Is for Good Men to Do Nothing by Chris Verrill

Author:Chris Verrill [Verrill, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel/Non-Fiction
Publisher: Chris Verrill

6/26/03

4:29 pm

Geneva, Switzerland

Hamas has agreed to a cease fire in Israel and the West Bank. Or maybe they haven’t. I guess they can’t decide. It’s an interesting time in the world to be traveling, that’s for sure.

I attended the symphony in Geneva last night. I read in one of the numerous tourist brochures that they were playing and thought it would be a good way to spend another evening. I sure have been to a number of classical music performances since I started traveling, haven’t I? After Dubrovnik and Venice, this makes number three. I guess there are no language issues, so while overseas it has become my live theatre substitute.

Walking half an hour from my hotel, I arrive at Victoria Hall in Geneva about a half hour before the concert begins and there are already crowds of people out front. Actually, it was hard to find because the main entrance to Victoria Hall is not on the main street. The back of the hall faces the main street. It’s odd. While looking for the hall, I saw two people walking and carrying musical instrument cases. I figured I’d follow them and sure enough, voila, I found it.

I walked over to the box office to buy a ticket and as I do a nicely dressed man asks the person in front of me in line—the only other person in line—if he wants to buy a ticket. Even though it was in French, he was showing him a ticket and the intent was pretty obvious. It was just one ticket, which was all I needed, and he seemed like a nice proper sort of chap, so I thought I’d help him out and let him unload the ticket on me. I figured it would save him an unused ticket and he was only asking what he paid for it. Turns out he spoke English and was quite appreciative. I bought his ticket.

I loitered for a while outside, waiting for the concert to begin. While doing so, someone asked me if I had a ticket to sell.

“I’m sorry. No parlez-vois Francais,” I replied. I must look like I fit in. Or approachable. Yeah, that must be it, approachable. Because lord knows I certainly don’t “fit in.”

When the concert was about to begin I went to my seat. As I did, I noticed a big red “complet” banner across the concert’s promotional poster. When I got in, the place was packed to the gills. Apparently it was sold out. Here I was thinking I was being nice when it turns out there was no other way for me to get in.

As you might expect, I ended up sitting next to my ticket scalper. I was in row seven and had an excellent view of the orchestra. I have been quite lucky in getting really good seats to shows recently, haven’t I? Anyway, seeing Vladimir Ashkenazy directing Orchestre de la Suisse Romande was a real treat. Victoria Hall was a magnificent performance space, even

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