A report Monday (12/31) on the Arizona Daily Star online states, “Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra board member and musician Tim Secomb shot us this email about the volunteer orchestra’s second tour of China. The group left Tucson last Wednesday for a 10-day tour. ‘Happy New Year—Hello from the Class Hotel, Dongguan! We are now in the south of China, an area of lush green vegetation and of intense urban growth, where the tower crane is said to be the national bird—tall buildings are sprouting in profusion. Yesterday afternoon we went by bus 2-3 hours from Wenzhou to Lishui. Our route followed the valley of a large river (confusingly called “Daxi Broo” on Google maps). The road took us through spectacular mountainous terrain with many tunnels. The trip took longer than expected and when we arrived at the concert hall we scrambled to set the stage before rehearsing.’ ” Violinist Diane Ransdell also commented, “The theater [in Wenzhao] was so chilly that the audience members were wearing their winter coats! But they seemed to enjoy the performance. Their applause was very polite at first, but they clapped enthusiastically when we played the encores!”
Posted January 3, 2013
