Chapter 32

We had a serious discussion with the result being that we, as individuals, would show up at any “For Those Who Serve” concerts as we could when we got off the tour in November. I was still up for piano concerts during the year if anyone wanted to hear me. Abigail said that once she had her baby, she would be able to do solo shows if I was her pianist. Joyce was going to be available if Allan could get her, or the pair of us, guitar concerts.

In the meantime, we would see if we could work on at least one Sisters album in the studio to keep our name out there. Allan said that he would work on a press release saying that we were taking a break from touring but would be back in the halls again the year after.

I suppose that it did have to come to a head, sometime. We were now names in the USA, Europe and now in the UK so the money from album sales should still be flowing. The merchandise crew were mainly casuals with the core now getting more involved with on-line sales so didn’t really need to be at shows to sell the goods.

It was with a new sense of purpose that we played in Berlin and the last show there was as if it really was the last show, ever. Paris was next and it was great. We met up with Louise and Etienne and a bunch of the orchestra girls, went to a couple of parties and played some of the best shows we had ever done.

When we flew back to Detroit our equipment was air-freighted directly to the big hall in Milwaukee to be in storage until our show in late September. Allan then put out the press release, so Detroit became our last big show there for a while. As a matter of fact, it was also the first big show we had done at home since those Halloween shows at Harry’s dance hall. We hadn’t really thought about that side of it. When it had been listed, it was just another show on the tour. The fact that it was a home show now became a very big deal as far as we were concerned.

Before Milwaukee I spent some time at home with Alicia. She had grown another few inches over summer and, whenever I got home, I was taking her out to buy new clothes. Her old ones were carefully put aside for Josie or Sharron to pick through.

In the time I had been away there had been changes made to the farm along the lines that had been discussed. I had to find my way around my new kitchen and dining area. It was huge and the new appliances were state-of-the-art, almost to the point where I needed someone to instruct me how to use them.

I’d never used hotplates that were just surfaces where you slid your finger over an icon to change the heat. I was told that my refrigerator could order things on-line when it detected that we were running out, but that hadn’t been connected yet. I ordered it to remain that way. I didn’t want a fridge to tell me what I was eating!

The new hotplate needed special cooking pans, of course, so these were now stored in their own special cupboard. There was so much bench space now that a bread maker, air fryer and waffle maker had their own little corner where I tried to forget they were there.

None of that mattered because we now had a cook, recruited by Josie. She was in her twenties, straight out of a top cooking academy and very good at her job. She, Rebecca (call me Becky,) was living in one of the apartments in our new accommodation block, along with Veronica and Doris, who was back from her reuniting with her family and ready to look after our clutch of children. She was still driving my old car, so I took her off to my favorite car showroom and we traded it for something new and registered it to the business.

Brad had built the new block with accommodation for eight doubles and a large communal kitchen that they had used in the few weeks it took to redo the kitchen in the house. It also had its own car parking with an open fronted long shed. I was happy that this had occurred so quickly while I was in Europe.

There was also a good size playroom which was being used by Doris as the crèche and she was welcome to deal with little Georgina and Martyn, two bundles of boundless energy, that were now heading toward their second birthday, as was Tabitha. She was a much quieter and gentle darling who seemed entranced by everything around her. Our nearly four-year-old Ali was spending a lot of her own time reading to her when she was not playing the piano that was now located in the corner of our big kitchen.

There had also been some shifting of living quarters. Brad had finished the extension to my old rooms in the stable and Tony, Josie and the twins were now living there. Sharron, Carol, and Tabitha now lived over the clinic. About the only times we all met up was for dinner. This left me, Jordan, and Alicia in the main house with my parent’s old bedroom back as a guest room which they could stay in when they come up.

One change that I hadn’t asked for was a covered walkway which ran from the veranda of the stables; across to the new bunkhouse and the back along the front of the three sheds, the rest-room block, and to the packing shed where it came back to the kitchen door of the main house. Josie explained that there had been a bit of wet weather while I was overseas, and she thought it would make things easier. It was wide enough for the trollies of harvested crops to be taken to the packing shed under cover.

