Well, it was a smash. The Gala Concert celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Van Cliburn Competition exceeded anything we dared hope. Most marvelously, Mr. Cliburn addressed the audience right at the beginning. The crowd roared its love for this lion of a man who has done so much for music in America.

As you might expect, the attendance of dozens of many homeschoolers and their parents added a celebratory energy to the occasion. Trust me: their impressive presence was duly noted by many people.

Michael Shih, Concertmaster of the Fort Worth Symphony whom many of you know from his interview about Mahler in Unit 17 of Discovering Music, kindly came out to our group at intermission to greet them. He was impressed by the rings of excited children and parents who surrounded him.

Plus, there was a street party afterwards. The City of Fort Worth blocked off the street in front of beautiful Bass Hall (whose façade is replete with towering bas-relief angels wielding huge golden trumpets). At one point, confetti streamed forth from somewhere near those angel’s trumpets. It was quite a sight. And the good snacks were most welcome!

It all reminds us that music is a festive thing. Concerts take enormous planning, rehearsals, logistical arrangements of all kinds. The concert stage is one of the jewels of Western Culture. The roots of the public concert are not so terribly old—18th century, really. But throughout history, gala musical evenings designed for the “aristocracy” have delighted those fortunate enough to attend.

And that’s how we felt: fortunate to be there. Thank you, Mr. Cliburn. And thank you to all who made the evening so festive.