#BachtotheKenCen -- Days 4, 5 and 6: Mit voll Lachens

Exhilarating!

Maestro Rilling requested we sit on stage while the orchestra was playing its solo pieces. We were nervous about this at first. If you've been to the KC, you've probably seen the gym-style bleachers. You know, the ones without backs:

                                                                        Photo by Andrew Bossi

Bach's music, however, made up for the discomfort. Maestro Rilling had beautiful interpretations, and seeing his dialogue with the players was fascinating.

Principal 2nd violinist Marissa Regni and principal oboist Nicholas Stovall delighted us with Bach's Concerto for Oboe and Violin. They were excellent! Audience members responded with thunderous applause.

Mark of a pro? Professionals, like Regni and Stovall, make excellence their starting point, not their end goal. They got better every night!

Maestro Rilling, the epitome of professionalism, conducted the entire program from memory. But, his tempi sped up a notch every night, so we had to watch closely to keep up with them

The fugue at the end of Cantata 63, "Höchster, schau in Granden an..." was a special moment. It's an a cappella passage that starts with altos on the theme while sopranos accompany them.

Maestro Rilling and us.

A beautiful moment of vulnerability that leads to an august reinstatement of the theme.

The audience roared every time Maestro Rilling acknowledged us. What an honor!

"I hope you continue to sing Bach's music," Maestro Rilling, passionate ambassador of Bach's music, said on our last night together. "Whether it be singing his soli, in chorus or... playing the trumpet."