Monday night we went to a free concert at our local public library. The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra’s string quartet performed for just over and hour and it was a wonderful experience. We were one of the first few people in the room and so we were seated front and center. We were literally less than 6 feet away from the musicians.
The musicians were much more personable than I expected, and exhibited a great sense of humor. They played some music that we recognized like Mozart, Handel, and Pachelbel. They also played some we didn’t recognize by Boccherinni and Dvorak. One of my absolute favorite pieces of classical music is Pachelbel’s Cannon in D and they played it! The way the live music filled that small room (max capacity was 50) was heavenly. It was so deeply moving that it brought tears to my eyes, especially as I thought of how much more beautiful the music will be in heaven.
I learned that a string quartet is made up of two violins, one cello and one viola, which is larger than a violin........I always thought it was smaller for some reason. I learned that in all of North America there are only 33 cities that have a symphony orchestra and mine is one of them. It was such a beautiful experience and I am so thankful that we were able to experience it for free. Both my girls are very musically sensitive and I’ve been looking for an opportunity like this for years, it was well worth the wait!
As you know, I’ve been reading A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola and she very thoroughly explains how to use narration instead of testing for comprehension. Although I’ve actually been using narration for the past two years in my classical curriculum, my understanding of the subject has been refined through my reading of her book. I also have been challenged to apply it to more subjects. So after the concert on the ride home I asked the girls what they liked best and I found out that they really were paying attention pretty well. I know they were getting a little antsy by the end of it, especially since we usually dance while our classical music is playing at home. We found out that next month a neighboring library will have a Celtic group of musicians performing an outside concert. The girls can’t wait because they’ll be able to dance at that one....and get in touch with their Celtic heritage! | 
• Jul. 26, 2006 - Untitled Comment