Saturday, January 08, 2005
Wonder Year:
We went to a Christmas eve service in which the ministery gave a homey message: "give yourself some gifts on Christmas: time to look around and see what's around you, and a sense of wonder. I had no problem with wonder this year: we kept seeing Christmas specials which were simply beyond expectations, sometimes a bit beyond belief. The new Mormon Tabernacle concert was followed by a splendidly professional bell-ringing group, "The Raleigh Ringers," who create more wonderful sounds than any bell choir has any apparent way to make. Huge bells, tiny bells, strange bells, and a rousing full rendition of the Nutracker Suite.
The next special was "Cape Breton Christmas." I was prepared not to like it, especially after listening to the nearly 300 choir members of the MTC. But, lo and behold, these people do their thing amazingly well. At one point an 8 year old girl and her 10 year old brother come forth to sing. I think "Oh, no! I can't stand child performers!" (usually an exercise in parental tolerance at best). But these youngsters sang in perfect harmony and in moving style. Oh well, another stereotype destroyed. Not only that, in moments he'd pulled a fife from his pocket and was tooting away in expert technique and she was doing the Celtic drum. Oh, damn---multi-talented kids. But it doesn't end there: a bit later they were out, again, this time doing a marvelous straight-armed Scottish dance. Where do they find these kids? Wonderful, indeed.
Of course, earlier we'd seen the perfect choir at Mesa Methodist (seen live). Perfect isn't always inspirational, but it does create a healthy sense of wonder, nevertheless.
After Christmas we attended the National Band Day contest at the Fiesta Bowl. Relatively huge bands (up to nearly 300 strong) came trouping onto the field complete with caravans of major instruments which were set up on the field in a small "pod" in front. One band had 6 tamborines, a full set of tympani, an electric guitar, synthesizer, etc. All of this is set up with the maximal precision of the well-ordered drill, and in the minimum possible time. The huge band covers the football field from goal line to goal line, and with the well-synchronized snap of three drum major's batons standing on tall field stands, the roll of drums fills the stadium like a huge cannon shot. (The only mental image which comes to mind is that of a thousand Roman legionaires marching to massed drums).
These kids don't march the way we used to. For one thing, we never managed to march and play at the same time, at least not well. These guys play "immensely,"---all brass and bombast---and do it while marching in every which direction. As they march, their upper torso and instruments remain fixed towards you. Oftentimes this means marching backwards, and even more impossibly difficult, sideways. (I tried to do this on my own in my living room and neither my knees, back, nor hips allowed it!). So, marching in funny directions, but in perfect lines, and keeping your torso rigidly facing forward, playing music from memory and in excellent coordination across 100 yards---well, "wonder" doesn't half fill the bill.
The other day we came into a gallery in Scottsdale: Greg Lawson photography. At my first glance, I was simply amazed, and then chagrined. My own photography just fades in comparison. A consummate landscape photographer, he uses a 4x5" viewfinder camera, then the resulting positives are electronically scanned, and the huge 3x4 FEET photographs are printed out on a huge printer. The results show detail to the tiniest leaf. You can see things in his photographs I don't think you'd be able to tease out in real life had you stood in the same spot. The lighting effects were incredible. Each of these wonderful photographs is framed in a major museum quality frame, and is for sale for $2000.
We finished off the day with a visit to the "Organ Stop Pizza,"---buy your pizza and sit down to listen to a concert on the "second largest theater organ in the U.S." Always pretty wonderful.
We went to a Christmas eve service in which the ministery gave a homey message: "give yourself some gifts on Christmas: time to look around and see what's around you, and a sense of wonder. I had no problem with wonder this year: we kept seeing Christmas specials which were simply beyond expectations, sometimes a bit beyond belief. The new Mormon Tabernacle concert was followed by a splendidly professional bell-ringing group, "The Raleigh Ringers," who create more wonderful sounds than any bell choir has any apparent way to make. Huge bells, tiny bells, strange bells, and a rousing full rendition of the Nutracker Suite.
The next special was "Cape Breton Christmas." I was prepared not to like it, especially after listening to the nearly 300 choir members of the MTC. But, lo and behold, these people do their thing amazingly well. At one point an 8 year old girl and her 10 year old brother come forth to sing. I think "Oh, no! I can't stand child performers!" (usually an exercise in parental tolerance at best). But these youngsters sang in perfect harmony and in moving style. Oh well, another stereotype destroyed. Not only that, in moments he'd pulled a fife from his pocket and was tooting away in expert technique and she was doing the Celtic drum. Oh, damn---multi-talented kids. But it doesn't end there: a bit later they were out, again, this time doing a marvelous straight-armed Scottish dance. Where do they find these kids? Wonderful, indeed.
Of course, earlier we'd seen the perfect choir at Mesa Methodist (seen live). Perfect isn't always inspirational, but it does create a healthy sense of wonder, nevertheless.
After Christmas we attended the National Band Day contest at the Fiesta Bowl. Relatively huge bands (up to nearly 300 strong) came trouping onto the field complete with caravans of major instruments which were set up on the field in a small "pod" in front. One band had 6 tamborines, a full set of tympani, an electric guitar, synthesizer, etc. All of this is set up with the maximal precision of the well-ordered drill, and in the minimum possible time. The huge band covers the football field from goal line to goal line, and with the well-synchronized snap of three drum major's batons standing on tall field stands, the roll of drums fills the stadium like a huge cannon shot. (The only mental image which comes to mind is that of a thousand Roman legionaires marching to massed drums).
These kids don't march the way we used to. For one thing, we never managed to march and play at the same time, at least not well. These guys play "immensely,"---all brass and bombast---and do it while marching in every which direction. As they march, their upper torso and instruments remain fixed towards you. Oftentimes this means marching backwards, and even more impossibly difficult, sideways. (I tried to do this on my own in my living room and neither my knees, back, nor hips allowed it!). So, marching in funny directions, but in perfect lines, and keeping your torso rigidly facing forward, playing music from memory and in excellent coordination across 100 yards---well, "wonder" doesn't half fill the bill.
The other day we came into a gallery in Scottsdale: Greg Lawson photography. At my first glance, I was simply amazed, and then chagrined. My own photography just fades in comparison. A consummate landscape photographer, he uses a 4x5" viewfinder camera, then the resulting positives are electronically scanned, and the huge 3x4 FEET photographs are printed out on a huge printer. The results show detail to the tiniest leaf. You can see things in his photographs I don't think you'd be able to tease out in real life had you stood in the same spot. The lighting effects were incredible. Each of these wonderful photographs is framed in a major museum quality frame, and is for sale for $2000.
We finished off the day with a visit to the "Organ Stop Pizza,"---buy your pizza and sit down to listen to a concert on the "second largest theater organ in the U.S." Always pretty wonderful.
