Mark’s most recent recital was really unique. Each student performed an arrangement of an LDS hymn or Primary song. Even living in Utah, it felt refreshing to have a recital dedicated to sacred music. Mark played Israel, Israel, God is Calling, which is a great choice for a young man preparing to serve a mission.
Mark is preparing for an audition and a competition this fall where he will play a Chopin Impromptu, which is a very different kind of piece. I just love listening to him practice each day.
I have enjoyed many pieces introduced to me by this book. Here are a few that I am playing on repeat. I don’t expect you to listen to all of them. I just felt like gathering some within a post for easy reference.
Eyes Shut – Nocturne in C minor by Olafur Arnolds (b. 1986), after Frederick Chopin
The Frog Galliard by John Dowland (1563-1626)
Intermezzo in B flat minor op. 17 no. 2 by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
The Salley Gardens by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Ribers no. 8 Traditional Danish, arr. Danish String Quartet
Piano concerto no. 2 in F minor, op. 21 2: Larghetto by Frederick Chopin (1810-1849)
Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 5: Chaconne by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
A friend Stephanie took me to a Millennial Choirs and Orchestras concert on Friday night. This was one of the songs that they performed, although this recording is from an Arizona performance. There are chapters of this choir and orchestra in several states, including California, Arizona, Texas, and Utah.
My favorite piece that they performed was A Mighty Fortress is our God, arranged as a piano concerto with a full choir and orchestra. The pianist was Brandon Stewart on a Fazioli concert grand piano. I never want to forget this. However, there doesn’t seem to be a recording of this piece available. Were You There When They Crucified our Lord was also very good. If you have a chance to see this group perform, I hope you can go.
For my Christmas gift, Richard secured a ticket to an Itzhak Perlman concert that was supposed to be tonight. There weren’t two seats available, just one, so he bought the ticket for me. He also insisted on driving me to and from the concert, despite not being able to attend. I filled my pockets with tissues so I could cry as I heard Mr. Perlman play the violin.
But I didn’t meet my violin hero tonight; I met a religious hero instead.
There were a few of us who didn’t get the memo that the concert had been rescheduled, and we congregated at the doors of the music hall in our fine clothes, each showing disbelief in our own way. One of the people was Jean Bingham, former Relief Society General President. Her presence is beautiful and so bright. My interaction with her made me feel that the night wasn’t a loss.
This is my favorite image of Sister Bingham during her presidency. It shows her cheering for missionaries who came home during the early days of 2020. She was a light to me during this confusing time, and I took this screenshot to remember the impact she made on my heart and mind. In many instances, she showed she was a worthy hero during the pandemic.
I am listening to a different piece of classical music each day as I read the book, Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill. Once I read the few paragraphs for the day, I go on YouTube to search for the piece. I have seen how much the artists matter! Interpretations of the same song are often very different.
I have been doing this for a month now, and I look forward to a new piece each morning. I don’t enjoy every song, but I write simple words in a day planner to describe the music of the day: pensive, incessant, folksy, triumphant… and try to imagine when the music would be most appreciated. I might write that one song would be comforting to listen to when sad, or another captures the joy of a beginning or the tug of a goodbye. I also like to compare different recordings and choose a favorite artist.
The piece I include here today has been playing on repeat all week since Richard and I discovered this recording together. More than a word that best describes this song, its mood and expression, I mark the person I discovered it with. To me, this song will always be about a sweet day spent with Richard in our 28th year of marriage.
Richard’s cousin Loretta invited us to hear her Christmas choral concert. It was so, so good! We already know we want to be in the audience again for next year’s concert. (Salt Lake Choral Artists) I laugh when I see these puffy coats (I am actually wearing two in this picture), but they are necessary right now.
Mark had his first recital with his new piano teacher tonight. I have never heard a recital like it. Every student was so prepared and expressive, no matter their level. It was an exquisite musical experience.
We are proud of Mark! O Holy Night was his piece, and Richard and I were lucky to hear him shine. It is not easy to change teachers, and taking lessons with his new teacher has required him to leave school early each day to do online school at home, practice, or attend a lesson. There are moments when all the hard work and sacrifice suddenly bring forth something special. Tonight was one of these times.❤️
