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"The Little Things" by Rick (Team USA)
Steve mentioned the big things at the concert so in an effort to personalize the concert for those of you that weren't able to attend I would like to paint your thoughts and imagination with a few "little" things that gave the concert and it's recollection a personality. You know, the little things that lend themselves to the color and fabric and sound and sight and life and emotion of the concert. Seated for take off in a very small commercial jet the concert for me begins some 1300 miles to the south and west of Milwaukee. My thoughts aren't focused on the 120 mile per hour "roll over" as we effortlessly lift into the cloud darkened sky. I settle back in my seat as we climb to 33,000 feet, my thoughts and spirit are soaring even higher as I think about the distant events soon to unfold. All around us hurrying and scurrying to the auditorium at 7:45 p.m. are umbrella laden patrons. It's raining. It's a dismal, cold, light rain. Together with the throngs of other people we take the stairs to the auditorium entrance. Immediately upon entering the light splashed all white atrium the mood changes from the cold frown of the night to the warmth of smiling and laughing faces. We slowly traverse the people crowded atrium and hand our tickets to the ticket takers who affably welcome us. We tensely stroll down a short, darkened, archway covered concrete ramp. As we exit the archway a cacophony of light, sound and emotion greet us. We have entered the widely yawning, dimly lit, oval shaped auditorium already heavily peopled. I stop for a moment to collect myself and my thoughts. Slightly below us and to our left is the main floor cabaret seating area where the majority of the patrons are already seated for the performance. In the distance one can see the brightly lit stage populated by the symphony members. Hanging on each side of the stage and about 30 feet above the floor of the auditorium are the two large video screens soon to be witness to one of the loveliest and most dynamic classical singers in the world, Charlotte Church, who days before has made the 4,500 mile trip from Cardiff, Wales accompanied by her parents James and Maria Church. As we proceed, our hearts begin to pound as we see and hear the patrons of the cabaret area. Some are laughing, others are pleasantly involved in conversation and still others are quietly seated at their tables perhaps reflecting on the moment Charlotte will appear on stage. Here we see a three year old child sweetly and tenderly encased in it's mothers arms and there we see an elderly couple in their mid seventies perhaps discussing their lives of long ago at fourteen. I think to myself as we are led to our seats by a courteous usher, "Charlotte has an appeal to all ages." I nervously take my seat which is 6 feet above the main floor and about 100 feet to the left of where Charlotte is to be on stage. The unfocused sounds of conversation surround me but I am focused on nothing but the moment of my own heart and thoughts. Again I look about me to the upper areas of the 5 tiered, tall domed auditorium and see the smiling and anticipation filled eyes of many young people less than twenty. I am quietly putting my own thoughts together and quickly realize the auditorium lights are being completely dimmed. The silence crescendos with the dimming of the lights and the concert is born. Charlotte confidently appears from the right rear of the stage slightly lifting her gown off the floor as she slowly winds her way through the symphony to her center stage location about three feet from the front of the stage platform. She is festooned in a full length red evening gown that is breath taking. It is an off the shoulder gown that she did not wear in Atlanta or Nashville. As quickly as it began the first appearance is completed. Soon for the second appearance, she with an easy and self assured gait, returns to the stage wearing a lovely pant suit with a dark purple/blue top and loose fitting black shimmering pants with open toed high heel shoes. How she managed to walk in those shoes I will never know but they were appropriate for the costume. She again returns to the stage for her third appearance attired in a red pant suit with a loosely flowing gold tasseled red top and floating red pants. At one point she wears a necklace with a red rose like pendant. She also at one point wears a small cross pendant on a thin small silver chain which she has worn on other occasions. For all costumes she wears her loosely curled flowing hair on her shoulders. Conductor Monte Perkins in his late forties or early fifties is five feet 10 inches in height with brown hair and has a face landscaped with darkly rimmed square glasses. He is pleasant and adds to the warmth of performance. The Charlotte-Conductor relationship is the best I've seen. They have a very amicable relationship on stage and his introduction of Charlotte is deliberate, directed and warm. The symphony is better than good and produced a balanced sound. Charlotte, and the symphony with and without Charlotte is pleasant on the ear and strong on the heart. At the conclusion of Charlotte's segment of the performance she approaches the conductor and gives him a loose hug, a non-lipped kiss on each cheek repeating these with the concert master and then applauds the entire symphony. She readily accepts praise but she readily and willingly gives it as well. Prior to the symphony and again at the end of the concert in conjunction with the symphony a small, local, quite good dance group of 13 to 15 year olds gives a river-dance type of presentation which is nicely choreographed and performed. These guys and gals are high kicking and in step. The costumes are very colorful. An Irish presentation. If one hasn't seen Charlotte full faced on a 10 foot square video screen at 70 feet in distance one has missed a true delight. All the while during the concert, the two video cameramen are moving around the stage and periphery of the symphony carrying their large video cameras to video capture the life of the concert. The camera men and accessory stage personnel are all dressed in black and don't intrude on the spirit of the performance. At one moment splashed on the video screens is a musical score and in the next is a full length shot of Charlotte singing and then we see the conductor leading. We see a constellation of fades and blends of the symphony teasing and tickling their instruments. We see the hands of the harpist stroking the harp strings. We see the audience focused on Charlotte. We see Charlotte curtsey when she completes her segment of the concert. The main floor of the auditorium from front to rear is setup for a cabaret style seating with each table having place settings for four. All tables are happily occupied. The flat black stage at the front of the auditorium is elevated three feet above the main floor. The first row of tables is 15 feet from the front of the stage and the center table is approximately 16 to 18 feet away from Charlotte. The auditorium setting lends a different feel to the performance. It's widely open and perhaps not quite as intimate as a concert hall specifically designed for this purpose. Charlotte's personality and warmth add to closing the gaps of the auditorium and uniting the patrons in having a good time. Charlotte was absolutely "glowing" on stage, one could see and feel that. Many of Charlotte's songs require a fairly good harpist in the play. The seventy year old harpist for this symphony was quite good. She was shown several times on the video screens when she and Charlotte "made" the song. At the concerts end at about 9:50 p.m. all performers appeared on stage simultaneously for their final bow, Charlotte, Symphony and Dancers. Very nice and all to a very approving and loud standing ovation. Charlotte peppered the songs with an emotion and liveliness that brought tears to my eyes on a couple of the songs. She overtly places heart felt efforts into the emotions and spirit of each song. The big surprise of the evening for me is the song "Tonight" from West Side Story. I've always liked this song and it was not in the program guide so when it came up I just about fell out of my chair with disbelief. It was presented with amazing strength of feeling and emotion. And again Bali Hai, Charlotte states this is her favorite song. I understand why, the lyrics and melody are heart rending. This is the VERY best I've seen her to date. If this concert is any indication how well things will go in future U.S. performances I can certainly say this young lady is going to be well received. Enjoy AND catch a Charlotte concert for yourself and you will see, feel and live what I have lived. As always, THANK YOU to Charlotte, the Church family, Sony and the people behind the scenes for bringing this experience of a life time to my life and to all of our lives. The concert ends some 1300 miles to the south and west of Milwaukee as my aircraft lightly touches down on a rain soaked runway almost exactly 24 hours after the concert has ended. Somewhere 5000 miles to the east and north of me a young teenage soprano is already curled in a peaceful nights rest content to dream a dream of other hearts to touch. -Rick Cooke
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