Salons and Soirées

Soirée is defined as a party of people assembled in the evening (usually at a private house).

Salon is defined as a fashionable assemblage of notables (as literary figures, artists, or statesmen) held by custom at the home of a prominent person. Wikipedia carries the definition farther: "partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and readings, often consciously following Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to please or to educate" ("aut delectare aut prodesse est")."

Based on that definition, I believe what we attended last night was a soirée, crossed with a salon. None of us was particularly notable or prominent, except to each other. Regardless of the definition, it was a perfectly delightful evening.

Our neighbors Phil and Elsa, have a new-to-them house that is designed, it seems, for entertaining. They assembled an interesting, cultured, and talented group of friends for dinner and entertainment. Much of the food originated in local gardens. The guests ranged in age from 8 (our Boston, on his 8th birthday) to 80ish (Elsa's lovely mother). Guests read or recited poetry. A visitor from Philadelphia played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, beautifully. Tyler and Elsa sang a duet from Don Giovanni. I play Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields' "The Way You Look Tonight", one of my favorites. Tyler added a musical theatre touch with "Some Enchanted Evening." And Boston played one of his Suzuki songs.

This is the sort of evening I have long wished to participate in. How lucky I am to live in an area with so much talent and education and culture.

And continuing with the musical theatre theme, Elsa, Tyler and I decided to put together a group to travel to Salem Saturday evening to take in a production of "Into the Woods." I saw this very clever musical in Washington at the Kennedy Center probably 20 or more years ago. It's the sort of show you never forget. Immaculate, complicated Sondheim scores, thought-provoking lyrics and book, and a tune or two that I want to sing over and over again.

This morning I'm listening to the soundtrack to prepare for Saturday night. The words to "A Very Nice Prince" struck me as much more realistic than simply wishing for what you want:

But how can you know what you want
Till you get what you want
And you see if you like it?

I moved here to help care for my grandchildren and support my son and his wife. I got an exquisite set of neighbors and friends. I like it.