Some Musical Memories, May 25

Dear Friends,

I have a few memories and photos to share with you as I begin my final week of rehearsals and concerts with the San Diego Symphony.

This picture is of my Dad and me standing by the piano when I was in high school in Mount Lebanon, PA. I started piano lessons when I was 8 years old.

I attended University of Michigan School of Music, got married, traveled, and moved to San Diego with ex-husband Jack Barranger. I became an active accompanist around town thanks to the guidance of my teacher and mentor George Trovillo who was a retired concert accompanist.   

In November of 1975 I got a call from Jim Hoffman of the San Diego Symphony who was in need of a pianist for Respigghi’s Fountains of Rome. Their regular pianist canceled at the last minute and Jim was desperate to get the part covered ASAP. He had gotten my name from his wife who had heard me accompany a singer at the San Diego Opera. Here is a picture of me around that time.

Naturally I was kind of nervous at the first San Diego Symphony rehearsal. The conductor Peter Eros had a thick Hungarian accent, and I wasn’t always sure I heard him correctly. I remember him rehearsing a complicated passage that I had in unison with the strings. He kept on saying “piano” but I wasn’t sure if he meant I was supposed to play my part too, or if he wanted the strings to play softly (piano.)  So anytime I heard the word piano I played too. I think it was a bit of overkill, but I certainly didn’t want to look like a slacker.

Another fond memory I have is collaborating with Marvin Hamlisch who was our Principal Pops conductor. In October of 2008, during the height of election mania, we had a Halloween Pops concert with Marv and we were encouraged to wear costumes. So I came dressed as Sarah Palin.

My friend Sheila Sterling helped me with my hair and make up and I must say I pulled off “the look” pretty well (with the help of a red blazer I found at the Salvation Army.) I was playing keyboards right in front of Marv’s podium. I must have caught his eye with my get-up so during the concert he walked over with his microphone and started chatting me up to the audience. Somewhere along the way he fed me a line and I blurted out with my best Tina Fey imitation of  “I can see Russia from here,   . .” It got a big laugh. Marv and I had a special connection after that. I grieve for our loss.

Another heartfelt connection through the Symphony was my friendship with Sheila and Hughes Potiker. The Symphony has a brilliant fundraising program called Partner with a Player in which a donor or donors sponsor an orchestra member. Once a year we had concerts where we would play for all the partners while they sat right next to us on the stage. Afterwards all of the musicians and their partners would enjoy a beautiful catered dinner at Symphony Hall. Sheila and Hughes “adopted” me during the first year of the program. Sadly Hughes passed away first and then Sheila (shown in this picture.)

 I am honored that our partnership has lived on with their son and daughter-in-law Lowell and Julie Potiker. If it hadn’t been for the symphony I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know the this wonderful family. 

Probably the most thrilling memory of my San Diego Symphony career is our tour to Carnegie Hall and China in 2013. Here I am on stage at Carnegie Hall the morning of our performance. 

I have shared many of the memories of that tour in my blog  (If you’re interested, copy the link below to your browser.) What a thrill it was - and my sweetheart Jerry and I got to experience it together!

http://maryscarnegiechinatour.blogspot.com/2013/11/hi-this-is-collection-of-all-my-emails.html  

I will close with this symphony publicity photo taken by my dear friend and musical colleague Beth Ross Buckley.

I feel fortunate to have had so many wonderful experiences through my career with the Symphony. But my music making will not stop - I will continue to teach, plus I have plans to work on solo piano and harpsichord repertoire and present concerts at our house. More on that later.

All the best,

Mary

My Last Week with the San Diego Symphony, June 1

Dear  Friends,

Well I am officially retired from the San Diego Symphony. Last week my eyes had some leaky moments largely due to the kindness of Jerry, my friends, and my colleagues.

Here are some pics and stories.

First rehearsal on Wednesday: a warm hug from our personnel manager Magda wishing me well, and when I wasn't looking our production manager Jen slipped a card on my music rack with an "official" all-access pass as Pianist Emeritus to the hall and summer Pops site. Needless to say both melted my heart.

Friday night at the first concert I found that an insert was slipped into all of the programs, congratulating the three of us ( Pat, Randy, and myself) for our years of service. Randy is also retiring after over 40 years but Pat has been in the orchestra for 60 years!!!

Saturday night during intermission our friend and colleague Mary made one of her superlative cakes for everyone. The third picture shows Mary, her husband Jon, Shigeko, Jason, and the three retirees.

The last concert began Sunday at 2PM. (Just in case you are wondering it is the same program all three nights: Samuel Barber Overture to the School for Scandal, Gershwin Piano Concerto in F with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Copland Appalachian Spring, and Bernstein Chichester Psalms with the San Diego Master Chorale.)My friends Wendy (from the balcony) and Shigeko (from the stage) took these pictures.

