We got back last night from a several-day visit with my father in central New York, in celebration of his 89th birthday. It was a really good visit: we arrived on Thursday and had a lovely meal with him and his grilfriend, made an informal dinner party for close family and friends on Friday evening, went out to dinner with some of his other friends on Saturday, and drove back to Montreal yesterday -- with, of course, a lot of other visiting inbetween. It was great to see him doing so well after his October hip surgery, and lovely to have some time to stay at the lake house and enjoy the snow and the quiet. As I've written before, the agricultural landscape "back home" is deeply imprinted in my memory; it's beautiful in all seasons and I really like the graphic quality of the fields and hedgerows and woods when the land is covered with snow. We saw a lot of deer, a lot of hawks, a lot of crows, and many flocks of geese, including some snow geese.
It wasn't an easy drive back yesterday; although the main lane was clear on both the Thruway and the Northway, it was slippery and snowy every time we had to cross into the other lane, and salt and wet road grime were constantly being thrown up onto the windshield. As soon as we crossed into Canada, where the use of salt is much reduced, the roads were very snowy, but that was ok - the visibility was actually better and the windshield stayed clear even though we had to drive more slowly.
We arrived about 4:30, unpacked, had a quick dinner of some leftovers we'd brought with us, and I had to leave for an evening dress rehearsalf or tonight's Messiah performance with the McGill Chamber Orchestra. That was pretty exhausting, vocally and physically, and today, after a restless night, I'm hoping to take an afternoon nap so that I feel a bit better for tonight's marathon. The acoustics are better in the cathedral if the choir is out from under the arch behind the chancel steps, so a decision was made this year not to use risers. That means we'll be standing throughout the entire oratorio -- and I'm not looking forward to that! But the concert is sold out, and it's always a happy event, with fine soloists - including the counter-tenor Daniel Taylor and bass Alexander Dobson - and a spirited beginning to the center of the holiday season. The Canadian soprano soloist, Jana Miller, will be making her Carnegie Hall debut, also in the Messiah, on December 18th.
Our big work projects are done, and I'm looking forward to some time now to do some art and some baking, and enjoy being with friends, in and around the musical events of the coming week. I hope the end-of-the-year frenzy is winding down for you, too, if indeed that's the way it is in your life.
Busy! Busy! Busy! Enjoy the oratorio, and stay well and warm.
Posted by: Tom | December 17, 2013 at 06:39 AM
I grew up in Champaign, IL but the countryside is imprinted on my memory as well. My great uncle and aunt lived on a farm. I can still see it in my minds eye.
Posted by: Kathryn | December 17, 2013 at 07:59 AM
That first photo is so beautiful ... I love it! Jean
Posted by: Jean Rumbold | December 17, 2013 at 08:42 AM
I love the first photo, too. So evocative.
How wonderful that you got to perform Messiah with Daniel Taylor!
Enjoy the more peaceful time now. I'm not quite there yet.
Posted by: Andrea | December 17, 2013 at 10:47 AM
Thanks, all. I'm enjoying a quieter day today, after the big sing last night -- though the first order of business was to go out and restock the refrigerator with food!
Posted by: Beth | December 17, 2013 at 03:47 PM
Gosh, so I'd have had to choose between your legs and better acoustics. Your legs would have got my vote; I couldn't have condemned you to 2 hr 47 min (Just Googled; sounds a wee bit on the short side) but not to be heard at your peak, that's a rotten price to pay. I'm glad you raised the subject. Large places of worship are often far from ideal and there are too many people who've been bullied into believing that a hard, ringing acoustic added to a long-delay echo is how it should sound.
VR likes to listen to the Kings College carols/lessons festival but I find it painful when the congregation joins in. I know they should be allowed and I've enjoyed taking part in such events, but although 630 mph may seem fast (speed of sound at ground level I've been told; not confirmed by Wikipedia) the human ear is easily able to appreciate the time taken for sound to travel the 289 feet from one end of the chapel to the other. And since row by row, singers get closer and closer to the choir, the final blurring is hard to take. This despite the fact (I suppose) that sequenced microphones are supposed to compensate for distance.
I haven't heard of risers; is it a term generally used in eccclesiastical artefact?
Posted by: Roderick Robinson | December 18, 2013 at 10:50 AM
It's Wednesday; you are basking in the glow of the concert, and relaxing! What evocative images of New York; they capture the sere beauty of this part of the country in deep winter.
And I am happy to hear your fathr's recovery is successful, in time for the events of the season.
Posted by: Duchesse | December 18, 2013 at 12:48 PM
Imagine being in the middle of The Messiah. I'm so jealous.Have a wonderful holiday season!
Posted by: hattie | December 20, 2013 at 10:37 AM