School Winter Concert

This past week we experienced the boy's school winter concerts. I had to go both nights, because their classes were scheduled on opposite evenings. Most parents only had to experience one evening of the *fun*. Now, I know my disappointment with the evenings has to do with my extensive performance and directing experience and the quality of the Christmas concerts that I saw in Fort McMurray. These did not quite measure up, but that's okay. Everyone had fun and the kids gave it their all. The gym set up is imperfect and the acoustics suck so you can't do much with that. I don't quite understand why all the classes sing along to a recording (including vocal track). Yes, I know the music teacher can't play piano and conduct at the same time, but why not a karaoke track so we can hear the kids, not the vocal track? Oh well, I would do it differently. Some of the parents are up in arms because the focus is more secular than spiritual, but it's a public school so that doesn't bother me. There are Christian programs (LOGOS) in the Public system and you can always go to the Catholic system if that's what you want. Our school is 1/4 Muslim and unless you are going to also include religious songs from their faith (as well as any other faiths in the building, as I am sure there are others) then secular is the way to go. I personally think that they could just find good songs for kids to sing (not rewritten words to Christmas Carols like "Joy to the World, My Shopping's Done") and that would be better. The end song that the whole school sang along to, Sarah McLachlan's Ordinary Miracle is a good example. Just a good song that shows us whether or not the kids can sing. Anyhow, I am not upset about the lack of Christ in the Christmas Concert (they call it a Winter Concert).

I was upset, however, at the impossibly bad manners of the parents and grandparents in the audience. There were people saving an entire row of seats so that people who arrived before those who sat were standing room only at the back. I can understand saving a seat for your spouse, but not for your spouse, 2 sets of grandparents and a couple of aunts and uncles! Ridiculous. Then there were those camera jockeys who would stand up, either in their row or in the aisle and block the audience from seeing the concert so they could get a picture of their child. I would have liked to see Gibson's group, but the mass of picture takers blocked most of the performance. There were also unattended children up and down and moving all over the place during the show, during performances and between. And then there were the talkers. Right behind me, both evenings, I had people chatting when their children were not onstage. Excuse me?! I am here to hear everyone, and I didn't talk through your child's performance so shut the @$%@$ up! I left Tuesday night so annoyed. Wednesday was better, but only just barely. I was appalled and am certainly not looking forward to future concerts unless the behaviour of the audience improves.