the weather cleared for our two performances on friday, although it rained that morning and then began again shortly after we finished our last notes - and then a big rainbow came up over seward park!
the past week was an intensive one, with rehearsals - first in the brooklyn lyceum, where we were able to take over the whole building and move the two groups of musicians around so we could approximate the experience of playing outside, a half a block or so away from each other - and then our dress rehearsal on site in seward park on thursday, which was actually like a first performance of sorts, of course, because there were people there watching and listening. a couple of mounted policemen came by - one of them came to the show the next day and told me that the music calmed his horse down.
what an amazing experience to hear the piece finally, nestled in the city soundscape, which is its native home.
there will be photographs and stories here as i receive them - but there are already these wonderful overheard fragments, faithfully reported to me by friends who shared the experience at seward park with us on friday:
"why are they all leaving?"
"Where'd the musicians go? I went to look for them and couldn't find them anywhere. I even looked in the trees."
and this lovely testimony from another friend who was there:
"With the kids crying and the police cars you stop focusing only on the performance and took in your surroundings as a whole including the performance. very very cool. and the creepy yellow light of sun setting wow."
thanks everyone who came for helping usher this piece into its new public life! more to come......
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