The Boston Pops

Before I get to the subject matter of this blog, let's get me to Boston first.

Here I am, right off the plane, just through security, and smiling from ear to ear. 

It is always so good to be with family!! It was just Meredith and me this time as David was in Tennessee fighting the fires there and then flying the Chinook to its home base in Billings, Montana. We missed you, David! And Meredith and I started talking as soon as this picture was taken and kept talking until I walked back through security on my way home. It was a great trip!

My last night was blessed with a visit to Symphony Hall and the Boston Pops Christmas concert. This event poster hung outside the Hall.

We had a little table in the house right corner. It was the almost perfect table. We missed seeing the theatrics during The Twelve Days of Christmas, but otherwise it was wonderful. Keith Lockhart, the conductor, was just "right there" and we could see his expressions and watch his style.

Several tables over from us a family had brought their three-year-old daughter. Age is a guess but she looked a lot like our Lettie who is three so I think it is a good guess. We were impressed that they had brought her to a concert and not a children's concert. And then the cellists entered and it became obvious why. Right in their line of sight was grandpa. And he had to be because the man of the couple in the audience looked so much like him. They pointed him out to the little girl, she waved at him, and when the orchestra stood for a bow, he smiled at her the smile that only a grandfather gives a beloved granddaughter. 

A large screen over the stage gave us a variety of Pops' information including when this year's Christmas concert would be broadcast. PBS airs a lot of WGBH shows so expect to enjoy the concert yourself at some point. 

Our table allowed us to order goodies. We had a fruit and cheese plate. Meredith had egg nog and I had hot apple cider. When Hansom first arrived though, I asked it was possible to have a glass of iced water. We had taken a cab from the hotel and the driver was a smoker. I needed water. Hansom understood and we quickly had iced water and then we took our time filling out our menu for the evening. Dinner is available and we had eaten before hand so we just needed a little something to fulfill the ambience. 

We were this close! This is a cellist's score. I love it that you can see the crease where she turns the pages night after night. 

It was a wonderful evening. I would love to go formal to opening night some time. This evening was a mid-week more casual time, and I was glad because of packing clothes and comfort of travel.

Santa came and helped lead us in the traditional sing-a-long at the end of the concert. The 3-year-old granddaughter waved at him too! 

As always, photos are not allowed during the performance and so these are what I have - plus a CD of Boston Pops Christmas music which Meredith bought for me. One special musical time: they segued from Bach's "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light" right into Peter Yarrow's "Light One Candle". It was so smoothly done that you hardly realized you had been taken from the 1730s to the 1970s in three musical measures.

The next morning, I made my own segue from EST to PST, from Boston to Dallas to Reno to Tahoe City. The first part was as smooth as the musical segue. From Reno to Tahoe was driven in the snow. Dean made that time as easy as possible too. It was a wonderful Christmas interlude and I am also glad to be home!