Thanks to the generosity of Deacon Walter Johnson at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, Ray and I were able to enjoy an evening with Yo-Yo Ma at the Hollywood Bowl tonight. This virtuoso cellist was all by himself on the huge Bowl stage where he played six Bach Suites for Solo Cello from memory to an almost capacity crowd. That is 17, 500 people. From memory, each Suite, which all have six movements. From memory for over 2 1/2 hours with only one ten minute pause. Not one missed note. That is the definition of a virtuoso.
Yo-Yo Ma was born in Paris, but grew up in New York City. He started playing cello at the age of four, attended Juilliard and graduated from Harvard. He has recorded over 100 albums and 18 of those have been Grammy winners. He easily could be considered the most well-known cellist in the world. He spoke to the audience at one point, saying that he wanted to dedicate this concert to all those suffering as a result of the natural disasters that have occurred around the world recently. He hoped his music could bring a little solace to those in need of comfort.
A lovely evening. Thank you, Deacon Johnson. This was a real treat. It’s not every day, one gets the opportunity to be in the presence of a true Master. Yo-Yo Ma definitely qualifies for Master status in the field of the cello. He also appears to be a genuinely kind and caring person. That makes him even more impressive, which is almost impossible to imagine.
I hope everyone had a good day today. I’ll be checking back in with you again tomorrow.
And now it’s time for me to walk my dogs and then go to bed. Sweet dreams, my friends.
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