Come è lungo l'attesa!
Monday, February 18th, 2013 11:44 pmWell, this was the funniest rendition of Tosca I have ever seen, but the unexpectedly light-hearted mood made it harder to get into the mood of the third act. I simply had not been prepared for the dramatic part of the melodrama.
Still, a nice night out.
Still, a nice night out.
How much do I envy Crocky?
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 03:30 pmA lot, especially when it comes to her singing and the choirs she can sing in. Her ensemble performed "Lux Aurumque" at their last concert, which is beautiful piece by the conducter and composer Eric Whitacre (here's also a TTBB only version of this here commissioned by the Gay Men's Chorus of LA).
Whitacre is not only noteworthy because of his beautiful music, but also because of his virtual choir- this is them with Lux Aurumque:
I love the VirtualChoir project, you can join here.
Whitacre is not only noteworthy because of his beautiful music, but also because of his virtual choir- this is them with Lux Aurumque:
I love the VirtualChoir project, you can join here.
Christmas Eve, alone
Friday, December 24th, 2010 05:52 pmCrocky's conducting a church service and I chose to stay home in the warmth, lazy that I am, because her choir is in the middle of nowhere. We'll attend midnight mass and listen to parts of Bach's Christmas oratio together, though. I'm looking forward to that, because we don't get much time together this Christmas, what with work and parental visits.
Music and moustaches
Sunday, December 5th, 2010 09:02 pmI wish I were done for today. But no, there's still the oral report waiting to be finished and that other oral report and I haven't heard back from some of the people who volunteered yet.
Ever since I found ( this dub of 'We Didn't Start the Fire' set in Stormwind ) I've rediscovered Billy Joel, especially:
Ever since I found ( this dub of 'We Didn't Start the Fire' set in Stormwind ) I've rediscovered Billy Joel, especially:
In case you didn't know: Sex and Singing
Friday, February 5th, 2010 01:15 pm«Die Kunst des Singens»
Junge Mädchen, bei denen man annehmen kann (ich würde nicht einmal weiblichen Kolleginnen raten, in solchen heiklen Dingen Fragen zu stellen, geschweige denn Männern!), dass sie noch keinen geschlechtlichen Verkehr hatten, verfügen meist nicht über vollklingende Töne zwischen dem F im Brustregister und dem C oder D im Mittelregister. Diese Töne sind fast ausnahmslos schwach.
Victor Funk, 1963 (and apparently still an authority on this today o.O) S.79f
"Young girls who can be expected not to be sexually active (I wouldn't even recommend female colleagues to ask questions in these delicate matters, let alone male colleagues!), usually don't have full-sounding tones between the F in their chest register and the C or D in their middle register. These tones are usually weak without exceptions."
- Victor Funk
«Die Kunst des Singens»
Da der Einfluss, den der Geschlechtsverkehr physisch und psychisch auf Frauen ausübt vollkommen individuell ist, sollte man hier auch keine allgemeinen Regeln aufstellen: fühlt sich eine Frau oder ein Mädchen glücklich ohne Geschlechtsverkehr, sollte man nicht erwarten, dass sich eine Veränderung in ihrem Geschlechtsleben auch auf ihre Stimme günstig auswirken würde - mehr geht ja den Gesanglehrer nicht an. Mit allem Nachdruck aber sei hier festgestellt, dass, gleichgültig wie sich der Geschlechtsverkehr in einzelnen Fällen bei Frauen auswirkt, er nie imstande sein kann, gesangtechnische Mängel zu ersetzen.
Vikor Fuchs, S.180.
"Due to the fact that the physical and mental influence which sexual activity has on women is completely individual, the application of general rules is discouraged: should a girl or a woman feel happy without sexual intercourse, no one should expect that a change in her sexual life would have a positive influence on her voice - and the singing instructor is not to concern himself with anything else. It should be emphasised that, regardless of the effect sexual experience has on women in individual cases, it can never be expected to replace proper singing technique. "
Good to know that singing instructors offering a extra help with that after lessons is discouraged.
Day 02 → Your favourite movie
Day 03 → Your favourite television program
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
I don't remember crying when I heard a song, ever, but this probably comes closest.
English: this probably comes closest because I used to watch and love that movie when I was five.
German:
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobbie of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 6 - Nikolaustag!
Sunday, December 6th, 2009 02:24 pmDay 02 → Your favourite movie
Day 03 → Your favourite television program
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy: one of my favourite Christmas Carols:
What's yours?
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobbie of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Dabbling, e-pianos, ships and fairs
Saturday, October 24th, 2009 03:55 pmFor reasons only known to himself, my father once obtained an electric piano from a customer a couple of years ago. I think he said at the time that ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
niaseath might get some use out of it because he can play the guitar and is, after all, The Musical One in the family. Since my brother can't play the piano and the thing has been sitting in Hesse up until last week, that plan was never put into action. Since my father's reorganising his flat he's asked me if we need it and I gladly accepted, and now we have an electric piano!
Crocky can't really use it to practice earnestly because she needs a grand piano for that, but it's good to prepare lessons and play around and for me, because I'm getting lessons, too. I started at the beginning of the week and just now spent a couple of hours with this beginner's version of Scarborough Fair and I Saw Three Ships. It's fun, but my progress on is very slow, as expected. It's a lot more fun to be a complete noob on the piano, though, seeing as the results are never quite as jarring to my ears as the strangled-cat sounds that I'm so good at producing on the trumpet.
So far, I'm not really giving up on the trumpet, but playing the piano is much more fun, so I'm rather pessimistic about the time I'll spend with the instrument in the future, what with the piano looking so inviting and the option to put in earphones and practicing around the clock and everything, which is a definite downside of the trumpet - which I can only practice very quietly and for a very limited amount of time in the afternoons. I wish I could be more optimistic about the likelihood of me losing interest in either or both of the instruments after a while - I'm just not that interested in music, and even though Crocky's enthusiasm is highly infective, I am not sure that I won't be spending my time with other things in future. It's very nice to dabble, though.
