Rowan's Journal

You want to hear something truly sad, I just found out that the Guarneri String Quartet has announced their retirement.

http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6624.html

I'm honored to have met them once when they were concertizing for the Friends of Chamber Music; I got to pick them up at the airport and shuttle them around for a day. They are delightful gentlemen in addition to being amazing musicians. At least their discography will still be available. And they'll be playing and touring for two more years.

Can't say as I blame them for quitting while they're on the top of their game; they've been doing it for 45 years.

Hat's off to you gentlemen; you'll be sorely missed.

Busy as snot finishing these costumes for the Saturday wedding. But two cool things;
We're going to the Miro String Quartet concert at the Tulsa PAC on Sunday afternoon.
http://www.miroquartet.com/about_miro.html

They're wonderful musicians and good friends as well, since they were one of the quartets I shuttled around and took care of and wined and dined for a whole week back when I worked for Cynthia Siebert at the Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City. Pretty sucky job in some ways, but very cool getting to meet all those world class musicians like Andras Schiff, and Anonymous 4 and all those string quartets. They were at one of the week long seminar things we did with our partner audiences back in the 'bad-old-days' for me personally but some good memories anyway.

I hope there's a bit of meeet-and-greet afterwards, I'd love to chat with them again for a second since so much has changed since I saw them last. Sandy and I spent lots of time talking and Daniel is an absolute hoot; they're all great folk and amazing musicians.

It'll be the first time I've had a chance to attend any classical music event since I've lived in Tulsa; shocking compared to all the ones I used to attend in KC. But hey, I've got a life now and a busy one at that; I ain't complaining one bit! Come to think of it, the last classical concert I attended was the night before I left KC, Anonymous 4 on their farewell tour, if I'm not mistaken; with my darling and now we're going to this one together. It's string music, I know he'll have a 'fiddle-gasm' or two...guaranteed. One of the pieces is Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" ...yep, good stuff.

And second, Bruce just registered us for O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat. It's always a wonderfully fun time and well worth the money, in fact, very reasonable considering the intensity of the classes and the top-notch instructors who are world-class performers. Last year rocked, er, celtec! http://www.irishtradmusic.org/oflaherty.htm

The work is coming along, but too damned much of it in too little time, as usual. I haven't even been able to get out into the garden to weed but I must next week. The weeds are choking the corn, I have blossoms on both potatoes and beans and I have little yellow squashes already.