Music – Valerie's Voice

Family Concert at St. Olaf

St. Olaf College’s annual family orchestra concert’s program is put together with children in mind, using fun and unusual antics.

The concert was held in St. Olaf’s beautiful Boe Chapel.

During the opening piece by Bach, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Glory unto Thee be Given) the students played their instruments while walking up and down the aisles. That was different, and very engaging. I liked the idea.

Students playing their violins while walking the aisles.

And when I heard the very first notes of the concert I immediately was jolted to a place of enjoyment and contentment, and I said to myself, it’s been too long since I’ve had the pleasure of listening to this beautiful music. What a gift it is.

Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band, with the St. Olaf orchestra.

This year’s concert featured a guest appearance by Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band. Their catchy music and lyrics may work with an invisible band (as indicated in their name), but the St. Olaf orchestra was too loud for them and drowned out the two male vocal artists.

Dr. Chung Park, the St. Olaf orchestra conductor.

The traditional highlight of choosing a child conductor (this year three) from the audience is a favorite. Dr. Chung Park, the orchestra conductor, chose three kids from the audience who came forward to “try out” to be a conductor. As the students played Rossini’s famous William Tell Overture the three young kids started to conduct, however, Dr. Fang had to tell them to turn around and face the orchestra. It was comical.

The three young children conducting the William Tell Overture (facing the right direction.)

A segment called the “audience orchestra” was interesting. A student stood up front and turned to face the audience, and without words directed our hands and feet to make sounds/music. It was very well done…and during this time Dr. Fang went back stage and changed into a Lord of the Rings costume. He came out as Gandalf and conducted the final piece of the concert, “Symphonic Suite” from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Gandalf conducting the St. Olaf orchestra.

This concert was a unique opportunity for the St. Olaf students to reach out to the children of the Northfield community. It was well attended, by the young, and the young-at-heart.

More Music

I’m grateful all the ways my life has been, and is currently, touched by music. I do appreciate music, although there is so much I do not know about it. The multitude of different musical instruments is amazing. I certainly appreciate musicians; their dedication to their craft and the practice they’ve endured, creating outstanding music for others to enjoy.

It’s nice to be able to attend concerts at the two colleges in Northfield. Even though I may not know much about the compositions, or composers, I can’t help but think I am changed in some way by hearing the beautiful music. Music is good for our souls.

Recently, we have been to several musical events…the St. Olaf Orchestra concert, a Boston Trio recital at Urness Hall (on St. Olaf campus), and the Rock and Roll Revival, a musical extravaganza put on by Northfield High school students.

Each were unique, each were performed by amazing musicians, and each were enjoyable.

The RRR (Rock & Roll Revival) has been put on every other year, for a total of sixteen times so far, by the high school students. It features rock and roll music, from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The high school kids put on a stellar and energetic performance. It’s always fun to see them in action.

I saw this box of 45’s in an antique store. These records were popular in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Most are without their sleeves, except for one or two.

And, this year’s RRR brochure was especially clever.

The brochure itself was square, with a 45 phonograph record printed on the front cover.

The picture of this “45” looks so realistic. The brochure was such a fun enhancement to the RRR.

The inside pages listed the songs to be performed. This brochure was then placed into a white, paper sleeve just like how the original 45’s were packaged for retail sale back in “my day.” What fun!

The brochures were tucked into these white sleeves, to represent a 45 phonograph record.

Music is very much a part of my life… from praise and worship songs and hymns on Sundays, to multiple and different opportunities presented to me from many other venues throughout the days, including my new Zumba class! We dance to lively, hispanic music.

Whether it is formal concerts, singing to ourselves or in church, or even hearing the birds sing their songs in the great outdoors, music is all around us…and I am grateful.

I would add to this saying on this card I received; .”And for all our saddest days, there is music.”

Piano Lessons

There are a few things I remember about music lessons from when I was younger. First, I remember the fluteophone, a white plastic wind instrument. A quick check on the internet tells me they still make them. Next came the wooden recorder, another flute-like, wind instrument. I’m not sure what I learned from them.

