Strangely the same

Pictured is the Orchestra during a touch-up rehearsal onstage at the Philharmonie in Cologne.

The stage is clearly a departure from what we know back in Minneapolis - for the last two concerts, we've been in venues that are "in the round", with the audience essentially surrounding the stage. Acoustics are divergent as well, and it makes the orchestra sound very different than when back in Orchestra Hall; both Philharmonies (in Berlin and Cologne) lent a clarity to what was coming off the stage that is in stark contrast to the wash of sound I'm used to hearing back home.

So, everything is different...but strangely the same. The pre-concert activity is identical, wherever you are in the world:


The unpacking of bass cases, which is where our bassists store their instruments whether back home or on tour (bassist Bob Anderson).


Warming up (Doug Wright, our principal trombone).


More warming up (yep, that's Sam!).

There's something comforting about the consistencies of those rituals, even as we traverse the miles (sorry, kilometers - we're in Europe!) - the sameness amidst the differentness.

One distinct difference:


Many European halls have an "artist's bar/cafe" backstage (something we miss back in Orchestra Hall), very convenient for either a quick bite pre-concert or a post-concert quaff (violinist Julie Ayer and cellist Mina Fisher find time for hydration and a quick chat at the backstage cafe in the Berlin Philharmonie).