My colleague Holly organized a conference on Christianity and literature ("Through a Glass Darkly: Suffering, the Sacred, and the Sublime"), and tonight they took an expedition out to UBC's Chan Centre to see the Vancouver Symphony. I didn't attend the conference, but I'm always up for the VSO, and the company was enjoyable, chatting with literary academics who know their stuff and appreciate good music. :) Tonight was special -- all six Brandenburg concertos in one sitting! The setting was intimate, more chamber than orchestral, and highlighted the elegant "conversation in counterpoint" of Bach. Even the musicians' attire reflected this: rather than the traditional all-black uniform, each member had a shirt or blouse of a different bright colour. Bach's effortless fluid motion from one instrument to another paints a beautiful picture of teamwork -- each member is unique, not a replaceable automaton, but they work together to lift each other up.