The Reason.

In a previous post I promised to explain the ‘reason’ I was in Paris enjoying good food, culture and cemetery strolls. Unfortunately, excitement and life got in the way of a prompt explanation so here I am, over a week late, catching up on the news!

For many years I have been trying to get tickets to see Yo-Yo Ma in concert. I invariably miss his UK dates and many of his other appearances were Stateside which would have added considerably to the expense. Last year was no exception and in November, while browsing sites online to get inspiration for The Wing Commander’s Christmas present, I searched for Yo-Yo Ma concerts. As usual I had just missed a UK date, and the next one was in Europe the following week. I do love spontaneity but unfortunately the dates were too soon to succeed successfully around work and other commitments. I was about to give up in order to look at frivolous kitchen appliances when another website, in French, caught my eye.

After digging up my limited French knowledge I discovered that Yo-Yo Ma was playing a concert in France. In Paris. In the recently reopened Notre Dame Cathedral. And it was in March, sufficiently in the future to allow careful planning to minimise costs as much as possible. This one could not be missed!

So, on a chilly March evening, I took the Wing Commander’s hand and we strolled along the Seine to see inside the beautiful cathedral – the first time we had been inside since 2005- and to listen to the fabulous sounds of the cello as played by the wonderful Yo-Yo Ma! The concert was everything we could have hoped for even though we were unfamiliar with most of the music, even the Bach piece he played. As wonderful as it was to finally hear him play live, and in such a perfect setting, it was the children’s choir who really lifted the evening into something extraordinarily special. Their voices, alone and with Yo-Yo Ma accompanying them, were magical to behold, the sounds rising up to fill the renovated cathedral.

Walking back to our hotel we were in awe of the talant we had been lucky enough to witness and, self-indulgently, I gave myself a private congratulatory salute for managing to get the best Christmas present ever…doubly so as he also really likes the hot chocolate velvetiser I found in the ‘frivolous kitchen appliances’ search.