'010 musings

Four days into 2010, and the holiday that was, is all but a memory. A really good memory though. Jasper was as relaxing as it was energizing. We could have done without the drive back in bad winter driving conditions, but we are back in one piece, and quickly getting back into the regular routine.

This weekend, I'm conducting the second concert of the Scona Chamber Singers in a program of Heinrich Schütz, which includes selections from both Geistliche Chormusik, as well as smaller ensemble selections from Kleine Geistliche Konzerte. The program was selected by my co-artistic director, and soprano Jolaine Kerley, and we are being joined by organist Jeremy Spurgeon and a DMus cello student, Amy McClary. We started rehearsing on the 2nd, and put in quite a few hours this weekend, and will meet again on Friday for two more days of rehearsals, and do the concert on Sunday. The music is coming together fast, but it will take a few more runs for us to keep into the rhetoric of the language, and gel as an ensemble.

Scores, of course, have been a bit of an issue, especially finding good continuo realizations. The U of A library does house the complete works, and most of the Kleine Geistliche Konzerte is realized nicely in the Bärenreiter-Verlag Kassel edtion, but there is nothing for the Chormusik except a figured bass. Luckily, Jeremy is a pro - so I don't think it will be too much of an issue. The added complication is we are doing much of the concert in a different key than published, so I will be spending the better part of the day tomorrow in front of the computer transposing the cello part - but it will be worth it, and it's mostly quite straightforward.

Aside from this project, everything else is running as it should - Da Camera gets back into action tonight, and Richard Eaton Singers tomorrow. The church choir resumes after just one week off, and we enter our seven month period of interim ministry following the retirement of our Rector of ten years. It will be very different around the parish, but I am lucky to have an extremely supportive vestry and staff. It seems I will be relied on for much of the liturgical planning, which will up my work load a bit - but it will be a great learning experience!

On top of all this - I'm back to counting my calories today. I did manage to lose close to 30 pounds last time I started this regime, and of that, only 10 have crept back again. If I can drop another 25 or 30 by summer, maybe it will drop another 5 or 6 strokes off the handicap. Four more months until golf season! sigh.

Poster for concert:



After a friend pointed out that Schütz looks like the original owner of a local wrap and sub sandwich restaurant I can't look at this portrait, painted by Rembrandt, without seeing Schütz holding a ham and cheese wrap.

On the second day of Christmas ...

and I stayed in my PJs all day and watched all 26 episodes of season five of "The Office".

Tomorrow, we have the farewell church service and party of the rector of my parish - in which there will be much emotion and celebration. Those who know me, and know of the family connection will understand the emotional aspect. We will have a seven month interim priest-in-charge before the new incumbent beings. And although there is understandably a bit of trepidation in this whole process, I have full confidence in the selection committee, and am looking forward to the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the parish. If it's anything like the last chapter - it will continue to remain one of the most fantastic places to work.

On Monday - my wife and I head to Jasper for a three day trip, and the itinerary will be very stressful. Hours and hours of sitting in the outdoor pool, playing cribbage in the lodge, possibly skating on the lake, and definitely eating good food - something we haven't been lacking in the last week or so.

Needless to say - you probably won't hear from me for the next week or so.

Hope your Christmas holidays brings you the rest that you need to start 2010 with a renewed energy!

There must be something about the first week of classes, whether it be first or second term, that I'm allergic to.  Once again, I found myself leaving the university after teaching my 9 AM class in favour of a bag of Ricola, a couple of Tylenol, and a box of Kleenex.  I canceled my 3 PM class, missed one scheduled meeting (oops) and took the next day off as well.  If my memory is correct, this happened in the first week of September too!

I do feel much better this morning, although I'm still sniffly and phlegmy.  We'll see how I'm doing after lecturing the second half of my music fundamentals chapter this morning.  Perhaps I'll be able to cough out examples of hemiolas and hybrid metres!

Hope you have all managed to avoid the 2009 edition of this nasty virus!

"Breaking in" the new students

Day one of the new semester is now in the books.

Highlights of the day:

1. 150 students showed up for my Music Appreciation class, which has an enrollment cap of 120. There might be some disappointed course shoppers who won't be able to get into the class. I am however making allowances for an auditor, who also writes in the culture section of our city's major newspaper.  I actually fully expect that many people will drop the class in the first week as they figure out what courses they want to take.  Most people overload their courses for that very reason.
   
2. My conducting class has 15 students - which is very manageable, both for the podium time as well as for the class "choir".  Balance?  7 sopranos, 7 altos, 1 bass.  Not ideal, however since I did direct a women's choir for four years, I should be able to find enough music for us to work on.  My only male in the choir might not get a lot of singing in, but he'll have a great choir to work with.
3. Da Camera started working tonight on our next concert and CD project.  It was a good rehearsal, even with so many absent with this years New Years cold and flu.  It's an all Canadian CD, with the main topic of DEATH.  Great music, although might be tricky to market.
4. Someone broke into my Grand Am for the 2nd time in the last two months.  This time they managed to break in BOTH door locks, and take nothing (as I learned from last time not to leave anything in the car).

