Cappuccino, Vivaldi, Sunlight, Suzuki

It felt like a movie -- and that was just the rehearsal

The Buffalo Suzuki Strings, rehearsing at St. Louis Church. Photo by the Author.

This morning, stress! We had a rehearsal at St. Louis Church for our concert Sunday with the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra.

That concert, in case you did not know about it, is 5 p.m. Sunday Nov. 15 at St. Louis Church, Main and Edward. The St. Louis Choir is joining the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra to sing Vivaldi’s “Beatus Vir” — an amazing roller coaster of a piece.

Another group is on the program too. That is the Buffalo Suzuki Strings.

They are formidable!

The Suzuki Strings are singing in the concert’s second half. I will tell you this, I am glad we do not have to follow their act.

These kids can play! And they are as disciplined as an army. My friend Janet, who is a violinist and who sings in the soprano section of the St. Louis Choir, she was sitting with me and pointed out how their bowings are all exactly alike, how disciplined they are. Flawless.

I made this little short I launched on YouTube. I have been working on my video skills and I just could not help it.

The concertmaster, the kid in the orange shirt, was priceless. Like an officer.

I made this little short. I have been working on my video skills and I just could not help it.

At one point there was a pause while their director, Mary Cay Neal, was conferring with Donna Lorenzo, who is conducting this concert. As the directors conversed — in a leisurely fashion, no hurry — the kids stood there, instruments in hand, motionless, silent, patient.

Amazing to see.

As I have confided before, I am new to seeing concerts from this perspective. I used to review Viva Vivaldi for The Buffalo News. Year after year, I would choose one and go, and write about it. I loved it. However I never saw it from this angle. I mean, from the angle of being in it.

Janet and I met for coffee beforehand at Penny’s, down the block. I had a cappuccino to steady my nerves. Then we went to the church. The Suzuki Strings were playing — they were scheduled to rehearse before we were. We sat down.

As the minutes passed the excitement grew. Eminent musicians from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra began arriving with their instruments. The Ars Nova Musicians is made up mostly of BPO musicians. And, I mean, I’ve seen this musicians before. I’ve talked to many of them, interviewing them for The Buffalo News. But that was before I was, ahem, sharing the stage with them! This is a whole different ball game.

I caught my breath, seeing violinists I recognized — important musicians from the Philharmonic. First violinist Diana Sachs. Antoine Lefebvre, the principal second violin. Seriously, we had section principals.

People gathered in twos, in threes, or sat singly, watching what was going on. Photographers hovered, shooting video. A few people appeared simply to be there observing. Our choir director, the legendary Frank Scinta, was seeing to last minute details.

All this happened in this incredible space, this historic Gothic church, with sunlight filtering through the windows given to Buffalo as a gift by “Mad” King Ludwig of Bavaria.

I whispered to Janet: “I feel as if I’m in a movie.”

Once we got up there it all went by like a freight train. The musicians were all business, everyone focused. This was serious. I am singing in the “tutti” sections — the big choruses that blast forth at intervals throughout the piece. It is a thrill.

Me, singing Vivaldi with an orchestra! With the Ars Nova.

Wonders never cease!

Beef… It’s What’s For Dinner

The Roast, Removed from the Oven.

I am eating red meat, preparing for Sunday’s gig. Here is my best beef recipe. It is for eye of round. I purchased this huge eye of round at Gordon’s Restaurant Supply for $5 a pound. It is about eight pounds. You eat it throughout the week — or you are more sensible than I am and cut it in a half.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Take your eye of round. Place it in a roasting pan. Salt it and pepper it. When the oven is hot, put your roast in the oven.

Roast it for 21 minutes — or until, as in my case, your smoke alarm goes off. Then turn off the oven.

Let the beef sit in the oven for the next three hours. Do not open the door. Do not do a thing until you finally take it out of the oven, slice it, and eat it.

It is the easiest thing! No timing, no worries. The 21 minutes … whatever site I got this from called for a 3-pound roast and said to roast it at 500 degrees for seven minutes a pound. I had an 8-pound roast, however I thought the shape of it was pretty similar, so I treated it like a 3-pound roast. It came out perfect.

I Have Dreamed

That is a song Howard played at Lounge Academy. He put together a little video.

I love his title! “Singing and Piano Touching Hearts with Every Note Watch Now!” My title for my Suzuki Strings video, while catchy, could not quite measure up to that.

“The King and I” is a marvelous musical. We got to talking about that in the lounge last night after Howard played that song.

This classic clip. I want Howard to do this song next.

So much to love about this … Yul Brynner pacing around like a panther, and that “Why do you stop? You dance pretty, go on, go on, go,on!” I love how he settles in to watch her, assuming she is dancing for him.

How does he say “Teach teach teach” so fast?

And when he places his hand on her waist — swoon. Someone wrote in the comments, nobody says “I love you,” but you know!

The clash of cultures, so romantic. When I was a teenager I read the book “Anna and the King of Siam,” that inspired this musical. Has anyone else out there read it? It was a beat-up old paperback.

But back to this dance. Some people on YouTube say, this is the most romantic excerpt from any musical, which is really saying something. I do not disagree.

Now I have to go drink tea and practice up for tomorrow.

Thank you for sharing these adventures with me! See you Tuesday for We’re Going In!

In Case You Missed It….

Click here to climb to the choir loft of St. Stanislaus Church. We’re going in!

Click here for “Alto Rhapsody … Alto Meltdown”… a singing adventure.

Click here for “The Cat Ate My Schubert.” True story!