Dear Friends,
I admit to feeling stymied over what to choose for a New Year’s edition of Music Connects. While 2021 finally saw a return to live music in July – HURRAH – it wasn’t without restrictions, and with new uncertainties it remains challenging to know what to realistically hope for and plan. It was in looking back at the launch of Music Connects – literally to MC-1 – that I found the selection I was looking for to commemorate/celebrate whatever we choose to in the year ending and/or the one to come. It’s a gorgeous, rain-filled encore performance of a beautiful Vivaldi aria arranged by the piano duo we love most: Anderson & Roe.
It was April 2020, early in the Pandemic, when in her video message Elizabeth Joy Roe told us why she and Greg Anderson chose this Vivaldi aria to launch Music Connects. She described “I feel within a rain of tears” as melancholic, and also incredibly beautiful and soothing and said the duo interpreted Vivaldi’s tears as raindrops and that we’ll hear and see rain throughout their arrangement. For me, gorgeous music & video + RAIN already qualified this selection uniquely for the New Year’s spot. And while it’s not early days any more Covid remains concerning, so melancholy, balm and soothing all seem to fit the moment as well.
However, the qualifier that took this selection over the top
for me is what has happened to Elizabeth Joy Roe between MC-1 in 2020 and MC-53
today. And that would be baby girl Amara, born four
months ago. Liz is a mother; it’s her
first. She’s in baby heaven and knowing
that makes me happy. I know some of you
are smiling too.
Learning Liz’s baby news while pondering both exiting and
incoming years reminded me of useful things I know I know, like: Things change.
Joy is possible, even during a pandemic. Gorgeous music is always sustaining.
Happy, Happy New Year to each of you. It isn’t a festival without our supporters. Here’s to health, live music and other good things in 2022 and If you don’t get what you want . . . . . I hope you get what you need.
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