You can't have too much music....

What a (long) weekend musically speaking!  Starting with the TSO and Verdi's Requiem on Thursday night, it's been a very rich weekend.  

Friday night, I joined 10 women at a birthday party for an old friend at the Jerusalem Restaurant where, once we were almost finished our meal, we were treated to Arabic music and lots of belly dancing.  Not just the woman who works at the restaurant but a number of women who were at a table near us, who continued to party after the dancer had moved on to another area of the restaurant.  It was an interesting group of about 12...all middle-eastern or north African women, but a spectrum of very glamourous form-fitting outfits with makeup and jewellry to head-covered-no-makeup types.  Some of the former were most likely Christian as they were wearing crosses.  But the music was great and it was fun to watch the dancing and celebration.

Saturday, Michael participated in the second of two Kiwanis Music Festival band performances.  Friday, he played with the Junior Stage Band (bass trombone) and although they were the only entry in their class, they scored 89 and thus a gold medal.  On Saturday, the Junior Concert Band competed and they were second in the adjudicated class and scored a 90 as the only entrant in the Challenge (open reperatoire) class.

Sunday morning was choir and mass.  We sang the most beautiful Cantate Domino by Hans Leo Hassler during the offertory and Thou Knowest Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts (Henry Purcell) (Version from YouTube embedded below). This beautiful piece was written for the funeral of Queen Mary II in 1695.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf_84OQgZSg?wmode=transparent]

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;

shut not thy merciful ears unto our pray'rs;

but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty.

O holy and most merciful Saviour,
thou most worthy Judge eternal,
suffer us not, at our last hour,
for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.

Right after lunch, we headed down to Mazzoleni Hall at the Royal Conservatory to hear a performance in the Glenn Gould Faculty Series featuring their percussion faculty John Rudolph and David Kent, with the Glenn Gould School Percussion Ensemble and special guests percussionist John Wong and flautist Kathleen Rudolph.  I know Kathleen from choir, and  the composer of one of the works is Michael's tuba teacher (Rob Teehan), so it was especially nice to be able to attend, and it was a terrific show.  I can't say that I've listened to that much percussion repertoire and I very much enjoyed the afternoon.

We're looking forward to next weekend when we'll enjoy the TSO again (La Pasion) and COC's Otello!  We're so lucky to live in this great city and be able to enjoy so much world-class music.