I also took piano lessons, but I do not recall when they began. I remember my piano teacher was the wife our pastor at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, but her name eludes me. I’m grateful my parents decided to give me lessons. I do remember playing the piano a lot (maybe I was even practicing). Our huge, used, upright piano was in our basement and I spent hours down there either playing the piano or sewing (our sewing machine was down there too.) Later, my parents bought an organ and I learned to play that. It’s all so very interesting to think back on this because I do not remember wanting to learn to play the organ…I guess I did at the time.

I didn’t keep up with organ, or piano, although I wish I had, of course. I still have several of my piano books and sheet music. I look at them now and realize I can’t play the pieces any more.

Our sons took piano lessons and we bought a used, spinet piano for them to play. The only use the piano gets now is if I sit down to play occasionally, for fun. A friend and I use to play duets together, but unfortunately, she moved away, and so the piano sits… (we’re willing to give it away to a good home).

I consider music a universal language. All people, from all nations, read the same notes and measures and rests etc… When our exchange student from Japan lived with us, we used to play the piano together. We both could read the music language.

I am grateful my parents took me to my music lessons. I believe it helped me develop an appreciation for music. Even though I didn’t go further with music in my own life, I’m thankful for the music that is all around me, in so many different aspects of life.

Urness Recital Hall

Urness Recital Hall on the St. Olaf College campus is a wonderful venue all year long, but it is especially cozy this time of year with its intimate setting and attractive lighting.

The light shining through the windows of Urness Hall, lighting up a dark space.

We bundled up and went out into the cold night for a 7:00 performance at Urness Hall, knowing it didn’t take long to get to campus, it would be easy to park, it would be a free concert with a reasonable time commitment, and we’d hear some exceptional music.

Along one wall in Urness Hall is floor to ceiling windows. Sound boards help create fine acoustics.

The venue was maybe half full with students and community members. We sat on an aisle, behind a St. Olaf conductor of a different ensemble, who was in the audience. I’m sure she couldn’t help herself…she was covertly conducting the performance from her seat. She was fun to watch.

There were three musical scores on the program. The first two were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750, a German composer, and they both included the harpsichord. The third piece was composed by Pyotr Lylich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), a Russian composer.

Apparently during the 16th-18^th centuries, the harpsichord became an important European instrument, which may be why Bach’s compositions included the harpsichord.

The harpsichord and music score, on stage, ready to be played.

I don’t know the history of St. Olaf’s harpsichord, but I overheard this was the first time it was played in Urness Recital Hall. James E. Bobb, the conductor of a choral ensemble at St. Olaf, and an organ/harpsichord professor, played the harpsichord during the performance.

St. Olaf’s harpsichord, moved to the side after the first two pieces were finished (the top was removed before I was able to take a picture.)

The third piece by Tchaikosky was performed by 21 students from the St. Olaf orchestra. They were student-lead by the first chair violin (or viola), and included four string instruments: violin, viola, cello and bass cello. It was a lively, spirited performance. The students really do put a lot into their playing. Not only is it wonderful to hear them play, it’s fun to watch them play.

The 21 orchestra members playing beautiful music.

And so, an hour and 15 minutes later, we were putting our jackets back on and heading home, glad that we took the time to venture out for some high-quality music, being uplifted on this dark, cold January evening.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

It’s been a long time since we’ve been to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, but we attended a concert there last weekend. In addition to the main stage play productions, there is a smaller venue, the Fireside Theater, where concert series are performed.

At the end of December, we were scheduled to go to the Christmas on the Prairie concert in the Fireside Theater, but a winter storm caused Chanhassen to cancel the concert. So, we had to choose a different concert. We chose Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Enjoying the fire in the main lobby of Chanhassen Dinner Theater, before the concert.

Collective Unconscious is a popular Minnesota band that performs tribute concerts of different 60’s and 70’s bands. In 2019, we saw them preform a tribute concert to the Eagle’s at the Paradise Theatre in Faribault, and they were very good. We were excited to see them perform Simon and Garfunkel’s music. It did not disappoint.

A photo of the album cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s *Bridge Over Troubled Water*.

Collective Unconscious includes three guitar players who are also the vocalists, a drummer and a keyboardist. In addition, for this concert, there were 4 violin players, 2 trumpet, 2 trombone, 2 saxophone players, plus a harpist and flautist. They put on an impressive performance, and amazingly they sounded like Simon and Garfunkel, just as they sounded like the Eagle’s when they sang Eagle’s songs. How do they do that? They are very talented.