The only downside to the piano is that it did not like being left in a car over night and is now its speakers make rather alarming crackling noises occasionally. We had hoped that it'd get better after a while if the piano didn't react well to the moistness in the car and had to dry, but we're worried. If this keeps persisting we'll have to have someone check it out.
niaseath might get some use out of it because he can play the guitar and is, after all, The Musical One in the family. Since my brother can't play the piano and the thing has been sitting in Hesse up until last week, that plan was never put into action. Since my father's reorganising his flat he's asked me if we need it and I gladly accepted, and now we have an electric piano! Crocky can't really use it to practice earnestly because she needs a grand piano for that, but it's good to prepare lessons and play around and for me, because I'm getting lessons, too. I started at the beginning of the week and just now spent a couple of hours with this beginner's version of Scarborough Fair and I Saw Three Ships. It's fun, but my progress on is very slow, as expected. It's a lot more fun to be a complete noob on the piano, though, seeing as the results are never quite as jarring to my ears as the strangled-cat sounds that I'm so good at producing on the trumpet.
So far, I'm not really giving up on the trumpet, but playing the piano is much more fun, so I'm rather pessimistic about the time I'll spend with the instrument in the future, what with the piano looking so inviting and the option to put in earphones and practicing around the clock and everything, which is a definite downside of the trumpet - which I can only practice very quietly and for a very limited amount of time in the afternoons. I wish I could be more optimistic about the likelihood of me losing interest in either or both of the instruments after a while - I'm just not that interested in music, and even though Crocky's enthusiasm is highly infective, I am not sure that I won't be spending my time with other things in future. It's very nice to dabble, though.
The only downside to the piano is that it did not like being left in a car over night and is now its speakers make rather alarming crackling noises occasionally. We had hoped that it'd get better after a while if the piano didn't react well to the moistness in the car and had to dry, but we're worried. If this keeps persisting we'll have to have someone check it out.
I could spend hours on this.
Monday, June 8th, 2009 11:47 pmniaseath found this awesome little gadget - the best thing is that everything you do turns out pretty due to the joys of pentatonic music.A few weeks ago, after a semester-long break, I finally pulled myself together and started playing the trumpet regularly, and it's going rather well. Crocky said today that I might be ready to join her ensemble in August (well, technically, she said that if I put my mind to it, I might join them in June, but retracted upon seeing my panic-stricken expression and said August would do nicely, too).
The suggestion of joining the ranks of her brass ensemble is probably supposed to strengthen my resolve and give me more motivation (and make our practice sessions happen more frequently than every couple of months), but I don't see that happening so far.
I am not too sure. Our sessions have been very sporadic so far, and even though I can do some basics I don't feel certain enough to do anything serious. Maybe she was just trying to motivate me, or her pressing need for a trumpet makes her desperate (the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's the latter), but I can't see myself playing at that level yet.
Something that made me really happy was to find just how much easier it will be to play the hunting horn - the technique is the same. Can't wait to surprise my mother (it's her instrument) with my progress. Too bad it's too late for her birthday, but I doubt that my mother would be touched by a wobbly rendition of the soprano part in "dead fox" or something, anyway.
The suggestion of joining the ranks of her brass ensemble is probably supposed to strengthen my resolve and give me more motivation (and make our practice sessions happen more frequently than every couple of months), but I don't see that happening so far.
I am not too sure. Our sessions have been very sporadic so far, and even though I can do some basics I don't feel certain enough to do anything serious. Maybe she was just trying to motivate me, or her pressing need for a trumpet makes her desperate (the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's the latter), but I can't see myself playing at that level yet.
Something that made me really happy was to find just how much easier it will be to play the hunting horn - the technique is the same. Can't wait to surprise my mother (it's her instrument) with my progress. Too bad it's too late for her birthday, but I doubt that my mother would be touched by a wobbly rendition of the soprano part in "dead fox" or something, anyway.
Palestrina
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 07:35 pm... is my rockstar.
Even though Orlando di Lasso seems to be the superstar of early polyphony around here and get most of the credit because of his versatility (at least going by the curriculum of a course on the period offered in Crocky's uni a few semesters back), I prefer Palestrina's works at the moment, or at least what I know of it. Which is not much, just the Missa nigra sum, the Missa Sicut lilium inter spinas and the Missa benedicta es.
Other than that: these days, I often feel half of the brink of panic attacks that that never come. I hope it's because I am being a good girl, get enough sleep and drink and exercise (not enough of that, though, maybe), and not because I don't have the deadline for my thesis yet. Still. Excessive baking is hardly effective therapy for stress-relief (especially considering my weight-loss goals, damn you, cheesecake, be cursed, breakfast rolls), and stress relaxation methods won't help forever. I think I need to see someone here, I need some help with getting through my oral exams at the end of the year without blackouts. I heard that there are weekend courses for exam anxiety over here, I think I'll look into that.
Even though Orlando di Lasso seems to be the superstar of early polyphony around here and get most of the credit because of his versatility (at least going by the curriculum of a course on the period offered in Crocky's uni a few semesters back), I prefer Palestrina's works at the moment, or at least what I know of it. Which is not much, just the Missa nigra sum, the Missa Sicut lilium inter spinas and the Missa benedicta es.
Other than that: these days, I often feel half of the brink of panic attacks that that never come. I hope it's because I am being a good girl, get enough sleep and drink and exercise (not enough of that, though, maybe), and not because I don't have the deadline for my thesis yet. Still. Excessive baking is hardly effective therapy for stress-relief (especially considering my weight-loss goals, damn you, cheesecake, be cursed, breakfast rolls), and stress relaxation methods won't help forever. I think I need to see someone here, I need some help with getting through my oral exams at the end of the year without blackouts. I heard that there are weekend courses for exam anxiety over here, I think I'll look into that.
I went to a small concert by the students of Crocky's piano teacher this morning. They were all very good, as anticipated. About ten of the students performed, one or two short pieces each. Most of them are in their first semester or at least at an early stage of their studies, but two are doing their finals soon - a pretty mixed group. The aim of these concerts is to give each other an idea of what other students are playing and to practice performing, which seems like a good idea, seeing as the final exam will be like a concert. I wish we had something similar each semester.
The only thing that wasn't absolutely perfect for me were the selection of pieces in some cases. Many of Satie's works do nothing for me, somehow (no, not even the Gymnopédie No.1 - which no one performed today, though), and even a live performance does not change as much as I thought it might - I realise that they're beautiful, but his pieces usually depress me. There were a lot of Satie's pieces, he seems to be a required composer for first year students of music at that uni. I'm also not that fond of Cage, although I think the man is interesting. The only possible exception is his "4'33", which is about the only thing I can manage on the piano (full orchestral version (!!) here, John Cage on sound and silence here).
