Terror and triumph, grief and comfort - just some of the extremes we get to experience as part of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection." It's monumental, totally epic, and I hope you can share in this musical journey with me.
As part of the Roberts Symphony Orchestra viola section, I have spent the past few months living with this amazing, overwhelming music. We'll be performing it in a concert with the Roberts Chorale and Pearce Choir tonight (Saturday May 3rd, 7:30pm, Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan University).
Our conductor, Roberts Wesleyan University Professor and RPO trumpeter Paul Shewan, has some wonderful insights into this music, and he came by WXXI studios to share them earlier this week in the midst of our intense rehearsal schedule. Click the link above to hear our conversation about the music.
As an amateur musician, playing with a community orchestra, it's almost unbelievable to get to play this music.
So let me just take a moment here to go on a bit with some personal rambling to share my appreciation for Paul Shewan and The Roberts Symphony Orchestra.
When I agreed to be part of the viola section for a "Star Wars" concert over a decade ago, thanks to a letter I got in the mail from Paul Shewan, I didn't realize at the time how important answering one letter would be.
This orchestra has helped me stay connected to playing music, which I love - but I sometimes question whether I can keep doing myself when I have so much else to do with work presenting and sharing the music that other people make (which I also truly love!). This ensemble, this community, has helped me through many challenging times.
Sometimes, I am so exhausted at the end of a Monday, eating dinner in the car (extra shout out to my husband for both driving and bringing me those dinners!) between my show and arriving late for rehearsal. But then, settling into my seat, with a smile or wave to my fellow violists, and starting in on the next musical phrase, I know that I am in the right place.
My favorite concerts are the ones where we play for the 3rd graders each year who are about to choose their instruments in school (how can you not delight in passing on a love of music to the the next generations?), but my other favorite thing is tackling music like this - challenging, rewarding, and transcendent.
