We've been on tour for 9 days and everyone is beginning to get into the rhythm of touring. The tour started out in Washington D.C. with a concert at the Kennedy Center and the program was Mozart Symphony #28, John Adams A Guide to Strange Places, and Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (the "Pathetique). Despite the mediocre acoustics the audience seemed to enjoy it very much. Next was New York City, with 3 concerts at Carnegie Hall. I usually enjoy running around the city to see museums, etc. but I was hit with a nasty cold that kept me confined to the hotel napping while I didn't have a rehearsal or concert. I even had to cancel a visit to see my family north of the city because of those little germs. The highlight of the New York concerts was the Mahler Symphony #2 (the "Resurrection Symphony), which never fails to elicit standing ovations. The guest chorus, The Westminster Symphonic Choir, was excellent but I'm sure Cleveland Orchestra Chorus members were NOT pleased to not be singing with us in Carnegie Hall. After New York we jumped over the puddle to Birmingham, England. Birmingham has an excellent hall built in 1990. The local orchestra achieved fame under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, who spent many years there and is now the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic. We did the Mahler again with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, which was also excellent. Birmingham is a big city with lots of night life next to our hotel (READ PUBS WITH LOTS OF ENEBRIATED YOUNG PEOPE WATCHING THE WORLD RUGBY FINALS, WHICH ENGLAND LOST!!) Cardiff, Wales was next, on last Monday. The famous city castle was right in front of the hotel and there's a neat pedestrian mall near the hotel. It's a neat city and well worth the visit. I had dinner there with a bass-playing friend who used to play in the Hong Kong Philharmonic. She's married to a free-lance trombonist who works in London and they're expecting their 2nd child. That brings us to Brussels, Belgium, where we played at the Palais des Beaux-Arts last night. The house was packed and we rocked it on Beethoven 7th symphony. Brussels is a beautiful city but we were there such a short time I decided to skip the sight-seeing and rest up before the concert. Pacing is very important on tour, especially as you get older! Some of the younger folks in the orchestra went out partying after the concert last night and got in at 5am. Needless to say they are sleeping on this morning's bus ride to Luxembourg, and trying to get rid of headaches!
Have a profitable day and I'll report more in a few days.
Best, Scott Haigh
Comments(3)