It was a very nice morning. I realised I should listen to Crocky rehearsing more often when I' not likely to annoy her. I thoroughly enjoyed her playing as she was was warming up and going through her pieces one more time. I love piano music, although I don't very often listen to it at home, strangely enough.
( My two favourites of the day )
Other than that, my week has been fairly uneventful and full of paper-related work. I am scared that the time I have won't be enough, and I fear I am not making enough progress, but those are probably fears that everybody has.
* this is John Cage paraphrasing Kant. German passage paraphrased below cut below. ( Here be Kant. )
The only thing that wasn't absolutely perfect for me were the selection of pieces in some cases. Many of Satie's works do nothing for me, somehow (no, not even the Gymnopédie No.1 - which no one performed today, though), and even a live performance does not change as much as I thought it might - I realise that they're beautiful, but his pieces usually depress me. There were a lot of Satie's pieces, he seems to be a required composer for first year students of music at that uni. I'm also not that fond of Cage, although I think the man is interesting. The only possible exception is his "4'33", which is about the only thing I can manage on the piano (full orchestral version (!!) here, John Cage on sound and silence here).
It was a very nice morning. I realised I should listen to Crocky rehearsing more often when I' not likely to annoy her. I thoroughly enjoyed her playing as she was was warming up and going through her pieces one more time. I love piano music, although I don't very often listen to it at home, strangely enough.
( My two favourites of the day )
Other than that, my week has been fairly uneventful and full of paper-related work. I am scared that the time I have won't be enough, and I fear I am not making enough progress, but those are probably fears that everybody has.
* this is John Cage paraphrasing Kant. German passage paraphrased below cut below. ( Here be Kant. )
Into the Woods
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 11:53 amI did sort of want to go and see the University Player's production of Into the Woods, but fourthage's most recent music post made it a definite plan. I didn't know that the musical was that awesome, and I'm really curious to see what the UPs did with it, they are usually so very good.
A user on YouTube has uploaded what appears to be the entire thing - and after watching it I think "Agony" is probably my favourite song so far:
Pity I didn't manage to go this week already, now it'll have to be some time next week, and I have no clue when. It'll be a chaotic week as it is, as I have to go to two office hours that I intended to go to this week already - and could not, because the Professors had come down with the flu and cancelled. Seeing as I want to go to the premier of Crocky's play on Tuesday, I'll have to take a car-sharing-ride at 7am on Wednesday to be in Hamburg by 9am, when the office hour'll begin. And Tuesday, oooh, Tuesday is going to be awesome - go to Hamburg at 9:40am to make it to the office hour at 1pm, then take the train back to attend the premier, which begins at 7:30pm.
fourthage's most recent music post made it a definite plan. I didn't know that the musical was that awesome, and I'm really curious to see what the UPs did with it, they are usually so very good. A user on YouTube has uploaded what appears to be the entire thing - and after watching it I think "Agony" is probably my favourite song so far:
Pity I didn't manage to go this week already, now it'll have to be some time next week, and I have no clue when. It'll be a chaotic week as it is, as I have to go to two office hours that I intended to go to this week already - and could not, because the Professors had come down with the flu and cancelled. Seeing as I want to go to the premier of Crocky's play on Tuesday, I'll have to take a car-sharing-ride at 7am on Wednesday to be in Hamburg by 9am, when the office hour'll begin. And Tuesday, oooh, Tuesday is going to be awesome - go to Hamburg at 9:40am to make it to the office hour at 1pm, then take the train back to attend the premier, which begins at 7:30pm.
Music love
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 09:07 amAs I said before around this time of year last year, my relationship with music is probably comparable to a minne-situation - pining for a socially superior, unattainable mistress - which translates into frustrating, and mostly short-lived, in my case. Crocky's intense enthusiasm is infective, though. You probably know that she's a trombonist (among other things), and that she's teaching kids how to play the trombone and trumpet for her brass ensemble. Around her, it's impossible not to become interested in music and instruments and brass ensembles eventually.
Seeing as there are loads of sheet music for beginners floating around here, I became more and more tempted to dabble. My whirlwind affair with my Mum's Fürst Pless Horn was cut short this summer due to lack of sheet music, patience with the wonky sounds the thing emitted in my hands, and lack of locals interested in perpetrating similar noises.
Now I am giving the trumpet a shot. Trumpet because they had a spare one at her church and because she needs her trombone rather than because it's what I always wanted to play, and it's fun so far. I doubt that I'll ever be good enough to join any kind of beginner's church ensemble, even, but I'll continue playing if only to see Crocky in her element. I always knew how important music is to her, I know how much she loves playing, but what I didn't know is that Crocky positively glows when she's teaching. No wonder her students absolutely adore her and that they're making such progress.
I have no doubt that she is and will make an excellent music teacher, and seeing her heart-felt joy about having managed to get me to play my first wobbly sounds would leave absolutely no doubt for anyone else either.
Seeing as there are loads of sheet music for beginners floating around here, I became more and more tempted to dabble. My whirlwind affair with my Mum's Fürst Pless Horn was cut short this summer due to lack of sheet music, patience with the wonky sounds the thing emitted in my hands, and lack of locals interested in perpetrating similar noises.
Now I am giving the trumpet a shot. Trumpet because they had a spare one at her church and because she needs her trombone rather than because it's what I always wanted to play, and it's fun so far. I doubt that I'll ever be good enough to join any kind of beginner's church ensemble, even, but I'll continue playing if only to see Crocky in her element. I always knew how important music is to her, I know how much she loves playing, but what I didn't know is that Crocky positively glows when she's teaching. No wonder her students absolutely adore her and that they're making such progress.
I have no doubt that she is and will make an excellent music teacher, and seeing her heart-felt joy about having managed to get me to play my first wobbly sounds would leave absolutely no doubt for anyone else either.
"Magnificent Music"
Sunday, December 7th, 2008 07:14 pmBlurry because we were not allowed to use flash: the orchestra, and Crocky's choir in the background. I think one of the blurry blobs behind what appears to be a six-stringed forefather of the double bass may be Crocky.
