YO!

 Hello:  last night I had the great good luck to see Yo-yo Ma in a solo concert at UW'S Meany Hall. It was just the man and his cello. He performed 3 short pieces, one by the Turkish composer Saygun,  another by a local composer and one by a Chinese composer. All were different and lovely. These interspersed three suites for solo cello by Bach, the first of which was Suite No. 1 in G Major, which is the one I was most familiar with.  I kept thinking, "this is the most amazing piece. No, THIS is the most amazing piece." I play a (very) little guitar, so I know how hard you have to press on the strings, yet his hands seemed so light, and to almost float over the neck of the cello. Also, he held the bow so gently, with barely 2 fingers. Allifer gave a shout out to the former orchestra teacher at Odle Middle School,  Mrs. Shaw, because she noticed that Ma used his heel to mark the beat, not his toes, just as she was taught. I will always remember this evening.  Peace, f1bercat