Do I Hear A Waltz?

From the time that the children were babies, we have listened to classical music. We began with basic tapes featuring quiet songs to help with colic. As they grew, we moved on to a great collection created by Classical Kids; composers stories featuring selections from their work. The tapes are now family favorites, playing often in the car. I am also a big believer in the Mozart Effect, so we started piano lessons when they were three years old. We all love music.

Now that they are school age (and can theoretically sit quietly for a given length of time) we looked for a good concert to expose them to their first symphony production. We found it last weekend when the South Carolina Philharmonic presented “Viennese New Year”. We chose this concert because we knew the children would recognize at least some of the music. In addition, two ballroom dancers and a soprano were performing with the Philharmonic.

When the soprano, Margaret Kelly Cook came on stage for her first song, she announced that she was singing a section from “The Magic Flute”. We got very excited-we know that one, it’s from our story tape! Ms. Cook looked the part perfectly; she wore a strapless velvet gown with matching elbow length gloves, and had flawless skin, long flowing hair and a lovely smile. Her voice was beautiful, we barely blinked when she sang.

The ballroom dancers also held us transfixed. They were so elegant, sweeping and swirling on an impossibly small area of the stage. Always smiling, they flowed rather than stepped. I could watch a good dancer waltz forever, it is my favorite.

However, the best thing was the music, waltzes and polka's by Strauss and others. There was a young pianist who performed a concerto, her fingers literally skipping over the keys. The Philharmonic played a number of unique selections, including one with a real train whistle. An added treat was the conductor, Nicholas Smith. He was full of passion and had a very expressive face while he conducted; it was fascinating to watch him work. He also periodically would turn to the audience to explain a musical piece or technique. He had a charming sense of humor and just seemed full of fun. This was reflected by the musicians themselves, they played with lots of verve and very obvious enjoyment. My son leaned over at one point to whisper “I can’t tear my eyes off of the stage”.

We left feeling exhilarated, and with a greater appreciation of both the songs we knew and the dedication of musicians who played them. It was almost a shock-we never realized what a treasure we have in this organization. By the way, they are doing Mozart in February. We will be the ones who are glassy-eyed near the front.