I love my girlfriend's choir. Her singing teacher, who is also a member, asked her to join, and as most of the members are either professional singers or singing students at Crocky's university, all members are all really good singers, and together they are a spectacular choir. I heard them last week when they were performing during service, so I should have anticipated how good they are.
Yesterday, Crocky's sister and I saw their concert "Magnificent Music", and even though I knew they were good, they completely blew me away. They did Bach's cantata "Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn" and the Magnificat in E flat major, in case anyone is interested (I didn't know either of the pieces). To my delight, they even had period instruments (a positive organ! natural trumpets! Baroque oboes! The mysterious six-stringed double bass-ancestor, probably). I loved the Magnificat, the Fecit potentiam and the Sicut locutus est, especially. I wish I could go into more detail here and do these great pieces and the performance credit, but I lack both the knowledge and the vocabulary to do so in English or German, I should have taken more music lessons when I was still at school. So, I can't really say more than that the pieces were beautiful, and the choir did great.
I love my girlfriend's choir. Her singing teacher, who is also a member, asked her to join, and as most of the members are either professional singers or singing students at Crocky's university, all members are all really good singers, and together they are a spectacular choir. I heard them last week when they were performing during service, so I should have anticipated how good they are.
Yesterday, Crocky's sister and I saw their concert "Magnificent Music", and even though I knew they were good, they completely blew me away. They did Bach's cantata "Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn" and the Magnificat in E flat major, in case anyone is interested (I didn't know either of the pieces). To my delight, they even had period instruments (a positive organ! natural trumpets! Baroque oboes! The mysterious six-stringed double bass-ancestor, probably). I loved the Magnificat, the Fecit potentiam and the Sicut locutus est, especially. I wish I could go into more detail here and do these great pieces and the performance credit, but I lack both the knowledge and the vocabulary to do so in English or German, I should have taken more music lessons when I was still at school. So, I can't really say more than that the pieces were beautiful, and the choir did great.
The location they chose for this concert made our evening, too - a hall in the beautifully overdone Galeriegebäude. We had spectacular seats in the second row thanks to reduced prices for students. It was a perfect evening.
(no subject)
Friday, November 21st, 2008 06:30 pmStolen from lordhellebore and moonystone .
1. Put youriPod playlist winamp library on shuffle (just re-installed it and don't have a playlist yet)
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
( In which I notice that I have too much Early Modern Music in my library. )
Yeah. Back to work.
lordhellebore and moonystone . 1. Put your
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
( In which I notice that I have too much Early Modern Music in my library. )
Yeah. Back to work.
Ich was ein chint so wolgetan
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 11:21 amIch was ein chint so wolgetan from the Carmina Burana (carmina amatoria, no. 185) is one of my favourite songs, even though it's basically about rape (the story is basically this: a young country girl, picking flowers, meets a man who lures her back to some linden trees and has sex with her against her will. The song is a mixture between Middle High German and Medieval Latin, and is clearly a comic song).
Crocky brought home a version from a music project and it's so awesome I fell in love with it, in spite of the text. It probably reflects the culture and the idea of humour from back in the day very well. I did not find the song from that project anywhere online, but an example of a similar idea of what the melody must have sounded like can be found on this CD, it's no.7.
Below is an excerpt from the codex, featuring the writing and the notation. In the space above the text you can see the earliest forms of musical notation, neumes, which allow a very rough idea of what this song must have sounded like.
These are unheightened neumes, neumes without staff-lines, and therefore allow only a very rough idea - oddly enough, as notation with staff lines was technically known in the days when the Codex Burensis was supposedly composed, which is around 1230, although possibly not so much for secular music. The songs for which they do have melodies thus were all assembled through concordances with other manuscripts. From what I know, there is no explanation for why adiastemic neumes were used in the collection, especially as the collectors were clearly learned enough to know about the other notation systems. (While trawling the internets for more information on this, I came across this utterly awesome project devoted to digitalising neumes.)
The songs in the collection are attributed to the Goliards, German, English, Italian and French vagrant monks from the profane order of "St Golias", who were, in contrast to other monks, not averse to wine, woman, and song. They were clerical students who travelled from university to university or just generally travelled. The songs do offer a lot of evidence of their education - there are both paragraphs in Latin as well as quotes from philosophers and scholars. The Goliards were following the probably fictional "St. Golias" and were very critical of the political powers and the church, and wrote satirical poems and songs to express their discontent, but also bawdy songs and tales.
If this attribution is correct, that would make the codex an example of around 778 years old student culture, which is somehow awesome.
Crocky brought home a version from a music project and it's so awesome I fell in love with it, in spite of the text. It probably reflects the culture and the idea of humour from back in the day very well. I did not find the song from that project anywhere online, but an example of a similar idea of what the melody must have sounded like can be found on this CD, it's no.7.
( This is the text )
Below is an excerpt from the codex, featuring the writing and the notation. In the space above the text you can see the earliest forms of musical notation, neumes, which allow a very rough idea of what this song must have sounded like.
These are unheightened neumes, neumes without staff-lines, and therefore allow only a very rough idea - oddly enough, as notation with staff lines was technically known in the days when the Codex Burensis was supposedly composed, which is around 1230, although possibly not so much for secular music. The songs for which they do have melodies thus were all assembled through concordances with other manuscripts. From what I know, there is no explanation for why adiastemic neumes were used in the collection, especially as the collectors were clearly learned enough to know about the other notation systems. (While trawling the internets for more information on this, I came across this utterly awesome project devoted to digitalising neumes.)
The songs in the collection are attributed to the Goliards, German, English, Italian and French vagrant monks from the profane order of "St Golias", who were, in contrast to other monks, not averse to wine, woman, and song. They were clerical students who travelled from university to university or just generally travelled. The songs do offer a lot of evidence of their education - there are both paragraphs in Latin as well as quotes from philosophers and scholars. The Goliards were following the probably fictional "St. Golias" and were very critical of the political powers and the church, and wrote satirical poems and songs to express their discontent, but also bawdy songs and tales.
If this attribution is correct, that would make the codex an example of around 778 years old student culture, which is somehow awesome.
