A Wonderful Evening, All for a Good Price

We had decided not to subscribe to a concert series with the Cincinnati Pops this year. There just weren't five concerts I wanted to attend. But then we got this offer to purchase tickets to two concerts and get the third one free, and there were two I really did want to attend, the annual Holiday concert and the closing concert featuring Mandy Patinkin. So I thought, OK, I'll take a third concert free. I chose the concert for last night, March 8, featuring the Chieftains. 

I'm afraid I'd never heard of the Chieftains, and I didn't really know what to expect. I was delightfully surprised and pleased. They are a group of marvelous musicians--and dancers!--from Ireland. And in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day, the whole program featured the haunting melodies of Irish tunes.

Flutes, harp, keyboard, guitar, violins combined with vocals and several rounds of that unique brand of Irish dancing plus a bagpipe choir and a men's chorus for an evening that was truly enjoyable. 

We saw or bumped into several friends there, which added to the enjoyment, as did our wonderful dinner at the Washington Platform, located not far from Music Hall at the corner of Court and Elm. 

We discovered Washington Platform a year or two ago when we had a Groupon for the place, and we loved the eclectic mix of seafood and other delights as well as the unique atmosphere. So when their name came up again amid the Groupon offerings a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance. We parked across the street from the restaurant--on the street, for free--and decided to walk down to Music Hall for the concert. It was brisk, but not cold. We were glad to get into the warm concert hall, and afterwards, glad to get in our warm car. But the fresh air and walk were good for us. We had a free concert, a discounted dinner, and free parking in an evening that was nice in every way.

Three Days, One Post

I know, I know . . . I haven't been keeping up my daily blogging. Well, I've been BUSY! :-) But let me give this quick summary of the weekend.

FRIDAY

Took the day off. Spent the morning enjoying coffee, Facebook, and the "Today" show. Answered some work e-mails, took a shower, and met Evelyn for lunch at Servatii's at Harper's Point.  Snapped some pictures of the baked goodies in the case before Evelyn and I enjoyed soup and chicken salad half sandwiches.

Looked for bargains and Christmas decorations at Stein Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Target, and Kohl's. Got bargains at the first and last place and Christmas wreaths and bows at Michael's. Scurried home and changed clothes in time to grab supper at the Indian restaurant in Mason before heading to church for the annual Christmas pageant. We enjoyed it, as always.

Snapped this picture of the choir in concert mode during Act II of the Pageant. And this picture of the final moments of the grand tableau with the wise men at the end of Act III.

Connected with Dave and Carol Ray at the pageant and ended up with them at Frisch's for dessert and sat and laughed and talked with them till after 11:00.

SATURDAY

Met Bill and Verna Weber at Bronte Bistro in Joseph Beth Bookstore for breakfast at 9:00. Caught up with each other till about 11:00. Back home, talked with Wendy Wagoner for quite awhile, and then jumped into the day's duties. Evelyn graded papers, and then we mounted the wreaths we had bought Friday on the windows in the front of the house. I bought floodlight holders and bulbs and hooked them up to light the wreaths. Hung the large lighted wreath that Ken Aulen gave us years ago and stood back to enjoy my BRIGHT creation. Evelyn thought it was too much, but she said today it's growing on her. We'll see if the floodlights make it till Christmas.

Enjoyed dinner at Macaroni Grill before heading to Music Hall for the annual Cincinnati Pops holiday show. 

Snapped this picture of folks gathering in the lobby for one of three sold-out shows featuring Amy Grant. It was a different holiday show than the casts of thousands Erich Kunzel always gathered. But the symphony was excellent, as always, and it was refreshing and gratifying to see Amy Grant perform. She told us she's 52 years old now; she's been traveling since she was a teenager. She still has the figure and the pretty good looks of a much younger woman, although her voice is weak on the high notes. But no matter--she comes across as down-to-earth, without pretense, and she offered a testimony to the Lord as she sang her best-known contemporary Christian hits, mixed among Christmas standards, all accompanied by her top-notch combo and two young  back-up singers, one of them the daughter of her husband, Vince Gill. In the middle of her concert, she called Vince to center stage and talked him into singing a song, accompanying himself on her guitar.

SUNDAY

I played piano in the Classic service. The bell choir played Christmas carols at the blended and the classic service today. Snapped their picture from the piano bench.

