"Yesterday evening some members of the Tomov Troupe gathered at the Lakeside Subacute Care Center in Wayne, New Jersey, for an ad hoc rehearsal. The call for the rehearsal was made two days earlier in an e-mail sent by Martie R., and about thirty-five people were able to get there on short notice
"'This probably sounds stupid, but I was thinking that I'd like to sing to him,' she wrote.
"The rehearsal included Troupies, plus a few others from the entire three-decade history of George's New York saga, so there were many old faces to be seen. George's was the oldest.
"As was so often the case in the past, even as we gathered we weren't certain where the rehearsal space would be. Fortunately an atmosphere of kindness pervaded, and in the traditional manner (with some social engineering by Maury) a stranger stepped forward to cut the Gordian knot in the manner of an earlier Macedonian. This time it was the attending physician who gave permission to move George's bed into a lounge area where we could all fit.
"Once or twice as we practiced, a short and subdued lesnoto broke out, and George commented that we should lift our knees higher. However, this was primarily a singing and weeping rehearsal.
"We practiced Macedonian numbers almost exclusively, including some of George's favorites: Go Fanale, Sto Mi E Milo, Makedonsko Devojce, Bitola, Prsten Mi Padna, and Zetvarki. The rehearsal was mostly a capella, although some live tamboura, violin, and saxophone also graced the evening.
"Harmonies were in fine fettle, although the timing was noticeably off in several numbers. Perhaps there is never a good time.
"At one point George did something I cannot recall having seen before at a rehearsal: he clapped his hands in approval. In his weakened condition the sound of his two hands clapping was silence, perhaps to remind us that in the deepest moments of our lives only silence is eloquent enough to express the truths of our experience.
"With another bow to tradition, at the end we practiced our bows. It was the longest final bow in Troupe history, lasting almost an hour as one by one we bowed down close to him and said some private words.
"George was in good spirits.
"In yet another tradition, after rehearsal half the group went for Chinese food where, for all I know (since I was not there), plans were hatched for another show."
1 comment:
As one of Georges 1st Students (1973/1974)I am saddened to hear of the departure of our dearly beloved "George Tomov".
George we will miss you; we love you, and if we knew of your illness, we would have been there. our hears are with you always.
Angja
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