Musical Interlude
My piano lessons are going well. Now that I can play Deck the Halls with two hands, but not, alas, at the same time, I decided to go along to hear how it should be done. So yesterday we went with Ross's colleague Spike and his wife Divine to the Chicago Symphony's Christmas concert in downtown Chicago.
(Reminder, blog characters rarely appear with their real names. This is to protect myself from any lawsuits. However, I retain the right to name them myself. There has been far too much talk lately about people coming up with their own names. Remember, if you want to be called something else, write your own blog!)
Resisting the temptation to ask how to get to symphony hall (answer: practise, practise, practise), we found the place without any trouble. It is a beautiful building right opposite Millenium Park. In the dark, with hundreds of fairy lights adorning surrounding the snowy trees, it was even more magical. The music started as soon as we entered the building. Even before we made it into the auditorium we heard choirs on every level.
For English readers, I suppose the Symphony Center is the equivalent of the Albert Hall. Finally, I thought, I have managed to push Ross into a bit of culture. An exquisite choral concert with a Christmas theme. Many of the audience were even in evening dress. This was going to be classy.
I forgot, of course, that we were in America. The concert was more Santa than Schubert. Even the Christmas carols were hard to pick out through the more popular seasonal songs like White Christmas and Silver Bells.
Having said that, it was lovely, although I do prefer to hear classical music without the distraction of 70s dancers, Santa Claus, and a comic Chicago policeman.
After the show we headed for a ritzy dinner at the top of the John Hancock building. We had an hour to spare, so Spike thoughtfully pretended to get lost as he spent 30 minutes driving around the same two blocks. Personally, I would have liked more cocktail time, but considering the strength of the one I eventually got, it was probably just as well.
Final Tip: If you order a special in a restaurant, do check the price first. That way you won't end up paying $66 for a tiny bowl of pasta with a couple of mouthfuls of lobster.
(Reminder, blog characters rarely appear with their real names. This is to protect myself from any lawsuits. However, I retain the right to name them myself. There has been far too much talk lately about people coming up with their own names. Remember, if you want to be called something else, write your own blog!)
Resisting the temptation to ask how to get to symphony hall (answer: practise, practise, practise), we found the place without any trouble. It is a beautiful building right opposite Millenium Park. In the dark, with hundreds of fairy lights adorning surrounding the snowy trees, it was even more magical. The music started as soon as we entered the building. Even before we made it into the auditorium we heard choirs on every level.
For English readers, I suppose the Symphony Center is the equivalent of the Albert Hall. Finally, I thought, I have managed to push Ross into a bit of culture. An exquisite choral concert with a Christmas theme. Many of the audience were even in evening dress. This was going to be classy.
I forgot, of course, that we were in America. The concert was more Santa than Schubert. Even the Christmas carols were hard to pick out through the more popular seasonal songs like White Christmas and Silver Bells.
Having said that, it was lovely, although I do prefer to hear classical music without the distraction of 70s dancers, Santa Claus, and a comic Chicago policeman.
After the show we headed for a ritzy dinner at the top of the John Hancock building. We had an hour to spare, so Spike thoughtfully pretended to get lost as he spent 30 minutes driving around the same two blocks. Personally, I would have liked more cocktail time, but considering the strength of the one I eventually got, it was probably just as well.
Final Tip: If you order a special in a restaurant, do check the price first. That way you won't end up paying $66 for a tiny bowl of pasta with a couple of mouthfuls of lobster.
posted by Hilary at
9:12 AM
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