Few More Inaugural Thoughts

The other day, I commented on the work John Williams composed for President Obama's Inauguration. Then, yesterday evening, I discover that we didn't really hear them play, at least not live. Two days before the event, the quartet recorded their parts for broadcast. It was an "in case of" recording and turns out that the in case of was extreme cold. Here I was marveling at their ability to play in tune when it was cold enough that brass players were using plastic mouth pieces and Yo-Yo Ma was using carbon fiber cello. Turns out that the Presidents, past, present, and future, along with their guests heard the quartet play live, but everyone else heard a recording.

And those people? Those 2 million or so? Here are some amazing shots of the Mall on Inauguration Day for your Friday amusement. Notice how the crowds are grouped together - one guess as to where all the JumboTrons were.