The Beatles
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 05:26 pmBlackbird is probably my favourite song by The Beatles ever.
What's yours?
Frank Martin
Friday, June 13th, 2008 10:14 amListen to this:
Frank Martin's mass is one of the most beautiful masses I have ever heard, especially the Gloria. My favourite part in the entire mass is everything from "quoniam tu solus sanctus" onwards. I know that the quality of the above video isn't perfect, but hopefully it's enough for you to get an impression of it.
Frank Martin's mass is one of the most beautiful masses I have ever heard, especially the Gloria. My favourite part in the entire mass is everything from "quoniam tu solus sanctus" onwards. I know that the quality of the above video isn't perfect, but hopefully it's enough for you to get an impression of it.
Saturday with Cicero
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 06:40 pmSegesta oppidum est pervetus in Sicilia, iudices, quod ab Aenea fugiente a Troia atque in haec loca veniente conditum esse demonstrant.
That he should have had the time to do that at all while he was fleeing is a miracle. I certainly would not have stuck around to found the odd village while I was on the run, especially considering he was carrying around Anchises.
I never realised how much I had forgotten, but at the same time, it's vaguely reassuring how to realise how many of the things I learnt back in 2002 are still there. Too bad that my motivation deteriorated towards the end and I don't have the sound basis of half remembered knowledge on the subjunctive and more complex constructions involving relative clauses that I have for most other things.
I've spent the day I should have used to write my various papers poring over the speech against Verres, and while I can absolutely sympathise with the Sicilians, I'm lost in the constructions more often than not. It would be fun, reading Cicero again (... even though, irrationally, after reading Harris's Imperium, my sympathy for Cicero has diminished greatly because he left Terentia, who was one of my favourite characters in the novel) if there wasn't ( this horrible exam at the end of it all. )
Other than renewing my acquaintance with Cicero's language and works I've spent the day fangirling Michael Praetorius and Giorgio Mainerio (especially the ( Schiarazula Marazula ). One of my favourite pieces ever, probably due to happy memories withangie_21_237 and Angelo Branduardi's version and holiday tapes back in 1999.
Ok, back to Verres and his collection.
That he should have had the time to do that at all while he was fleeing is a miracle. I certainly would not have stuck around to found the odd village while I was on the run, especially considering he was carrying around Anchises.
I never realised how much I had forgotten, but at the same time, it's vaguely reassuring how to realise how many of the things I learnt back in 2002 are still there. Too bad that my motivation deteriorated towards the end and I don't have the sound basis of half remembered knowledge on the subjunctive and more complex constructions involving relative clauses that I have for most other things.
I've spent the day I should have used to write my various papers poring over the speech against Verres, and while I can absolutely sympathise with the Sicilians, I'm lost in the constructions more often than not. It would be fun, reading Cicero again (... even though, irrationally, after reading Harris's Imperium, my sympathy for Cicero has diminished greatly because he left Terentia, who was one of my favourite characters in the novel) if there wasn't ( this horrible exam at the end of it all. )
Other than renewing my acquaintance with Cicero's language and works I've spent the day fangirling Michael Praetorius and Giorgio Mainerio (especially the ( Schiarazula Marazula ). One of my favourite pieces ever, probably due to happy memories with
angie_21_237 and Angelo Branduardi's version and holiday tapes back in 1999. Ok, back to Verres and his collection.
"Ahh, Music, a magic beyond all we do here!"
Saturday, October 27th, 2007 01:22 pmSo, who plays a musical instrument, and which?
I'm curious.
I am curious because I lovemusicians music and always envy musicians for their proficiency. My own career as a maker of music with any instrument is pretty short and filled with unrequited love.
When I was six, my mother thought it was a good idea to have me learn the recorder. I hated it. I was not alone with the teacher, there are other children there, I liked that, but I hated the lessons. I was bad. The teacher always had me play our homework assignment in front of everyone as a punishment because I couldn't keep up with the others. She was a fiend in human shape, another musician who had never made it and now got by by giving lessons to young children. I stopped going to those lessons fairly soon. I didn't even like the sound of the recorder, and the knowledge that I could go on to nicer instruments once I'd mastered that dreaded thing was not really a great consolation for me, either.
I always wanted to wake up and be able to play the Cello. It's my favourite instrument, but I fear that it's far too difficult to learn for me now. Or the piano. That might even be fun learning. I've always envied people who were able to play it, like![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
angie_21_237 and, of course, Crocky.
I half-heartedly tried learning the tin whistle, with great sheet music with drawings of the whistle under each note so I could directly play according to the little drawings, but that was a very short-lived experiment. I never really managed to get proper notes out of the thing whenever I tried overblowing.
Currently, I'm thinking of learning how to play the trombone. Not easy either, but I really like the sound of that instrument, and it's possible fairly quickly to join a little amateur ensemble and play together with others, that's more fun than practising on my own, which I never keep up for long, I know myself. And I'm still looking for a choir, one that meets at a half-way decent time at a place that's half-way close by. The ones I found are either meeting on Thursday, when I have a seminar, or are just too far away. I somehow don't want to make an hour trip to get to my choir.
I'm curious.
I am curious because I love
When I was six, my mother thought it was a good idea to have me learn the recorder. I hated it. I was not alone with the teacher, there are other children there, I liked that, but I hated the lessons. I was bad. The teacher always had me play our homework assignment in front of everyone as a punishment because I couldn't keep up with the others. She was a fiend in human shape, another musician who had never made it and now got by by giving lessons to young children. I stopped going to those lessons fairly soon. I didn't even like the sound of the recorder, and the knowledge that I could go on to nicer instruments once I'd mastered that dreaded thing was not really a great consolation for me, either.
I always wanted to wake up and be able to play the Cello. It's my favourite instrument, but I fear that it's far too difficult to learn for me now. Or the piano. That might even be fun learning. I've always envied people who were able to play it, like
angie_21_237 and, of course, Crocky.I half-heartedly tried learning the tin whistle, with great sheet music with drawings of the whistle under each note so I could directly play according to the little drawings, but that was a very short-lived experiment. I never really managed to get proper notes out of the thing whenever I tried overblowing.
