April 2006

April 24, 2006 06:35

So much excitement going on for everyone! I've had a great few weeks too. The string quartet played beautifully for the Good Friday service, despite all my worries. It was a deceptively difficult piece but we must have pulled it off. Afterwards, a visiting organist asked us to play for his niece's wedding! You can imagine my astonishment. :)

The community symphony I joined this year had its final concert of the season Friday night at Spivey Hall. The Mozart piano competition winners were fabulous and the Wagner piece finally came together. We are extrememly lucky to have a world-class venue right in our backyard. Spivey Hall has established itself as one of the Southeast's premier concert destinations. Our school system is fortunate to use this jewel-box venue frequently and I have heard through the years from my children and others that the acoustics are "maximally beautiful" (Carley). It was my first time to perform there and I could not believe my ears. What a difference great acoustics make for even a muggle violinst such as myself. I've never played where I could hear myself and others with such clarity. Made me a believer that there is hope for my intonation skills yet!!

The founding director of Spivey Hall is retiring. She has booked over 600 concerts in her 15 year tenure and "had the savvy to snag musicians almost at the crest of their wave - at an artistic peak but a blink before they became famous (and thus too expensive".(AJC) All the big names in violin have performed here (Perlman played the gala opening concert) and I was in awe as I walked down the back hallway and perused the autographed pictures that line it. Nearly every performer comments on the beautiful sound of the hall. Spivey Hall was built and runs on a $7 million endowment from a local doctor. What a gift.

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April 2006

April 24, 2006 06:35

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