henningmusick: Still at work on the turkey (T-giving ’15)

henningmusick: Still at work on the turkey: I’ve told my buddy Jonathan of the Midtown Brass that I was working on a new arrangement for them (I don’t think I told him yet that this is the jazzed-up Wachet auf!).  And in the back of my mind was the thought, Do I continue work on that, now?  I am unsure I can get it done in time for it to be useful for their Christmas events (it’s a piece they will want to practice, and from here through year’s-end, chances are they do not have much practice time.

So, a little digging in ye olde blog, and lo! I learn that I started this in November of 2015.  So I ought instead to have considered how unsure I had been that I could get it done for Christmas, period.

I have resumed work today, and my sense is that I do not want to rush this at all.  Chip away, some work (not necessarily little work, but no great effort) each day . . . I think this will be the right way both to maintain a sensitivity to “old Bach,” and yet to show respect for the source-material also, in getting my irreverent jazz-ish arrangement just where I want it.

The November 2015 start to the score was, in fact, a scant 8 measures.  But, 8 mighty tasty measures, I still think.  Today the score runs to m.32, so a 300% gain;  and I am going to consider myself pleased with that degree of progress (I did toss out / recompose some of today’s material as part of The Work).  And in fact, I am entirely happy with these 32 measures.

More tomorrow.