Fern Josephs
As many of our audience members know, Music of the Baroque's eight full-time staff members are at every performance, ready to help make your concert experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Is it any surprise, then, that they have special MOB memories of their own? Over the next two weeks, MOB Stories will feature the recollections of these staff members. First is Director of Finance Fern Josephs, who began working at MOB in September 1999.
"While I knew of MOB through my friend and former boss (and then boss again) Karen Fishman, I had never been to a concert before I started working here. The first concert I remember best is the Holiday Brass & Choral concert at St. Michael's Church in Old Town. There are three things that have stuck with me through the years: the music, the weather, and (typical for me)…where I had dinner.
That first year, I didn't have any pre-performance responsibilities, so Karen and I went to dinner before the concert at Twin Anchors. Incidentally, it was my first time there, despite being a lifelong Chicago-area resident. If you've never been, a Friday night at Twin Anchors is crowded: it's loud, it's filled with people of all ages drinking to relax after a long and stressful week—think TGIF—and here we are, dressed up for a concert of early holiday music. I remember there was a long wait for a table, so once we ordered (roast chicken and a glass of red wine for me), we had to eat quickly to get to the church on time.
As any Holiday Brass & Choral concert lover knows, there's always a possibility you'll have to battle some Chicago weather. That year, I remember bitter cold and lots of snow. I remember bundling up and walking carefully to the church, keeping my coat on to stay warm at the church, and then at the end of the night, making my way to North Avenue—a short walk that felt like a mile with all the snow—to hail a cab home.
Every year since then, with the exception of December 2020 when the concert hall was empty, has been similar—albeit without the visit to Twin Anchors. And honestly, while I’m never looking forward to the weather or sitting bundled up in the back of the church, I do look forward to hearing the voices of the final piece, “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen." Each time I hear it, it quiets my mind and warms my heart and reminds me of the peace that music brings."
Read the next MOB Story: Jennifer More