Classical Concert in the Church

Zanrosso and Kahn at the front of the church

Before we headed to San Francisco International Airport, we attended a free concert (well donations of US$20 per person) organised by Noontime Concerts. It was held at Old St Mary's Cathedral, which is near Chinatown. 

We arrived early, so we attended the tail end of mass. The father presiding over mass talked about how Americans need to be more humble, using the Olympics as an example. He said at the closing ceremonies, the French tied sports with the arts in a thoughtful presentation and as the next Summer Games are in Los Angeles in 2028, what do the Americans do? Have Tom Cruise jump out of a plane...

Old St Mary's Cathedral

It was an amusing observation from an American!

After mass was over, the baby grand piano was wheeled in from the side and the concert began, featuring Evan Kahn on cello and Amy Zanrosso on piano. Zanrosso has a Canadian connection, as she studied music at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, and did a Masters degree at McGill University in Montreal. 

Because we had luggage with us, we sat at the back of the church; that made it hard to focus on the performance with people coming in and out of the church, as the die-hard concertgoers were near the front.

Nevertheless it was nice to hear some classical music in a church where the acoustics are great! The performers got a standing ovation at the end.

Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1 by Beethoven

Melodie for Cello and Piano, Op. 20, No. 1 by Alexander Glazunov

Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 65 by Benjamin Britten