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bigmacbear) wrote2024-07-14 11:59 pm
bigmacbear) wrote2024-07-14 11:59 pm
GALA Festival Trip, Day 9 of 10
SUNDAY
Woke up about seven, used the bathroom and took medication, then returned to bed till the 8:00 alarm. We prepared for the 10 AM Coffee Concert by the Atlanta Women's Chorus, Phoenix Rising. Unlike the previous three days of Festival, today we attended events in all three main venues: Coffee Concert and Closing Ceremony in MCC auditorium, block 7 in Orchestra Hall, and block 8 in Central Lutheran Church. Phoenix Rising was phenomenal (🎶 doot doo, de do do 🎶). The work featured projected informational slides discussing the historical events which inspired the music, tailored to the Georgia audience.
After the concert, we took the Skyway to Orchestra Hall and continued to Target for batteries for Gary's meter. As we entered the store, I noticed a dude aggressively begging for something in pantomime and broken English from a customer exiting. On our return to Orchestra Hall, I suggested we get food as there would be no time between concert blocks. He wasn't hungry, so I went to the food truck and got us both Jarritos sodas (fruit punch for Gary and pineapple for me) and myself a carnitas (pulled pork) quesadilla. We sat with James and Ed, with a few other Seattle folks at the next table including Jerry, who I hadn't met and who spoke with a British accent, and Christian, who wore a custom "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" T-shirt. Later Riley (who Gary hadn't yet met) and TJ joined us.
When I finished my lunch, we went upstairs for block 7 which closed with SWC. The opening act was Vikerlased from Estonia. They were followed by the Wisconsin set, featuring One Voice Milwaukee and Perfect Harmony Madison. I ducked out for a bathroom break at the beginning of the Hudson Valley chorus' set and on my way back to the hall, was greeted by Chris, a big cub from the SMC second tenors who I hadn't yet met. SWC was amazing with their selections from Banned and Beloved, which somehow sounded much better in the space than in Town Hall.
We hurried to the church for the next block, arriving in time for the Ukrainian trio Qwerty Queer's last number. After the Taiwanese G Major Chorus' performance, we moved to the other side of the balcony for a better view, and as groups of people left, we found even better seats. For the Eugene GMC, we were seated behind a straight couple about our age and around the corner from the Jims from Portland. After that performance, the front row opened up and we were joined by two guys, one of whom mentioned "Mother" who I remembered from our joint concert with NCMC in Cleveland back in 2002. So I asked if they were from NCMC and they were. The younger dude was Randy and the older one was Don. Don remembered that season and the Regional Festival in Cincinnati when Dennis Rosenbaum and I "sat in" with NCMC because RGMC wasn't going. When the Turtle Creek Chorale took the stage, the straight couple, now sitting behind us, mentioned their son Louis was singing bass with TCC. We were going to try to get his attention so he knew where his folks were seated, but thought better of it. The TCC performance (with assistance from Atlanta Women's Chorus and the GMC of South Florida) featured the church's massive pipe organ, a nine-piece brass choir (with a cute cub with curly black hair and beard on French horn), timpani, piano, and drums, plus two bagpipes on the final number, Amazing Grace. Let's just say we were taken to church. Wow.
We returned to the hotel and were seated in the bar and grill for dinner. We chose sandwiches and fruit, knowing we had dessert in the room fridge for after the closing ceremony. I had a moment of panic when I asked for the bill and no one seemed to know who had taken our order, as we needed to be back to MCC auditorium by 7:30 for the closing ceremony. Fortunately, it was a short walk on the Skyway and they held the show for 10 minutes so people could get into the hall.
Joan Garry's top 10
10. Choralography is not for everyone.
9. Authenticity is your superpower.
8. We are an army of storytellers.
7. Lining up backstage is not our strongest suit.
6. Joy is doing what matters.
5. Solos are not what they're cracked up to be.
4. Choruses can't deliver on their mission unless they are well-run nonprofit organizations.
3. Harmony offers hope.
2. Standing on a stage openly LGBTQ+ is an act of bravery.
1. We are part of a movement.
After the show we returned to the hotel via the Skyway. I bought more soda and we returned to the room and launched a chorus of "The Party's Over" before tucking into our leftover desserts. Gary organized our bags, packing dirty laundry in the blue suitcase and cleaning out the green carryon bag. I pulled out the new bag and overpacked it significantly, so we pulled out some of the overflow dirty laundry and put it in the blue suitcase, which allowed both cases to close. I organized the clothes I planned to wear on the plane and was ready for bed around midnight. We finally got to sleep around 12:30.
