Category: Music
Sweet Surprise
I came home last night to a sweet surprise waiting on my dining room table from my wonderful husband: Beautiful roses, a thoughtful card and a gift card to my favorite local clothing store. I thought I’d share the flowers with friends and family here.
Since Terry hasn’t been feeling well the last few days, we relaxed around the house, watching an episode of Chopped All Stars we’d recorded on the DVR and a couple of last week’s Jeopardy episodes. We ended the evening playing nine holes of Frisbee golf via Wii Resort Sports. Just like we did last year when we played real miniature golf, we tied (one under par for both of us).
Tonight, provided Terry feels up to it, we will meet up with a couple for dinner and attend the annual KCKCC Jazz night at Spirituality and All That Jazz, hosted at Unity Temple on the Plaza.
Here’s more on tonight’s performance:
Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Extravaganza
KCKCC Big Band, Latin Concert Band & Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jim Mair, Jurgen Welge & John Stafford
A full night of Jazz is in store by the Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Department, under the direction of Jim Mair. They will be showcasing their 17-piece Big Band Jazz Ensemble, and the 9-piece Latin Jazz Band. These groups have performed at the Montreaux, Switzerland Jazz Festival and are the first and only Community College Jazz group to perform at the New York City JVC Jazz Festival. They’ve also received invitations to play at the Puerto Vallarta, Hawaii and Morocco Jazz Festivals. They will also be featuring the chorales of the #1 Vocal Jazz Ensemble in the Kansas City Metropolitan area directed by John Stafford.
Veggie Bliss with a Side of Jazzy Friends
I whirled through Wednesday like the gusty winds whipping through the Midwest the past few days. The minute I dropped off my last rider, I rushed home, ran in the house, snatched some cash from Terry, switched van keys for car keys and flew back to the Plaza (where I had just spent eight or nine hours working). I spent less than five minutes in the house, only having time to pet Roxy and Apollo once each and peck Terry on the cheek (as I fleeced him out of a twenty dollar bill).
When Marge retired in late January, we agreed to reconnect on the first Wednesday of March. We met at the Eden Alley Cafe in the basement of the Unity Temple on the Plaza for dinner, immediately followed by the monthly ‘Spirituality and All That Jazz‘ concert hosted by Tim Whitmer. I touched base with Marge late on Tuesday to confirm and agreed to meet at a quarter to six. I should have said I’d be there by six, not before, as I barely made it back from Lansing in thirty minutes (a record for me actually).
We were seated almost immediately. I had to spend some time reviewing the menu, since it had been over two years (probably close to three years) since I’d last been to Eden Alley. I decided to try their veggie burger and for once I did NOT ask for anything to be left off (since cheese was not automatically part of the dish) with a side of Garlic Bread. Marge and Bill ordered the same dish, the Spinach and Mushroom Meatloaf. We snacked on various types of freshly baked breads, all of which tasted fabulous. Our food arrived quite quickly and I devoured the delicious veggie burger, but decided not to finish the garlic bread. I’ve had that side before and I should have remembered that I don’t care for the aoili. None of us had room for dessert so we paid our tabs, tipped the waitor and headed upstairs for the concert.
We soon learned that the scheduled special guest for the evening, vocalist Monique Danielle, would not be performing. Tim did not enlighten us until after the first set who had agreed to step in at the absolute last minute as a replacement.
The ‘usual suspects’ appeared on stage a few minutes past seven o’clock – Tim Whitmer at the piano, bassist James Albright, percussionist Jurgen Welge and saxophonist and flutist Jim Mair.
First set:
- Stompin’ at the Savoy
- St. Louis Blues
- George & Ira Gershwin‘s I Got Rhythm
- St. Thomas
- It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing) (monologue by Tim before about the Royals prospects for this year or next year).
I heard some incredibly stunning soprano sax solos by Jim Mair during that first set. Just mind boggling.
During the brief pause between sets, Tim let the cat out of the bag with respect to Monique’s illness. He got quite a few laughs when he started soliciting the audience for vocal volunteers. After a few minutes, one woman came forward, answering the jazz altar call and blessed us with her voice – the incomparable Millie Edwards.
