Advancing on “Retreat”

 The Light shineth in the Darkness, and Nuts to the Darkness!

Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions)

Fantasy Football? My football fantasy is that those guys get a real college education and don’t play football at all.

— Paula Poundstone

Somehow, flush with pleasure over Dark Side of the Dance Floor, I am thinking now of the orphaned Opus 199.

When I wrote this for Julian, he was on the faculty of Jacksonville Univ, but Florida vying with Texas to see which state is in a greater rush to embrace MAGA Whackjobbery, the University heads having hollowed out the school’s intellectual and cultural capital, Julian left that position and sought employment elsewhere. He's now working with less experienced singers so that Retreat is not a realistic ask. It occurs to me today to try to find another opportunity for the Première. I reached out to another former Triadian, and lo! a trombonist has just joined her choir, so there may be cause for optimism.

One fun note from Friday’s concert: One attendee who did speak kindly of the program as a whole, singled out Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used to Be as their favorite. Of course it would be flattering to hear someone speak of any piece of mine as a favorite. I am especially pleased if this one makes an impression.

I haven’t given up on trying to “break in” to the Binghamton Phil. I think my New Year’s Day project will be a chamber orchestra version of the Rahsaan Roland Kirk Fantasia. And you know, if they don’t like it, Chas Peltz may.

Greta won’t be available for the April King’s Chapel date, so we shall go on as a trio.

And, eleven years ago today:

All right: A Song of Remembrance, commissioned by the Framingham State University Chorus, for three-part mixed chorus (SAB) and piano, on texts from the Mass and from Walt Whitman (9'30) is finished. That's a wrap on the Opus 123.