Friday's concert will have 21 (!) separate "tracks" on it! So in lieu of program notes, Miki wrote up a beautiful introduction explaining why we love the Mix Tape concept - and urging everyone to set their programs aside and just enjoy. (No worries, we've printed everything at the back of the program book in case you want to refer to it later.)
See you on Friday for this wild ride!
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"A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do." The words are from Rob Fleming -- the sullenly romantic record store-owner of Nick Hornby's 1996 novel High Fidelity -- but we couldn't have said it better.
It's been over four years since we started discussing the idea of a Mix Tape concert, and there's a reason for that. Over the past twelve months, we've wracked our brains, lobbied passionately for our faves, had a few major and minor skirmishes, and narrowed it down to 21 "tracks" from our past nine seasons of performing together (plus a few new surprises to keep things fresh). It hasn't been easy. AFC has never had a dearth of passion or opinions. Ultimately though, the concept was too intriguing to pass up.
You see, most of us came of age around the heyday of the mix tape, and know that a good mix tape is more than just a collection of catchy songs. A good mix tape tells a story. A good mix tape juxtaposes and elides and frames music in a way that makes us wonder, laugh, question and sometimes forget to breathe. That's a tall order, but our love for this music inspires us to take risks. We couldn't pass up this chance for Prokofiev to cool down a hot Biber, for Andrew Norman to volley with fiddling Swedes, or Mozart to wink at Daft Punk.
Lastly and most importantly, any mix tape worth its salt is a very personal communication to a very specific audience. And as we begin to see the edge of our tenth season on the horizon, we felt compelled to make this mix for you. For those of you who have been with us for the long haul, who came to our concerts even when you didn't recognize a single composer's name on the program - this mix is for you. For those of you who are here for the first time, maybe something you hear tonight will plant a seed that we can grow together over the next decade. And so, this mix is also for you.
The full program is printed on the back page of your program book, but do us a favor, and put it away when the music begins. You can go to town figuring out what you just heard at intermission. For now though, these are our choicest, juiciest bits of hand-picked ear candy, laid out for you. Sit back, get comfy, and prepare to take a bite.
- Miki-Sophia Cloud, on behalf of the Criers
