Private performance, Orangeburg, NJ.
This evening was a most wonderful experience, a perfect expression of what I am hoping to accomplish with the Journey of 100 performances. Our Host and Hostess thoughtfully invited 14 or so of their good friends, from different paths in their lives, including their daughter-in-law who will be delivering a wonderful baby in approximately three weeks. According to Mom, Baby loved the performance and was dancing away!
Everyone in the group had a chance to introduce themselves and describe their role on our Hosts’ lives, and then the music began. The notion of Journey through Music had such powerful resonance for each and every person there, and that made me happy.
What pulled it all together was yet another creative accomplishment: a vast buffet dinner with homemade Italian and Italian-influenced culinary wonders! No kidding, this was just a like a variation on what was depicted in the film “Babette’s Feast”!
As for me and the music, I certainly enjoyed playing for these wonderful people. I was using a brilliant violin made in 1776 by Antonio Gragnani – an instrument that I am not completely familiar with, it being on a limited loan to me from David Segal Violins, Ltd. The tension and sounding manner of the instrument itself is considerably different than my own, and handling the multiple voices was, shall we say, challenging – a few more weeks with the fiddle would have been perfect.
Dear Shem: I am compelled to reiterate the great joy I experienced from your music. You obviously have spent many long and difficult hours practicing your craft. You deserve to feel extremely proud of the skill you have developed. In time we will look forward to another opportunity to hear you thanks so very much for a wonderful performance