Chelsea Symphony Orchestra

Spring Concert

St Paul's Lutheran Church, West 22nd Street, New York, March 28 2010

I went to an unbelievable concert by the Chelsea Symphony which was excellent because of the performance by these mostly young people who moonlight as students and cosmetics sellers at Saks while writing operas and concertii and singing/performing/conducting them on Sunday afternoons at St Luke's church in Chelsea.

The woman sitting behind me was old and wizened and I said to her as I sat in the pew in front of her, “can you see?”

“No,” she said. “I’m blind.”   She and her friend were talking about the preparation for Passover.

“I’m getting my schmaltz at Tony’s, you know, on 2nd Avenue, but I don’t know why I am having a brisket because Rachel won’t eat it.”

“She won’t? Why am I not surprised? She is losing herself, losing herself.”

“I know. And for why? Just last week I met her in the market for cawfee and there she was like she was the Queen of Sheba with her hair all pouf and a dress up to here.”

“I know, I know. And her attitude... I went up to her at Mannie’s, you know, Mannie’s? Last week? And I went up to her and I said ‘hello Rachel’ I said and she said ‘do I know you?’ ”

“Can you believe that one? I cook a brisket.  She won’t eat a brisket. It’s all going in the trash."