Yesterday I blogged about Gary's last day of working and beginning his retirement. As an additional blessing, our good friends, the Violis, took us to dinner at Franco's and then to the Christmas presentation by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Marvin Hamlisch. What an incredible performance! Christmas music is just delightful when executed by professional instrumentalists and then to be accompanied by the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh! Wow....two weekends in a row with outstanding programs to ready us for the Christmas season!
I have to mention Emma Resmini, a nine-year-old flutist that blew our socks off last night. Not one piece of music before her and seemingly as calm as a cucumber, this young woman stood before Heinz Hall's packed house and literally "brought the house down" with her talent. There were others, Kevin Glavin, disguised as Santa, winner of the Luciano Pavarotti Competition; Jonathan Ansell, a young man who hails from Britain as a popular and successful tenor; Betsy Lawrence, a voice and music theater grad from CMU and the Manhattan School of Music; and the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater group who reminded me of a younger version of the Rockettes. But a concluding highlight of the evening was Rosanna and Rocky Paterra, a young brother and sister team that brought the crowd to their feet once again upon their conclusion of the song, "The Prayer."
It was certainly a day and night to remember. Well, I wanted to share with all of you our adventures of yesterday. This afternoon those events continue as we head to the final wedding of the year. I can't even number the weddings and happy unions that have occurred during 2009. Receiving a Christmas card from friends whom we share each year yielded a picture taken when one of their daughters married in September! It has certainly been a year full of blessings and we pray they continue into the new year. Have a wonderful day, my friends. And to all of you in snow covered areas, stay safe. Enjoy some hot chocolate and old Christmas movies until the salt trucks clear your roads....give your back a break from shoveling! God bless!
I have to mention Emma Resmini, a nine-year-old flutist that blew our socks off last night. Not one piece of music before her and seemingly as calm as a cucumber, this young woman stood before Heinz Hall's packed house and literally "brought the house down" with her talent. There were others, Kevin Glavin, disguised as Santa, winner of the Luciano Pavarotti Competition; Jonathan Ansell, a young man who hails from Britain as a popular and successful tenor; Betsy Lawrence, a voice and music theater grad from CMU and the Manhattan School of Music; and the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater group who reminded me of a younger version of the Rockettes. But a concluding highlight of the evening was Rosanna and Rocky Paterra, a young brother and sister team that brought the crowd to their feet once again upon their conclusion of the song, "The Prayer."
It was certainly a day and night to remember. Well, I wanted to share with all of you our adventures of yesterday. This afternoon those events continue as we head to the final wedding of the year. I can't even number the weddings and happy unions that have occurred during 2009. Receiving a Christmas card from friends whom we share each year yielded a picture taken when one of their daughters married in September! It has certainly been a year full of blessings and we pray they continue into the new year. Have a wonderful day, my friends. And to all of you in snow covered areas, stay safe. Enjoy some hot chocolate and old Christmas movies until the salt trucks clear your roads....give your back a break from shoveling! God bless!
RSS Feed