After the Copland Martha Gilmer,the CEO of the San Diego Symphony, came to the front  of the stage and spoke a few well chosen words about each of us. Our Music Director Jahja Ling personally congratulated us.

It was a week to remember!

All the best, Mary

It Was a Blast at the Bistro!, June 1

BIG FREE END OF SEASON ETC.,PARTY

MARY BARRANGER IS FORMALLY RETIRING AFTER BEING 

THE PIANIST FOR THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY SINCE 1975.  

ALSO, WE THANK OUR WONDERFUL MUSICIANS AND OUR 

USHERS FOR ANOTHER FABULOUS SEASON OF TERRIFIC 

MUSIC!

MUSICIANS, STAFF, MANAGEMENT, FRIENDS,FAMILY (KIDS 

INCLUDED – EVEN “LITTLE PISHERS”), USHERS, BOARD 

MEMBERS AND EVERYONE IS INVITED.  COME ONE, COME 

ALL!!!!

6TH AVENUE BISTRO (6TH & B – JUST A BLOCK AWAY!), 

5/29/16, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PERFORMANCE, 

BEGINNING AT 4pm. FOOD &DRINKS FROM THE MENU & 

APPETIZERS.  WE HAVE THE WHOLE BISTR0. ANY REASON 

YOU CANNOT?

PARTY, PERFORMANCE, EITHER OR BOTH. BE THERE

Dear Friends,

A few weeks before the last concert my sweetest of sweethearts Jerry sent out the above discreet understated elegant invitation to the entire orchestra, staff, our relatives, neighbors, our primary care physician, probably our mailman, etc.etc. You should also know it was lettered in pink and red (which I can't duplicate on my iPad over here in Dublin). I was a little embarrassed, yet knew this enthusiastic and generous gesture was his way of showing how proud he is of me and my career.

So after the last concert on May 29 we walked a block over to the Sixth Avenue Bistro for THE party.  

I was deeply touched to see so many of our friends and colleagues. My brother came in from Albuquerque, Jerry's brother Phil and his family flew in from the Bay Area, Jerry's cousin Steven and Terry drove down from LA, my dear friend Sally and God-daughter Christy flew in from Portland. My piano students (including Sara from Scottsdale), book club friends, knitting buddies, and yoginis were there in force. Lawyers and DA's rubbed shoulders with musicians, retired librarians, and writers. I could go on and on.

I'll just let Alberto's photos tell the Story.

My heart is full of gratitude for all who helped share this joyous day with us. The Bistro did a fabulous job too. I hear the food was delicious (somehow I never got around to eating) and they did a great job serving and keeping the drinks flowing.

But most of all I appreciate and thank Jerry for his generosity in hosting this fabulous party! What a guy!!!! I am so lucky I picked his personals ad out of The Reader in 1992. (Thats a whole other story.. .)

All the best,

Mary

PS We arrived in Dublin this morning. More on that in a few days.

Dublin, June 7

Dear Friends,

We have been busy! Late nights and "the tyranny of the B and B" where we dare not forego the delectable Irish breakfasts. But we are finally settling into some kind of a rhythm and I look forward to giving you some pics from our trip.

We arrived in Dublin on June 1.

I love Dublin. It feels like a miniature human-sized London. Buildings are by law no higher than 7 stories so you don't feel dwarfed by high rises of steel and glass. The major sites were all within walking distance of our centrally located hotel. We would definitely come back here.

Of course it didn't hurt that we have had fantastic weather in the 60's with NO RAIN!

Some highlights:

First of all this is a city of the arts: Handel's Messiah, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde etc. etc. Reminders are everywhere. (It is hard to see on this panorama, but Handel's Messiah was first performed at the spot of the first picture.)

Secondly, everywhere we looked were reminders of the Easter Rebellion exactly 100 years ago in 1916. Ireland's bleak history of subjugation was nowhere more evident than at the Kilmainham Jail where we managed to secure a space on a tour.

Speaking of history, one day we took a tour to Newgrange where we got to go inside a burial mound of the Late Stone Age. This ancient site predates the pyramids of Egypt!  Here are pictures of the outside. (The only thing I didn't appreciate about the reconstructing of the outside stonework was the garish white quartz which makes it look like an immense public toilet!) Nevertheless it was definitely worth experiencing the inside of the mound. Here is a view of the entrance. Notice the etching of the stonework.

Of course we found a knit store in the lovely Powerscourt shopping center. Look for a hand knitted shawl with Irish yarn soon!

