3573

Music outside the box

My friend Sharon performs with the trio, Synchronicity--piano, cello and violin. I've long enjoyed her musical talents--she sings in our church choir and teaches piano. The benefit this afternoon was titled "Music Outside the Box" and as narrator she announced that the brother of the violinist Dick Reuning is a professional musician and sent him a box of music he didn't need with pieces for a trio. They were like kids in a candy shop and spent months experimenting and practicing for this performance which had a freewill offering for Lutheran Disaster Response and a team from Gethsemane Lutheran heading for Biloxi, Mississippi. It was really a delightful program with selections from Clementi, Klengel, Gade, Mendelssohn, Loeillet and some lighter pieces based on folk dance traditions.

A week before the performance, the cellist broke a finger! Can you imagine the panic, especially since they'd been preparing music that was a bit different. But they found a freelance cellist, Jane Van Voorhis, to replace Bruce Posey, and although I'm no expert, I think she did a wonderful job. (My mother play cello, and I love that instrument.)

Every community large and small has talented musicians who enrich our lives--they direct and sing in choirs, teach the children, play in the community bands, write and publish music, perform in musicals, stay up late at night and worry that nothing will turn out, and then they do it all over again the next time. To all of you, a huge thank you.