Special Bag-o-Faces

Three of four horns are here, as the Maestro's baton is engaged in the downbeat, as the last horn is coming down the walkway. A rich, lush, warm sound is given in Rimsy-Korsakov's Legend of the Invisible City. We horns stick together, bringing a heroic melody (i.e. theme from The Magnificent Seven), or a rich fully fleshed chord (i.e. Tchaikovsky or Wagner), with cuivre (The Rite of Spring)or legato (Beethoven IV), ranging throughout our 4 1/2 octave range. As a section, the horns bring a wide range of colors, volumes and timbres and for nearly every concert, we get the chance to play our face off. Rarely do we sit without an excerpt or a long tone to play.

"Did you bring your face tonight?" horn 2 asks me, as we share an eye-rolling glance of understanding, knowing the different faces you need to play the horn. You've got your high face, solo face, blastissimo face, oompah face, circular breathing face, staccato face, legato face. And then you've got your 4th horn face - low face, or better known as Basement Face. You gotta make sure you bring your special Bag-o-Faces for a performance or rehearsal. There are so many things asked of the horn section, and you may need to reach into this Bag-o-Faces to survive the performance. But when you wear the Basement face, you are dealing with a different animal altogether. You need an unhinged jaw with a rock solid slightly jutted lower jaw to create these loud, longheld pedal notes. You need to tongue differently, anticipating a downbeat. You need to tune differently, compensating for the physics component that a note that low will almost always and forever be - SHARP.

Although the french horn is made out of brass, we are more akin to the wind section - with the flutes, clarinets, bassoon, oboe. It is within the wind section the horn is in its glory (and power, and beauty and strength and stamina - oh can you tell I love the horn). You do not find horns sitting within the brass section - with trombones and trumpets and tubas. To do so would divorce us from the true power we bring. No, we find ourselves with the reeds at the heart of the orchestra, beating plainly the movement of the melody and its direction.

"Did you bring your face tonight?"

It is here at the heart of orchestra practice a few nights ago that I sit in a seat I have rarely filled, this basement beauty of solid tonic provision for each and every single chord. I, who have spent nearly my entire musical life existing above the staff, in the stratosphere in the high horn (and excelling at it) find my long-recessed fright, it had yet to come true in my lifetime until April 2007...

...Jessie Irwin, 4th horn.

"Did you bring your face tonight?"

Four horns in a typical section (some Mahler and Wagner has 8-10 horns - glory!), and each fulfilling a special purpose. Its not as simple as 1 good player and three next in line of talent and skill or years of tenure. To the contrary, it is more organized and strategic than that. 1st and 3rd horns - high horns. 2nd and 4th horns - low horns. 1st - generally most solos, 3rd to double many aspects (where I have spent nearly 85% of my time). 2nd duet accompaniment (finding me 12% of the time) with 1st horn in soloistic passages.

And then there's 4th horn.

Long pedal notes, lower than many trombone parts, sounding as is a Bomber pilot has approached overhead and is hovering before it drops is bombs and vamooses. Holding notes for 36-60 beats over 8-12 measures. Punctuating through the orchestra with the timpani, announcing the bass rhythms, bringing the tonic to most chords with the bassoons steadily there and the flute airily delivering their flighty melody.

'Did you bring your face tonight?"

Those pedal tones take 4 times the amount of air, because your aperture (lip shape) is so large to play these basement beauties, and usually they are in a solo manner so they must be substantial and loud. Enough of them in a row has me seeing spots and the room slightly tilting, my head spinning from the feeling of having received and expelled and received and expelled so much oxygen so quickly, over and over. Its quite a rush. I could use a bellows from a blacksmith for one chord, which Mr. Maestro insists on slowly rallentando to fade to nothing. Fade to nothing is exactly what I feel is happening to me, as my lungs are screaming for another gasp of life-bringing breath as my eyes loose their focus and begin to fade to black. Don't slow down for effect, Maestro, or I'm gonna give the audience an effect that is unexpected as someone needs to revive my lifeless body, crumpled in heap on the floor, clutching my Holton masterpiece securely to my lips.

We are playing our Russian concert, lots of Rimsy-Korsakov, with Scheherazade and Flight of the Bumble Bee and Mlada Dance Variations and a few more. The Toledo Ballet Company will perform with us, exquisite. Its exciting, rich romantic music which evokes deep passion and feeling. Russian music would be nowhere without long, gorgeous string cadenzas and the richness of the horn. We are so excited and fulfilled to be able to play the variety of this concert, even if the fillings in my head feel slightly looser from the velocity of volume required to announce my pedal B natural.

So, as I reach into this familiar Bag-o-Faces for Basement face, it strikes me poignant, "How many faces will I wear/have I worn this week?"

Happy face I get to prepare and teach a lesson plan for Venice Elementary, Mrs. W. 3rd grade class and stay with them all day long!

Kissey Face Today, Dave and my 16th wedding anniversary, though is full of responsibilities can still include some devoted time together

Stinking mad face Needing to escort the front desk librarian to the stack which holds the book they claim I still have checked out and helping them know that this fine of $17.35 is inaccurate, null and void, pointless.

Satisfied face Reception of an apology and direct correction of an error which has prevented me from being able to borrow any books for a week

Cheese face I am the one who takes about 95% of the pictures in our family, and it became sorely obvious three days ago that there was hardly any evidence that my husband had a wife or his children had a mother. Before Dave wrote away to the convent for a governess, we all decided to let everyone take a few pictures of mom.

Frostbite face Though the temperature hasn't reached above 48 degrees, we had a full week of baseball practice.

Face of Surprise When the richest man in town arrives at church on Sunday and stays, with his friend, for the whole service and has spiritual insights following the service on your sermon and Bible study points.

Mortified face When three days later I am able to understand that a church visit was, instead of a method of active and personal encouragement, actually a form of penance for the awful decision he helped solidify that we had be unaware of yet.

High road, composed face Keeping my conversation civil as someone who had recklessly insulted both Dave and I in a public fashion last week attempts to make amends (in their own It's-no-fault-of-mine demeanor). Apology sort of given from this community leader, yet decidely accepted, but it will take a longtime before there is enough trust built to even consider them close enough to try to do it again.

Tear stained face This week brought the worst reality yet, more correction from this community for the void of integrity the previous officer exhibited. Absolute removal of huge amounts of desperately needed funding, delivered in a letter (cowardly) instead of in person ( the least they could do). The only people getting punished in this whole matter have been us, and I feel battered and bruised, inside and out, from the whole experience.

Sleepy face I haven't slept a whole night through in 3 weeks

Face of PEACE NEOSA has the 24/7 prayer opportunity through the end of April and I took the 2-3 a.m. hour for its entirety. If I won't be asleep, I can be very specific about the time I spend. This early morning prayer vigil has frequently lasted longer than an hour, bringing grace and peace to tumultuous days. Unaware of the deep level of opposition we would meet for days on end, I signed up for this prayer opportunity unaware what I would be praying about. My answer came plainly and God has been strengthening and encouraging.

My special Bag-o-Faces, all of them neatly stacked right in there next to Basement face. Who knew there would be so many, and so many remaining in there not highlighted? I may need to wash these all before resting with my handy-dandy Sudoku volume tonight...a girl has to look her best you know.

Embrace and enjoy your evening!