The first act they performed various songs by the duo, and a couple solo works by Paul Simon.

After intermission they played through the entire Bridge over Troubled Water album, the last album recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1970, before they went their separate ways.

The first song on the album is “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, a favorite of mine, and many others. The lead vocalist did a superb job!

The group performed the songs in order on the album, and after several songs one of the vocalists said something to the effect… Back in the 60’s if you were laying on your orange, shag carpeting listening to a vinyl album, you would hear the scratch sound indicating it had come to the end of side one. You would have to get up, physically turn the album over, and set the needle down to play side two... His sound effects and word descriptions were so vivid, we could envision everything he said. It looked like most of us in the auditorium were from that era and could identify with what he was saying. It was not only funny, but nostalgic.

After they finished side two of the album, they came back for an encore and played three more songs including, “The Sounds of Silence”, another one of my favorites.

It was fun to be out on a Saturday night…hanging out listening to great “oldie but goodies” music in an “oldie, but classic” dinner theatre, that was built in a cornfield in Chanhassen, Minnesota in 1968.

Bird Song

As we walked along the river trail the other morning, we heard an unusual number of birds singing. The sound ramped up as we got closer to the hundreds of birds we could not see (except for a few in the treetops) but it sounded like a huge choir of birds, and not the normal bird songs one hears in the spring. Loud chirping was more like it. We took notice.

As we walked through this moment, we passed some walkers and they commented on the sound from the birds. I recognized one of the walkers as the orchestra conductor at St. Olaf College…I said to him as we passed, “I think the birds need a conductor.” His group also commented on the number of birds there must be to make loud “music” like that.

Gary and I continued on and all at once there was silence!

Not one bird sound. They all stopped at the exact same moment…for about five seconds.

Silence.

Then, just as quickly as they stopped, the birds resumed their singing again, loudly again. We looked at each other and Gary quipped, “They must have had to turn the page.” I laughed.

The conductor said he’d love to see all the birds take off at once. That would be a sight to see.

I do love birds…to watch them at the feeders and see them in nature, to admire their unique beauty and hear their sweet songs.

More Sweet Music

We recently we attended a St. Olaf Orchestra concert. The college finally opened the campus to visitors, so we could be on campus. The orchestra concert was especially inviting since it is one of Steve Amundson’s (the conductor of St. Olaf’s orchestra) last concerts. He will be retiring at the end of the school year, after forty years at the college.

I enjoy attending St. Olaf orchestra concerts. The audience is guaranteed an amazing, and varied, performance. The students create beautiful music and sound fantastic. At this concert, besides being one of Steve’s last concerts, two out-of-the-ordinary things happened.

First, this concert was performed a few days after the invasion of Ukraine. Steve added a special piece to the program, “Nimrod”, a beautiful, calming piece, and he called for a moment of silence to remember the people of Ukraine. It was poignant.

Then, in addition to featuring two outstanding soloists, a cellist and a clarinet player, another special and distinct piece of music was performed. The husband of a friend of mine, commissioned Steve Amundson to write a piece in honor of his wife and her retirement from thirty-plus years of working at St. Olaf College. The composition was débuted at this concert. It was titled “Gratia Viva” and the piece was remarkable….marvelous…wonderful… it’s hard to find words to describe it. It was such a sweet piece of music, and it was exciting to know the people and story behind the song. How one composes music, especially for multiple instruments, is beyond my imagination.

We will continue to monitor the college’s music calendars for more events, now that the campuses are open to the public. Both colleges offer many gifts to our community, and I am grateful.

Sweet Music

As we hear the horrible news of the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine, my thoughts go out to the people I met there on three separate trips in 2004, 2005, and 2008. The main purpose of the trips were to facilitate small groups of young students in an English Language Camp. Our days were busy and tiring, but fun. We also had free time to explore the area, and socialize with adults, after the camp day ended in the afternoon.

The set up for a lovely meal together in
Cherkasy, Ukraine.

