Symphony Under the Sky.

Ooo it's that time again! Labour day long weekend in Edmonton always means attending Symphony Under the Sky. I've been going since high school, ever since I took music history and learned all about which composers lived in which centuries, and whose pieces became famous only after the composer died :(

This little festival over the long weekend was one of the only symphonies I could attend because it is super affordable. I think it's only $20 to get a spot on the grass, which I prefer, because it's easier to commiserate with friends and you can position yourself very close to the food.

The theater is in Hawrelak Park, which is quite close to my place. Biking is easiest for us, though saw some of my neighbours and they had walked through the path through the ravine.



Parking was a treat this year! Usually there is a rack near the entrance and it works just fine, but this year the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters came out and had a nice little lock up area. It was perfect!

While locking up I spied a cute old Raleigh. It's the old one Elize bought from me!



Inside the theater area I ran into my sister.



The members of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra tuned and prepared.



And I waved to principal percussionist, Brian Jones. He was the teacher of a percussionist student I dated a LONG time ago and it's always so embarrassing when I run into Mr. Jones. Back then I was sort of an emotional mess. Sigh. I wish he knew me now, not then!


Elsewhere, Dexter can sense the presence of anybody with a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar.



Oh, and Jon brought the most amazing lunch box.




Filled with delicious pastries! After one of these I didn't even feel the urge to get mini doughnuts.



During the first half with Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze, Dexter was checking out the ESO's upcoming concerts for 2010-11.

By the way, if you've never subscribed, you should check out their 2-For-1 subscription deal. Crazy value!


The sun was setting during Karen Gomyo's wicked violin work in Prokofiev's Violin Concert No.2. I love love love Prokofiev. Visions Fugitives and I have quite a history together.



Easy listening.



And after intermission we were treated to Beethoven's Symphony No. 1.

I love how the tent gets lit up when the sun goes away. Only a few weeks ago I was at the amazing Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago's Millennium Park. Though Hawrelak Park's little amphitheater doesn't come close in terms of architecture, the tent still has a coziness that the other epic theater did not.

Something about the way the seating is arranged, and the food carts and concessions. It really has a more intimate feel than the other outdoor symphony I was at. Though, the lawn at Pritzker Pavilion can seat like... 7000 people.



After a very crowd pleasing Hungarian Dance of Brahms' we all packed up our things and went back to get our bikes. At the lock-up I ran into Chris Chan, one of the other guys interviewed for that piece in Avenue! I'm now always referring to him as my brother from another mother.

And uh... check out his night bike!



Elize actually didn't have any lights on her bike at all. I'm very laissez-faire about helmets, but I'm pretty strict about lights. With helmets there are all sorts of considerations to make like how fast you're going, where you're riding, how much traffic you're in, how experienced the rider is, what bike you're riding and how that would effect falling down or getting hit.

Without lights, people in cars just don't SEE you. I ride my bike all the time and when I'm in the car as a driver and I'm actually looking for cyclists and I can barely see them because they're not lit up? Man, so dangerous. And that's with ME driving. Imagine if it were a driver who wasn't even looking for cyclists?

Anyway, Chris gave her a rear turtle light they found on the ground and a front light from his own stash. What a classy dude! I later got a text from Elize saying she made it home safe and sound and that the front light helped light her way through the tree shadows.

Success!

Symphony and cycling, two of my favourite things together again.

Will be repeating on Sunday night :)