Verdi's Requiem (February 26, 2011)

Sanctus.  PJr = second from right in top row.  Me = third from right in top row.

(per usual, click to enlarge photos  . . .)  

Another tremendously gratifying concert performance experience.  One of the best over the seven years we've been doing these things.  I've tried to write a bit about why these events run so deep in a few prior concert posts (acknowledging it inherently cannot be put into words).  I won't repeat that effort here.

Things I particularly liked about this performance:

1.  Second time around with MusicFest - so more comfortable with the process.  Last year's performance (Beethoven's 9th) also was wondrous.  

Rehearsal of January 28, 2012 (church at 7th Ave and Glendale)

2.   Second time around with Verdi's Requiem - so more comfortable with the music.  Last performance (described here) was also a delight. 

3.  MusicFest has a UCLA connection that turned out to add quite a bit to the performance - Bob Moody's mentor (or whatever is the right characterization) teaches there; one of his other ment-ees (UCLA faculty member Rebecca Lord) took over the rehearsals for the MusicFest chorus; her UCLA choir joined in our performance.  So we had the numbers to match the orchestra, and to really make a statement in the somewhat-small venue in which we perform.

4.  Extra nice to do this with Paul Jr., who likely will have a less-accommodating schedule for a few years now.

The famous Dies Irae.  And what a terrifyingly great quote on the wall in superscript . . . illustrative for Verdi.

5.  Extra nice that PJ shows up both for the Saturday dress rehearsal and the Sunday performance (also that Nedda showed up each time), and then throws a fine dinner back at the house after - this is an irreplaceable way to experience and share the event.  Ray and Linda, Mary Beth and CPG also attended on Sunday (concert and dinner).  It's important to me to be able to review and discuss in the immediate aftermath.

6.  In the end:  the music.  Verdi's Requiem is a wonderful choral work.  There are too many high points to list.  (I personally feel that one could walk out of the performance after the Kyrie and already have gotten one's money's worth.)  The requiem texts - in Latin - are beyond compelling.  To state the obvious:  good music has incredible power.

These are fine moments, in a life that seems so full of them.

Milling around prior to first rehearsal with the orchestra and soloists. (February 25, 2012)

My parents' 60th wedding anniversary (post 2 of 2)

(click on any photo to enlarge all (per usual) . . . )

Our visits home to Iowa are always fine.  But this one seemed finer.  I think because it revolved around a 60th wedding anniversary for my parents - a number which is pretty astonishing, really.  A number that, even

The honorees, Saturday eve.  Therese found an excellent - and very chocolate - cake.  Nice corsage (thanks, Liz).

if we don't like to entertain the concept, makes us all wonder now and again just how many more of these five-year anniversary increments we will be celebrating.  I really don't know what else to say about that.  Other than that I am planning on attending #65 in February 2017.  And that I declare that plan knowing it can all change for any of us in an instant, which circumstance certainly gives these excellent occasions a tinge of the bittersweet . . .

First time we had seen the foundation of the burned-down house, up close.

As to this trip - something nice was that we were able to visit with different groupings of folks over the six days we were on the road.

50+ degrees in February.  Fine day for a stroll.

Get to work please.

Grandchildren who were able to attend.

Day 1 (Thurs 2/16) - arrived in Minneapolis, killed some time, picked up Nicole at the airport, went to New Brighton - the typical fine hospitality at the House house.  We had just been there in November.  Dinner at Barley John's with Nick, Therese, Mark, Steve & Cecilia, Nicole, Patricia and me.  Back to New Brighton - for five minutes.  Then back to downtown Minneapolis where a friend of a friend of Steve & Cecilia was performing at some bar - this lady had some real talent, we thought.  Back home - this time for the evening.  POC showed up later, though he had to let himself in (and verify location on his own).  V. nice that Nicole and POC were able to make this trip.

Children who were able to attend.

Day 2 (Fri 2/17) - coffee and yakking with the Houses; PJ shopped groceries, we drove to Iowa and had late "dinner" with G&G (also Nicole and POC, who came via separate vehicle).  Grandma wanted to make "ham balls" for supper and we weren't excited - it's not a very attractive name for a dish.  But they turned out

Sunday Mass - with nice remembrances of the 60th.  Happened to be on the exact anniversary date.

to be very tasty - good news.  We should have had more confidence. This was a nice day, pretty quiet, we all caught up on things.  And interrogated Grandpa and Grandma about their courtship, the wedding day, etc.

Nice photo.  Color-coordinated couple.  60-year-old suit and tie have held up well.  Nice outfit, Grandma!

Day 3 (Sat 2/18) - Grandma felt like she might be getting strep, so she and I went to the ER and found out that she wasn't.  All sorts of fine folks were arriving throughout the day:  Cecilia and Therese; Dolores and Art; Steve, Liz and Julia; Barb, Emily and Allison.  Beautiful weather, we all took a walk up to the hill farm, then up and around the cemetery.  Watched the video from the 50th anniversary - which is quite a fine piece.  Patricia made stuffed shells for supper (in addition to her usual focus on cleanup) - fine stuff indeed.  Very pleasant catching up with everyone.  Took some photos of those in attendance.  Therese brought a fine chocolate cake that was attacked.  The Storm Lake and Mason City folks returned home at night, sorry to see them go.

