The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 53

Thursday December 1 5 1994 The Kansas City Star E8 7 IDEAS Continued from E-1 tion proud of or a lot of pretty knickknacks of various types and no way to show it off? Give him a shelving unit of some kind to display the treasures something that fits into the home decor Know somebody with an older less reliable car such as teenager who just spent his life savings on a clunker? He could probably use a new battery an automobile or at least a reli- rants movies and department stores how about one for a sooth- ing relaxing massage? Or for a cleaning and overhaul of an old watch a family heirloom but just sits in a drawer? A diary or journal The sportsman or sportswoman would no doubt appreciate golf balls or tennis balls a batting glove a new net for the driveway hoop or a tube of liniment Give a membership to a cultural organization such as the Friends of Art or the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Admission tickets to big events are always welcome whether a season pass to Worlds of Fun or season tickets to the Missouri Repertory Theatre And Some final thoughts: If you need to think in even wackier directions than those described above pick up a copy of Dave Barry's Gift Guide to End All Gift Guides (Crown $15) a collection of weird bizarre but utterly real gift items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist Examples include a loudspeaker hat a Cow Parts game a head lice coloring book and a Three Mile Island model kit If having trouble thinking of a gift for someone with so much try thinking of those who have the least Make a donation to a favored charity in the name And finally the best gift for someone you stand? Buy his kid a super-powered subwoofer speaker for his car stereo the kind that produces that awful body-thumping bass that you feef more than hear It will make the' parent miserable as well as make enemies of all his neighbors Perfect The Sparkomatic Bass Cannon 1 00-watt amplified subwoofer is $4997 at Western Auto homemade sampler of local and regional culinary delights such as pastas apple butter from jam from Chatauqua Hills chocolates from or and of course a selection of local barbecue sauces and rubs plenty more to find and choose from look in gift shops that specialize in local souvenirs gourmet specialty shops and even supermarkets Always welcome Even the person who has everything uses some of it up every day why consumable items make great gifts for almost anybody just tailor the gift to the interests film for the photographer (albums or frames would be nice too) floppy diskettes for the computer whiz paints pencils and brushes for the artist potted herbs for the cook fabric thread patterns etc for the person who sews seed for the birder blank video or audio tapes and batteries for everything and anything (consider rechargables and a charger) Speaking of birders consider a birdbath or feeder to attract some friends for the budding birdwatcher Also for the seamstress we saw an adjustable dress form for $129 at Northwest Fabrics and Crafts which has several local stores It also has an assortment of specialty and heavy-duty shears and scissors that would be prized by those who sew artists handymen and others Please no more coffee mugs They multiply faster than tribbles in most homes For something a coffee lover will really appreciate give a bean grinder for whole beans you beat the flavor and aroma of truly fresh-ground coffee and throw in a pound of good whole beans like a Kenyan or Sumatran dark roast Real coffee drinkers want frou-frou flavors like or Yeah most specialty kitchen Museum of Art: A Handbook of the Collection (Hudson Hills Press) is an overview of the world-class collection presented in more than 400 pages with 75 color photographs and more than 1000 black and white photos $3995 hardcover $2495 soft-cover High Ideals and Aspirations: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 1933-1993 published last year by the museum is a detailed history of the museum its founders and its development over 60 years available in softcover only $1495 Culinary Masterpieces: A Tasteful Collection of Recipes From the Nel-son-Atkins Museum of Art (Rizzoli International Publications) is the fund-raising anniversary cookbook $2995 hardcover For the person whose tastes run more to music no shortage of compact discs produced by local musicians a rundown of some titles available at Pennylane and other record stores around town: Jay McShann and Friends a jazz benefit for the Make-A-Wish foundation The Oread Baroque Ensemble the Kansas City Symphony City various artists produced by Red Hot Records various artists produced by the Kansas City Blues Society Wishing Connie Dover Hippie the Hol-lowmen Puddle of Mudd Kelley Hunt Stop and Kevin Mahogany If art and music get it done always food Put together a How a stylish comfortable desk chair for that home office? Part of the allure of working at home is that supposed to be comfortable Along the same line Microsoft has an ergonomically designed for personal computers with a sloped split keyboard and built-in palm rest designed for natural wrist posture as well as special Windows function keys it costs $9999 at Office Depot stores (Our office computer guru says been a lot of discussion about this item on the Internet lately gotten