Currently, I'm thinking of learning how to play the trombone. Not easy either, but I really like the sound of that instrument, and it's possible fairly quickly to join a little amateur ensemble and play together with others, that's more fun than practising on my own, which I never keep up for long, I know myself. And I'm still looking for a choir, one that meets at a half-way decent time at a place that's half-way close by. The ones I found are either meeting on Thursday, when I have a seminar, or are just too far away. I somehow don't want to make an hour trip to get to my choir.
Israel Kamawiwo'ole - Somewhere over the rainbow
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 08:37 pmA friend (jaywalker23 ) showed me this version of Somwhere over the Rainbow back in the day, when we were still at school, and it's my favourite version of the song.
Well, it's everybody's favourite version, really.
( Click me )
For me, it's of course connected with memories of her as well, which makes it even better.
jaywalker23 ) showed me this version of Somwhere over the Rainbow back in the day, when we were still at school, and it's my favourite version of the song. Well, it's everybody's favourite version, really.
( Click me )
For me, it's of course connected with memories of her as well, which makes it even better.
Musical satires
Monday, June 11th, 2007 12:37 pmOk, I can't even read sheet music properly. But John Stump's compositions still cracked me up- probably because I don't have to in those cases:
Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz
String Quartet No. 556(b) for Strings In A Minor (Motoring Accident)
Prelude and the Last Hope in C and C# Minor.
Priceless.
Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz
String Quartet No. 556(b) for Strings In A Minor (Motoring Accident)
Prelude and the Last Hope in C and C# Minor.
Priceless.
Thanks to lilysela, I am obsessed with this song.
Monday, April 23rd, 2007 08:15 pm[Error: unknown template video]
I really like that song.
Ok, back to my useless homework.
Oh, everybody said I would be a really good teacher at the follow-up weekend seminar. The seminar itself was really a waste of time, but it was fun spending so much time with the other guys. There was a fair amount of drama, tears and bitch fights, too.
I really like that song.
Ok, back to my useless homework.
Oh, everybody said I would be a really good teacher at the follow-up weekend seminar. The seminar itself was really a waste of time, but it was fun spending so much time with the other guys. There was a fair amount of drama, tears and bitch fights, too.
Gummy Bears
Tuesday, March 20th, 2007 10:22 pmDo you remember ( these guys )?
angie_21_237, ( this is for you: )
Singing along is fun, of course, but its even more fun to watch them in other languages, such as German, Latin Spanish, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, French aaaand, the one you absolutely have to watch, ( Swedish )
Let's hear it: Hipp hurra!
För här kommer bumbibjörnarna
studsar fram igenom sagorna
och vi får följa med!!
I absolutely LOVED that one. Seriously, that's the greatest version EVER.
angie_21_237, ( this is for you: )Ballo in fa diesis minore
Sunday, December 17th, 2006 08:41 pmI love this song. It's been inspired by an Italian danse macabre, and I simply love the imagery used, although I don't really get most of it because my Italian is... well, nonexistant.
Even so, the speaker asks death to join the dance of the people, invites him to put down his scythe and join in their dancing, because when dancing with them, he would .... something and no longer be the ruler over time.
Andreas Branduardi, who wrote the song, did a recording of it in 1977 which can be found here.
angie_21_237 first showed me the song back in '99, and I stumbled upon it while working on my paper on performance in Minne singing (which is as boring as it sounds, because there isn't an awful lot people know about that and it's all speculation).
Sono io la morte e porto corona,
io son di tutti voi signora e padrona
e cosi sono crudele, cosi forte sono e dura
che non mi fermeranno le tue mura.
Sono io la morte e porto corona,
io son di tutti voi signora e padrona
e davanti alla mia falce il capo tu dovrai chinare
e dell'oscura morte al passo andare.
Sei l'ospite d'onore del ballo che per te suoniamo,
posa la falce e danza tondo a tondo:
il giro di una danza e poi un altro ancora
e tu del tempo non sei piu signora.
Even so, the speaker asks death to join the dance of the people, invites him to put down his scythe and join in their dancing, because when dancing with them, he would .... something and no longer be the ruler over time.
Andreas Branduardi, who wrote the song, did a recording of it in 1977 which can be found here.
angie_21_237 first showed me the song back in '99, and I stumbled upon it while working on my paper on performance in Minne singing (which is as boring as it sounds, because there isn't an awful lot people know about that and it's all speculation).Sunday, Birthday, Tuesday
Tuesday, June 6th, 2006 03:20 pmThank you so much for the various birthday greetings!
GOSH, am I old! Twenty-three! The ever-so-lovely Crocky surprised my with a birthday table yesterday, complete with birthday cake and candles! She is so lovely, and everyday with her is, so yesterday was as perfect as I had anticipated in spite of being quite lazy. After that weekend I really, really did not have the least desire to go out, and so we stayed home befitting a lady as old as I am.
Also, we did not go to Carmen as planned as it was an info event rather than the opera by the look of it, so now we have to hurry and go before the move on to Edinburgh. Maybe it would have been worth the while to go yesterday to goggle at the choirmaster, who is none but the Chapel Choir's choirmaster James. Maybe he would have been better groomed than he was at the concert on Sunday, in his proper conductor's attire for a change and without glasses.
The weekend was fun and but all the farewells were sad. There are so many people I will never see again and who I don't really know well enough to stay in touch with, and every time I have to wish someone a good life it gives me a little stab in the chest. Seeing Julez go was one such moment. Julez the Mighty, who always We will see her again when we are back in summer, but still... it felt terrible to say goodbye. The other guys from the various courses have already gone home over the summer. Sigh.
Hearing the concert on Sunday made me feel all emotional and nostalgic, too, but I guess that was mostly due to the superb music. It is the last time I am going to be in that church, probably. It is certainly the last time I heard the Chapel Choir sing - and they were so absolutely fantastic! It was (yet another...) concert designed to show off the new organ - although strangely, what bothered me about the concert were the organ-only pieces. One I thought was somehow... very... jazzy, and it flattered my non-existent knowledge no ends to find out that Gemma, a big, evil and knowledgeable music post-grad thought the same, the others were just... I don't know. I feel I don't have the background knowledge to get them and they are too loud and booming for me to like them. With the exception of a Bach piece, it was modern music only. Usually, I avoid modern music after having discovered Nono and Schoenberg, but the pieces the choir performed were all absolutely, heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
One piece was even commissioned by the University for the organ especially and the composer was there! It was strange to think that the small man sitting in the second row should have been able to come up with that piece.
