Isn't Pat Haden the AD (and former QB) at USC? Oh, THAT Haydn....

Peter, fresh from trashing Lu, heaps praise

Friday night in Worcester for Haydn's The Creation, and there is no trouble getting a parking spot right across the street from Mechanics Hall ( www.mechanicshall.org), self described "acoustical masterpiece" and "one of the world's great concert halls." Sort of "most beloved".....

Pre-show talk cancelled, so I have time to kill and walk down Main Street to Armsby Abbey ( www.armsbyabbey.com) for a Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye. Nice dark old timey bar with good beer and usually good locavore food. Sit at the bar next to two academic sounding guys who I figure will be at The Creation (they are).

Mechanics Hall is indeed impressive, especially the main hall, which really is gorgeous...the rest of the presentation of the building could use some energy.

The performance is terrific. Professional/academic soloists imported from Oberlin, Harvard, BU, local (I assume amateur) orchestra and chorus. The choral director and conductor's bio sounds like he is an Aussy, but also CT, Hart BA, Yale MA, and a stint at the Greater Middletown Chorus! Stage full, lots of horsepower for a big piece of music that I have been listening to for a couple of months. The big choral pieces by Haydn, Handel, Beethoven are incredibly powerful, and enjoyable to listen to.

After the performance the orchestra and chorus people .... mostly middle aged men and women.... come down into the audience in their tuxes and black dresses and pearls for hugs from family and friends. It must be tremendously satisfying to be able to keep up with music all your life and at a high level. I think maybe a lot like being able to keep playing a sport at a satisfying level as you get older. I'm impressed.

Johnnyk comments:

Good morning.  You've had a busy music week!  I gave Lucinda another spin and I think I like it.  Sounds more understated, hearkening back to her earlier albums where she didn't try to be so trashy rock (except for Buttercup, which has a good sound, but awful lyrics).  Give her another try.  I'll see her live at Jazz Fest this year.   

A couple weeks ago, when Garrett and Yvette came up, I tried to get the crew down to Sprague Hall (I think) for a lecture/chamber music event, but couldn't convince them that it was a really cool thing.  Oh well. 

Great day of hoops yesterday.  Worked until 2, then down to Payne-Whitney (they call it something else now, maybe because Payne & Whitney can't contribute anymore!) for the Harvard-Princeton game with Chris, Tommy & Kathy (Jan was sick).  Great atmosphere!  That's a great place.  I remember my father taking me to see Yale v Holy Cross (with Jack 'The Shot' Foley) as a kid and we played our HS semi-final there (well, I sat the bench) my junior year.  One of the highlights was a student's 'scoreboard' showing Harvard leading with U.S. Presidents 8-2 (can you name them?), while also "winning" the 'In New Jersey' category 0-1.  I wish I could remember some of the others.  

Finished the day with dinner with Tommy/Kathy at Gianni's in Meriden, then watched the Huskies (bastards version) beat the Celtics' franchise destroyer, Rick Pitino, and his Louisville Cardinals for the Big East title.  I wonder if he reserved another post-closing table for two after the game.  "Sir, would you like a glass of Chianti with that dish?"   Do you want in on Keith Anderson's NCAA pool this year?