[csc_newsline] Happy Holidays and a Note of Thanks

[Larry Speakman]

Dear Friends and Singers of The Concert Singers of Cary,

I am writing to congratulate you for an outstanding fall season for The Concert Singers of Cary, one that included four major concert programs in two months. These programs were all successful, both artistically and organizationally. The Sonic Boom program, our first under the banner of our new sub series  "Through the Artists Eye" at Matthews House enabled us to perform in an acoustically superior environment in a warm and friendly setting. Attendance exceeded projections and the program was our most successful in attracting new audience members. Less than a week later, our full Symphonic Choir presented a beautifully performed program of related works by Vaughan Williams, Holst, Beethoven and William Grant Still that was well received by audience and critics alike. Throw in two performances of a new Holiday Pops offering with the fabulous Moonlighter's Orchestra, attended by 546 wildly enthusiastic people, and a sold out performance of part one of Handel's Messiah and you have a fall season to be proud of.

You might wonder why I wrote in such an itemized list about the fall schedule when you were there experiencing it.  The primary reason is that we are all constantly focused on the hard work of musical preparation, organization and fund raising, that we often fail to really experience our accomplishments. We look ahead and focus on the next goal without taking the time to look back and appreciate the fruits of our labors. 

In 1981, The American Film Institute presented Fred Astaire with their lifetime achievement award at a banquet celebration that included clips of performances from his long career. We he went to the podium to accept the award, he said only half jokingly: "I didn't realize that I did all of that stuff...I saw things up there that I don't remember doing". Funny, yes but there was likely an element of truth to it. Astaire went on to say that the work "really looked good to me" but said that back when the work was being done, he was usually disappointed with what he saw on film after working so hard at it. 

With each passing month, my appreciation grows greater for the efforts of so many to help The Concert Singers of Cary accomplish its mission as an artistic organization, for its members and the community as a whole. We do the hard work and focus on being better in all ways that we can, but I hope that we can all look back and appreciate the beauty and humanity of our work.

Please accept our sincerest wishes for a beautiful and restful Holiday season and we'll see you in January!

Sincerely,

Larry