Last night, I attended the debut of the Baroque Orchestra of Colorado. You may have remembered from a previous post, this is culmination of a 10 year dream for my friend and coaching client, Frank Nowell.

Several things struck me about the performance last night:

• As the artistic director of the orchestra, Frank made some opening remarks to the audience. He talked about why baroque music from the 17th and 18th centuries would be relevant to individuals living in the 21st century. It came down to three qualities of baroque music (at least in how this group plays it): authentic emotion, sensitivity, and profundity. Hey, I’d like to have more of that in my life.

• The performance was in a church. The first note, cued by the movement of the concertmistress putting bow to violin, was nothing less than heavenly. I’m no music critic (although I do have many years of flute lessons and playing in various groups in high school and afterwards) but I know heavenly music when I hear it.

• The majority of the orchestra was standing up during the performance. Only the harpsichordist, the cellist, and the bassist were sitting down. Standing up allows a whole range of movement that is lost in the sitting position. Movements can be amplified and the full expression played out. This changed how the group related to each other and to the audience. The concertmaster, Cynthia Miller Freivogel, exemplified the use of body movement in feeling and communicating the music. It’s hard to describe the aliveness and energy in a room where the musicians are relating to each other in time, space, and sound so intimately. Suffice it to say that it is an exhilarating experience for the audience, and quite a surprise for music that can be thought of as sedate. Frank had told me about musicians throwing themselves into the music. Now I know what he means.

• The performance was infused with musical dialogue–between the 1st and second violins, between the concertmaster and the cellist, between the recorders and the rest of the orchestra. I have never been an opera fan but it reminded me of a much more likable version of opera.

• During the intermission, the musicians mingled with the audience. I noticed this same concertmaster explaining to a child how she steadies the violin with just a few fingers while playing. It was refreshing to see the musicians interacting with the audience in another way. Again, there’s that sense of intimacy and being a part of the experience in a new way.

If what you are yearning for is more humanity in the world, a good place to start is by attending one of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado’s performances. Their next performance is on Friday, April 28, 2006 at 7:30pm at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver with music of Handel, Purcell, Locke, and Matteis. Call 303.889.1012 for more info. I’ll post their website once it’s up and running.