I’m back from a wonderful post-concert dinner, and had some time to reflect on today’s festivities (could you call them anything else?), and also to hear from my dear mother, who was in attendance and loved every minute of it!  Today’s Family Concert was a tremendous success.  We’d not planned to have audience ascend to… Continue Reading »

Around thirty members of The Choir took to the road on Wednesday and Thursday to sing for students in Bethlehem, Easton, and Saucon Valley.  I had planned to go for both days, but spent Wednesday recovering from a stomach bug (best laid plains).  Nevertheless, Thursday was a lot of fun and brought great rewards as… Continue Reading »

With last night’s rehearsal, we’ve begun a big week for our Educational Outreach initiatives.  Over 100 students from four regional choirs joined the choir in rehearsal on repertoire for our upcoming Family Concert (which is quickly approaching, on Sunday, February 28th, beginning at 3 pm at the Zoellner Arts Center of Lehigh University).  In a… Continue Reading »

There is a danger, among seasoned concertgoers, of become complacent about hearing familiar repertoire another time.  I faced this earlier this fall, after hearing the Allentown Symphony’s satisfying performance of excerpts of Stravinsky’s Firebird.  A smaller, less pyrotechnic bird keep chirping in my ear to get tickets to see Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra perform the… Continue Reading »

Above is the Bach Collegium Japan, following their performance of Bach’s Second Brandenburg Concerto.  If you look to the far right, you’ll see their trumpeter, Guy Ferber, holding what I thought looked like a Christmas tree ornament.  In fact, it’s a coiled natural trumpet, which Guy played to amazing affect.  I’ve never heard one in… Continue Reading »