concert

Apparently Jerusalem *does* have a madrigal group (why did I only find out about this now??). We've just been to a concert. Nice programme of madrigals - the usual suspects - and pareve religious music - and Beatles settings. Funny choir - very effeminate weedy men, and very aged women, for the most part. Fantastic tone, very very smooth, and terrible words, as in, you couldn't hear them unless you knew them. On the whole, satisfactory.

I couldn't make out where the volume was, though. They started with God Save the Queen, and it was *very* quiet. I thought they just had amazing dynamics, but they didn't get a lot louder. The hall had a huge dome - sort of Anglo-Arab architecture - and a half-curtain over the stage, so perhaps they got swallowed by that - but when they got to one of the Beatles pieces, they let go, and there was more texture, therefore it can't all have been the venue. They were mostly very restrained - this is connected to having fantastic tone - but it does mean you lose a lot of passion. This suits religious pieces, but the madrigals lost a lot, especially the more suggestive ones (Now is the month of Maying, Pastime with good company, Thy shining eyes, etc), which need some kick.

Audience also very funny - perhaps 200-250 ppl there, and three guys in kippot. Great - like being at home!

Why being minyan co-ordinator is a bed of roses...

...it's full of thorns.

I spent damn ages on Thursday coercing people into saying they'd come to minyan Sunday - you would have thought I was asking them to amputate limbs - and really, when you have class at 8.30 and free breakfast at 8, and when you probably daven anyway at home, is it so terrible to come in at 7.30 to make a minyan? Letting that aside - I had ten women signed up, and, I think, twelve men, but the list is at Pardes, and now, it's 10.40, waaaay late to call anyone, and I get three messages - two men are sick, and one woman. This is a PROBLEM since a) the list is at Pardes and I don't know who I can call and b) it's really late at night.

I can see why no-one enjoys being minyan co-ordinator. Thank goodness for Shira who is rustling up extra people from nowhere (she has considerable charm - very useful).