Every year at many orchestras across the Western Hemisphere there comes the following situation: “Congratulations!!! You’ve won the prize to conduct the Upper Podunk Symphony Orchestra in concert!!!” Well, it ain’t as easy as you think.
There’s a special guest author today: Stephen Lepoole. You might not know him but perhaps you should – he’s the Chair of the Board of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. In a moment that probably took years off of his life, his wonderful wife, Day, decided that winning the bidding war to conduct the ESO would be a nice gift for him. Heh!!!
As a board chair I am well aware of the dictum that “thou shalt not interfere in the artistic operations of the orchestra” (except ???). You can imagine my chagrin when, at a charity event, my wife purchased the opportunity for me to CONDUCT the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Luckily, the gods were on my side. Rob McAlear picked the perfect piece – “Bizet’s prelude to Carmen” ( two minutes and thirty two seconds long and in 2/2 time) and the ESO resident conductor, Lucas Waldin, took me under his mentorship wings. I learned important strategies like how to walk to the podium, how to give the downbeat (Breathe!), maintain the tempo, finsh waiving the stick when the music stops, don’t bow until the orchestra is standing, don’t listen to the music for enjoyment, you will lose your concentration, etc., etc. And I was bestowed with an honourary membership in the Edmonton local of the AF of M (good for three minutes plus 30 seconds of applause – if any).
Three practice sessions later, I was to face the 56 musicians of the ESO in a rehearsal. Luckily I had learned the way of musicians, and shamelessly bribed them with donuts and muffins at the preceeding rehearsal break. The session, under Lucas’ and Bob Bernhard’s watchful eyes, was a success at least in that I learned I would only mildly embarrass myself of the stage.
One more dress rehearsal with Bill Eddins, and I was ready for the big day for the Sunday afernoon gig at the Winspear Centre for Music. In front of family and friends and an actual live audience, Bill introduced me and I stepped on the podium, gave the downbeat.
It was a blast! With professional musicians doing their thing and basically ignoring the guy with the stick, the music flowed into the hall in all its glory. We started fast, entered the quiet section, brought in the violins, smiled at the pretty cello player, and finished with the bashing of cymbals, all in the right place.
Thank you ESO, musicans, and all who made this possible, especially, of course, my wife Day.