An old friend

A big time moment for a trumpet player

I'm bathed in a piece of music I have loved from the moment I heard it half a century ago.  It is playing on the radio now - Internet from WKAR.org at Michigan State University - wrong direction.  It is a Spanish Caprice (Capriccio Espagnol), written by a Russian about a land he barely knew but could dream about.

I've played in an orchestra performing this piece dozens of times. It never failed to make me smile. The trumpet fanfare part is above. I know it by heart. I know the entire score from memory..can still write out all the parts (for $ of course....hey! I'm not dumb).  I'm not bragging. If you really love something, you learn all about it.

If you go south out of our side door about 100 yards and launch a sail boat, fair winds blowing will take you to Portugal and then on to Spain.  I want to go. Perhaps not by sailboat.  We are on the right latitude.

I have a friend of some 35 years who turns out is playing in the Barcelona Orchestra.  She (Josie) was just the best and nicest person when I first met her...I think she was 12....and you could see the light and passion in her eyes. Now she is a grand frommage. To think.

I'm glad she landed so successfully in Spain.  I envy her.