Two of the pieces always make me feel all choked and teary and emotional and make me wish I was able to sing a lot better to be able to sing with them. Oh, I found a sample, they are very short. The first one is "Lullaby for Lucy" by Peter Maxwell Davies, the other is "A Child's Prayer" by James McMillan. Sigh. That one always makes me cry. Oooh, and Swayne's "Beatus Vir". Beautiful.
Today, I was half-heartedly planning to go to the movies, but somehow, there just isn't anything which sounds interesting - with the possible exception of Wah-Wah and United 93 - both films I'd much rather see at home than in the cinema. But the rest...?
Why exactly does anyone want us to go and watch Poseidon? Why should anyone see a movie without a plot or characters? Well, for the floating corpses and the shipwreck. Are we interested in shipwrecks? I don't think so. It's rated 12A, too - which means there'll probably be to much carnage for me, anyway.
Then - The Omen 666... not that I didn't like the original version, but... Nah. Brooding kids and blue filters are not scary.
Oh, yeah, The Wild. I wanted to go and see a horror movie, but there is no way I am going to endure that.
So - we'll see. I guess staying home and watching The Memoirs of a Geisha which I didn't see when it was in the cinemas will be it. I wish I had read the book, but I guess if I had, it would make me wish I hadn't seen the film.
Oh, which also means more time spent with my book (The Unbearable Lightness Of Being - which has been on my reading list for sooo long now. Since I first heard of the author back in - what was it, '97? -anyway, nearly ten years ago, I wanted to read that book and somehow never got round to doing it, but I saw it in the library yesterday and just had to take it out. Strangely, to read on the receipt that I have to hand it in "by no later than 27-09-06" made me feel all teary-eyed again. I won't even be here then, I won't even have my library card... Ah, well.
Hugs to all.
GOSH, am I old! Twenty-three! The ever-so-lovely Crocky surprised my with a birthday table yesterday, complete with birthday cake and candles! She is so lovely, and everyday with her is, so yesterday was as perfect as I had anticipated in spite of being quite lazy. After that weekend I really, really did not have the least desire to go out, and so we stayed home befitting a lady as old as I am.
Also, we did not go to Carmen as planned as it was an info event rather than the opera by the look of it, so now we have to hurry and go before the move on to Edinburgh. Maybe it would have been worth the while to go yesterday to goggle at the choirmaster, who is none but the Chapel Choir's choirmaster James. Maybe he would have been better groomed than he was at the concert on Sunday, in his proper conductor's attire for a change and without glasses.
The weekend was fun and but all the farewells were sad. There are so many people I will never see again and who I don't really know well enough to stay in touch with, and every time I have to wish someone a good life it gives me a little stab in the chest. Seeing Julez go was one such moment. Julez the Mighty, who always We will see her again when we are back in summer, but still... it felt terrible to say goodbye. The other guys from the various courses have already gone home over the summer. Sigh.
Hearing the concert on Sunday made me feel all emotional and nostalgic, too, but I guess that was mostly due to the superb music. It is the last time I am going to be in that church, probably. It is certainly the last time I heard the Chapel Choir sing - and they were so absolutely fantastic! It was (yet another...) concert designed to show off the new organ - although strangely, what bothered me about the concert were the organ-only pieces. One I thought was somehow... very... jazzy, and it flattered my non-existent knowledge no ends to find out that Gemma, a big, evil and knowledgeable music post-grad thought the same, the others were just... I don't know. I feel I don't have the background knowledge to get them and they are too loud and booming for me to like them. With the exception of a Bach piece, it was modern music only. Usually, I avoid modern music after having discovered Nono and Schoenberg, but the pieces the choir performed were all absolutely, heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
One piece was even commissioned by the University for the organ especially and the composer was there! It was strange to think that the small man sitting in the second row should have been able to come up with that piece.
Two of the pieces always make me feel all choked and teary and emotional and make me wish I was able to sing a lot better to be able to sing with them. Oh, I found a sample, they are very short. The first one is "Lullaby for Lucy" by Peter Maxwell Davies, the other is "A Child's Prayer" by James McMillan. Sigh. That one always makes me cry. Oooh, and Swayne's "Beatus Vir". Beautiful.
Today, I was half-heartedly planning to go to the movies, but somehow, there just isn't anything which sounds interesting - with the possible exception of Wah-Wah and United 93 - both films I'd much rather see at home than in the cinema. But the rest...?
Why exactly does anyone want us to go and watch Poseidon? Why should anyone see a movie without a plot or characters? Well, for the floating corpses and the shipwreck. Are we interested in shipwrecks? I don't think so. It's rated 12A, too - which means there'll probably be to much carnage for me, anyway.
Then - The Omen 666... not that I didn't like the original version, but... Nah. Brooding kids and blue filters are not scary.
Oh, yeah, The Wild. I wanted to go and see a horror movie, but there is no way I am going to endure that.
So - we'll see. I guess staying home and watching The Memoirs of a Geisha which I didn't see when it was in the cinemas will be it. I wish I had read the book, but I guess if I had, it would make me wish I hadn't seen the film.
Oh, which also means more time spent with my book (The Unbearable Lightness Of Being - which has been on my reading list for sooo long now. Since I first heard of the author back in - what was it, '97? -anyway, nearly ten years ago, I wanted to read that book and somehow never got round to doing it, but I saw it in the library yesterday and just had to take it out. Strangely, to read on the receipt that I have to hand it in "by no later than 27-09-06" made me feel all teary-eyed again. I won't even be here then, I won't even have my library card... Ah, well.
Hugs to all.
Concert Reminiscence and Lab Reports
Tuesday, February 21st, 2006 10:55 amThe concert on Saturday was really a highlight!
It was also sold out, so I had been a little anxious about getting a seat at all. Well, that was no problem, I was the first one there. I got a great seat, but somehow I was too shy to take pictures, I wasn't too sure whether it was inappropriate or not, so in the end I only took three pictures. Shame, orchestras are so pretty! I felt so much like a proud Mum at a school concert I somehow didn't want to act it, too. It was all I could do not to give Crocky a little wave when I saw her.
