I continue to stay about one step behind in my little tasks I give myself to do. I need to print up a corrected descant to the Gloria we have been singing at church (by Proulx). It’s an evolving descant I wrote. Proulx’s composition is more interesting than many musical settings of service music. There are lines in the accompaniment that I thought would make a nice little descant. I haven’t looked at his choral arrangement. I’m sure he has (had?) one published by G.I.A.

Proulx is dead. I remember when he was ailing, fellow AGO members taking up a collection for him since he had no insurance (church musician) and had collapsed on a commercial air flight. A former student of mine had little good to say about him. But that was because Proulx would not allow my student’s paramour to sing in one of his fancy little Chicago church ensembles.

Gossip.

I seem to remember taking a master class with him or something. He seemed very creative. He started out Anglican but converted to Roman Catholicism.

Like many of us, the RCs buttered his bread. He’s not the only musician I know that converted.

It’s hard not to be cynical about this sort of thing but who knows what happens in the cold hearts of us church musicians.

I also need to email a flute player I know who has asked me to specify which Taize volumes she used when she worked with me so she (or someone she is working with) can purchase them. I grabbed copies of these volumes while I was at church Sunday in order to verify what to recommend. The ones the church owns are out of print (and published by G.I.A – Proulx’s publisher). I noticed that there are current versions available that replace them. I needed the old ones in hand to refer my friend.

I am planning to write SATB or SAB choral parts for the Kids’ Choir’s upcoming anthem. This is so the choir will have something to sing and back up my two or three children singers. Another task.

Eileen stayed home from work ill yesterday. She also missed church on Sunday. Nothing serious. A cold that keeps her tired and groggy.  My own cold seems to have spread from my ear infection to include lung congestion. Nice.

I have been entranced by Schubert lately. In An Equal Music by Vkram Seth (one of the novels I am currently reading, thank you, Rhonda), the plot continues to involve music. At the point I am in the book, the Schubert Trout Quintet plays a role. I have been listening to it. I think I like Schubert quite a bit.

Then when I get a chance I sit down and read through portions of his piano sonatas. Very satisfying.

The last two ballet classes the chair of the department has asked me to play for other teachers. Not sure what this means exactly. I think I do my job well but it’s hard to tell how the teachers feel because of the highly evolved etiquette in dance class work.

This etiquette can and often does include a concluding combination called the reverence (reh vair RANCE).

This is a stylized warm down of slow elegant bows.

Yesterday the teacher I was working with asked a student to lead it. The leader moves slowly enough that the entire class can follow and mimic a ballet curtsy to an imagined audience. If they remember they turn and bow to the pianist as well. It’s a quaint charming etiquette procedure.

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Reformers Aim to Get China to Live Up to Own Constitution – NYTimes.com

I once had a rabid conservative ask me if China had a constitution. I can’t remember what we were talking about, but the implication was that China was basically a completely repressed godless COMMUNIST country. I confessed to the dude I didn’t know. Looked it up. Glad to see this article as well.

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Saving Timbuktu’s Priceless Artifacts From Militants’ Clutches – NYTimes.com

People saving stuff for humanity.  Thank you!

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Chris Kyle, Author of ‘American Sniper’ Reported Killed in Texas – NYTimes.com

Tragic story of two vets doing good shot by a crazed third they were trying to help.

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BBC News – Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king’s

I love this stuff.

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Exquisite Corpse – Interview with Jack Micheline

Bookmarked to read. I really like this guy.

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