Anyone want to buy a 2002 Grand Am with low mileage ... and pushed in door locks? Highest bidder wins!

What to expect in 2009

It seems that with a new calendar year, one must make up a set of New Years Resolutions.  I, like most of you, have often made resolutions only to find that a month later I didn't keep any of them longer than a week.  So, rather than resolutions, I'd like to put into print the things I expect to get out of 2009, and perhaps a few things that I might change in order to achieve them.  Hmmm... that sounds an awful lot like a set of resolutions doesn't it.

On Teaching ...  I took it upon myself to completely overhaul my course outlines for this coming semester.  It will represent a fair bit of work to revamp the course, in particular the choral conducting course I am teaching, but I think it will be better for the students to have a fresh perspective on the course from someone who has taught it now for about eight years.  I've overhauled the Music Appreciation course as well, not so much on content, but I've added one extra test to help ease the burden of memorization in between the midterm and the final.  I'm quite fortunate to have a teaching assistant this year for the course, so adding an extra exam for a class of 140 students won't overburden me with marking - and I need to make this PhD student work the required hours in - and this seemed like an easy way to fix that!

On Scheduling ... This semester is full up again with concerts, and my first recording venture with Da Camera Singers.  The first two months are actually quite light, March is going to be this year's November from last year.  I've taken on a few extra projects, including a in city workshop with a local community choir, and examination weekend for Conservatory Canada (again, in town), I am, however, free of music festival adjudicating this year, which will make April a bit more relaxed.

On Family ... This Summer, We plan to travel to Ontario, marking our first return to Ottawa and area since we were engaged.  We're also in a bit of a transitional process, looking for a new house that will suit or current future needs.  The last month we've been blessed(?) with temperatures in the low -20s to -30s (this morning, was a -41 windchill ... for my American friends ... -40 Celsius is equal to -40 Fahrenheit, which in plain simple terms is COLD) so a house which has better heat efficiency, a two car garage, and at least TWO bathrooms is on the "must have" list.  We are weighing the pros and cons of commuting, as well as distance from local family - which will play a very important role in our decision.

On Weight Loss ... Last September (which is really the educators' and musicians' new year) I made a commitment to get healthier.  I'm happy to report that between September and December I lost nearly 30 pounds (although with Christmas and New Years I gained a few back) and I intend to keep up the regiment to lose another 25 -30 more by next September.  I know it's a very traditional New Years statement to make, but for me it's more of a continued commitment this time, rather than a post-holiday pledge to loose a few pounds. 

On Golf ... This is a tough one.  The course that I've been a member of for the last four years has just eliminated the membership option that best suits me, a monday through friday membership which for a church musician, who likes to spend the weekend with his wife, is quite useful.  I'm not quite prepared to pay extra for a membership which includes weekends when I can't make use of it.  These are decisions I will have to make at a later date - as right now, it's too bloody cold and snowy out to even think about golf.

Wishing you all a prosperous and successful 2009!

Holiday Post-Mortem

As the sun begins to rise on the second day of 2008 (I have to admit, I didn't see much of the sun on the first day of 2008) I thought I'd speak about a few of the wonderful things that have happened to me over the holidays.

It was the first year that I've had to do the Christmas services without an assistant organist, and for the most part it went very well. I have to say, I love playing hymnody and liturgy at the church, especially around Christmas. There is something about being able to let loose on a reharmonization of a well known carol. The choir at the Midnight service on Christmas Eve was in fine voice, and pretty much rocked. My wonderful wife helped out at the more quiet services on Christmas Day, and the Sunday between Christmas and New Years by singing a couple of solos, much to the delight of the congregation. I have received word that the funds are now available for me to hire another assistant, so this is a relief, and a happy New Years present for me.

Speaking of New Years - the annual New Years Eve concert was great fun, and with such great people. A huge house of very appreciative and slightly tipsy people made it all the more enjoyable. We serve champagne at intermission - perhaps that's cheating as everyone always says how great the second half of the concert was. Following the concert, my wife and I hosted about thirty people for the New Years Eve party, which went until nearly 4 AM. We didn't do much yesterday, and about half way through the day my wife developed a nasty flu, which we are still nursing this morning. Hopefully it will disappear soon. All in all though, a great couple of weeks.

Best presents of the season:

1. The NHL jersey of our local team
   
2. Alex Ross' Book "The Art of Noise"
3. great evenings with Friends and Family
4. lots of wonderful food and wine
5. quiet time with my wife and our cats
   

Reality will hit next week as my one term break from teaching ends on Monday afternoon, and early New Year concert preparations begin for two of the choirs I'm involved with. Church choir also resumes tomorrow night.

Best wishes to all for a prosperous 2008