All too soon I would be flying to Boston. We had put aside most of a week to rehearse with the orchestra because there were a lot of things that had to appear seamless. One thing we had never done before was working with a music page-turner; the piece being so frantic in the piano part that you just don’t have enough hands.

I worked with Emily in the studio, taking turns on the concert grand to master our parts using the orchestral backing tape. We made a master with Emily recording first and me page turning and then over dubbed that with me playing and her page turning. We took a break first and then sat in the control room while Tony played the result back to us. The next trick was to do it as a duo and that was why we had allowed so much time. She also worked on her own solo piece with the backing tape.

The other thing I needed to make sure of was Alicia being able to play a shortish piece, because I had promised her that I was going to organize her debut on stage as a special birthday present.

Being the next to last classic performance of the year we would have all the band and their spouses coming along, as well as Jordan, Carol, and Sharron. Tony and Josie would be there as well as Veronica, leaving the farm and the babies in the hands of Doris and Becky. Brad, Alicia, and my parents were coming, as was Allan and Helen.

Before that was Alicia and a fourth birthday party which was a very joyous occasion with my parents coming up and Josies’ parents coming along as well. Ali had not been out and about much, so the main guests were the other three children as well as a couple of children of our farm workers. She got lots of nice things, but nothing was said about my gift to come.

In the week after the birthday party, I took Alicia with me, and we met up with Emily at the airport to fly to Boston as VIPs. Geoffrey picked us up and took us to the hotel where we had a suite with two bedrooms. Ali and I shared a big bed that night.

On Tuesday, we were taken to the concert hall where Kelly met us and got a girl to look after Ali while we rehearsed our parts. This concert was for the Friday night and a matinee Saturday followed by a third performance Saturday night. The matinee was set aside for students and teachers from the various music schools as a free concert thanks to the generosity of Algernon and Fiona.

Emily and I were featured stars for both halves. The work that needs to put two concert grands on the same stage meant that it was easier if they stayed in place. The first half of the concert was me playing the Warsaw as an opening piece on one piano, Wilhelm told me that my playing it brought tears to his eyes – said with a grin. I then left the stage with him, and he brought Emily on.

She was playing the Mozart Twenty-One in C Major which is a big piece. The piano doesn’t come in for close to three minutes and then it is about twenty-five minutes that would wear your fingers out if you were new to playing. After the break we were both brought onto the stage for the Mendelssohn which runs for a little over forty minutes, depending on how fast the conductor takes it.

We spent a while on the Warsaw, but it was deemed ready to go quickly. Emily and the Mozart took one run through in the morning and another two after lunch before Wilhelm was happy. I was sitting with Ali, and she was holding my hand. I could feel the excitement and yearning as her fingers moved with Emily. After that it was time for Alicia and her present.

A couple of stagehands wheeled a child’s grand out in front of the two big ones and I held her hand as I took her to the seat. She sat and got comfortable while playing some odd snippets to warm up her fingers. Behind her we had four chairs with one for Antonio, one for the first violin, one for the first viola and one for me with a violin. Her chosen piece as her gift was to play the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata on stage. She had seen a video of her namesake, Alicia Keys, do it as a memorial to Kobe Bryant.

Wilhelm had agreed to conduct the four of us to follow Ali on the piano. The strings didn’t add much to the actual piece except a lot of atmosphere. It would be the first time that Ali had played with a live string section. While we were setting up the rest of the orchestra joined Emily and Kelly in the stalls. I think that they all thought that this was over the top to pamper a child.

When we were all ready, the four of us with our instruments and our one page of music on stands in front of us, Wilhelm smiled at Alicia.

“Whenever you’re ready, sweetie.”

She looked at me and smiled and then started playing. That piece of music only lasts four and a half minutes, but by the end of it I had tears in my eyes. When I looked at my companions, we were all wet-eyed.

As the last notes died the entire orchestra stood and applauded and Ali stood and bowed to them with a huge grin on her face. I went to her as she looked at all the professionals standing and clapping her.

“Thank you, Mommy, this is what I’m here for.”

When we all were having a drink Kelly came up to us. “Edie, I know that what we did just now was a gift to Alicia for her birthday, but I wonder if she would like to do it on Friday night, in front of our subscribers.”

