It has again been a very eventful time here in Minnesota. I feel especially guilty for not keeping in better touch with everyone back home, but just as in Oz the end of the year seems to rocket along particularly quickly and before you know it it’s New Years Day.
Since my last update, way back in October, a myriad of exciting events have taken place.
Vocal Essence Havana concert
On November 10 I had the opportunity to attend an incredible concert put on by VocalEssence - the premier vocal ensemble in this state saturated by great choral music and ensembles. They had invited a Cuban choir from Havana called Schola Cantorum Coralina to perform in an arrangement that had taken many years to organize.
This performance was one of the most enthralling concerts I have ever been to, if not THE most enthralling. The performance began with a single tenor singing from the front stage who was unexpectedly answered from behind the audience and throughout the song the choir rhythmically processed through the church. In the second work just as I thought the whole choir was now assembled onstage another group of singers called from the upper back balcony in an amazing antiphonal call and response piece. The remainder of the program explored many other amazing spatial effects and included the most haunting, exquisitely quiet rendition of Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium I’ve ever heard. They were just wonderful.
Frank Ticheli residency
In November we had a great time with Frank Ticheli who visited to rehearse and conduct several of the University ensembles. It was great to reconnect with him and hear him talk about his work Songs of Love and Life. This work for soprano and wind ensemble is incredibly beautiful, moving and touching and set to four different poems. It was just a joy to hear this work being rehearsed for a few months with great musicians and an amazing soprano, student Jennifer Olsson. The piece is now definitely on my ‘conducting wish list’.
Campus Band concert
I’ve had a great time conducting my campus band this semester and exploring music they’ve likely never played before. The highlight of our second concert was performing Jodie Blackshaw’s Whirlwind in a quite unconventional way. We learned the whole piece from memory and ended up performing from the side balconies of the audience without music or conductor in what was an amazing surround-sound experience for the audience. It really put the players way out of their comfort zones but I think that they learned a lot from the experience and grew as musicians especially in expanding their listening and musical memory. It was very surreal to sit in the audience while my ensemble played around me completely independently - and it was very elating!
Recital
I had my first conducting recital on the last day of classes in early December. I was lucky enough to conduct the Strauss Serenade in Eb Op. 7 and the Sinfonia for Winds by Donizetti with members of the Wind Ensemble playing. The rehearsal process was different to anything I’ve experienced with any other group of musicians and required a lot of reflection, adaptation and learning in a short space of time - exactly what was intended I think! While there were great moments throughout the Strauss was some of the best music-making I have ever been a part of. I felt like I knew exactly what needed to happen musically and was able to completely connect with the players in the moment and make those things happen and really shine. It was a very special performance!
Marching band
After several games it was time to farewell the Marching Band season, but not before the last game of the season. It was -5C that day and as (mad!) protocol dictated we were required to remove gloves, beanies and coats to actually conduct. It was a fairly sobering experience and my little fingers were very painful! There was a bit of extra ‘vibrato’ in my conducting that day!
Winter
That brings me to winter. It’s been pretty cold here! We’ve had one big snowfall in the last few months and a few additive dustings since. Mostly the temperatures have been sitting between 0C and -10C. Somehow you miraculously adapt to these freezing temperatures and suddenly develop a tolerance for them. When it goes above freezing as it has for the last couple of days as all the snow has melted you feel as if you could almost go outside in a tshirt! That said there have also been some brutally cold days including New Year’s Eve when it plummeted to -19C and I foolishly endured a 1 hour walk home after celebrating.
Nearby street after the first big snowfall
The spectacular weather has also prompted a lot of photo-taking to the point where I've entered some photos in a contest called 'Capture Minnesota', which you can see here.
Chicago
After exams and recitals were over Erin and I jetted to Chicago for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. As usual it was a jam-packed, exhausting affair but we heard some good concerts and some interesting sessions. It was just excellent to hang out with all the Aussies who were in attendance and in particular to show support for the fabulous Aussie women presenting clinics: Jemima Bunn, Jo Heaton and Jodie Blackshaw. They did us very proud!
After surviving the Midwest madness and sadly saying goodbye to our fellow Aussies we flew to New York. Having both been there before we didn't feel compelled to cram lots of things in. However we did visit some cool neighbourhoods including Brooklyn & Greenwich Village, have a requisite Reuben Sandwich at the famous Katz's Delicatessen, see Picasso at the Guggenheim, walk through Central Park, see Avenue Q off-Broadway, visit the International Center for Photography and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge!
Brooklyn Bridge
Coffee adventures
In my last update I mentioned the coffee machine I’d just bought - a La Pavoni Europiccola. Well after months of trials and tribulations I’m starting to get quite good at using the thing after finding some good local sources for freshly roasted beans. Here’s an example of some of my creations:
My snazzy machine and an early home-pulled latte
Whilst in Chicago and New York we also explored some great coffee places that served excellent espresso including Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Bowery Coffee and Joe the Art of Coffee. In Chicago we mainly hung out at a few different locations of Intelligentsia Coffee and Toni’s Patisserie. We’ve also found another cool place here in Minneapolis called Angry Catfish.
I’m really looking forward to getting into this second semester and also getting home in May to see everyone that I miss so much!
xo
