The Lady in the 3 Hats

What does the conductor do? Well, that is a question that deserves a little inspection of a haberdashery heterogeneity. Our conductor is Jeannine Wagner, a woman for whom the skills and artistry of choral direction are a lifetime endeavor. But what really happens when the podium is ascended by a world class musician? Let’s take a look.

A conductor is the Architect whose job requires careful attention to the structure of the music. Every detail of the composition that comprises the ebb and flow of the phrase is carefully built from the columns that support the basement up to the gables that crown the arches. And the dictum must be that this house is sound.

And she must wear the hat of a Psychiatrist who conducts a group session where the patients bring a host of interesting dramas that influence the sound and texture of the music. We are all flawed individuals who want to do our best and yet resist the surges of change that will allow the best to emerge. Singers want to be in charge but there is only one to whom the mantle of authority is granted. She stands in front of us, demanding, cajoling, inspiring our obeisance to the muse of creativity of her inner vision.

One of the best hats she wears is that of the Cheerleader. Unabashedly, she's up there waving her arms, grimacing, sometimes in pain, sometimes in shock, sometimes in pleasure, but always with a childlike excitement of having the time of her life. The tone is positive, an ocean of confidence that carries all of us along toward the performance worthy of our effort. Go team, go!

Jeannine, as the lady in the 3 hats, is just warming up. This is a journey that will take many hats and require many functions from dedicated musicians. Our goal is to make Haydn's MASS IN TIME OF WAR a thing of beauty and inspiration. We are on our way.