Woke up about seven, used the bathroom and took medication, then returned to bed till the 8:00 alarm. We prepared for the 10 AM Coffee Concert by the Atlanta Women's Chorus, Phoenix Rising. Unlike the previous three days of Festival, today we attended events in all three main venues: Coffee Concert and Closing Ceremony in MCC auditorium, block 7 in Orchestra Hall, and block 8 in Central Lutheran Church. Phoenix Rising was phenomenal (🎶 doot doo, de do do 🎶). The work featured projected informational slides discussing the historical events which inspired the music, tailored to the Georgia audience.
After the concert, we took the Skyway to Orchestra Hall and continued to Target for batteries for Gary's meter. As we entered the store, I noticed a dude aggressively begging for something in pantomime and broken English from a customer exiting. On our return to Orchestra Hall, I suggested we get food as there would be no time between concert blocks. He wasn't hungry, so I went to the food truck and got us both Jarritos sodas (fruit punch for Gary and pineapple for me) and myself a carnitas (pulled pork) quesadilla. We sat with James and Ed, with a few other Seattle folks at the next table including Jerry, who I hadn't met and who spoke with a British accent, and Christian, who wore a custom "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" T-shirt. Later Riley (who Gary hadn't yet met) and TJ joined us.
When I finished my lunch, we went upstairs for block 7 which closed with SWC. The opening act was Vikerlased from Estonia. They were followed by the Wisconsin set, featuring One Voice Milwaukee and Perfect Harmony Madison. I ducked out for a bathroom break at the beginning of the Hudson Valley chorus' set and on my way back to the hall, was greeted by Chris, a big cub from the SMC second tenors who I hadn't yet met. SWC was amazing with their selections from Banned and Beloved, which somehow sounded much better in the space than in Town Hall.
We hurried to the church for the next block, arriving in time for the Ukrainian trio Qwerty Queer's last number. After the Taiwanese G Major Chorus' performance, we moved to the other side of the balcony for a better view, and as groups of people left, we found even better seats. For the Eugene GMC, we were seated behind a straight couple about our age and around the corner from the Jims from Portland. After that performance, the front row opened up and we were joined by two guys, one of whom mentioned "Mother" who I remembered from our joint concert with NCMC in Cleveland back in 2002. So I asked if they were from NCMC and they were. The younger dude was Randy and the older one was Don. Don remembered that season and the Regional Festival in Cincinnati when Dennis Rosenbaum and I "sat in" with NCMC because RGMC wasn't going. When the Turtle Creek Chorale took the stage, the straight couple, now sitting behind us, mentioned their son Louis was singing bass with TCC. We were going to try to get his attention so he knew where his folks were seated, but thought better of it. The TCC performance (with assistance from Atlanta Women's Chorus and the GMC of South Florida) featured the church's massive pipe organ, a nine-piece brass choir (with a cute cub with curly black hair and beard on French horn), timpani, piano, and drums, plus two bagpipes on the final number, Amazing Grace. Let's just say we were taken to church. Wow.
We returned to the hotel and were seated in the bar and grill for dinner. We chose sandwiches and fruit, knowing we had dessert in the room fridge for after the closing ceremony. I had a moment of panic when I asked for the bill and no one seemed to know who had taken our order, as we needed to be back to MCC auditorium by 7:30 for the closing ceremony. Fortunately, it was a short walk on the Skyway and they held the show for 10 minutes so people could get into the hall.
Joan Garry's top 10
10. Choralography is not for everyone.
9. Authenticity is your superpower.
8. We are an army of storytellers.
7. Lining up backstage is not our strongest suit.
6. Joy is doing what matters.
5. Solos are not what they're cracked up to be.
4. Choruses can't deliver on their mission unless they are well-run nonprofit organizations.
3. Harmony offers hope.
2. Standing on a stage openly LGBTQ+ is an act of bravery.
1. We are part of a movement.
After the show we returned to the hotel via the Skyway. I bought more soda and we returned to the room and launched a chorus of "The Party's Over" before tucking into our leftover desserts. Gary organized our bags, packing dirty laundry in the blue suitcase and cleaning out the green carryon bag. I pulled out the new bag and overpacked it significantly, so we pulled out some of the overflow dirty laundry and put it in the blue suitcase, which allowed both cases to close. I organized the clothes I planned to wear on the plane and was ready for bed around midnight. We finally got to sleep around 12:30.