; good AZ IPA; s'mores ("deconstructed") for dessert featuring bacon dipped in chocolate (as our spokesmodels display in photo).  Nice!


Saturday was a nice day - looked at South Africa photos and videos; visitors showed up for lunch (and the picture show); Saeed and Mina stopped over in early evening for an enjoyable session with drinks and snacks; then went to the annual Steiner Christmas party.

Sunday - NFL red zone; some errands; some zoning out; PJ came up with a delightful pork roast dish with a tomatillo or whatever sauce that needs to get into our regular rotation, it was so good it may take over my birthday menu.

Then an airport run, and we'll look forward to the next visit.

Choral Union - Mozart performance

ASU Choral Union performed Mozart's "Coronation Mass" at Gammage on December 4.

Mozart wrote this Mass at age 23; it was first performed in 1779.  Not at a coronation, however - I understand it doesn't really have any connection to a coronation but somehow picked up the nickname.

We had the opportunity to perform this three times (one described here) - quite unusual for our group.  That allowed us to be a little better polished than normal, which was nice. Got to know the work well enough where had the luxury to sit back while performing and notice, or feel, the lines moving around between the soloists, the orchestra and the various voice parts within the choir.  So that was fun, if ill-advised from a performance standpoint.




While listening, I kept noticing how much I liked the segment that appears at 1:20 - 1:27 in the video clip.  I think it's really effective - this is the soloists at work - the tenor moves into a minor-sounding mode, then the soprano takes it right back to major-sounding.  This segment recurs in the Agnus Dei.  Lots of nice segments throughout, however.

We have just the snippet of video posted here, as our intrepid videographer (thanks, PJ) seemed to have been interrupted in her task.  Oh well.

I agree that the movie screen on the right side of the picture looks odd, or at least oddly-placed - though I guess it was helpful to the audience that text was projected there.

Similar to my usual reaction:  extremely nice to be able to do a Mozart work like this, with a couple of one's children, wife in audience as always - a fine, fine thing.

Four-page program from 11/21/11 performance follows:

CU 11 21 11

Decision time

PJ (a very good cook-er) left for work this morning and left me in charge of storing these freshly-baked cranberry bread loaves.

The question is whether to freeze them for Nicole and POC next week, and/or Kerry and Patrick the following week?  Neither?  Both?  Just eat them?

Moon

OK, it would be hard to have a worse photo.  But the full moon the last couple nights has been wondrous as we see it hanging out in the east in the early evening - there's something about a winter moon, even here in the desert southwest.

Then PJ leaves early for work this morning, and calls back to report on an eclipse.  So I stepped out, looked W/SW, and there it was - well over half eclipsed (notwithstanding what the photo looks like); and vivid enough to make me want to remember it.

(That's a street light below, not the morning star.  I decided not to crop it out because (even in this lame photo) it gives a fair idea of relative size and brightness.)

Does this count (as decorating)?

Due to the recent somewhat disorganized state of our house (and perhaps a bit of laziness, at least on my part), we have refrained from putting up Christmas decorations for the last couple years.

However:  we do have excellent neighbors who, among other positive traits, decorate quite nicely for the several holidays.

And this year:  a very nice ornament appears, clearly on our property.  Making me grateful for the gratis-decoration.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas music . . . it's that time of year . . .

I think this medley is useful if one is looking for that Christmas "spirit" - it's from ASU Choral Union 2007 holiday concert (some photos here).  I like it, especially the "Lo, How a Rose" segment.  

But it's all quite nice, and a good way to get into the season.