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Southern Oregon Journal: The Olympics, the symphony, and snow at last Sunday Feb 25, 2018 at 12:01 AM By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune “When was the last time you were overwhelmed by beauty?” Friend and teacher Janis Rubus put this question to a group of us the other day. After all these years, I still consider it a blessing and not a curse that I’m never far afield from experiencing at gut level the glory of something beautiful or the shock of evil. With caring comes the double edge. That made answering her question easy. I didn’t have to think long before a picture appeared in my head. It was of a figure skater. The Winter Olympics were in full squall. Figure skating and soaring snowboarders are my favorites, though watching the curlers brush furiously at nothing always brings a chuckle. I confess an ignorance of the sport. Folks likely chuckled at Naismith and his ball and peach basket once upon a time. Now we have the NBA. Anyway, I recalled watching a female Asian figure skater take the ice. I don’t remember her name or country, just her lilting, pink outfit and that she reminded me of a beautiful, light-as-helium wisp floating over the rink. She was barely there, her form so slight, and yet she skated her heart out to some melancholic song, knowing she was not among the top contenders. As I watched her spellbinding routine, I cried. It’s simply unbelievable to me that a human can do something that requires so much athleticism and yet appear so hummingbird-like. And there was my answer to Janis’ question. It hadn’t been that long, just a couple of days, since beauty had silenced me and won the moment. Since then, beauty visited at least twice more that I recognized. It’s been a week of good things. Last Saturday evening, I pulled the lone wolf routine, but curbed the howling, since I attended our sublime Rogue Valley Symphony’s Masterworks Five concert at the Collier Center for the Performing Arts. RVS is reveling in its 50th anniversary season with the innovation and life that conductor Martin Majkut brings. I’d booked passage to "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" by Manuel de Falla. I secured a seat high in the balcony, where I could buckle in, zone out, and experience the spice and spectacle of the Andalusian region with piano soloist Gabriela Martinez as our lyrical guide. "Rogue Sparks," a commissioned piece getting its world premiere by Jonathan Leshnoff, pulled me along on a five-minute amusement ride, not scary, but full of surprises. And Rachmaninoff’s final work, "Symphonic Dances" in three movements contained one lush peek into the grand ballroom after another. My favorite had to be the almost eerie but alluring waltz in the second movement, Andante con moto. No chance for dozing off with those three offerings. Although I often closed my eyes to hear with more acuity, the variety and complexity would not allow for napping. Last, snow happened. Maybe the beauty of the recent snowfall didn’t exactly overwhelm or bring tears, but following such a long wait, the white stuff arrived to a largely welcoming audience, I think. An afternoon walk is always improved with a snow-cooled breeze on the face and white caps on Roxy Ann and surrounding hillsides. Janis’ key point for us was to recall the beauty when the hard times come, because they will come. The continuance of beautiful things helps us to trust despite the surrounding battle. In a little slip of a girl, a concerto, and snowfall, think about the good and pure. It will help us through the trials. Next week, if all goes as planned, I will attempt to add the beauty of a flaming case of frivolity in this space. Stay tuned. — Peggy Dover is a freelance writer living in Eagle Point. Email her at [email protected].