I have filled that time up with daily accompanying of ballet classes,  assigning myself more significant pieces and choral accompaniments to learn on the organ, and taking on more work at church. Add in things like transcribing a string quartet arrangement and a mini-concert at my Mom’s residence and I might be near the limit of energies and abilities.

Of course there’s always the aging thing.

Being 61 years old is a blessing but at the same time I do seem to be tired a lot.

I figured out this morning that J. R. Watson using the word, “English,” in the title of his book  The English Hymn: A Critical and Historical Survey in a more specific sense than I was unconsciously thinking of it. “English” as in the people of England not as the name of the language(s).

This occurred to me because I began reading in Chapter 18, “Different Traditions,” which begins this way:

“In the eighteenth century, English hymns colonized American worship; in the nineteenth century, American hymns came across the Atlantic in the opposite direction to enrich the world of Victorian religion … The most spectacular irruption of an American phenomenon into the English tradition, however, was the publication of Ira D. Sankey’s Sacred  Songs and Solos in 1874, and the growing awareness of Afro-American spiritual songs through the Jubilee Singers and the publication of the texts of slave songs.” p. 486

Ohhhhh. When I read those sentences I realized the parameters of his brilliant little study.

I turned from Watson to another book I have interlibrary-loaned: Sandra Soderlund’s How Did They Play? How Did They Teach? A History of Keyboard Technique.

This is a massive study and anthology of sources from the 13th century to the early 20th. Soderlund loves to give entire pieces with fingerings. It’s amazing how many composers and teachers over the centuries have provided these. It’s a dry subject, but I still find it pretty interesting.

The book seems to be only available directly from the publisher Hinshaw or maybe from sheet music dealers. At any rate, Amazon does carry it. I would but it used but at $95 list it’s going to have to wait until after my mostly depleted music allowance comes back in 2013.

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Family Pulled Into Fray Over Death With Links to Operation Fast and Furious – NYTimes.com

I think that grieving people being drawn into petty political discussions and cynically used is wrong.

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Segregation Prominent in Schools, Study Finds – NYTimes.com

It’s worse now.

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Neil Young Comes Clean – NYTimes.com

I admit it. I like Neil Young.

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I then sat down and played the theme from Scheherazade and asked if anyone knew it.

I remember hearing this in my childhood which was not particularly well informed artistically. The old guitar playing smoker whom I often greet in the halls said in a critical growl, “Days of our lives!”

I take it he didn’t like it. Undaunted I reminded them of the story of Scheherazade (“Arabian nights”) and then identified and played the themes for the princes and the prince.

Without a comment I launched into “Habanera” from Carmen.

I was winning them over. After identifying Bizet to the audience I played “The Syncopated Clock” by Leroy Anderson.

I figure it’s a Lawrence Welk type tune and would amuse them.

I finished off with a Reader Digest’s version (literally I was playing from one of those Reader Digest’s anthologies) of Rhapsody in Blue.

Then I launched into a series of popular songs, then finished up with hymns. By the time we were done many were singing along. If you ever need an ego boost this is a good volunteer gig. The people who are coherent (about half?) are lavish in their praise.

Earlier in the day I cut orchestral sections of the Bach cantata movement in my rehearsal. I figured out I took out about one fourth of the piece and didn’t remove any of the choral sections. This should make this a bit more appropriate for use in my situation.

I received the organ demonstrator pieces I ordered in the mail. At first glance they don’t look terribly exciting. I will play through them and hope that the music sounds better than it looked.

Having an 8:30 AM class curtails the lazy mornings I like to get up early and enjoy. Gotta skate.

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