[Trombone-l] Tuba Christmas

[Greg Bergantz]

John,

Although I'm not a Seventh-day Adventist, I participated in some  
conducting master classes back in the early 80's with Maestro Herbert  
Blomstedt. At the time, he was the Music Director of the Swedish Radio  
Orchestra and the Dresden Staatskapelle. He had yet to guest-conduct  
the San Francisco Symphony where he landed for several years as  
director. Anyway, Blomstedt was a very devout seventh-day Adventist  
(the master classes were held at Loma Linda University).

One day, he told us a story: when he was young, fresh out of Julliard,  
he was called to conduct one of the top chamber orchestras in Sweden.  
After discussing the position with the manager, he respectfully  
declined the position because they frequently performed concerts on  
the sabbath. Later, he was entertaining and dining at home with his  
pastor and he shared the job offer and the fact that he had turned  
down the position. The pastor was aghast! He could not understand why  
Blomstedt turned down the job.

When Blomstedt asked the pastor why he was so upset, the pastor  
replied, "What better way to praise and celebrate the Lord then to  
make beautiful music?"

Months later when THE BEST chamber orchestra in Sweden called and  
offered Blomstedt the position of music director,  Blomstedt accepted  
the job. To this day, he has no issues with performing music -- not  
rehearsing (that's work!) -- on the sabbath.

For what it's worth...now you have a great excuse to cut out of the  
rehearsal and just show up for the concert!

Respectfully,

Greg Bergantz
Trombone, Oxford Street Brass
http://www.oxfordstreetbrass.com/home/index.shtml



On Dec 15, 2008, at 4:49 AM, John Burton wrote:

>
> I wish so that Charleston's Tuba Christmas would be on any other day  
> but Saturday.  As a Seventh-day Adventist I don't feel that it's  
> proper to play Tuba Christmas charts on the Sabbath.
>
> LOVE Tuba Christmas' selection of music, and love hanging out with  
> other bottom-dwellers, but ....
>
> ~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
>
> john burton
> Bach 50B3 Bass Trombone
> Kanawha Valley Community Band / Slide-by-Slide
> South Charleston, West Virginia
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wayne Dyess [mailto:texastbone at gt.rr.com]
> Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 4:29 PM
> To: mcclurefamily at srt.com
> Cc: trombone-l at samford.edu
> Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] <ping>
>
> Sounds great to me...  except for cancellations of everything but  
> school.  At least the Tuba Christmas thing happened.
>
> And hey -- we had snow in Beaumont this week, too.  Southeast Texas  
> and snow.  That isn't very often, let me tell ya!
>
> --wD
>
>
>
> On Dec 14, 2008, at 2:51 PM, mcclurefamily at srt.com wrote:
>
>> I think a lot of folks are out dealing with the weather or lost power
>> in the ice storm in the NorthEast.
>>
>> ND had blizzards, we canceled Singing Christmas Tree and Brass Band
>> concerts for the first time I can remember in 10 years. I'm just  
>> lucky
>> that a friend has a bobcat so my driveway is actually plowed enough  
>> to
>> get out for work tomorrow. There was no way I'd have been able to get
>> to any gigs today!
>>
>> Some schools are starting one hour late tomorrow. It'd be better to
>> cancel but tomorrow night I have to lead the students in a  
>> rescheduled
>> Christmas concert. As much as I don't want to do it this week,  
>> singing
>> it in February is also pretty low on my list.
>>
>> My Christmas spirit is usually in a box this time of year, due to the
>> pace of December rehearsals and gigs, but TubaChristmas revived it
>> [the only gig that didn't cancel this weekend].
>>
>> Also, finding some neat musical ornaments has helped. Very nice, six
>> inch replicas of real instruments. So far I have flute, oboe,
>> clarinet, piano, saxophone, horn, trumpet, viola, guitar, and of
>> course, a trombone. Now, if I can just get a special person to take
>> time to put them on a tree with me, I'll be all set. :o)
>>
>> Merry Christmas, everybody. Don't burn out if you have a busy  
>> schedule
>> and take time to enjoy the season. God bless you.
>>
>> Chris Ann McClure
>> PK-5 General Music Teacher
>> Freelance Trombone, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Baritone
>>
>>
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