The Rochester Flute Club is a class act! The concert by Amy Porter, the vendor-friendly venue, and the proactive committee made the weekend a fabulous one.
I arrived in Rochester by 6:00 PM (note to self: change the settings on the GPS from "Scenic" to "Most Direct") so I got to Amy's concert in time to hear the last work on the first half: the Schubert Introduction and Variations on "Trockne Blumen." The second half included the Griffes "Poem," "Undercurrents (2007)" by David Sampson, and the Caliendo Sonata No. 8, the "Ghost Sonata." The final two works were composed for Ms Porter.
I have known Amy since she was a little girl: she literally lived around the corner from my parents, and later, my parents-in-law (it's Delaware, folks.) And she is true blue to her roots as to who she is as a person. She also knows, as any true performer knows, that the first impression in any concert is visual. And she made a fabulous first impression. A beautiful gown: black strapped bodice with an iridescent vertically pleated blue skirt from an empire waist. Her cloud of blonde hair was pulled back at the crown with a sparkling barrette. Amy's posture and presence filled the stage and the room. Stunning.
I have often said that Amy has raised the bar for flute playing. And she proved me right Friday night. She can go from technical clarity and perfection (Schubert variations 3 and 5) to the luscious Impressionism of Griffes, and on to the incredible athleticism demanded by the Caliendo. Seamlessly. Every note in place and a gem. Ahh.
7:30 the next morning, I pulled up in front of the Middle School venue for the Flute Fair and much to my surprise, I was met with Help!!! Strong arms helped me trans-locate 15 crates of music, 4 suitcases of flutes, accessories, and more. Plus-a hospitality suite for vendors! Hot Breakfast! Deluxe tea! Wraps, salads, and more for lunch! I was in heaven! The attendees were there and ready to explore anything new, and lots of the old favorites. I was literally on my feet all day. Such friendly and interested people.
Loading out: more Help!! Unheard of and most gratefully accepted on my part.
A quick meet up at a restaurant with all the committee and Amy, and then I was off to Binghampton, NY for the over night. I had a rehearsal and concert in DE the next day.
Remember the reminder to myself about the GPS? Unhuh.
So I am driving along NY State Road 96. Dum de dum. Novel on CD. Cool. I smell some wood smoke. No problem. Great plot!! Hmm...fog?? Then flashing emergency lights. More "fog" and wood smoke smell. Then a cop directing me to a detour.
In the near distance: a barn fire of incredible dimensions. Seemingly dozens of emergency vehicles of all sizes.
GPS is saying: Remote location. No satellite connection. I am very calm. Right.
Turn down a DIRT road. In Amish country. No lights anywhere. Ghostly barns and farm houses loom at the side of the road.
About a white-knuckled mile later, a cop, waving me to the right. I roll down my window, "Will my GPS figure this out??" "Yup." I was on county road 414. Great.
So what do I do? I yell at the GPS!! As if that would help! And it faithfully directed me through a maze of county and state routes to my hotel.
I slept very well....
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