One of my fondest memories is a gathering at one of the leader’s home. There were many Ukranians present to be with our team of eight Americans. We shared a picnic-style meal together, outdoors. As the sun was setting and we were sitting around visiting, one of the Ukrainians got out his guitar and we started to sing hymns. We were singing and harmonizing the same lyrics in two different languages. I remember tearing up and thinking what a beautiful sound we were making, blending our voices together and creating sweet music. It was an emotional experience, which today elicits a peaceful and serene memory of my time with the many wonderful folks I met in the Ukraine; a beautiful and peaceful people.

My heart breaks when I think of all the destruction of lives that is ongoing. I pray for an end to the violence in Ukraine and that peace can be restored.

Love Divine

Love Divine, that was the theme of this year’s St. Olaf Christmas Festival.

The St. Olaf Christmas Festival program.

After cancelling the festival last year during the pandemic, the Christmas Festival was back this season, strong and beautiful. It felt like a worship service, with praise songs, Christmas music and scripture readings, all focusing on God’s love, and the birth of Jesus.

The participants and concert goers were carefully monitored. Everyone was masked…even the performers who were singing! Every ticket holder had to show proof of COVID vaccination before entering the building. The students and conductors all had multiple COVID tests planned throughout the days leading up to the festival, and during the performance dates.

It felt wonderful to be back, sitting in Skoglund Auditorium (transformed from a gym every year) and listening to magnificent music, performed with energy and dedication, by the St. Olaf students. What a blessing!

Even through masks, the singing was glorious. However, the St. Olaf Choir director, Anton Armstrong, tested positive for COVID a few days before the first performance, so he was unable to attend the Festival. That must have been hard for him.

The St. Olaf orchestra does an astounding job under the leadership of Steven Amundson. The orchestra sounds like professional musicians. I loved the compositions played in the festival. Steven Amundson has been the orchestra conductor at St. Olaf for 40 years, and this is his last Christmas Festival. He is retiring at the end of the academic year. He is loved by the students and will be missed by many.

Although Anton Armstrong always conducts the final piece at the festival, because he was not in attendance Steven Amundson was able to step in for Anton and direct the signature ending piece, Beautiful Savior. What a marvelous, and meaningful, way for Steven to end his last Christmas Festival at St. Olaf College.

The Doobie Brothers

As dusk turned to dark on a beautiful Minnesota summer evening, we were sitting outside, in the grandstand, of the Minnesota State Fair “listening to the music” of the Doobie Brothers. It was a great concert. Gary is my guest writer for this post.

The Minnesota State Fair water tower and Midway Ferris Wheel.

Back in 1970 a few musicians living near San Jose, California formed a band calling themselves the Doobie Brothers. They ultimately became a very popular band, and I had a few of their early albums. When they announced their plans for a 50th Anniversary Tour I was excited to learn one of the venues was at the Minnesota State Fair. We decided to go (along with several friends) and bought our tickets for the 2020 concert. Then along came the pandemic and the State Fair was cancelled… but fortunately the Doobie Brothers were rescheduled for the 2021 fair.

This past week we went to their two-hour long concert and it was fabulous. The energy they exuded was impressive given their ages…most are in their 70’s. It was obvious they were having a good time.

The band consisted of two founding members on lead guitars and vocals (Johnston and Simmons), and another long-time member, who joined the band in 1979, played guitar/fiddle/harmonica. Complimenting them were five others: a bass guitarist, keyboardist, saxophonist, percussionist and a drummer. The guitar performances, whether solo or all three guitars in synchronous melody, were awesome. The dual percussion and talented keyboard musicians made for an incredible display of talent. The saxophone player was outstanding. Add to that…harmonizing vocals. It all made for a great show.

Some of their more well-known songs include: Takin’ it to the Streets, China Grove, Black Water, Jesus is Just Alright, and Listen to the Music. However, even the songs we did not know were enjoyable to listen to because of their incredible talent.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to attend this event. The end is near for classic rock band tours with any founding members, because most of them are now in their 70’s and 80’s.

On another note, we hadn’t been to the state fair for many years (12+) it was nice to go when the numbers were down…the streets were not too crowded and we didn’t have to stand in long lines for food.

It was a perfect evening for an outdoor concert, and a side benefit was our view from the grandstand of the midway Ferris Wheel with its changing light display.