There are some things in life that are just so simple, but so wonderful. Music is one of those amazing wonders that seem so simple, but bring joy and happiness to so many. And music doesn't just make people in certain states or countries satisfied, but music is heard around the globe across four oceans and seven continents.
Music is heard in many different forms also. Some like music with a slow, calm feel while others prefer pieces with serious beats and interesting rhythms. Some like hip hop, rap or rock while others prefer jazz, country or classical. Whatever the preference, music is appreciated everywhere.
Last year in Salzburg I grew a great appreciation for classical music and those composers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Back here in the United States and Manhattan, Kansas, I have been definitely feeling the void and absence of this influential music.
Thursday night I was able to step back into that cultural world I held so dear in Austria and experience the sounds of the world again. K-State was able to bring the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra to the McCain Auditorium on the Manhattan campus. Directed by Leon Botstein, this 70 year old orchestra brought a new and rare act to Kansas. The three pieces played were very beautiful and pleasing. These pieces of the night included Erich Walter Sternberg's, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Leonard Bernstein's, Serenade, with Robert McDuffe on Violin; and Aaron Copland's, Symphony No. 3.
The performance was filled with sweet and easy listening tones and helped me be taken back to the magnificent opera houses and concert halls of Europe. Such a simple aspect of the time I spent abroad, but it has such a prominent piece of me now I will never be able to give it up.
Orchestras and concerts of classical music are not always the norm here in Manhattan, KS, but those who seek out such wonderful art forms will find them in the end and be rewarded with solid performances that satisfy.
For now I still long to walk along the Salzach River or bike down Hellbrunner Allee on bright, sunny days in Salzburg, but, I am making the most of my time at K-State and counting my blessings that God has provided me with here. Taking some moments of a busy week to experience a piece of Salzburg I left behind will keep Austria with me while appreciating what ALL the parts of my world bless me with.
It is a great day to be alive. Although our lives are changing with a new president, an unsure future, and the challenges of daily life in a world of recession; God is good and He is still here. He will guide us, no matter what!
