a good day

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Listened to the State of the Union last night. I followed the last part of it and the first part of the GOP rebuttal on Twitter last night (#SOTU in the Twitter trending topic lingo). I haven’t used Twitter exactly like this before. It is interesting to watch all of the various comments go by.

I admire Obama’s continued attempts to lead this fractious country. Plus as I keep insisting, words are important. Meaning is important. So many politicians (and journalists) use a devalued language that veers between dissembling and manipulation of the listener that is disconnected from their conscious purpose and the historical conversation of their ideas. Basic clarity and honesty are difficult to achieve in this environment, but I think that President Obama is going after these more than most of his fellow politicians.

I mentioned to Eileen that sometimes a president is primarily talking “past” the congress directly to his audience of the country and/or the world. I got the feeling last night that Obama was addressing many of his ideas directly to congress.

Yesterday was a fruitful and satisfying day for me. After finishing my blog, I worked on developing a program for the Feb 14th choral recital. I took the choral works I had the choir more or less ready to sing and added possible instrumental works. Here is how it looks this morning:


O Lord, in thee is all my trust by Tallis – choir/harps.
Fantasy 3 by Gibbons – violin cello [fantasia 3 link]
O Lord, Increase my faith by Gibbons choir/harps.
Fantasia 1 by Gibbons – violin cello [link to gibbons fantansia 1]
Sanctus by Lotti choir/strings/harps
Trio sonata mov by Lotti – violin/harps R.H.  on 2nd part…/cello
“O most Holy Birth-giver of God, Save Us” by Arvo Pärt (from triodon) choir
Irish Ho Hoane anon dance from Fitwilliam Virginal book – violin, viola, cello, harpsichord
Purge me, O Lord from all my sin by Tallis – choir
Andante from BWV 1014 Sonata in B minor for Violin by Bach
Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig BWV 26  by J.S.Bach
A second movement from BWV 1014
My Soul Longs for Thee by Dowland
Dowland harpsichord piece
Fantasia by Morley harpsichord
It was a lover and his lasse by Morley
This might be a bit too much. I found those two fantasias online and liked them quite a bit. Gibbons wrote them for two Treble viols. They sound nice (nicer?) separated by an octave, with the cello playing the second part down an octave. I have put one in Finale already and plan to do the second one this morning.
Also decided to use at least one movement from Bach’s beautiful B minor violin sonata BWV 1014. This seems to be one of those sonatas in which the right hand of the harpsichord is an independent composed part. Lovely.


I own the Lotti trio sonata and realized there was really no reason not to do what Bach did with the violin sonata. That is give the second voice to the right hand of the harpsichord.
I meet with my violinist and cellist today and am going to ask them to help me choose which movements to do of the Lotti and the Bach.
Wow. Here’s a lovely recording of the Bach with violin and harpsichord.



The Worship Commission meeting went very well. My boss chaired and it seemed to be a pretty constructive time. Afterward she and I had our weekly meeting and had good discussion. I was relieved to hear that all staff’s weekly paychecks (not just mine) had gone down due to the fact that there are more pay periods in the new fiscal year. Whew.

Back to the house for a meeting with my fifth high school student. This young clarinet player is playing a tough Tartini concerto (2 movements) for Saturday’s solo and ensemble. She is quite adept and it will go okay. She and her mom told me this would be the first time she had rehearsed with a pianist before performing at the district solo and ensemble. I smilingly told them that was madness.
Spent the rest of the day making soft food for Eileen (she had an orthodontist appointment which left her mouth sore) and copying string parts for today.
A very satisfying day.

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