Golden Gate

Escales; Jacques Ibert, composer; Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conducting

After spending the summer of 1994 in Alaska on the Star Odyssey, the ship headed south toward Los Angeles and Mexico. Our itinerary had us stop in San Francisco on the way.

During my short time on board, I had made some connections with the baker and various workers in the kitchen. On the morning that we headed into San Francisco Bay, I arranged to pick up some hot croissants with bacon and cheese from the baker, and five cups of coffee from the coffee … guy. Then I called all of the fellas in the band at 5:45 in the morning and told them that we would traverse under the Golden Gate Bridge in twenty minutes. The only thing that kept me from getting thrown overboard by these guys was the promise of hot rolls and hot coffee. Let me say that they were good sports; they came up in about ten minutes and, to their credit, enjoyed the early morning spectacle.

Fog enshrouded the bottom portion of the bridge as we came around the bend from the north. As we came closer to the bridge, the cables on the top took on the brunt of the fog to where we could now see the lower parts of the bridge. The captain blew the horn nice and long as we slipped into San Francisco Bay underneath the famous landmark of The City by the Bay. As the captain began docking procedures, the sun peeped over the horizon, bathing the bridge behind us in glorious Technicolor sun.

MMMmmmmmmm. Croisants. MMMmmmmmmmmmm. Bacon and cheese………

About three blocks away from where we disembarked the ship, I found a Tower Records. This CD of the music of Ibert (say ee-BAIR) had just been released a few days before. I remember the composer’s name from Music Literature V from my days at SDSU, but I had heard little of his music. So I picked up a copy.

When we left San Francisco, we had a Bon Voyage party outside on the deck. We in the band were busy playing as we went under the bridge a second time that day. But it was still a pleasure.

Credits: To the builders of the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ve constructed an edifice of profound beauty, my friends. Bravo.