I leave you with a picture of Christchurch Cathedral taken from our hotel room. Deb, go in peace.

Best wishes to you all.

Mary and Jerry

The Irish Countryside, June 7

Dear Friends,

Jerry and I splurged on a driver for our week in the Irish countryside. We decided to do this after hearing accounts from some of our friends who drove themselves around Ireland. Their descriptions ranged from "white knuckle" to "hellacious."

So on Saturday morning Tom Quinn of VIP Chauffeur showed up at our Dublin hotel and whisked us away to the beautiful Irish countryside. It has been well worth it.

On the first day Tom planned on taking us to Cashel via Kilkenny, but Jerry threw him a curve right away, asking him to take us to Inistioge too. Inistioge is a charming small town not too far from Kilkenny where the brother of one of Jerry's aviation friends just bought a pub. Here is a picture of Jerry at the pub (with our driver Tom behind him).

I walked around the town and snapped these pictures of a charming house covered in wisteria.

Next to it was this cool garden wall with hiking boot planters. 

Here is the brother of Jerry's friend.

That night Tom dropped us off at our hotel in Cashel at dinner time and picked us up the next morning after breakfast to continue on to Dingle via the Rock of Cashel and Killarney National Park. (I wouldn't have even thought of stopping at Killarney but Tom suggested it and we thoroughly enjoyed roaming through the gardens of this gorgeous estate.) Aren't those rhododendrons amazing?!

We arrived in Dingle and spent two nights there. Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula are worth a separate email as it was a most beautiful time and I took lots of pictures.

In the meantime, all the best.

Mary and Jerry

The Dingle Peninsula, June 8

Dear Friends,

The Dingle Peninsula lived up to my expectations, and then some. 

It didn't hurt that we stayed at the Heaton's Guesthouse with a breakfast buffet like this every morning, not to mention omelettes and hot breakfast dishes from the menu too. 

Next comes the scenery on the Dingle Peninsula. It reminded me a little bit of the Icy Straits in Alaska near Glacier Bay,  with a little Big Sur thrown in.

And then there is the music. The town of Dingle is a thriving center of traditional Irish music. So one night we attended a concert at the Irish Church and went both nights to O'Sullivan's Pub (recommended by my colleagues Wanda and Dorothy, who know the owners Tom and Saundra O'Sullivan).

The pub scene in Dingle was much more enjoyable than that of the rowdy pub we went to in the Temple Bar of Dublin. In Dublin, the performers had an edge to their playing: louder and faster seemed to be de rigeur. Plus in Dublin the audience members were always talking over the highly amped music,  they were rowdy (how could I forget the bachelor party from Manchester?),  and the emcee was definitely raunchier. Entertainment won out over the music, hands down. Not so in Dingle.

Spend some time there if you get the chance.

All the best,

Mary

The Aran Islands, June 11

Dear Friends,

When we first started planning this trip, I was trying to figure out how we were going to get around Ireland without renting our own car and driving ourselves. I was getting nowhere fast. Our help came from on high, well geographically speaking that is. Our friend Sandi suggested her friend Walter Rice at Waldorf Travel in Portland (that's where the "on high" - northwest- comes from). He put this trip together for us through a travel agent colleague in Edinburgh. She found our driver, filled in the gaps in our lodging, etc. etc. it has worked out great!

Which leads me to the Aran Islands. Of course I wanted to visit them, but Walter made it happen. We had a ball!

As it was a lovely day we took the ferry from Doolin. First we stopped on Inishmeer for an hour. 

I dipped my toes into the amazingly warm waters.

Then we arrived at Inishmore, the biggest of the Aran Islands. Walter set us up for two nights there.

We HAD to check out the Aran Islands Sweater Market where I bought some yarn and Jerry a sweater. Doesn't he look great?! 

Of course my knitting buddies know that I've been dying to knit Jerry a sweater for years, but oh well.
Our big adventure that day was to rent a couple of bikes and explore the island. What a blast! 

First we biked to the far end of the island to see The Seven Churches of Aran, a complex of ancient Celtic ruins and graveyard.

But the biggest thrill was the fantastic Dunn Aenghus, a 2000 year old Iron Age fort perched on a hill overlooking the wild Atlantic. We walked up to the gate to the fort which you can see on the horizon in the first picture. The next pics are the views from the top.

The school kids were kept way away from the cliff face and had to see the ocean like this!

The terrain on the Aran Islands is quite rocky. There is plenty of limestone around to make these stone walls.

What a day we had! Now we are wrapping up our trip with a day hiking in the Burren. More on that later.

All the best,

Mary and Jerry

At this point in the blog, press the  Older Posts button to continue the travelogue.