Second set (with very special guest Millie Edwards):
I love listening to Millie sing. And, surprising to me anyway, her vocal range matches my own voice almost perfectly. I had to really resist the urge to start singing along with her, since I so rarely get the chance to sing in that range (I am no soprano and never want to be one). Her last two songs were just plain fun.
Between songs, Millie shared with us the story of how Tim wrangled her into performing last night. That afternoon she had received an e-mail from Tim with the subject ‘Favor’ and soon discovered the nature of the favor Tim asked of her. Her students became the real beneficiaries as she had to postpone grading papers and a pop-quiz the next day. Millie imparted to Tim the heartfelt gratitude of her students for sparing them from the test gauntlet, at least for a day.
After the concert, I said goodbye to Marge and Bill and headed back home (for the second time in that day). I flipped through my radio presets and caught the last song of the classic music program on KANU – one I actually recognized – a piano arrangement of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition.’ As I exited I-70 and headed north on K-7/US-73, I caught the beginning of Piano Jazz on KPR.
I attempted to call my daughter but as usually happens, I got her voice-mail. So for the second time that day, I called her boyfriend, Nic, who promptly answered his phone (as he always does). We exchanged pleasantries and I asked if he happened to be near my daughter. Unfortunately, she was at a rehearsal (which explained why she didn’t answer her phone). Nic realized Rachelle had forgotten to tell me she finally got a church gig. She is now an Alto II section lead in the Chancel Choir at First UMC of Plano. I think I need to take an extra trip to North Texas next month for Easter services.
I had a great time catching up with Marge (and Bill) and listening to lovely live jazz music in a relaxed and smoke-free environment. Marge and I agreed to return for the May concert which features the KCKCC jazz ensembles (of which my daughter is an alum). I look forward to seeing how the jazz program at KCKCC has progressed in the three years since Rachelle graduated.
Google celebrates Leap Year, ‘Barber of Seville’
Google celebrates Leap Year, ‘Barber of Seville’.
Happy Leap Day!
And it’s also hump day. Halfway to the weekend.
Oh, and I almost forgot. My wonderful husband reminded me that I get to work one extra day this month without any extra pay. Isn’t he adorable? Sheesh! As if I needed a reminder of the joys of being salaried.
Up Late Thursday With Theodora
I gave up on seeing Mercury (again) as I drove home under ominous low hanging clouds and a fierce northwest wind. I parked the van and entered my home, apologizing to Roxy for not being able to take her on a walk. I caught Terry dicing tomatoes for bruschetta in the kitchen, so I retreated to the great room to get my exercising done before dinner. Roxy and Apollo got a special treat for their dinner. I had to crack open a couple of cans of Pedigree beef stew for them since the large fifty pound bag of dry dog food was nearly empty. They didn’t seem to mind though.
After dinner, we still had over an hour before my daughter’s concert started. I had already redeployed my Linux (Kubuntu distro) and integrated it with the AV receiver, Internet and plasma display. I tested the sound and video quality before letting it apply any security updates and patches it needed since last I turned it on. I flipped the receiver back to the DVR so we could watch the latest NCIS before the concert.
Earlier in the day, I printed out a couple of copies of the program for Handel’s Theodora. Twenty pages long! It took me a couple of printings before I finally got the right mixture of duplex printer settings to product an actual booklet. I kept the program beside me (with a pen) to make notes during the performance. I also found a news article from the local Denton newspaper and a blog post from the Dallas Opera about the performance.
At 7:25, I flipped the receiver back to the computer and made sure the screen saver had sufficient time to not engage for the next hour or two. Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. As is par for the course at UNT, the performance started about fifteen minutes past the advertised and scheduled time.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear the oratorio sung in English. The reason I go to the trouble to print the programs is most often they are my only lifeline to understanding the text and usually include the original language text and an English translation. Thankfully, all that was needed was one language for Theodora.
During Act I, I made special note of several Airs performed by Jeffrey Snider (as Valens) and Richard Croft (as Septimius). I encourage you to review their biographies in the program. I can appreciate the skill and versatility of the countertenor, Ryland Angel (as Didymus), but I just can’t sit easy listening to him. Theodora (performed by Ava Pine) had some of the most beautiful poetic lines in her airs. Jennifer Lane (as Irene) showed off her range and talents impressively.
