Sunday, December 6, 2015

Advent 2

Today is a mild November day. It is a great time to venture out but after church, I just feel like staying at home and catching up with my blog....at least that was the plan. A lot has happened since my last post a few months ago.

For the first time in over 26 years, I attended the Gettysburg College Christmas Concert on Saturday evening (December 7). It was great music. I heard Ralph Vaughn Williams', "Hodie" for the first time (in my memory). I am definitely going to purchase a recording of the work. I'm glad that Tom Jolin e-mailed and asked me to go along with him and his wife. Unfortunately, she was on call for several births and decided remain home. This afternoon I attended, for the first time, the Gettysburg Civic Chorus Christmas concert. It was a good concert, however, I could not help but look at the audience. Most of the people were senior citizens. Will there be music lovers in numbers to attend such concerts in this season or any other time of the year? While I enjoy the traditional carols, it was good to hear pieces composed in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Last weekend at this time I was on my way from New York. More precisely I was in Alexandria having lunch with Patricia Pasqual with whom I drove from NY. This has become a holiday travel tradition. I pick her up from her family home in Jamaica, Queens and we venture on I-95. This past trip was uneventful (we beat the traffic).

Last Saturday, November 28, was my birthday. With Jeanie, Robert, and Pat, my birthday treat was dinner at Caffè Taci, on E. 54th Street in Manhattan with the Opera Nights at Papillon Restaurant. There were great singers and arias for us diners. With dessert came the singing of "Happy Birthday." I remembered that I had my iPhone and recorded it. What a great 68th birthday!