October 29 - Arrangements in Colors

The weather report has suggested early snow, and it is looking to be the case,

building up enough in the stroll to breakfast and

back,

that an early departure to Swarthmore seems appropriate, over

Baltimore Pike, the

Media

By-Pass, and the Blue Route

to

set up and

practice the

percussion again

and

prepare

for

the

afternoon

lecture-

demonstration.

At the appointed hour (or thereabouts) -- with Debby How and Jerry Levinson --

composition students and others gather, with

Elizabeth Hoffman and I sequentially holding forth, re music for two violins, Irish pipes, and electronics; plus allusions to Psalm 6 and Suite ("Sol[ar]") and performances of The Twelve Fingers: I (live), San Fernando Hub: I (featuring audience participation), and Camino Real: Block 9 (the video produced over the summer), as the wind blows and the

snow continues to fall.

More practice thereafter (a bit of Eastern cabin fever setting in, but beats walking across campus in the snow for dinner), including one with Debby and Tom for The Inner Circles, and another for Peter Schikele's canons Dona Nobis Pacem and Swing, Swing, Swing.

At last the concert,

with

all

going

impressively

well --

warm comments all around, and particular congrats to Debby for putting all together, this the second annual event.  Many express interest in next year: in particular, thinking of excerpts from Ecclesiastes, Op. 3... keeping this sequential numbering conceit... perhaps 199+ concerts over as many years?  No doubt, we shall not see or hear, but an amusing idea. 

Great to take in the concert with Tom, Lisa, Bette, and George -- wrapping up the evening with a lovely reception

and an adventurous drive back (comparing merits of Baltimore vs Blue 'n' By-Pass)

to

warm-in-the-cold

accomodations.

October 28 - Local Color

Awake to a gentle world of

russets and golds,

heading off to breakfast,

via the

art studio,

with Bette and

George,

then

farther

afield towards

Swarthmore

College and

Lang

Music

Building,

setting up the Concert Hall with percussion,

going over

parts upstairs

in a

practice room,

and

rendezvousing with Tom Whitman and Debby How in a rehearsal of

The Inner Circles (Op. 199) for Cello, Piano, and Percussion -- a selective reworking of Suite ("Sol[ar]"), Op. 2.

Afterwards,

meet up

with

George again for a stroll through the Woods to Aligator Rock,

doubling back through the

Amphitheatre

and

thence around

once more

to the

Music Building.

From here, swing by the old homestead,

then pick up cheesesteaks and hoagies at Anna's,

near the Georgian

Point of Origin.

After the repast,

back out, through Philadelphia and over the Ben Franklin Bridge to spend time with

Don and

Urs and friends, over cigars and the new hot tub.

Return through the City late.