Nashville Symphony

by kjbake01

Whew! What a weekend. I drove to St. Louis at the crack of dawn on Sunday to catch a GORGEOUS noon wedding at the Missouri Botanical Garden (which used to be called Shaw’s Garden, and plenty of native St. Louisians continue to use the term).  I don’t know what it costs to host a wedding at a venue that gorgeous, but it was money well spent.  (Congrats Ben and Renee!)  It was really good to catch up with my friends from back home, some of whom I hadn’t seen in 7 years. (literally since h.s. graduation parties!) Then we went to McGurks for drinks.  Definately you should go.

Last night I went with a friend to see the Nashville Symphony play for free in Centennial Park (downtown park in Nashville).  It was a lot of fun, great weather, warm but not hot, comfortably humid.  Kelly Cocoran, the educational director of the Symphony conducted. (and she was a lot of fun with her program notes to the audience)  Lots of standard things; an interesting arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, Russian Sailors Dance, Medley from My Fair Lady, Thuder & Lightning Polka, Tarrantella & Mazurka.  The Orchestra (seemed a smaller consort of players, and I didn’t see the two string players I know..) played well.  I enjoyed the Russian Sailors Dance the best, but I prefer agressive art music.   I was a little disapointed with the rather bland performance of Stars & Stripes that closed the program.  Everything was technically correct; and I’m sure the folks on stage have played S&S 100’s of times, but I’d have greatly preferred a more subdued second strain, (“terraced” dynamics) and much more exaggerated Ritards on the walk downs (dah da-ah, da-ah da-ah,    da–ah da–ah,    dah dat dah dat dah).  Make a moment!

Insert annoying blogger question here : (how do you make a moment in your activities?)  Gosh I hate those… like so many bad lesson plans.