performed at westerleigh parc

This was the last weekend before school reopens after the winter break.

The rain continued as a part of Vancouver’s typical winter weather, and we were on our way to perform at Westerleigh PARC retirement home in West Vancouver. The Venue was a very open space with a large but comfortable restaurant area. It was just after dinner, and staffs were cleaning up the tables. On a wall not far away, the burning flames in the fireplace added a touch of warmth and coziness. A Steinway Grand Piano stood right in the corner of the hall, looking elegant. A few residents arrived early and seated in the front row. As we were setting up, a gentleman came forward and spoke to us, “I wanted to apologize, there is a very interesting movie going on the second floor, it might divert some people, and you may expect fewer audience than normal…” said the gentlemen, “of course, we don’t mind, we are happy that you can come and listen to us.” we responded with a smile. The truth is, at that moment, we were moved by his kindness and courtesy.  

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Sharp at 7:30 pm, we opened up our concert with a flute and harp duet arranged by ourselves but originally written by a famous Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, played as a part of a well-recognized animation movie “Castle in the Sky”. Its graceful melody set up the scene nicely for this calm evening. What makes tonight more special are our two pianist just landed yesterday after a holiday trip to France and Italy; although they have not yet had a chance to rest much, these two young artists joined us to perform at the concert, which brought a spirit that inspired the rest of us.

As we finished our one hour concert, as usual, a few audiences stayed longer and chatted with us. Many were interested in our instruments and how we started. One gentleman commented that his father used to play the zitter, this reminded him of his childhood times with family. If, each time, we could make some small positive impact - whether it is to reminisce a good memory, or to inspired some new ideas - our purpose of connecting the community through music would be fulfilled.