Community Orchestra

The new conductor of our community orchestra was internationally recognized.  We all felt lucky to have him.  He was a smooth public speaker.  He was deeply connected to the music.  And, he had the look: rail thin, perfectly comfortable in his tails and bow tie, and the big mop of hair that swung around wildly as he conducted.

We felt that we need to play up to his level, and we were excited about meeting his exacting standards.

Before our first performances in the fall there was a round of auditions.  Bill brought his daughter, Kailey.  She had just graduated.  She was young and pretty and full of energy. She played Bach’s cello suite No. 1 arranged for viola, beautifully.

When the roster was released for our next concert, Mary, who had faithfully played in the viola section for twenty years, was cut.  At the next rehearsal we asked to speak with him about it.

He simply replied, “My focus is the music and nothing else.  That is what drives every decision I make.”  He abruptly motioned for the rehearsal to start. 

Mary was not deterred.  She practiced all of the pieces we rehearsed.  She attended every performance.  Months later, our last rehearsal before our first Spring concert, Vaughan Williams ‘The Lark Ascending,” Kailey came down with the flu.

Mary would be a natural stand-in.   I was chosen by the group to approach our conductor about it.  I asked to meet him before the performance. 

‘Everyone in the orchestra would like Mary to play tonight.’

‘No,’ he replied.

“We all know that she may not be as sharp as she once was, but we should be inclusive.  And isn’t music about emotion and heart.  How could we hope to play with heart, if we didn’t show any?  She’s retired, lives alone.  Her cat just died.  It would mean so much to her.  Her life, her identity is built around orchestra.  And, she’s ready.  She’s been practicing.  Even if she’s a little out of time, or a little off tune, what would be the harm?

“It is a lovely idea, but no.  We are not here to make Mary feel good.  We are here to make the best music that we capable of making, to find a flow together.  We simply can’t get there with Mary in our orchestra.