CHQ is a designation of the Chautauqua Institution. My wife and I received little magnets with those letters at a meal early on at the Presbyterian House. One was a rainbow heart, the other like a bumper stick you might find on a car.
Incidentally, Presby House is the only religion-affiliated house serving three meals daily. There are several other places to get food on the ground, from food trucks to fancy restaurants, but we did not utilize any of them.
In some ways, CHQ is like a college campus with narrow streets. It has a center square where one can play games, go to the bookstore, mail items, get directions, and much more.
The key to being at Chautauqua is the realization that you simply can’t go to everything. Since it was our first time, we overdid it at least once. Each week, there’s a two-sided, roughly 22″ by 11″ (56cm by 28 cm) sheet with columns in six-font type. On Sundays, there are many different worship services at 9:30. After breakfast, the Presby House pastor for the week led a service in the chapel downstairs.
Then, there was a 10:45 service at the Amphitheater, also broadcast on the CHQ Assembly on the YouTube channel, led by the Rev. Kate Braestrup, a best-selling author and the chaplain for the Maine Warden Service, which is probably not what you might think it is.
I should admit that my wife went to far more religious services and lessons than I did. Part of it was that she was more theologically enamored with Rev. Braestrup than I was. Also, I had to finish the book I was reporting on the following week.
88 keys
After lunch, we attended a 2:30 “scintillating program of works for one and two pianos, with repertoire drawn from virtuoso works of the great classical composers and arrangements of popular and familiar tunes” by the Chautauqua School of Music.
I’m listing the pianists to say I saw them when one or more of them broke through nationally or internationally. The music links are not theirs.
(I’ll Build a) Stairway To Paradise, 1922 and Strike Up The Band, 1927 -George Gershwin (1898-1937) (arr Logan Skelton). Sean Yang and Eric Yu. I thought the first piece was by Scott Joplin because Gershwin borrowed from him.
2 Pieces for 6 Hands: Romance and Valse, 1890 -Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). Even Cao, Ellen Li, and Letizia Palmieri
Brasileira from Scaramouche, 1937 -Darius Milhaud (1892-1974). Sebastian Castillo and Runyang Wong
From Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22 – Georges Bizet (1838-1875): Trompette et tambour (Trumpet and drum), La toupie (The spinning top), Petit mari, petite femme (Little husband, little wife), Le bal (The ball). Karina Tseng and Vivian Yang
Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55, 1908 – -Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Seohee Yang. Based on this and a later performance, my wife and I felt she was the breakthrough artist.
Tarantella from Suite No. 2, Op.17 -Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). Dongwon Shin and HaEun Yang
A classical steal
España, 1883 -Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894). Yujin Han, Cheonmi Park, Sean Yang, and Eric Yu. I thought I didn’t know the composer; wrong. From Wikipedia: “Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)” is an American popular song written by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning. The song is almost identical in melody and triple-time rhythm to a portion of Emmanuel Chabrier‘s 1883 composition, España. It was published in 1956. The song was recorded by Perry Como,” and went to #1 on the Billboard pop chart.
Danse Macabre, Op. 40 -Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Karmen Grubisic and Seohee Yang
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 32 No. 13 – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). Alexei Aceto
A Scott Joplin Rag Rhapsody, 1997 – Kevin Olson (b. 1970). Yujin Han, April Lee, Yali Levy Schwartz, and Kyuree Kim. Ah, familiar Joplin themes.
Where ARE we?
Then, we attended a 4:00 orientation for new Chautauquans. By the time we finished dinner, I didn’t want to go anywhere.
Fortunately, at breakfast, the Presby House pastor had indicated an interest in playing backgammon. I hadn’t played a human in years, only on my phone. We were well-matched, as she beat me two games to one, even as we (mostly I) engaged in a running commentary to benefit a young man watching us who had read the game’s rules but had not played.
Then I played him a few games, even as we listened to the 8 pm Sacred Song Service in the nearby Amphitheater. This brought me joy.
One of the quirks, at least at Presby House, is that you don’t lock your doors when you go out. When my wife was in the room, even though she had opened and closed the door, she inadvertently locked me out. It took only a day or so to get used to it.
Security
By happenstance, the day we returned from Chautauqua, CBS reran the segment from 60 Minutes detailing when Salman Rushdie was stabbed on the Amphitheater stage. I had seen the piece before, but it was somehow more disturbing, having been in that place. In 2022, access to the stage appeared less secure.
I don’t know exactly what measures they had then—there are people I should ask—but there are now several folks responsible for security. The ones in the blue shirts appeared to be armed. While undoubtedly necessary, this made me a little sad.