The second act included a couple of symphonic interludes bracketing a recitative and air by Theodora which featured mellow soulful melodies sung by wooden flutes. While not specifically featured in a solo, another quest artist, Richard Savino, and his strange looking large chitarrone could easily be seen in the center of the Baroque Orchestra next to the two harpsichords. In fact, I received an e-mail from my uncle asking me what kind of instrument it was and I directed him to the program, specifically the page listing the instruments and their performers.
The highlight of the second act culminated in the final chorus, favored by Handel even above his vaunted Hallelujah chorus (from theMessiah).
He saw the lovely youth, death’s early prey,
Alas, too early snatch’d away!
He heard his mother’s fun’ral cries.“Rise, youth,” He said. The youth begins to rise.
Lowly the matron bow’d, and bore away the prize.
By this time, the clock struck a quarter ’til ten. Way past my bedtime and Terry had already succumbed to slumber. I hung on through the final intermission and the hopefully briefer third act.
Valens and Septimius both had astonishing airs, but the final duet between Didymus and Theodora contained some of the most glorious poetry written by the librettist Thomas Morell (for the complete Theodora libretto, follow this link. The final chorus to the third act ended about twenty minutes before eleven o’clock. While not as stunning as the previous act’s ending chorus, the words imparted the longed for hope of the tragic figures of Theodora and Didymus:
O love divine, thou source of fame,
Of glory, and all joy!
Let equal fire our souls inflame,
And equal zeal employ,
That we the glorious spring may know,
Whose streams appear’d so bright below.
I shutdown the computer, turned off the receiver and plasma and trudged upstairs to bed, leaving the dogs and the husband to fend for themselves.
While not a featured soloist in the production, Rachelle participated as a member of the Collegium Singers during the impressive performance of Handel’s Theodora. She gets to repeat this performance again this evening in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Experience Handel’s Theodora
Handel’s Theodora
Graeme Jenkins, guest conductor
Ava Pine, Theodora; Ryland Angel, Didymus; Richard Croft, Septimius; Jeffrey Snider, Valens; Jennifer Lane, Irene
UNT Baroque Orchestra–Paul Leenhouts, director
Collegium Singers–Richard Sparks, director
A Cappella Choir–Jerry McCoy, director
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Central
Watch live online at http://recording.music.unt.edu/live
My daughter, Rachelle Moss, a mezzo soprano, performs as a member of the Collegium Singers.
Theodora is an oratorio concerning the Christian martyr Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus. It is a tragedy, ending in the death of the heroine and her converted lover. The music is much more direct than Handel’s earlier works, transcending the mediocrity of the libretto (which was true for several of his works) so that the characters and the drama are well-defined. Theodora was actually Handel’s favorite of his oratorios. The composer himself ranked the final chorus of Act II, “He saw the lovely youth,” “far beyond” “Hallelujah” in Messiah.
Protected: North Texas Opera on Tap Video: Smanie implacabili sung by Rachelle Moss
Classic and Southern Rock Rolled Through Local Benefit Concert
Sean, Terry and I ventured downtown Saturday evening to listen to several local bands perform in a benefit concert at the American Legion hall to help raise funds for Sara Warren. Wolfguard‘s lead guitarist, Steve Bequette, had reunited with former band mates to play a couple of sets as the old Junction Box band. Other local bands included Silas Dogan and Southern Reign. I must apologize for the blurriness of the two photos I took last night with my cell phone. If I’d been thinking, I would have brought my good Canon digital camera along to get back shots.
We were fashionably late, arriving just as Junction Box finished setting up their equipment. We missed hearing the Silas Dogan band, but enjoyed hearing Junction Box cover ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ (BTO), ‘Dreams’ (Molly Hatchett), ‘Gimme Three Steps’ (Lynard Skynard), ‘Three ‘Whiskey in a Bottle’ and other classic and southern rock favorites.
Between sets (Junction Box switched out the percussionist and bassist once each), raffle prizes were drawn. I had purchased a few tickets when we arrived, but didn’t expect to win anything. The third ticket drawn happened to be one of the ones I’d purchased, so I retrieved a nice golf or polo shirt sporting ‘Effen Vodka’ on one sleeve. Being a medium, I handed it to Terry.
