Friday was the dress rehearsal, and it went well. My voice is strong. I'm singing better than I have since last summer. The mountain air, the vocal exercise, and lots of sleep are good for me. Maybe I will give up psychiatry and start voice lessons...nah!!! I took a nap in the afternoon while the Spinats and Hirschtritts and Carol played at the pool, and Andy and Neal went hiking on the trails.

The concert was thrilling--for me, anyway, and for all of us in the chorus, and for Jane, as well, I think. The concert was dedicated to the memory of those who died as victims of terrorism. Several of the members of BCF over the years died in the World Trade Center. The wife and father of one of the victims were here with us this week as singers.

Now, you know, folks Farklempt tells it like it is. If I tell you something is the best, it is the best. So, here are the reviews from Farklempt's claque--wife, sisters and brothers, son and son-in-law. Everyone thought the chorus was fabulous. Everyone thought the orchestra was, as Jane would put it to us in rehearsal, ghastly. They were all struck with how ragged they were, and how they didn't follow Jane's lead. I did hear lots of breaks in the horns, but I was carried away in spiritual fervor. Everyone thought Amy Burton was splendid, but many had reservations about Chris Nomura. Me, I thought he sang with a good deal of subtlety of shading and expression, not singing at double forte throughout, as many baritones do. But most thought he was weak.

After the concert, Mary Smith, the former Executive Director of the BCF, thanked me for not dropping dead on the stage for yet another year. We congratulated each other on our longevity.

At the party afterward, there were some terrific skits by several members of the chorus, including one woman who did a drop dead imitation of Jane conducting, down to her mannerisms, her dress, her gait, and her expressions. Patty Kruglak, who is one of the very best people in the world, gave presentations to Jane and the faculty, with her customary poise and grace. She knows just what to say, says it beautifully, and makes it look effortless. That's because she speaks true from her good heart.

So, another year, a difficult year for many of us, a year of sorrow and joy, of fear and courage. But here at choral camp, we can be innocent children, and everything is always perfect. One week a year like this is not too much to ask, is it?

Credits: I forgot my camera, so many thanks to David Lewis and Nancy Wasserman for their photos, which grace these pages. Thanks also to my faithful and devoted claque, Gilda and Sam, Nancy & Joel, Andy & Neal, for coming year after year. Above all, thanks to Carol, who fills every week with song and goodness.