Afterwards, Evelyn and I stopped by the house to pick up a couple of coupons we had left there. Ate lunch at Panda Express--our first time to try it since it opened this summer. Picked up a picture frame and some other stuff at Kohl's, and then headed home to get on with the day. I went to Kroger's and then decided to take advantage of the mild temperature and dry afternoon to do some yard clean-up. Decided to set up our "gumdrop tree" on the deck where we'll enjoy it even though it's not out in front this year for most of the neighbors to see.
Jennifer called, and we had a nice visit with her before our usual Sunday-evening routine of "60 Minutes" and supper.
Now it's back to work for two solid weeks till more than 10 days off for Christmas and New Year's!

Peters at the Pops

Last night we went to the last of this year's Cincinnati Pops concerts, and it was a good one.

"Broadway sensation" Bernadette Peters was the headliner, and she filled the long second half, keeping us with her the whole time.

Performing everything from the red-hottest "There Ain't Nothin' Like a Dame" you've ever seen or heard to a lullaby she wrote for her children's book, she demonstrated her remarkable versatility. The concert made me wish I had seen/could someday see her on Broadway. 

A trained vocalist would need to evaluate her voice. My layman's ear found it strong, often sultry, sometimes a little raspy, but able to achieve a wide range, including clear, quiet high notes. It did falter or crack two or three times toward the end of the concert, but those who noticed didn't seem to care. No one would guess she's 64, but I'll believe that fact, quoted in the Cincinnati Enquirer's interview with her last Sunday. She really does look as good as this publicity photo (left). 

Here's proof that I DID see Bernadette Peters--
this grainy picture I took from my seat Friday night.

We met Bill and Verna Weber for dinner before the concert at Cactus Pear restaurant in Clifton. We were there about 6:15, which gave us time for a relaxed, enjoyable dinner before leaving to drive down Vine Street to Music Hall for the 8:00 concert. Both they and we have decided not to renew our Pops subscription next year--they because Verna is still looking for a job and we because I wasn't blown away by all the concerts in next year's series. I hope to attend at least a couple of them, though. Amy Grant will be here for the Christmas biggie, and about a year from now Mandy Patinkin will close the seasons's series. We've seen Amy in person before, but not Mandy, and I think I'd like to.

All things must come to an end, including the lighted Pops
sign that was the backdrop for Erich Kunzel's Pops
concerts, in favor of this one when John Morris Russell
took the podium this year.

"Older" Isn't the Worst Thing

Today is Jennifer's birthday, and we called her while we were riding to meet Verna and Bill Weber for dinner before attending the Cincinnati Pops concert tonight at Music Hall. (It was a treat to see and hear Bernadette Peters. I'll plan to say more tomorrow.)
"How does it feel to have a daughter who's 36?" she asked. (We were conversing via the speaker phone feature on Evelyn's cell.)
"How do you think it feels to BE as old as WE are?" I responded. But I didn't speak our ages out loud.
With Bill and Verna at dinner, we were laughing about my tendency to puddle up. "I'm just so nostalgic," I said.
"It gets worse as we get older," Evelyn said.
I was talking about Jennifer's wedding with a friend at work. "She knew better than to ask me to perform it," I said. "I just hope the two of us can get down the aisle with dry eyes!"
If I shed a tear at the wedding (I can hear a couple of good friends: "If? IF?"), it won't be because I'm unhappy, or because I think she is.
"She sounds very happy," I said to Evelyn after the conversation was finished. What more could a parent want? She celebrated her birthday with her groom-to-be and his kids: Chinese buffet and then back home for the birthday cake he baked. She promised a picture. But for now, I'll post one of their family engagement pictures. (I think I've exercised remarkable restraint for not posting one of these before now.)
Yep, we're all getting older. And that's not a bad thing.

A Night to Remember

I'm no music critic, so I do not have the words to adequately convey the remarkable experience Evelyn and I shared last night when we heard Chris Botti and his band perform with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Music Hall was sold out for the one-night-only performance, and the crowd clapped and cheered and swayed with the rhythm and melodies, or sometimes sat in rapt silence to witness the musical feats performed onstage.
Not only is Botti himself a virtuoso, but he brought with him an ensemble equal to his talent. Billy Childs on the piano is a four-time Grammy winner. Brazilian guitarist Leonardo Amudeo is a star in his own right. Drummer Billy Kilson, described by Norton Wright at the International Review of Music as possibly "the most exciting drummer working today," earned that accolade with his performance in Cincinnati. Violinist Caroline Campbell wowed the audience in soaring duets with Botti and in a tour de force of technical showmanship in her own solo. And then there was vocalist Lisa Fischer, backup singer for The Rolling Stones, who demonstrated a vocal range only exceeded by the enveloping warmth of her sultry voice.
The program was remarkable, not only for its excellence, but also for its range--everything from a Chopin prelude to jammin' jazz. Botti engaged his audience with his low-key hosting of the evening. And he and Fischer performed one whole section from the audience, shaking hands and greeting guests as they meandered  down an aisle.

