A Quick Post

A Quick Post
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It’s the morning and I’ve just reminded myself to stick to black socks - there’s a concert tonight, of the Baroque ensemble. We’ll play Biber, Telemann, Vivaldi, Bach and Corelli, then probably have ice cream with the students, who are mostly local string players. Most of them are also playing in the YES Academy orchestra I’m conducting.

Yesterday I grabbed a pain au chocolate and orange juice for breakfast at the cafeteria (my French isn’t great but I can be understood - thanks to Elizabeth Sprigg, my high school French teacher!). There are summer courses here at the University, so my view from the (nearest) cafeteria was of students walking to class.

(Photo to come... sideways photos need re-editing...)

Next we had the opening ‘hello’ for the young students and their parents. While Avery and Mai got things started with their groups I sifted through emails, which are beginning to lay fallow - sorry to my friends in Philadelphia and New York, today I hope! - then I taught a violin lesson to a very good local violinist, one of several with Armenian last names. Many families resettled in Lebanon several generations ago.

After lunch at the cafeteria, perched on the edge of the mountain and overlooking a hazy Mediterranean, we did the opening ‘hello’ for the older students, and seating auditions, assignments, and began rehearsals! They’re a stronger ensemble than I imagined, and we played the Bryan Balmanges Rhythmic Dances as a warm-up. Some meter-changes and off-beat challenges were dispatched quickly, bringing everyone together for a common musical cause.

With about 30 members at the moment, the young musicians come mainly from Lebanon, with one from Jordan, and quite a few from Syria. (I’m not exactly sure the numbers - I believe 27 students playing orchestral string instruments, and guitar, were invited but ten were turned back at the border during a 10-hour process of interviews by Lebanese authorities. I think they’re trying to ensure visitors to Lebanon don’t apply for asylum and it’s a big, sad and complicated situation. None of the Egyptians made it, either.)

The Syrian musicians are strong players, too - the first stand of first violins has a concertmaster from Damascus (I think that’s where she’s from), and a member of the professional orchestra in Jordan. It sounds like their orchestra is playing reduced-size concerts largely, but good music.

Piotr Szewczyk’s piece, The Rebel, which was originally commissioned by the youth orchestra I conducted in Miami (The Young Musicians Orchestra), was a hit, and the arranged overture to the Fledermaus (Strauss) went well. People are tripping over his name - there doesn’t seem to be many Polish people here. (Funny, because we walk past a statue of John Paul II on the way out of the University.)

Rushed over after rehearsal to the Baroque orchestra rehearsal, but waited. I was nearly falling asleep - I’d forgotten what jet lag is like when it’s hot. I think the concert tonight should go well.

Eek! had better pick out a madrigal for this morning’s conducting class before teaching violin in half an hour. And get some more of that pain au chocolate!

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