Rehearsals themselves were interesting, as I got to work first with the very fine Valley Beth Shalom choir, concentrating in depth on Helfman's masterful Yiddish adaptation of Handel's Judas Maccabeus. Later, I joined in with the orchestra, as we labored to turn the disparate sections of the piece into a coherent whole. By the time the concert came around, I had caught my traditional winter cold (as had several other orchestra members!), but because I had to concentrate on the musical demands of the program, I somehow managed to stay energetic and focused.

During the concert's first half, in which there were no keyboard parts, I sat in the audience, taking great pleasure in hearing two talented friends of mine collaborate, as Shira Adler applied her vocal charms to Lucas Richman's colorful "Hanukkah Medley." I was thrilled by cellist David Low's edgy, dynamic performance of Richman's "Freylach," along with his warm melodic work on Dr. Robert Strassburg's lovely "Homage to Helfman," and was bowled over by tenor David Katz's rendition of the "Sh'ma Kolenu."

In the second half, of course it was great fun to back up the choir on several of Aminadav Aloni's lively pieces, but the real challenge came with Ju das Maccabeus, which required me to play 40 minutes of harpsichord parts, supporting various vocal forces and maintaining a good blend with the orchestra. Cues to follow, pages to turn, notes and rhythms to catch without losing control - the pressure was on, certainly, but as we neared the end of the piece and I saw Noreen's face begin to light up, I knew that we, and the Maccabees, had emerged triumphant.

Thank you, Noreen, for your wonderful programming and encouraging direction, and thanks to the LAJS and all the performers for making my experience so enjoyable.