It's been along time since I've been so blown away by a concert, and attending concerts is one of my favorite hobbies. Indeed, it was a night to remember.

I snapped this picture as the orchestra was
assembling onstage. . . .

. . . and this one as Botti performed
his first number.

Friends at a Wedding

Tom Wellage married Liz Pavone at our church yesterday.
Jan Cummins was just one of many friends with us there.

 Writing in the Wall Street Journal yesterday (Feb 18), Alain de Benton suggests alternatives for religion to help contemporary nonbelievers experience a sense of community. I can only wish he did not have to research and write a whole book to propose what I and my wife and so many people I know experience weekly, simply because we have not given up our religion. (His Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believers Guide to the Uses of Religion will be published March 6. I doubt many who read this will rush out to buy it!)

I'm posting this entry toward the end of a weekend that illustrates how Evelyn and I have enjoyed the community we find in the company of other Christians. I can't imagine what our life would be like without them. I feel sad for so many around us, like de Benton, who do not know the support--and fun!--that comes with keeping Christian friendships.

I already posted that we went to the Cincinnati Pops concert Friday with friends Bill and Verna Weber, who were Evelyn's colleagues at Cincinnati Christian University until they both lost their jobs in a significant cutback there last month. It was good to enjoy a "normal" experience with them, even as we  discussed their options in a world that for them has turned upside down.


Yesterday we attended the wedding of Liz Pavone to Tom Wellage at Christ's Church at Mason. It was a happy time, made happier because we have such a high regard for the faith and witness of the bride and groom--and underlined by the friendly banter with longtime friends who attended the wedding with us.

Jan Cummins went to business school with Evelyn long before I knew her. They were roommates after that, and a few years later, Jan was in our wedding. She knew Tom at the church they both used to attend, and she was one of several friends bustling around the fellowship hall and making sure the reception went smoothly.

Four more friends were Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser and Dan and Cindi Cooper, and the fellowship started at the afternoon wedding continued at the Coopers' place where Cindi fed us a wonderful supper followed by more laughing and sharing.

This afternoon Evelyn and I are catching up on housework, grocery shopping, and grading (Evelyn) and editing (Mark). Without our friends we would probably be done with all of that by now, having succumbed to what de Benton labels the "ruthless anonymity" of our time. But we wouldn't be happier for all of our accomplishment. I'm so grateful that God provided the church to create  bonds of community that so many outside of the church continue to long for.

Pops Goes the Decade

We arrived at our seats for the Cincinnati Pops concert last night to find a card on each of our seats thanking us for 10 years of subscribing to the Pops. 10 years! I didn't realize. I'm not sure if we'll be going 10 more years--not even positive if we'll subscribe again next year. But we have had the privilege of seeing some wonderful artists--Kristin Chenoweth and Marvin Hamlisch (sp?) come to mind, and I know there have been many others.
Last night's concert was a tribute to Disney, and I felt sort of ho-hum about it going in. But it was wonderful, mainly because of the four vocalists--two young women and two young men--who sang and danced through many of the songs. So talented, such vocal ranges, such versatility. Their singing, combined with the magnificent orchestra, and film clips and stills from the Disney movies on the screen above the orchestra, all made for an evening of warm nostalgia.
We went with our friends Bill and Verna Weber who have had a long week tending to Verna's mother, Mildred Holmes, who is on the mend at Jewish Hospital. She was admitted last week, but they say as soon as her white count gets low enough they'll send her back to Mason Christian Village. She'll go to the nursing wing instead of her apartment--at least for now.
We Skyped with our "adopted daughter" Wendy Wagoner this morning who is s-l-o-w-l-y recovering from her second bout with malaria. I guess it's really the first bout that recurred this week. Today's prayer request: No more parasites! Go, go out of Wendy's system!

This beautiful chandelier hangs above the lobby in Music Hall.