Tonight, the Longview Symphony Orchestra played at the new Belcher Center for Performing Arts here at LeTourneau, and since this was the first symphonic show in the center, Beethoven’s 9th was the program.

Being relatively new to the classical music scene, I hadn’t ever heard the 9th, apart from “Ode to Joy.” Hearing that bit of music (in the original German, mind you) in the context of the symphony was astounding! Beethoven’s massive emotional shifts between movements was humorous, as the deep melancholy of the beginning of the ode gave way to the whimsy of the second movement. It can’t really be described, it has to be experienced.

But, the evening started out a little strangely. Liz, my date, ended up not getting back from her flight block until 6:40, a good 30 minutes after we were going to leave for dinner. She called, said that she was late, and insisted that I go ahead and go with the other couple that we were going to dinner with. I reluctantly agreed, and the three of us went off to dinner, and we picked her up on our wy back to the symphony. I was a little bummed about that one, but dinner was fun, still, and all was well.

After the symphony, we walked around, talking with some people that we knew who were there, and decided to go get some ice cream to top off the evening. As it turned out, several of our friends had decided the same thing, and we hung out with a bunch of them, eating ice cream and talking (though usually not at the same time).

In the end, we decided to make up the missed dinner some other time, and I’m looking forward to that, too.

Even if just for the night, all’s right with the world.

And there’s an awwwww picture after the cut.
View full article »