On Thursdays I take a long lunch and work late, so that P. can go to her knitting group while I watch B. That has been the routine for a very long time. It just so happened that I had the good fortune to be asked to play at Alpine Way from 2-3 pm last Thursday. Honestly, I couldn't be much happier with how everything worked out. I came home, had lunch, changed into my tuxedo (P. chose the red bow tie), grabbed my cello, music and stand and drove the 2-3 miles across town to the gig, where my one request was a chair with no arms. I began playing about 1:58 in the carpeted dining room, which has very live acoustics. At first, just a few residents were there to listen, but as I kept playing, more and more filed in. Some of them hummed along to tunes that were familiar to them, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple of them leaning close with their ears to listen. Everyone applauded after every song (even every movement, in the case of the Bach). And I smiled each time they did. My head felt like it was 5' around--what a great, appreciative audience.
My program included It Might As Well Be Spring (Rogers/Hammerstein) , Java (Freddy Friday, Allen Tousaint, Alvin Tyler), Nina (G. B. Pergolese), Blue Skies (from "Betsy," by Irving Berlin), Sonata for Cello (by R. Romberg), Spanish Eyes (Bert Kaempfert), La Cinquantaine (Air in the olden Style, by G. Marie), Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has anybody seen my girl? by Ray Henderson), Georgia On My Mind (Stuart Gorrell, Hoagy Carmichael), I've Got The World On A String (Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen), Suite No. 1 (six movements, Johann Sebastian Bach), I've Got You Under My Skin (Cole Porter), Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel), Too Darn Hot (Cole Porter. Though I can't remember whether I cut this one out for time or not), Star Dust (Mitchell Parish, Hoagy Carmichael. What a great song), Moon River (My arrangement, from Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini), I Love Paris (Cole Porter, my arrangement), Puttin' On The Ritz (Irving Berlin).
When I finished, I put my cello back in its case, and my check with my music.
