I guess some folks didn’t care for the look of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra I blogged about earlier. I can’t remember where I read the critiques, so no links for the moment. But I did just land on a new site (to me) called Intermezzo and if you read about the concert, the students didn’t don their colorful clothes until the end of the performance. In case anyone cares.

Me? I wasn’t bothered. I was just happy to hear and see some fine musicians playing well and having fun.

I was in England and Scotland back in 1974. I was attending the International Festival of Youth Orchestras or some such thing. (Anyone know what it really was? I wish I’d saved programs.) We played in our own orchestras (we were primarily in Aberdeen, actually) and later we had auditions for the combined orchestra. (No, I didn’t get in. The oboist who was auditioning us clearly didn’t like my sound at ALL. He was British and I could swear it was Leon Goosens, but maybe I’m making that up.) I went to the combined concert, and I could swear it was one of the Prom concerts. (If that’s how one refers to those.) Then again, maybe I’m making this whole darn thing up! (I do that. Easily. I think something is a fact when it isn’t. How about that?)

Oh … and there’s this: I was with a member of PACO and, as we were representing the United States, we were supposed to choose some sort of costume. Well, what can one choose from the US? We opted for jeans (which meant I was allowed my FIRST pair of jeans, believe it or not—this was back in 1974) and jeans jackets. Other countries, of course, had real costumes.

Ah … memories!

Update: Woo hoo! I just checked, and it appears (if one can believe the Wikipedia entry) I was right about the festival and the Proms!