We wrapped our first orchestral rehearsal a couple hours ago, and things are coming together beautifully.  Elijah’s been a twinkle in Greg Funfgeld’s eye for quite some time, and it’s been a great delight to witness the whole large enterprise coming together.  Our colleagues in the orchestra sound fantastic – it’s a beefy group with… Continue Reading »

The Choir had a stellar rehearsal (the first hour flew by so quickly!) last night, and we’re gearing up for two orchestral rehearsals on Thursday and Friday, then the beginning of the performances on Saturday.  We’ve attempted something of a media blitz in advance of the performances to get the word out, and I have… Continue Reading »

Mendelssohn’s Elijah frequently is described with terms verging on the grandiloquent:  “epic,” “fiery,” “huge,” etc.  And, in fact, they’re true.  This is sweeping music on a topic that clearly inspired some of Mendelssohn’s most powerful creative juices. Many of us first encountered Elijah, this summer,  in a series of casual, introductory rehearsals.  I had done a… Continue Reading »

Pictured above is Liz Field, the concertmaster of the Bach Festival Orchestra, with her baroque violin and her new short bow.  Liz played an absolutely brilliant E-Major Partita, demonstrating the sweet sounds of her baroque instrument.  From where I sat, the audience was absolutely captivated by the piece, and by Liz’s performance, which had virtuosity,… Continue Reading »

The Narrator’s conclusion of W. H. Auden’s epic FOR THE TIME BEING:  A Christmas Oratorio struck me as amusing when I read it recently, for several reasons, not least of which for the sort of inexorability that church musicians begin to feel early in the New Year: The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory, And already… Continue Reading »