By Peggy Lott, Secretary of the Board, Midsummer’s Music, Ltd.
Haven’t we been through a difficult time? What a struggle, what grief, what darkness we have all endured. But one thing I am particularly grateful for is the effort that Midsummer’s Music has made, despite overwhelming odds, to lift our spirits. If you attended our first in-person concert at Northern Sky’s Gould Auditorium in June, you could sense the palpable joy and release as we once again came together after almost two years of isolation, lifted in spirit by fabulous Beethoven, Beethoven, and Saint-Saëns. This exhilaration lasted throughout 31 concerts the entire summer.
However, even in 2020, when everything was dark and closed, our Midsummer’s Musicians came to Door Co. and produced virtual concerts for you that eventually reached over 80,000 people hungry for world-class music around the globe! Throughout the Pandemic, our staff and musicians have worked tirelessly to provide you and others with artistic and connective experiences that had all but disappeared. We had to learn new techniques, invest in new technology, investigate new avenues and connections. Everything was more difficult and more expensive, but we were determined. Of course, it affected our ticket sales. This year, venues were limited, and at first many were reluctant to test in-person concerts despite our best cautionary protocols. Last year, our virtual concerts were free—hence NO ticket revenue.
So, my appeal to you today is based on a real need. We invested in you, our community, at a time when we could see little return financially, only the possible joy we could share. And, we brought our musicians together at a time when there was little other chance for them to work together. They were as exhilarated to play for us as we were to hear them!
But as we approach our year-end, we have to make up the difference in income that this pandemic has cost us. We are blessed with an abundance of resulting good will for which we are very grateful. I hope you will also bless us with a generous contribution as well. The Griffon continues to expand its teaching of young students, its outreach to seniors, and its wonderful concerts for all of us, and we are planning a glorious Midsummer’s season for 2022. Now we point the baton toward you (even for chamber music) and ask you to play your part. It is more important than ever, and our appreciation never more deeply felt. Many thanks for your help.
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