This past weekend started off with an hour long trip on the Q train to see my friend Tania Stavreva perform a program of modern and impressionistic works from Satie and Stravinsky to up and coming composer New York composer Scott Wollschleger. The concert was in Astoria at a little cafe called the Waltz-Astoria. An unassuming little venue that hosts a variety of musical acts and also charges a drink minimum, one I was particularly at odds with that night because my only option was to buy 6 cups of tea to make the minimum as I was not planning on drinking (my week back at home was a little rough). I still enjoyed myself. In fact, an important highlight of the evening was that I got to meet Tania's violinist friend who will likely be performing "The Death of September" with Tania at some point in the future, yet to be determined. The piece that her friend performed with her was magnificient and was held off until the end of the program as a closer. I will recall the title of the piece at some point and post it here.
The following day, Lacy drove up from Philly again and we played Banjo Jim's open mic as I previously posted this weekend. Then, Sunday morning, as I also mentioned, the Brooklyn UU choir performed my piece (which I've just posted on the new site complete with program notes and soon there'll be a link to buy the score!).
The whole weekend was capped off by a voice recital in a church near Union Square. Remember a few months ago when I told the story of how I ended up sharing a livery cab with several stranded straphangers on a Sunday morning? Well one of the women who was riding with me is a singer and we keep running into each other on the train, heading to and from work and at random times of day. The other day I was coming home from Tania's concert and ran into her on the train platform at Dekalb Avenue. We had chatted before about her recital when I ran into her on the street a few weeks ago and she mentioned it again then so I decided I'd go instead of trying to get into one of the last few showings at the Tribeca Film Festival (next year, I guess). The recital was at the First Presbyterian Church on 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan. So, on Sunday, after having a brunch with a friend of mine in Brooklyn Heights and subsequently wandering over to Fulton Street in downtown to kill time there, I headed into the city to check it out. My friend performed Debussy's Chansons de Bilitis, all 10 of Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs, some Rossini and then finished out the afternoon with some Cole Porter.
A good weekend is one that is filled with live music, and a very diverse array thereof. Or so says I. I enjoy how I can so easily surround myself with opportunities to both see and take part in live music, these days. It does a lot for my psyche, to tell you the truth. Seven years ago I was doing nothing of the sort and living in Raleigh, discontent in my job and my home life. Now I'd say almost 50% of the extra-work activities that I take part in are of a musical nature. I count myself lucky that experiencing things like this is not outside the realm of possibility for me. And that it's sort of becoming par for the course! Anyway, there's no hustle here at work like there was last night but I'd better get back to archiving video.
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