08 July 2020

Artisanal Forge


Dotterels have no sense whatever. They know in a vague sort of way that something happened in 1492 because something happens every year, but the details are all a blur. The Dotterel lets himself get caught by all kinds of people because he is too trusting. He walks right up to them in the belief that they want to take him on a visit to the Bok Bird Sanctuary. As a result of this habit, the Dotterel will soon be extinct and nobody will care much excepting the members of the Save the Dotterel Movement. Dotterels swallow grit and have pervious nostrils and something is wrong with their pineal glands. The Dotterel makes wigwag motions with his wings and legs but nobody knows what he means. Whatever it is, it is wrong.

— Will Cuppy, How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes

My latest review went up today: My proposed title was “All-Star Brass Venetian Carnival,” though I do not at all object to the published title (mine was only a suggestion, knowing that a title is sometimes a challenge to come up with.

CD review: “Gabrieli” showcases all-star brass

There may well already be collective nouns for the groups of the orchestra, but, well, a composer devises, so I felt that a smithy of brass players had a good, erm, ring. The pleasant surprise for me was, what a very good piece John Williams wrote for this endeavor.

I had composed the whole of the review before the video, below was brought to my attention. The remarks of these colleagues about how orchestral players inspired them, and how they hope their wonderful work here may inspire the next generation of great instrumentalists really hit home.

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