Ali just rushed to her and gave her a leg-hug and then looked at me with that bewitching look of yearning that some daughters seem to perfect. I had to say that if Alicia wanted to do it again, I was happy to go along with that, and she jumped up and down on the spot, squealing.

That brought Wilhelm and a few of the other players over. Kelly smiled at him.

“Willy, darling, how would you like to conduct young Alicia for her first debut in front of our subscribers?”

He just smiled and Ali gave him a leg-hug as well. All we had to do now was sort out how we could set it up after the main show. Emily suggested that we could both go on the microphone to thank everyone while the smaller piano was brought out and the chairs set up.

“That way, It could take the place of any encore and give the audience something to talk about on the way home.”

One of the percussion guys added an idea. “I think it would be best if a small microphone was set over the piano to give it some volume. With a full house that small piano just won’t be heard at the back.”

Wednesday, we didn’t start until after lunch and it was to be just playing the whole thing from go to whoa. Ali was a bundle of energy and I had to tell her to slow down or else she would wear herself out before the big event, something that would never do.

We rested and had a light lunch before Geoffrey picked us up. When we got to the hall, we found that Wilhelm had got some slight seating changes made with the first violin and the first viola sitting side by side and there was an empty chair with Antonio next to that. It didn’t look that much out of place and would mean that the four of us would be together for the final part without the need of extra setting up.

Kelly told me that the stagehands had practiced bringing the small piano out and they had sound tested a microphone on a stand. Before we did anything else Emily and Ali were measured for their gowns, my size already on record. After that the orchestra went on stage and tuned, followed by Wilhelm leading me to my piano seat. I didn’t have to be introduced as we were listed in the program, and I had already been on this stage.

We did the Warsaw as planned. I stood and bowed to an empty auditorium before Wilhelm led me off. He then went back on stage with Emily; this time picking up a microphone and announcing that Miss Emily Bartholomew would be playing her debut piece as a solo concert pianist.

They then did the Mozart while I stood with Ali in the wings. By now she had settled down and was taking it all in from a totally different viewpoint. In the wings you aren’t contributing to the output but are close enough to feel the music flow through your body. For a first timer it can be either frightening or intoxicating. Ali was getting more hooked on her chosen profession with every experience.

When Emily finished and took her bow, Wilhelm asked her for a short encore, so she sat down again and did a short piece of Chopin. That done we had a short drink and pee break before the orchestra went back on stage; tuned and then waited for Wilhelm to follow Emily and me out.

We took our seats and then did the Mendelssohn, and I was thankful for the page-turner. They were very good and stayed very still unless they were doing their job. This is something usually given to the younger new members of the orchestra as a bit of training in self-discipline.

While we did the second half Ali sat in the orchestra on the spare seat between the viola and cello. I knew that the audience would be wondering at this odd arrangement. At the end of the piece both of us stood and bowed and then I took a microphone that my page-turner handed to me and moved to the front of the stage with Emily.

I thanked the imaginary audience for their applause. “You may have noticed my daughter sitting with the orchestra. This is part of an experience I promised her for her fourth birthday last week.” I turned and beckoned her to join me as the small piano was brought out and the microphone set up.

I gave my microphone to Emily.

“Tonight, you heard my debut performance and I’m honored to be introducing another debut performance.”

By this time, I had sat Ali on her seat and made my way to the spare seat where the first violin was also now holding my instrument for me. Emily went on.

“Alicia Sanders is no stranger to playing in public. Some of you may remember a YouTube segment with Edweena and her playing a Satie piece a year or more ago. Many thought it a faked video but tonight you will hear for yourself that she’s a genuine pianist. Being here in the orchestra tonight was her belated birthday present, and now she wants to give you all a present, from her to her loved ones in the audience.”

Emily then turned the microphone off as she walked past Ali, giving her a smile and then sat at her piano. Ali looked at Wilhelm, who smiled and nodded and then we were bathed in Moonlight once again. From my vantage point I could hear that the sound was better with some amplification and then we needed to get busy with our own string accompaniment. At the end of it the orchestra broke with the expected silence and applauded. Ali stood and faced us with a cheeky grin and bowed.

Marianne Gregory © 2023