Back at Last to the Opus 169

Grand Theft Typo

– Postcards From Red Squirrel Trail

You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
— Carly Simon, “You’re So Vain”

You know, I think Carly Simon really meant one eye on the mirror ....

I see that I last mentioned the Op. 169 last summer. At first I thought I would write four pieces, but happily I have more friends/colleagues to thank, so we are now looking at 9 pieces. Op. 169 № 1, Where bright angel feet have trod I wrote for Barbara Otto, my collaborator here at Holy Trinity United Methodist Church. Op. 169 № 2, While the dew is still on the roses is for my friend David Bohn in Wisconsin. I prepped the Sibelius file for Op. 169 № 3, Love is come again like wheat that springeth green (for my friend Carson Cooman) back in November, but I was a while deciding just how I wanted to set the piece in motion. The only musical decision (apart from the source hymn (a French carol) I baked into the piece then was a Gavotte-like start (on beat 2 alla breve)

I have at last begun composition in earnest, and tomorrow is wide open, too.

Yes, I blogged yesterday about The Heart, but I want to get Love is come again (and the flute/alto sax duet) wrapped up first, i.e. complete two smaller-scale pieces before rolling up the sleeves for a 12-minute symphonic movement.

Amon other things for which I have David Bohn to thank, is this recording of Remembering Jacquie Levy, which I submitted for his clavietta call, “20 Seconds of 2020.” Thanks, David! If, as I did not, you don’t know what a clavietta is: watch the video.