Sunday Music Musings August 28, 2021

Many of you know by now that my whole family got (vaccinated) Covid last week, so I am not exactly having the vacation I planned! Because of the vaccine none of us have life-threatening disease, but it has been no fun anyway with the flu symptoms and isolation. Because of careful masking behavior it doesn’t seem we spread to anyone we were around in the few days before we were symptomatic, even though singing was involved! The Delta variant is sooooo contagious, and it came from my daughter’s vaccinated boyfriend who visited our home – who works in a bar where people (vaccinated and not) stay for hours unmasked. Grace is doing better now and sorry to miss her last few Sundays as cantor before she moves to Philadelphia to start grown-up life soon. Thank you for continuing to mask in public spaces even if you are vaccinated! This is why.

Former head chorister Kimberly Love was already going to play the Prelude and Postlude, and now covers the Offertory and Communion as well, allowing you to enjoy an all-J. S. Bach (1685-1750) Sunday! Here is more about Kimberly’s college experience and some notes on the Bach that she has graciously provided.

Kimbo Love is a college sophomore studying viola performance with Kirsten Docter at Oberlin Conservatory. She has played violin for 15 years and viola for 9. Kimbo participates in various ensembles such as Oberlin Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Oberlin Sinfonietta. She has also performed in her school’s Chamber Music Festival. Over the summer, Kimbo attended the Kinhaven Young Artists’ Seminar in Weston, VT. She held a recital at the end of July for her summer community, performing works by Bach and Hovaness. Kimbo hosts a weekly radio show through her college. She lives in Mount Tabor with her parents and her brother Charlie. 

Bach’s third cello suite (BWV 1009) is a collection of European dances. None of his original manuscripts for the six cello suites survived, allowing modern-day performers creativity with interpretation. Today, the suites are performed on various instruments, primarily cello and viola. The C-Major key of the third suite gives it a joyful and triumphant feel. The first movement is a prelude, then the dances that follow are Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourrée, and Gigue.