How long does it take to install a choir?

I've been quite busy since the last entry, my faithful bloggie lurkers, playing upon my little viola here, on the East Coast, and south of the border. In the process I've gotten some perspective on how differently things work around the world:

In case you didn't know, in the U.S. orchestras are run by boards and committees comprised of philanthropic volunteers that meet and vote to hire the executive staff, management and even conductor, who then are responsible for hiring other staff and musicians. Except for small governmental educational and community grants for community projects, all of the money must be raised and comes from donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Ticket sales only make up about 30% of the income. But south of the border (and almost everywhere but in the USA) orchestras are completely government-supported. The money comes from the government, and the staff and management are government employees and answer to the Ministry of Culture. Pros: Ticket prices in Mexico are quite low and as a result, the act of going to a classical concert is commonplace. The audiences are diverse in age and financial status. Classical music is accessible to everyone; there is no stigma of elitism to intimidate people from coming to cultural events, and more people are educated about it. Cons: Since the government has the final say on matters of salary and artistic production, things move at the lightning speed of corrupt bureaucracy. And when musicians want to take any action it often becomes quite politically drastic. I heard accounts of hunger strikes by conductors trying to hang on to their positions. Even better, apparently there was a certain section of the orchestra that at one point decided to try and kidnap that week's guest conductor by sending him a note to his hotel saying that the rehearsal location had been changed, and a "taxi" (driven presumably by the kidnapper's accomplices) would come to pick him up to take him to the new location (luckily, the plot was foiled).

Here in the U.S., such shenanigans would never fly, though that doesn't stop us from occasionally fantasizing. I DID hear a great story from a friend of mine who happens to have just joined our Board of Directors (a.k.a. the philanthropic volunteers). She loves Mahler's Second Symphony so much that she actually sneaked into the choir to sing the performance (this was a University concert, not a professional symphonic one). She dressed like the chorus members and shared a seat with her friend/accomplice on the chorus risers. I admire her chutzpah, but I don't recommend trying this at your Houston Symphony concerts!! Our tough stagehands will manhandle you off stage. One of them used to be in the circus, you know.

Speaking of Mahler 2, was anyone else stymied at the very long pause between movements 2 and 3 of our Mahler performance earlier this month? Traditionally this is when the choir comes on stage. Since they don't sing until the end of the last movement, it is kinder than having them wait over an hour before uttering a note. But choirs are not known for their hustle. It must be something about the robes, and the processional nature of a large group of singers navigating risers and safety rails. They were nothing if not..STATELY. It made me wonder-just how long does it take to install a choir anyway? I bet in Mexico they would've moved a little faster-Safety rails? we don't need no steenkin' safety rails!

Tonight through this weekend we are performing our last subcription concert of the season. It is a Spanish-flavored program -two pieces of De Falla, Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol, and featuring Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto, performed by Elliot Fisk. The Chronicle featured a piece on him yesterday that said he was "the last student of famed classical guitarist Andres Segovia to achieve an international career." Which begs the question- what about Charo (whose real name is María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza Rasten)? She "cuchi-cuchi'd" her way across the deck of the Love Boat all throughout the 1970's. THEY were cruising international waters. She also studied with Segovia. I'd call that an "international career."