Sunday's Symphony

Currently Reading: All She Was Worth By Miyuki Miyabe

Sunday, my niece and her violin group were the closing number at the Memphis Symphony concert called Prism. I really enjoyed it.

It started out with some Handel then there was a 4 piece Celtic band that played a piece called Fiddle Melody. Then there was a very nice woodwind quartet followed by harp selections. Then the symphony again with Brahms' Hungarian Dance #5. World drumming was next followed by the symphony again with Les Toreadors.

At that point the lights went out and a spot opened up behind us where a bagpiper was walking down the aisle. That was very nice. He was followed by a duo playing flamenco music. CC's flamenco teacher was there performing as the dancer. That was REALLY nice.

Symphony again playing Duke Ellington, then a brass quintet and then again with the symphony for Hoe Down.

Then the lights come up, we all clap for the orchestra and they bring in the children. Lines and lines of children come in, 85 total, one of which is my niece. This group ranges in age from about 4 on up to the mid-late teens. What could they possibly play that they'd all know? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, multiple variations. They played this with the backing of the orchestra though so it was much richer than your usual Twinkle Twinkle :-)

The only thing that detracted from the experience was my being repeatedly left out of conversations. This is a rather rude habit my family has developed over the years. My hearing is shot to hell, we all know that. I wear the hearing aids and that helps but in noisy situations especially, it's hard to make out what people are saying if they dont' speak up. So, in the car on the way, for example, everyone will be talking about something and I'll grab little blurbs and bits over the wind noise. Something will catch my attention and I'll ask that it be repeated. MAYBE they'll repeat it once, often no louder than the first time, then they just give up and move on with their chat. Damned inconsiderate and they're the only ones who do this. CC speaks up, Judy and John speak up, CC's friends speak up and in their case I have the double problem of volume AND accent. But my own family? Nope.

I get even with them though :-) CC would text me from time to time and they'd ask what we were talking about. Well I figure if THEY aren't going to fill me in on THEIR conversations, why should I do the same for them? :-) So instead of giving them the full story I just give them vague little bits and blurbs instead :-)