The Kelvin Ensamble are very good, as I said, and the pieces they had selected were awesome.
Well, Tchaikovsky generally is. They played his fifth, which is, in want of impressive technical jargon, absolutely beautiful (although I felt somehow around the middle that yes, thank you, Tchaik, we know your favourite theme. You can stop repeating it over and over again now).
The other piece they did was the Grieg piano concerto... Hm. It's embarrassing to admit it and speaks volumes about my musical understanding, but somehow, the piano part annoyed me. Sometimes, I couldn't help feeling that I would have liked some parts more without the piano.
And I love pianos! Ignore me. I am ignorant. Why am I rambling on about the pieces? I have nothing intelligent to say about them, anyway. So.
The pianist was really perfect, though, and it was one of the few instances where the soloist actually played WITH the orchestra and listened to what they were doing. That was really impressive and I wouldn't have expeted it of such an orchestra. But then, they are just sooo good.
Somehow, such occasions always make me sad for not having learnt to play an instrument. Even my hated recorder would be at least something, and the Cellos made me especially wistful (say what? What is that word doing there? Bah, thanks, Charlotte Bronte. Assimilation can suck, too). I want to learn how to play Cello!
... Well, no. Actually, I want to wake up one morning, spontaneously being able to play Cello, without the painstaking process involving all thsoe wrong notes and strange, catty sounds.
I guess anything would be better than being condemned to be in the brass section.
Tehehe. Not that I don't love and adore trombones (better had), but the sight of the three of them sitting there was really funny at times. All the orchestra busy, fiddlesticks flourishing, the conductor ready to take off, his arms flailing, face contorted in the extasy of conducting great music... and three trombones sitting at the back, immobile, all dressed up with nowhere to go, looking supremely bored.
Well, actually, they were counting.
45 bars later, what a surprise! The first and third trombone, the only ones who are actually reliable at counting, lift up their instruments, waking up the second trombone - suddenly they all actually seem to be getting ready to play something - AND - one note. How exciting.
The second trombone, by the way, is only second trombone because he does not have a plug, apparently. He never comes to rehearsals, when he comes, he's drunk - and even at the concert he looked ready to slide of the chair and fall asleep there and then.
Pause. 80 bars. Three notes.
90 bars. Thrilling. Poor Crocky. But she was really good. Well, she always is, so no news.
On Sunday I've just been doing some severe spring cleaning, but that was fun. It meant that I could put off doing some actual work, like this sodding lab report. And now, it's editing. Revising. Lab Reports suck. The Working Memory sucks. Things entitled "The retention of three randomised consonants over 5 different periods of time with a diversionary subtraction task" suck.
It's absolutely great weather outside. Absolutely beautiful. The sky is blue, I have even seen a finch around, the flowers are opening, I bet the countryside is absolutely beautiful... and I have to be here until four. I want a train ticket, free time, Crocky, my camera, my trainers, and some lonely, rolling hills. Sigh. Back to retention.
It was also sold out, so I had been a little anxious about getting a seat at all. Well, that was no problem, I was the first one there. I got a great seat, but somehow I was too shy to take pictures, I wasn't too sure whether it was inappropriate or not, so in the end I only took three pictures. Shame, orchestras are so pretty! I felt so much like a proud Mum at a school concert I somehow didn't want to act it, too. It was all I could do not to give Crocky a little wave when I saw her.
The Kelvin Ensamble are very good, as I said, and the pieces they had selected were awesome.
Well, Tchaikovsky generally is. They played his fifth, which is, in want of impressive technical jargon, absolutely beautiful (although I felt somehow around the middle that yes, thank you, Tchaik, we know your favourite theme. You can stop repeating it over and over again now).
The other piece they did was the Grieg piano concerto... Hm. It's embarrassing to admit it and speaks volumes about my musical understanding, but somehow, the piano part annoyed me. Sometimes, I couldn't help feeling that I would have liked some parts more without the piano.
And I love pianos! Ignore me. I am ignorant. Why am I rambling on about the pieces? I have nothing intelligent to say about them, anyway. So.
The pianist was really perfect, though, and it was one of the few instances where the soloist actually played WITH the orchestra and listened to what they were doing. That was really impressive and I wouldn't have expeted it of such an orchestra. But then, they are just sooo good.
Somehow, such occasions always make me sad for not having learnt to play an instrument. Even my hated recorder would be at least something, and the Cellos made me especially wistful (say what? What is that word doing there? Bah, thanks, Charlotte Bronte. Assimilation can suck, too). I want to learn how to play Cello!
... Well, no. Actually, I want to wake up one morning, spontaneously being able to play Cello, without the painstaking process involving all thsoe wrong notes and strange, catty sounds.
I guess anything would be better than being condemned to be in the brass section.
Tehehe. Not that I don't love and adore trombones (better had), but the sight of the three of them sitting there was really funny at times. All the orchestra busy, fiddlesticks flourishing, the conductor ready to take off, his arms flailing, face contorted in the extasy of conducting great music... and three trombones sitting at the back, immobile, all dressed up with nowhere to go, looking supremely bored.
Well, actually, they were counting.
45 bars later, what a surprise! The first and third trombone, the only ones who are actually reliable at counting, lift up their instruments, waking up the second trombone - suddenly they all actually seem to be getting ready to play something - AND - one note. How exciting.
The second trombone, by the way, is only second trombone because he does not have a plug, apparently. He never comes to rehearsals, when he comes, he's drunk - and even at the concert he looked ready to slide of the chair and fall asleep there and then.
Pause. 80 bars. Three notes.
90 bars. Thrilling. Poor Crocky. But she was really good. Well, she always is, so no news.
On Sunday I've just been doing some severe spring cleaning, but that was fun. It meant that I could put off doing some actual work, like this sodding lab report. And now, it's editing. Revising. Lab Reports suck. The Working Memory sucks. Things entitled "The retention of three randomised consonants over 5 different periods of time with a diversionary subtraction task" suck.
It's absolutely great weather outside. Absolutely beautiful. The sky is blue, I have even seen a finch around, the flowers are opening, I bet the countryside is absolutely beautiful... and I have to be here until four. I want a train ticket, free time, Crocky, my camera, my trainers, and some lonely, rolling hills. Sigh. Back to retention.