After Junction Box wrapped up, Southern Reign took the stage again, but not before local guitar legend Eric Gassen (current project the Edge of Forever tribute band) treated us to a song that’s primarily a guitar solo … Nugent’s Stranglehold (also the first song I ever heard Terry play on his Ibanez Artist). Eric borrowed Steve’s guitar and Line 6 pedal while Southern Reign’s guitarist, bassist and percussionist provided the backup.
Southern Reign closed out the concert with a short set including ‘Can’t You See’ (Marshall Tucker Band), ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey), and ‘I’m the Only One’ (by Leavenworth’s very own Melissa Etheridge). Terry and I left, waving goodbye to the band, as they performed the last song of the evening ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ (Guns & Roses).
A few minutes later, we were on the road, headed south through Leavenworth and Lansing. Once back in the house, I removed the present my daughter and her boyfriend gave me for Christmas: opal earrings. Opals are my birthstone, since I’m an October baby.
We had a good time listening to some local Leavenworth talent and hopefully helped ease the burden for Sara Warren.
Lyrication Celebration
I missed this status update from the Lyric Opera last week (posted on their Facebook page on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 4:00 pm):
Please join the Lyric Opera of Kansas City to celebrate 20 years of educational programming this Sunday, January 8th at 2PM at Rockhurst High School. We are honoring those that have made our programming a success. All are welcome to attend this presentation and reception.
I also missed a similar Tweet sent out by them sent out at about the same time. So, Sunday afternoon, as Terry and I prepared to make home-made Chicken Pot Pie (first attempted successfully back in March 2011), my daughter woke up, read her e-mail and promptly rescheduled my entire Sunday afternoon.
And if I had paid attention to the Kansas City Star, I might have caught the article they published Saturday about both the Giver and the 20 year celebration.
Obviously, my performing arts radar malfunctioned this past week.
While Rachelle scrambled to find something appropriate to wear for performing (slim pickings since most of her clothes are back at her home-away-from-home in Denton, Texas), Terry and I got the first stage of the chicken pot pie completed and stored the results in the refrigerator until our return from the celebration. Rachelle and I traveled to Rockhurst High School (my first time to visit this facility) and spent a pleasant afternoon. Rachelle joined current Lyric Opera Camp attendees and alumni (she is both an alumnus and a past counselor for the camp) on stage to sing a song they all learn during camp.
After refreshments were served, Rachelle also had an opportunity to perform a piece from Così fan tutte. She spent a few minutes (before and after her performance) providing an update to the staff and students on what she’s been doing the last couple of years at UNT. If Rachelle wasn’t returning to Texas this Thursday, she and I would probably attend the world premiere of The Giver opera this Saturday at 2:00 pm.
We returned home and finished crafting our Chicken Pot Pies. We popped them in the oven and enjoyed them for a late supper. A good thing that recipe is very filling, as supper was the only meal either of us (Rachelle or I) ate Sunday.
The Little Lost and Forgotten Canon That Could
During the drive in to work today I heard one of my favorite Baroque music pieces, albeit not in performed as originally written or arranged. A piece of music history that lay forgotten for centuries and only a single original manuscript copy survives to this day. Rediscovered in the early 20th century, it’s popularity remains undimmed nearly another century later. I’m speaking of Pachelbel‘s Canon.
The version I heard this morning via KLOVE had been massaged by the Trans Siberian Orchestra and transformed into a ‘Christmas Canon Rock.’
I can’t explain my reaction to this music. Just three notes into this song and my chest tightens, I have trouble breathing and my eyes tear up. No wonder this piece is wildly popular at weddings. And it doesn’t matter what form or genre morphs this music. The original genius and simple beauty always shines through.
My tiny bit of research this morning yielded an entire site devoted to this piece of music and how often it shows up in modern music. Admittedly, the chord progression contained in the Canon in D is very common (I -V-vi-iii-IV-I-ii-V). A few of the modern songs that caught my eye were:
- “Cryin” by Aerosmith
- “Let It Be” by the Beatles
- “Tunnel of Love” by Dire Straits
- “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
- “With or Without You” by U2
And I’m glad I clicked on the videos link there or I would have never watched this comedian’s rant on his cross to bear in Pachelbel’s Canon in D:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM]
While I enjoyed TSO’s ‘Christmas Canon Rock’ version, I think, at the end of the day, what really puts a smile on my face and a zing in my spring, would be the ‘Ultimate Canon Rock’ as seen here:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMWl_5NujBw]