The only odd note, no pun intended, was the fact that the audience looked like the cast of "Cocoon." The tip-off was the eight or ten mini-vans unloading people in wheelchairs out front of the Merrill Auditorium. The vans were emblazoned with logos for communities like Sunset Grove, Pine Point Manor and Breezy Shores. It took forever to get to our seats, as you might imagine; while not everyone was in a wheelchair, plenty of patrons were using walkers or canes. It certainly was a different crowd than the one I was in several weeks ago to see Dave Chappelle (at the same venue), when I might have been the oldest person in the whole place. But infirm or not, we all shared one important thing: a love of classical music.
The lady sitting next to me admitted to being 97, and while she had a sprightly personality, she looked so frail I was afraid she might not last through the concert. She explained that her husband had died in May at age 99, after which she moved up here from the Connecticut house she had occupied for 73 years to be near her "kids," who are 70 and 73. She doesn't welcome Maine's tough winters, but she's happy not to have to do any snow shoveling this year, as her assisted-living community takes care of all that for her. Since we both have season tickets, as we said goodbye I said I would see her again next month. She replied, "Hopefully."
With such an aging fan base, I worry about what will become of classical music after the last dinosaur dies off. That should just about coincide with Kanye West being sworn in as president.
No comments:
Post a Comment