Our songs had all been sung, our choir folders turned in, our hours of hard work ended for the year. We gathered in a small Italian restaurant where our accompanist plays dinner music on a battered old upright piano. We filled the whole back section, our conversation lively and spirited. It was good to kick back and chat, no deadlines looming, no early morning commitments.
The evening unfolded gently as we broke bread together, our chatter ranging from politics, weather, and unemployment to trips down memory lane. Barely audible in the background piano music wafted in and out of hearing range as the noise level rose and fell. I caught snatches of Cuban music along with Gershwin and Bernstein and a host of other wonderful tunes. What an enjoyable evening - great food, good friends, and a touch of music!
When the entrees arrived, the talk died away as everyone dug in. We played "guess that melody" and several people were excellent at identifying what our accompanist played. Once the plates were licked clean, the conversation resumed and I finally wandered over to the bar near the piano, grabbed a stool and dragged it close to the keyboard. Lourdes played Chopin for me, and the bartender came over to enjoy the piece as it unfolded beneath her most capable fingers.
You could hear her heart in the phrases, and soon the chef and the owner joined us in listening to the gentle caresses of Chopin's delightful lines. Our little group watched Lourdes' fingers dance over the keys, wriggling in a trill here, and skittering up the keys in a flurry of sound there. Too soon the song ended and I lingered to hear another piece before rejoining my table for dessert.
A magical evening. A wonderful way to end the choral season. We should definitely do it more often.
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