My wife and I had talked about going to the Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York State for about two decades. People in our church said, “You really ought to go.” It was time since it was our 25th anniversary a couple of months ago. Our daughter was home caring for the cat, bringing in the mail, and so on. My wife had taken off eight weeks for the summer.
But what IS Chautauqua? From the homepage: “For 150 years, Chautauqua has served as a catalyst for creative exploration, educational growth, relaxation and recreation. Each day brings new opportunities to live, learn, and laugh on our historic grounds. We invite visitors to join a community that enriches mind, body and spirit year after year.”
The late author David McCollough noted: “There is no place like it. No resort. No spa. Not anywhere else in the country or anywhere else in the world. It is at once a summer encampment and a small town – a college campus, an arts colony, a music festival, a religious retreat, and the village square. It is all of these things, and it’s none of these – just. And there is no place – no place – with anything like its history.”
One of the Chautauquens I met says, when describing the place to friends, “It’s Disneyland for the NPR set.” The calendar of events each day is so enormous that one can go to only a fraction of the offerings.
Day 1
We arrived at about 4:05 p.m. on July 20. It is a bit of a complicated process. One has to arrive between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. and have a gate pass to get in and out of the grounds. We had 40 minutes to find the Presbyterian House where we were staying, unload the vehicle, and then park the vehicle on the outskirts of the property.
A small but mighty young woman loaded our bags onto a cart and took me to the registration area for the Presby House, as some veterans call it, and got my orientation materials. Then I waited for my wife, who took nearly an hour to park the vehicle and return.
As promised, dinner was announced by a gong – a small gong, to be sure – which one of the younger workers played throughout the building. An hour after being served a family-style meal, facilitated by large lazy Susans on each table, a small bell tolled to invite us to leave the dining area.
Chautauqua Lake is nearby. It’s gorgeous. “Sometimes Chautauqua Lake is referred to as the ‘thumb of the Finger Lakes’ due to its close proximity and perpendicular position, but it’s important to note that it was formed by separate glacial activity and is not associated with the Finger Lakes.” (That is so wonderfully geeky.)
Phil
There was a concert nearly every night of the week in the Amphitheater, a good twenty meters away from Presby House. This night’s performance was by the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the very colorful Stuart Chafetz. The program was titled In The Air Tonight: Celebration Of Genesis and Phil Collins. It featured the drumming of the very good Brian Kushmaul from the CSO.
Two vocalists, Aaron Finley, currently on Broadway in Moulin Rouge: The Musical, and Brook Wood, sang. Some pieces were solos, others duets. In my opinion, and that of my wife, she had a stronger voice and a more interesting personality.
The singers and the conductor provided a narrative about Phil’s life and career. They performed, among others, Turn It On Again, Follow You Follow Me, That’s All, No Reply at All, I Missed Again, One More Night, Another Day in Paradise, I Don’t Care Anymore, and Susudio in the first half.
After intermission: Abacab, Invisible Touch, In The Air Tonight, Hold On My Heart, Throwing It All Away, Don’t Lose My Number, and appropriately, Take Me Home. I seldom remember which were Phil songs or group songs unless I saw the videos.
A point about In The Air Tonight: Brook Wood explained that we often get the air drum too early and that she would cue us in at the right time. For me, I suspect it’s because it was edited when it was used on an episode of the television show Miami Vice.
It was a good show and a suitable kickoff for our CHQ experience.
Oddly, I have been on the grounds of Chautauqua only once (when I auditioned for a youth orchestra there back in high school). It always sounds like an amazing place.
Cool.
“NPR Set,” heh!