Sunday, March 14, 2010

2010 Concert

13 March 2010

It started snowing late morning, pretty heavily, and while down in the lower elevations it stopped precitating, up on the benches it kept snowing until, oh, about 8:00 pm. The snow wasn't sticking to the roads, but visibility was reduced. I didn't have a very good feeling about our audience.

I failed to understand the fanaticism of our fanatics.

They filled 3 sections of the auditorium, despite the snow.

As for the concert itself, the video clips were better than our "Pipes of War" concert, and were shorter and more audible. Lots of different band members were in them, so it wasn't just Ian mumbling through the commentary. There were lots of the stories behind tunes, and clips from WWI (or perhaps WWI movies). There was gas and war sound effects.

This was Karen, Dan and Kevin's first concert. Dan didn't seem nervous, but he never does. Kevin was nervous and was dancing around next to me. I tried to tease him a little to get him to relax, but he was having none of it, so I left him alone with his nerves. Karen had Lungs of Fire, residue of bronchitis. We were lucky she was there at all, and she played here and there, and otherwise was a placeholder, which was fine. I had prayed for her immune system, and she says it worked because her mom, who had the same illness, can still barely breathe whereas Karen herself can play tunes on the pipes. Personally, I think she set herself up for a miracle by being a piper in the first place and developing good, strong lungs, but I'm perfectly willing to admit Divine Intervention on her behalf in this.

For our before-concert meal, Robert (the surgeon) brought sushi and wraps and vegetable trays . . . and cookies and pizza. He's looking after our health. I got a kick out of his license plate: CUTNSEW. He said he doesn't mind if people think he is a quilter.

The funniest incident of the concert was the beginning. There was supposed to be a video clip and smoke, then Jason was supposed to coming walking down the aisle from the back of the auditorium playing a tune. At the stage, he was to turn around and we were all going to start the 9/8's. Unfortunately (for him), he started before the video, got to the stage and THEN the video started. We could hear the stage people muttering, "He just started! Didn't tell anybody!" I guess he could have walked backstage and played the 9/8's with us when the curtain came up, but instead he walked back to the back of the auditorium, and after the clip was over, did his whole tune again. We were backstage in the pitch dark trying not to breathe the "smoke" and sniggering at his blaring mistake. During the intermission tune-up, Tyler said, "Why is it that when Jason screws up, everybody is nice to him, but when we screw up . . . " He never got any farther. Any comment about what happens to 'us' was interrupted by a laugh and a fake karate kick to the head.

All reports--even from experienced pipers--said that we played together, and our sound was clean and bright. It didn't sound like that to me. I know for a fact that I messed up the jig, Piper's Wedding. Maybe that was the only thing.

The treasurer's report said we took in almost $5000, more than any other concert during his (Pete's) tenure as treasurer. For a snowy day--for any day--, that was excellent!

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