There is gesture - pure Fenno - which I remember so vividly. It could happen any number of times during a given concert or rehearsal...
When our tempo would start to bog down, instead of conducting a steady but faster beat to us, Fenno would just roll his hand forward at this fantastic pace with this slightly exasperated look on his face, as if to say: For God’s sake, go. Trust yourselves as I trust you. Sing!
There was a lot in that little gesture. It speaks of the hard work of shaping 100 voices into a good and sometimes sublime sound, and the confidence he had in a bunch of rank amateurs whose talents truly ran the gamut. But I think it also spoke of a certain zeal for performance and song and life. Fenno was one of the only teachers I had in college with whom I ever just had fun, and he gets all the credit for being kind and accessible and game.
Thanks for that and for so much more Fenno. You and yours are in my prayers tonight.
The Rev. J. Scott Barker - ‘85
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