Tuesday 23 March 2010

Sunday 21st March 2010 - On the Julian Calender, That is

          I really am a city slicker at heart.  Having spent nearly a year out in the boondocks, I've been in the suburbs of Chicago for about five minutes and already I know the train times to town and back.  And where to find today's cheapest concert (it's free, actually).
          This is important, because it's Bach's birthday: unless you happen to be Pope Gregory XIII, in which case you have to wait another 11 days.  The Chicago Chamber Orchestra is doing the honours at 3pm.  Union Pacific, in deference to the great man, have arranged a conveniently timed train there and (probably) back.
          Knowing the nickname of this city, I wrap up well.  When I arrive at the concert hall, there is a mob on the other side of Michigan Ave, being restrained by mounted policemen, shouting "you're not welcome here"(the mob, not the policemen).  I went in to check if I needed to get a number, or anything like that, then came back out to see what they were shouting about.  But they were gone.  It couldn't have been Bach they were shouting about.  Maybe it was me!
          The concert was very enjoyable
[n1514]
But I do have to say their intonation was a bit iffy in places.  (I think when you get a lot of lady fiddlers together, you need a conductor who's a bit of a bastard).
 
          Back in Glen Ellyn, the Irish pub was doing boiled cabbage.  That sounded "efnick" enough to excuse me salad on such a cold night.

2 comments:

Joe said...

Am I missing something? Both the fiddlers on view in the photograph look distinctly alpha male.
However, I did notice the handbags beneath the seats of the cello and the viola players.

Mike Slavin said...

There were thirteen members of the band, plus the soprano, the trumpeter and the conductor. Turns out, from where I was sitting, I could only see the blokes. All the male members are visible in this photo (no lewd remarks, please!)