October 28, 2016 - Slippedisc

Message on the Piano Guys’ website:

We’ve been so touched by the outpouring of love and support from everyone — the countless prayers, the social media sharing, the hundreds of volunteers at the rescue site, food donated by local vendors — the unselfish sacrifice of so many on behalf of Jon and his family. People are good. So good. As tragic as these events are, they prove that despite how the media and politics paint our world, the color of love and the human heart shine through everlastingly more vivid. No one should be a stranger when in dire need. We are all family.

We wish we had better news. We were not able to find Annie. The search is being discontinued at this time in consideration of the health and well-being of everyone involved.

But all is not lost. Annie’s Mother, Michelle, wrote a beautiful post that we’d like to share. It summarizes all our feelings as we leave the search site.

‘I desire for everyone to know, who has exercised their faith in behalf of our family, your faith has not gone unanswered. We have been literally carried and sustained through day after day. We have felt a calm and a peace beyond ourselves that have enabled us to get up each morning and function and do what needs to be done that day to continue our efforts to find our daughter. We know that this is a result of your prayers. Thank you (times a million).

We have been unable to find our sweet daughter’s body at this time. But these things we know. We know that Heavenly Father has heard the countless prayers and combined faith exercised by people literally all over the world. We know He has heard us, and if He choses to not show us where to find her, then we trust that there is a purpose in this. We know we are in His hands. We know He loves us and everyone who has reached out in such kindness and support. We can feel peace in putting our lives in His hands and pray that His purposes will be fulfilled in this whole experience.’

You can watch it live (and streamed) here.

It’s the exquisite Bochum hall that Steven Sloane has dreamt up in one of the poorest towns in the depressed Ruhr.

Read more here.

Delta, not the most musician-friendly of fliers, has donated a handsome $2.5m to help musicians in the Atlanta Symphony restore 11 permanent seats in the orchestra.

The gift takes the musicians’ appeal over the $25 million mark and will re-establish the ASO as a go-ahead ensemble.

Press release below.

ATLANTA, October 28, 2016 – The Delta Air Lines Foundation has pledged to make a $2.5 million contribution to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Musicians’ Endowment Fund, helping the Orchestra reach an ambitious $25 million goal to permanently endow 11 musician positions in the Orchestra.

The Delta Air Lines Foundation gift completes the Musicians’ Endowment Campaign nearly two years ahead of schedule. The Orchestra committed to increase endowment funding to restore 11 positions to the Orchestra by 2018. To date, more than $25 million in funds have been committed to the Musicians’ Endowment Fund and nine musicians have joined the Orchestra over the past year. The two newest members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra are Samuel Schlosser, Principal Trombone, and Gina Hughes, Piccolo and Flute. Auditions are ongoing and additional positions will be announced as they are filled.

To recognize the generous gift from The Delta Air Lines Foundation, the Principal Tuba Chair, held by Michael Moore, will be endowed and named The Delta Air Lines Chair. The named chair is a fitting tribute to Moore, who is celebrating his 49^thseason with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

From the Lebrecht Album of the Week:

…Both the players and the label are Canadian. Many of the best musical things are nowadays…