mixed reviews some people find the split keyboard hard to get used to but some think great for those who do a lot of typing and suffer from hand and wrist fatigue) Stocking staffers Need some stocking-stuffers? From the Nelson Gallery bookstore: tiny palm-sized hardcover books on a wide variety of topics most are $495 and many are illustrated Examples include The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain The Little Book of Hand Shadows' A Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson: and collections of quotes and proverbs on topics such as roses romance tea gardens quotable women and Henny Youngman one-liners Gift certificates are certainly old hat but think beyond restau appliances are useless and silly from Salad Shooters to electric hot-dog cookers But one thing all the rage for the foodie set is exotic dried foods from tomatoes to berries A food dehydrator makes making your own easy and widely available in a variety of styles and prices Want to get letters from someone? Send stationery and envelopes throw in a book of stamps A nice pen be a bad idea either Is there someone you can never catch up with? Give her a phone-answering machine Get a charcoal-fired smoker for the barbecue-lover on your list Know somebody who recently moved into a new home? Consider a basic tool set (even renters and apartment-dwellers need a few) a good set of knives heavy-duty extension cords (there are never enough plugs where you need a welcome mat or such necessary tools as a snow shovel lawn rake etc Know someone with a collec- Chorale and chamber orchestra should get together more often Collaborative concert at the Folly is a Christmas gem By SCOTT CANTRELL Classical Music Editor Two wishes for Santa Claus: (1) that collaborations between the Kansas City Chorale and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra might become an annual three-concert series and (2) that Kansas City might be blessed with a resonant hall of 1600 to 1800 seats that would do such concerts justice So much about the Chorale-Chamber Orchestra concert offered Tuesday evening at the Folly Theater was so exciting that it set one wondering how to make it yet better and more frequent That the sellout audience of 1000 sat in breath-held silence also was an endorsement of the Friends of Chamber Music for producing the concert The Chorale and Chamber Orchestra joined forces for the first and last cantatas of Christmas Oratorio Bruce Sorrell the Chamber music director conducted again proving himself a savvy baroque stylist Five years ago I have imagined such smart Bach from area instrumentalists light of touch springing sparing with anachronisms of legato and vibrato The Chorale sang with accustomed suavity and it got into the lift-and-sepa-rate spirit too But with three trumpets blazing away in their highest registers and in this music conceived for unruly preadolescent boys the singing wanted more fiber and more forward projection It sounded too Best of the soloists all drawn from the Chorale were soprano Rebecca Lloyd and tenor David Adams both of whom sang with power and panache Robert Pherigo had a lovely liquescent tone for the Evangelist but his upper notes were effortful punched not touched and he tended to belabor what should have sounded easily conversational Debra Dickson was a serviceable mezzo soloist but her lower register lacked substance To these ears Todd bass was too dark-hued too covered for the tasks at hand That Sorrell kept the music on its toes was to his credit but occasionally one wanted a little more breathing room The bass aria was far too fast missing the humility and the moegt ihr stolzen was a little hurried too Charles Bruffy the music director took over for the encore a loving account of the Bach chorus (from Cantata No 147) usually sung in English as "Jesu joy of Bruffy also conducted the Chorale in the unaccompanied first half a sampler of American Christmas music from the recording That in the dry Folly Theater acoustic the sound was so silkily seamless was nothing short of amazing and the phrasing was eloquence itself Local composer Jean which gives up new secrets on every hearing got what struck me as its most assured performance yet Award goes to Kauffman Foundation GIVE A GIFT WITH 1 494 HOLES IN IT Get a Privilege Card" from the American Lung Association Play 83 of Missouri's finest courses A $1000 value yours for only $40 (816) 842-5242 OR 1-800-LUNG-USA Orders processed within 48 hours Additional cards only $30 same day purchase only The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City has been chosen to receive a 1995 Missouri Arts Awards from the Missouri Arts Council Other recipients are John and Joy Spiva Cragin of Joplin Patti Greenwell of Shelbina Helen McNally of Linn Creek and Robert A Powell of St Louis The Kauffman Foundation established in 1987 by Muriel Kauffman widow of Kansas City Royals owner Ewing Kauffman was cited by the Arts Council for its work in strengthening and stabilizing the Kansas City area arts community The foundation has provided grants to support programming and projects for such organizations as the Lyric Opera the State Ballet of Missouri the William Jewell College Fine Arts Program and the Kansas City Symphony LAIRD NOLLER MAZDA KfiNSfiS CITY'S MfiZDfi DEALER! 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