REVIEW OF ABIGAIL LUMSDEN CONCERT
SYMPHONY SPACE CONCERT HALL NEW YORK CITY
~ ~ ~
Dear Abby
"We cherish the many hours spent together with you,
the wonderful work we’ve done, and all the places we’ve sung.
The more than 100 outreach performances you’ve led have helped us bring real joy
to audiences in the city’s nursing homes, senior centers, rehab facilities,
hospices, churches, synagogues, community centers, shelters, soup kitchens, parks,
and many, many more."
The Peace of Heart Choir
~ ~ ~
When Abby left as music director of Peace of Heart Choir
- after six years and more than 100 performances -
each member was asked to write something about her
Here are some of their heartfelt responses:
"We cherish the many hours spent together with you,
the wonderful work we’ve done, and all the places we’ve sung.
The more than 100 outreach performances you’ve led have helped us bring real joy
to audiences in the city’s nursing homes, senior centers, rehab facilities,
hospices, churches, synagogues, community centers, shelters, soup kitchens, parks,
and many, many more."
The Peace of Heart Choir
~ ~ ~
When Abby left as music director of Peace of Heart Choir
- after six years and more than 100 performances -
each member was asked to write something about her
Here are some of their heartfelt responses:
"We will always remember you as…"
...a wonderful spirit who radiates warmth and enthusiasm....
...a truly joyous soul...
…someone who makes everyone feel good...
...an inspirational leader…
…someone who believes that love conquers all,
then practices it and spreads the word…
…a gentle, loving and compassionate teacher, leader, and friend…
…an open creative soul that thrives on sharing…
…amazingly talented and patient, with a truly gentle nature...
…a surrogate mother who always had the patience and drive to help guide me in being the best singer and person I could be…
…a force of nature...
...truly heart-warming...
…like Isadora, there is beauty in her movements.
She "seeks in nature the fairest forms
and to find the movement which expresses the soul
in these forms"…
…a free spirit that's nurturing and charming...
…a caring and giving teacher...
…someone who creates spaces of safety and love through music...
…a fun person to be around and work with...
…someone who’s captured a piece of my heart…
…an energetic force...
…a true superstar, on stage and off…
…someone who reminds me of home...
…a soulful, compassionate, kind-hearted teacher, leader, conductor of soulsingers,
who shares her special light, love and humor with the choir and our audiences...
…an entertainer at heart...
…someone who has shown me a whole new way to think of sound and music…
…an extremely gifted and talented musician ...
…a person who shares her heart and soul...
…a warm, loving, funny, and compassionate human being...
…someone who sees the light in all of us... "
...a wonderful spirit who radiates warmth and enthusiasm....
...a truly joyous soul...
…someone who makes everyone feel good...
...an inspirational leader…
…someone who believes that love conquers all,
then practices it and spreads the word…
…a gentle, loving and compassionate teacher, leader, and friend…
…an open creative soul that thrives on sharing…
…amazingly talented and patient, with a truly gentle nature...
…a surrogate mother who always had the patience and drive to help guide me in being the best singer and person I could be…
…a force of nature...
...truly heart-warming...
…like Isadora, there is beauty in her movements.
She "seeks in nature the fairest forms
and to find the movement which expresses the soul
in these forms"…
…a free spirit that's nurturing and charming...
…a caring and giving teacher...
…someone who creates spaces of safety and love through music...
…a fun person to be around and work with...
…someone who’s captured a piece of my heart…
…an energetic force...
…a true superstar, on stage and off…
…someone who reminds me of home...
…a soulful, compassionate, kind-hearted teacher, leader, conductor of soulsingers,
who shares her special light, love and humor with the choir and our audiences...
…an entertainer at heart...
…someone who has shown me a whole new way to think of sound and music…
…an extremely gifted and talented musician ...
…a person who shares her heart and soul...
…a warm, loving, funny, and compassionate human being...
…someone who sees the light in all of us... "
This wonderful article appeared in the June, 2010 edition of Education Update:
A Harmony of Music and Marriage:
Abigail Lumsden & Les Horan
By JOAN BAUM, Ph.D.
Performers and music teachers Les Horan and Abigail Lumsden
not only finish each other’s sentences,
they knowingly and lovingly take each other’s “measure” and riff on intuitions.
That’s “measure” as in musical measure, a bar of music that one of them starts
— on the piano, violin, viola or drum, or just sings —
and the other moves into, improvising, playing with the beat, changing the mode,
maybe going from classical, to jazz, to blues, to Latin, to rock,
to gospel, to Broadway pop, even a bit of hip hop.
They’re Upper West Side New Yorkers
— urban, informal, community-minded and passionate about music
and about culture in all its diversity.
Their home is their studio, a comfortable, high-ceilinged warren of rooms on West End Avenue
equipped with a grand piano, keyboard, percussion, upright,
recording equipment and knick- knacks everywhere
that speak of their separate lives, now conjoined, never to be put asunder.
And to think it all began in a laundry room
of the spacious apartment building they share as man and wife and musicians.
“We started to talk, I asked if I could try his piano,” says Abby.
“And two hours later,” Les adds, “we knew this would be It.”
A marriage of true minds, as Shakespeare might say, that admits not impediments, but innovation.
Both trained in conservatories but early on pursued different career paths.
Nowhere is their goal of community and communion more apparent
Their mantra is “At Your Own Pace — In Your Own Way,”
On request, they thread their way into the main piano room to demonstrate,
* * * * * * * * *
George Rothman, Conductor of the Riverside Symphony Orchestra:
"...I wanted to give you big congratulations.
A terrific performance.
Abby, you did a great job.
You should be enjoying the afterglow of all the people in the audience
that obviously loved and adored you.
I've never seen an audience quite so taken
which was very touching.
I know the work and effort that went into the performance
and I wish you many, many of them.
It was just terrific.
And I hope you guys bask in the glory and all the rewards..."
* * * * * * * * *