The first time I set foot in the Troy Music Hall was when I was rehearsing for an Empire State Repertory Orchestra performance. It is said to have some of the best acoustics in the country, but I wouldn’t have known the difference if I’d been playing underwater. It was enough just getting through the staccato sixteenth notes of Copland’s ‘Hoe Down’ on the oboe, that most unforgiving of double-reed instruments. I’d been feeling knocked down by the competitive nature of the orchestra, and the demanding discipline it required of an already-fragile fifteen-year-old, but the beauty of the surroundings entranced me, occupying my worry and setting me at ease.
A couple of weekends ago we went to see a performance of Ciaran Sheehan, and the beauty of the hall, a well as the traditional Irish music, transported us to another time. The sound of the venue remained perfect, and the musicians who played that evening wholeheartedly agreed, opting to try out part of their program without any electronic amendment so as to enjoy the acclaimed acoustics.
Some people joke about Troy, and I’ve been guilty of that in the past, but there are good things here, and the music hall is proof of that.
