Salt Lake City

Home this week from the national ACDA conference in Salt Lake City, a full schedule with many concerts of very fine choirs. The last time it was there was in 1985, the only conference I've missed in my professional life.   The musical highlight for me was the Desert Chorale performance in the Cathedral of the Madeleine, an expressive and emotionally deep performance in a gorgeous visual and aural space.  The venues of the Salt Lake Tabernacle and Assembly Hall were historic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was a large presence on several nights, including the final night's gala in the conference center -- a gigantic space that seats 21,000 people.  The chorus and orchestra were joined by the Singing Sergeants, the ACDA honor choirs, Sylvia McNair, and Santino Fontana in a program of American song.  I returned to the Tabernacle Sunday morning to hear the live broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word (it was the third dress for the women of the choir in three days) and had memories of watching this with my grandmother years ago as a boy.  It was great to conduct BRAINSTORM in the high school reading packet and IF I COULD FLY in the packet for children's choruses, to catch up with old friends and get to know new.  The food highlight of the weekend was Fincas tapas with Sandra Snow, and I was lucky to find the Rose Emporium the last day, the only location in Utah that brews Four Barrel Beans from San Francisco -- a favorite of mine!  Their BLT with candied bacon and butternut squash soup -- and a cappuccino -- were the perfect ending to a memorable week.