My colleague Holly organized a conference on Christianity and
literature ("Through a Glass Darkly: Suffering, the Sacred, and the
Sublime"), and tonight they took an expedition out to UBC's Chan Centre
to see the Vancouver Symphony. I didn't attend the conference, but I'm
always up for the VSO, and the company was enjoyable, chatting with
literary academics who know their stuff and appreciate good music. 
Tonight was special -- all six Brandenburg concertos in one sitting!
The setting was intimate, more chamber than orchestral, and highlighted
the elegant "conversation in counterpoint" of Bach. Even the musicians'
attire reflected this: rather than the traditional all-black uniform,
each member had a shirt or blouse of a different bright colour. Bach's
effortless fluid motion from one instrument to another paints a
beautiful picture of teamwork -- each member is unique, not a
replaceable automaton, but they work together to lift each other up.
