The Carthage Choir was back on its friendly, familiar home turf last night as it performed its homecoming concert- but I found myself in a strange position- not on the piano bench, accompanying them, but out in the audience as an interested observer and listener. The reason was that I was not able to accompany the choir on their spring tour to Florida, much as I would have loved to. It was an absolute impossibility, thanks to Kenosha Solo & Ensemble the first weekend, Racine Solo & Ensemble, auditions for “The Producers” at the RTG, plus two nights of callbacks, and also the little matter of doing music for Bishop Jeff Barrow’s installation service. The only good thing about the scenario was that it was SO impossible for me to go on tour that there was no point in even considering it – so it’s not like I had a painful choice to make. The choice was made for me by the unblinking reality of the calendar and my life.
Which is not to say that I was entirely heartbroken about it. Coming with them would have meant many many hours on a cramped bus – night after night in unfamiliar beds – and the ultimate fun stop of the tour (Disney) is a place I just visited this past spring and had no hankering to revisit so soon. Moreover, I knew that the accompanying responsibilities would be ably handled by my colleague Dimitri Shapovalov, whom the students all adore- so all in all it felt like this was the way it should be. I had a tiny pang of regret early Friday morning as I saw them off with a gift of Dolly Madison mini- donuts, but otherwise I felt fine about it – and pretty much felt fine thereafter.
Until last night, that is. Sitting in the audience felt so strange- not only because I wasn’t up there making music with the singers, but also because there were so many moments when I scarcely recognized the choir. Dimitri handled the rehearsals the week of their departure, so I basically didn’t get to hear any of the great progress which the choir made in those last four rehearsals- to say nothing of all that came together for them over the course of the tour itself. I especially felt this as they began singing a wonderful American song titled “Due West” – which has a very open, spacious, Aaron Copland-ish sound to it, which also makes it a rather unforgiving piece in which the smallest intonation difficulties are as evident as crimson graffiti on the front of the Washington Monument. And as they began singing that piece last night, I prepared to cringe at the first sign of flat singing or imperfect rhythmic ensemble. . . but lo and behold there was nothing to cringe at! It was gorgeous… head and shoulders beyond what I had heard them doing with the piece just two weeks earlier. It was great but almost disconcerting to realize that they had made this gigantic leap forward and I had nothing to do with that leap. I suppose it’s like when someone’s child returns home after a semester away at college, and they no longer seem like the same awkward, hesitant youngster that they were not that long ago. That’s what a lot of this concert was to me, and rather than cringing I was mostly shaking my head in wonder and admiration- and especially that the choir and their conductor, Maestro Garcia-Novelli, had managed to put this tour program together in an incredibly short amount of time. (Spring break is not usually this ridiculously early in the semester.)
And then came the pieces which tore at my heartstrings. One was a sequence from the St. John Passion by J.S. Bach, in which two of my private voice students, Andrew Scott and Andrew Spinelli, sang the solos with tremendous confidence and poise. (You’ll be glad to know that I resisted the urge to leap up on to the seat of the pew in which I was seated and shriek “I’m their voice teacher! I’m their voice teacher!” Such outbursts tend to be frowned upon, I’m told.) Another was the Biebl “Ave Maria,” which brought back wonderful memories of when I did this piece with the Carthage Choir just over a decade ago. They sang it so sensitively and beautifully after what I know was a struggle to polish and perfect it. And as I looked at that imposing lineup of men, I realized with pleasure and pride that most of them are or have been my voice students. But then a few minutes later, the women of the choir had their turn with a wonderful Czech piece that featured a trio of soloists up in the balconies, like three shepherdesses. What a delight that piece was. (And I hadn’t heard it at all.) Another piece featured four singers from the choir singing so tenderly and sensitively together. But what left me in emotional tatters was the last piece of the concert, “Fare Thee Well,” which the choir sang last year as well and which I suspect will become something of a signature piece for the choir. It’s a gorgeous love song- and there is something quite remarkable about having fifty people sing a song like this, which by its very nature is meant to be intimate. I did not expect to have tears pouring down my face, but I did. (Someone on Facebook perceptively suggested that it may also have been a result of the last week and all of the pressures which I had faced, especially with Jeff’s big service. A beautiful song sung beautifully has a way of pricking us in the deepest places of our heart and that’s what happened to me- and I’m sure to others in the audience as well.) I was thrilled for the students- envious of Dimitri who was playing- happy for Eduardo, who was conducting them- and grateful beyond words that there is this thing called music that brings such brightness to our lives. And I was reminded in a rather bittersweet way that as wonderful as it to be the grateful recipient of great music and music-making, it is even better to be on the giving end of the exchange.
pictured above: a piece which featured three hand bell ringers. Nearest the camera is Sean Knudson, who also played organ on a couple of pieces. This was his last official performance at Carthage, since he just did his senior recital, which was his last remaining requirement for graduation. Next to him is the aforementioned Dimitri Shapovalov, who played so beautifully all night long- and not just the accompaniments. Each concert of the tour also featured him playing a solo work- and last night it was one of the Ballades of Frederic Chopin. His fingers absolutely danced over the keys, and as we applauded his beautiful performance, I turned to Amy Haines next to me and said “If I ever am able to go on spring tour with the choir, I hope Eduardo isn’t expecting me to do that!” Next to Dimitri is a Carthage percussion major- I believe his name is Micheal Becker or something close to that. I don’t really know him, but he is a marvelous musician and he did some first-rate drumming along with hand bell ringing last night.