(Back) Mary Lou, Kathy, Irene, Clarence; (front) Mom, Dad, Caroline

Day 4 (Sun 2/19) - the actual 60th.  We all went to 8am Mass - celebrant acknowledged the anniversary, Grandpa wore his wedding suit and tie (and made a few Kirsch-inspired remarks during the Mass about some of the family connections), we spoke with various folks after Mass, all very nice.  Clarence and Caroline, Irene, Kathy Baker, Mary Lou came over for brunch, photos, conversation, all nice as can be.  Watched the 50th anniversary video with this audience as well - I enjoy watching the video, and watching the watchers; some of this must really resonate with folks reliving events from 50+ years ago.  Nicole and POC had to go to the airport.  Played cards, had dinner. 

Much enjoyed revisiting the awesome 50th anniversary video. . . Barb as prime mover on that 2002 project, nice work!

Day 5 (Mon 2/20) - the day flew by.  Cecilia and Therese left for MN.  Nice to spend time with them.  Nice to have the Haag family folks around all day.  PJ and I had a fun visit over to Clarence & Caroline's place in the afternoon.  Clarence's typical fine beverage service; good 500 games (Caroline and Patricia won three games to our two, though this came down to the very last hand (in which Caroline blessed the blind being picked up by Patricia - it had four trumps and  an ace)); lots of conversation; reminiscing about the very early days of their being together; gracious, fine, a tinge of bittersweet (there's that word again).  Played huckledebuck back in St. Joe, had dinner together, chatting, a bit of work on Grandpa's spiffy new computer (among other things, got his photos better organized and Picasa and Google Earth working)); a bit of work on an email to the relatives about Claude's history.

Electronic diversions, enjoyed by two pals.

Day 6 (Tues 2/22) - early start, good-byes, return to Phoenix in time for Choral Union rehearsal.

Not possible to measure how fortunate I am to have these kinds of experiences.

Not possible to measure the benefit to me of having parents like I do.

PJ = good traveling companion.

Seven-up game.  To be followed by huckledebuck.

Some information about the 55th celebration - yes, hard to believe it was five years ago - can be found here, here and here.

Nicole FB post of POC photo (60th anniv, post 1 of 2)

Will post more about our MN-IA trip shortly.

In the meantime, I liked this (self-explanatory) item that Nicole posted to Facebook.

34 "likes" (and counting) at time of screen-grab.  Click photo to enlarge.

Arizona MusicFest coming up Feb 26 - Messa de Requiem (Giuseppe Verdi, 1874)

I joined the Arizona MusicFest chorus again this year - much enjoyed doing Beethoven's 9th symphony last year with this group (per discussion here), and didn't want to miss an opportunity to participate in a high-level performance of Verdi's Requiem.  PJr is also in the chorus this year.

Performance is February 26.  Already sold out (similar to last year); now they are rapidly selling tickets to the February 25 dress rehearsal (also similar to last year).

These are remarkably fine performance opportunities, I'm grateful for them.

Bob Moody's typically interesting promo video immediately below:



We (PJr, CPG, Nedda, me) also sang this requiem in 2008 (described here).  That was great fun; this go-round should be every bit as good.  At least.

Christmas loot

This turned out well!  My siblings have organized an annual Christmas gift exchange, going on for some years now.  PJ and I had the good fortune to be on the receiving end from Carol (and Jim) for Christmas 2011.

Well, so what if the stuff arrived at the end of January - it was worth the wait.  Photo (click to enlarge, per usual) shows most of the goods - Nome-roasted coffee and vanilla-oatmeal soap(!) from some MN operation, for starters.

And then the handmade stuff:  a Christmas ornament (featuring some sort of Nome beach-rock hanging from the bottom; a crocheted (I think) something-or-other type of wash cloth; and, finally, the pièce de résistance :  "I knew this place" - a hand-made book featuring a series of photos from EJ Gales's St. Joe hill-farm.  Most of the photos were taken in recent years by Carol or Jim; others photos date back to my childhood, or all the way back to EM Gales's childhood - yes, this is effective.  A vibrant farmhouse to a deteriorated relic (and now burnt down) over the course of, say, 100 years?  Many, many memories for me - "place" mattered.  This book required a lot of work - what a fine gift.

My only concern with the book relates to the cover - it is a fabric intended to evoke the farmer's favorite outfit, the "overall" - great idea perfectly suited to the theme - but if I handle the book too much (a genuine risk), will fingerprints start to show?

One more gift box still to come, we understand.

Definitely a great sibling-gift; I've received a number of fine ones; actually had started a post over at this soon-to-be-revived website on some old-school games etc. received at Christmas from CCG a year or two back.

40th street trailhead

Yesterday was an incredibly beautiful day here in Phoenix.  Certainly fine for hiking, per late afternoon photo below (looking N-NW, click to enlarge).

'bout 175,000 folks, give or take a few, took advantage of the fine day out at the Phoenix Open yesterday; record-breaking crowd; included POC.