Six of us, Steven, Janet, Jenny, Hossein, Tao, and I started off from Sheppard and Yonge and got off at King, marching our way west through Toronto's PATH Underground City to the Roy Thomson Hall, where we were joined by Amir.
We got there early and were among the first 50 in line. While waiting to go in, we were chatted up very nicely by a retired nurse and her friend. Too bad, we didn't exchange particulars, but it was a very warm and hospitable touch from a Canadian Canadian!
We finally got our seats, and what a treat awaited. The first item on the program was this:
For those Baroquesquely challenged, it was Alessandro Scarlatti's Exultate Deo--at least that's what the program says, anyway.
And the treat just went on and on:
By Buxtehude, Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV62; Toccata in D Minor, BuxWV 155; Befiehl dem Engel dass er komm, BuxWV 10. The Ottawa Bach Choir, conducted by Dr Lisette Canton, made it look easy to produce the voices of angels. Jennifer Loveless on the organ impressed with what hands and feet can do with the largest musical instrument of all, soloing on Buxtehude's Toccata and, later, Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544.
More goodies followed: Jacobus Gallus's Duo Seraphim; Saint-saens' Calme des nuits, Opus 68, No. 1; Eric Whitacre's Lux aurumque; Knut Nystedt's Immortal Bach; and then J.S. Bach himself: his O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118; Prelude and Fugue already mentioned; and Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226.
The last one (one youtube version here) was particularly startling, for you'd never guess from its joyful tones that it was composed for the funeral of Bach's pastor in 1729. I guess it simply reflects his theology, that through knowing Christ one has conquered death and can do brilliant work in the most bitter of settings.
I was grateful for the patience of my class, who put up with my hoarse growling and irritating hisses and tsks as I'd lost my voice. Hmm, we'll see about tomorrow's lesson--maybe a movie! :D
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