January 2019 Chit Chat

Well, it's closer to February than to December, but since we posted in the December Chit Chat threat until about a week ago, I thought it's sorth opening a threat chatting in January.

Because I want to tell you something:
Our local church choir had rehearsed a special composition, 'Stabat Mater' by Sir Karl Jenkins (CBE), a Welsh musician and composer. Our choir performed Stabat Mater at several concerts, and someone filmed it and published it on Youtube.
Because somebody liked it that much, our choir received an invitation to celebrate the Stabat Mater at a concert to celebrate Jenkins' 75th birthday. In front of Sir Katl Jenkins himself! At the Carnegie Hall in New York!
So yesterday, the whole choir (plus several partners), about sixty alrogether, flew to JFK airport, will have lots of rehearsals before this event will happen. I know several of these singers (I sing in a different choir), and they all are really excited about that. And I'm not jealous at all. I'm not! Well, maybe a little. Or a lot. But it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them, and I'm sure that they will enjoy every second of it.

Nice!
Let us know how it went

Carol - I hope they have a wonderful trip. Carnegie Hall is beautiful and the acoustics there are wonderful. How long will they stay in NYC? Is it just the one performance? I'm going to see if tickets are available.

Too bad it wasn't your choir that made the trip. I'd love the chance to meet one of my favorite COH friends!

Nice song!!

Thanks

LizzyNY wrote:Carol - I hope they have a wonderful trip. Carnegie Hall is beautiful and the acoustics there are wonderful. How long will they stay in NYC? Is it just the one performance? I'm going to see if tickets are available.

Too bad it wasn't your choir that made the trip. I'd love the chance to meet one of my favorite COH friends!

Lizzy,

thanks, I would have loved to get the chance to meet you as well! We actually sang one composition by Karl Jenkins, 'Adiemus'. Maybe you've heard about it, it was used for a tv spot of Delta Airlines.

There will just be one concert on Monday:

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2019/01/21/The-Music-of-Sir-Karl-Jenkins-0700PM

I think it's a rare occasion - usually you don't have the chance to perform compositions in front of the composer himself, usually he's long gone, especially when you perform classical or church music.

Most of the group will return on Wednesday, some will extend their stay to do some sightseeing - which I would love to do. I know that they plan to visit 'Steinway & Sons'. Did I ever tell you that they had left my hometown (where they had started to build pianos) to build pianos in NYC. It's an awesome story, and there's still a connection between these two places. I think I'd love to go there...

You're right. It is an amazing opportunity to perform a composers work with them in the audience. I'm sure he'll be thrilled with the performance.

I hope the weather doesn't spoil your friends' plans. We're supposed to get snow tomorrow (not too much) and then it's going to get very cold. If they're going to be out and about they'll have to bundle up! I also hope our government  shutdown doesn't complicate their travel plans.

That's really interesting about Steinway coming from your town. Do they still have a presence there? I've passed by their store here, but never gone in. I'm not a musical person ( I sing like a frog and my hands are too small for piano - besides, I can't read music and keep time at the same time. ) but I admire people who have musical talent.

You said there's a video on Youtube. Do you recall what it is called? I'd like to see it.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day  Honoring a true Hero!

Hello Everyone 

I enjoyed your story carol and hope all goes well today, Monday.
Maybe there will be a YouTube of the choir singing ??
Do let us know if there is.

What a lovely Sculpture of M L K.....where is it ?

COH friends......
Hope you are all well and coping with whatever
the winter months throw at you.

This statue is ‘Stone of Hope,’ part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial that opened in 2011 in West Potomac Park, Washington, DC. The title of the 30-foot granite sculpture comes from a line in King's ‘I Have A Dream’ speech: ‘Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.’ Across the country today, volunteers will spend their day giving back in honor of Dr. King. His birthday was made a federal holiday in 1983, and in 1994 Congress designated the event as a national day of service, inviting citizens to observe the holiday by improving their communities.

Hi, Jo! I've missed you. I hope all is well. We're freezing our tootsies off today, (high temp @15 degrees F. Factor in the wind and it feels about 6-7 degrees.) but it isn't expected to last. Tomorrow should get us back to "normal". I can't remember the last time my windows frosted over!

Spending the day indoors finishing up a baby gift for a friend and making a vat of chicken soup.   Every time I see the weather report I get the chills. The soup should just hit the spot - and it makes the house smell great!

Hoping George will pop his head up and do something interesting soon. He's practically become the invisible man lately. He's so inconsiderate, giving his fans so little to talk about!

Hi Lizzy,

I'm sorry I've disappeared for the ladt two days, but I was very busy, had a surprise visit by friends yesterday and had an important meeting today.

I've just tried to find the video of our choir on youtube but couldn't find it. I thought that a friend who sings in the choir and is in NYC at the moment (preparing for the concert, I guess) described the selection this way, but maybe I misunderstood her (maybe they sent the video as an application, or maybe they just recorded the music and uploaded it somewhere. I really need to ask her when she's back.

If you just want to listen to the composition, here's a really good performance:

https://youtu.be/a791Ty9_CrA

That's Jenkins' composition I performed with my choir about ten years ago (but it's not us!):

https://youtu.be/Z7kyEptalJA

I really can't wait to listen to their experiences, to hear about their adventure...

By the way:

Tony Mendez passed away. He was the CIA agent George's movie 'Argo' is based on.

Carol, I didn't have time to listen to the whole composition, but the performance of Adiemus was wonderful. Thanks for posting the link.
I saw the news about Tony Mendez. He wasn't that old. Sad.

LizzyNY wrote:Carol, I didn't have time to listen to the whole composition, but the performance of Adiemus was wonderful. Thanks for posting the link.
I saw the news about Tony Mendez. He wasn't that old. Sad.

Odd coincidence: There was a piece in the NY Daily News today about a loose scaffold on a building that used to be the home of Steinway & Sons on W 57th St. (They opened a new showroom/performance space at ll33 Avenue of the Americas in 2015.)

Sorry. Hit the "quote" button instead of "edit". Super klutz on the move!