A day by the lake

Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus with Carlos Kalmar conducting

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day, not too hot and with a nice breeze.  So what better way to spend it than listening to the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus's final rehearsal of the season with my good friend Holly?

Holly and I met at church years ago when our daughters, already friends, were about 10 years old.  Since both had an interest in music, they hit it off quickly.  They're 24 now and still good friends, even though one lives in Kansas City and the other in Philadelphia most of the year. 

While our daughters were growing up, Holly and I got to know each other.  We joined the church choir, attended Sunday School classes and a small group Bible study group together, and discussed our daughters' challenges and accomplishments.  And now just this past week, Holly's daughter, associate concertmaster of the Grant Park Orchestra, was given tenure.  What an exciting week!

The Grant Park Orchestra, formed in 1943, presents 10 weeks of free, classical music concerts in the Jay Pretzker Pavilion in Millennium Park each summer.  Its musicians come from different orchestras and musical institutions throughout the United States.  During the rest of the year these musicians perform with major orchestras, teach at numerous universities, and appear frequently on concert stages across the country.  Holly's daughter plays for the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Opera, and subs and solos in numerous other orchestras.

Yesterday the orchestra and chorus were rehearsing Verdi Requiem for its closing night concerts last night and tonight.  I have to admit my attention was drawn mainly to the chorus and soloists, though, since I can more readily relate to them.  The soprano, Amber Wagner, was absolutely wonderful!  What an amazing voice!  She performed so effortlessly, too.  I watched her and the mezzo soprano soloist, Michaela Martens, very closely.  Michaela's voice wasn't quite as full and she didn't sing quite as effortlessly, but she did do one thing that particularly interested me — she kept moving and holding her jaw to loosen and relax it.  Funny that I should have noticed that, but I did because my voice teacher had been forever on me to relax my jaw and to move and hold it just like that.  I always thought I was completely awful and would never learn what he was trying to teach me.  But if a professional mezzo soloist has to do that too, well then I'm encouraged — maybe I wasn't quite as awful as I thought.

Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago, IL (click on picture to enlarge)