Day 125:
CRANHAM
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him -- give my heart.
Give my heart.
(Christina Rossetti set by Gustav Holst)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Days to go: 876 -- Pieces to go: 9.75
Day 124:
PIE JESU
Pie Jesu, Domine;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.
Sempiternam requiem.
(Text set by Gabriel Faure)
PIE JESU
Pie Jesu, Domine;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.
Sempiternam requiem.
(Text set by Gabriel Faure)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Days to go: 877 -- Pieces to go: 9.75
Day 123: A poll conducted among INFOCUS magazine readers had established "waka" as the proper pronunciation for the angle-bracket characters <, though some readers held out resolutely for "norkies."
WAKA WAKA BANG SPLAT
<>!*"#
^"'$$-
!*=@$_
%*<>~#4
&[]../
|{,,SYSTEM HALTED
The poem can be appreciated only by reading it aloud, to wit:
Waka waka bang splat tick tick hash,
Caret quote back-tick dollar dollar dash,
Bang splat equal at dollar underscore,
Percent splat waka waka tilde number four,
Ampersand bracket bracket dot dot slash,
Vertical-bar curly-bracket comma comma CRASH.
(Fred Bremmer, Steve Kroese)
WAKA WAKA BANG SPLAT
<>!*"#
^"'$$-
!*=@$_
%*<>~#4
&[]../
|{,,SYSTEM HALTED
The poem can be appreciated only by reading it aloud, to wit:
Waka waka bang splat tick tick hash,
Caret quote back-tick dollar dollar dash,
Bang splat equal at dollar underscore,
Percent splat waka waka tilde number four,
Ampersand bracket bracket dot dot slash,
Vertical-bar curly-bracket comma comma CRASH.
(Fred Bremmer, Steve Kroese)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Days to go: 878 -- Pieces to go: 9.75
Day 122: A delightful day at Donn Zver's in Troy today enjoying some comfort food with friends. Cinnamon salmon -- what a treat! Sharing one piece of birthday cake three ways seems just about right.
No practicing done today. Tomorrow will be very busy: get up VERY early, work on the online course, pick up an appetizer, go to St. Leo's, prep and play, go out for brunch at the Fish & Chip place with the family. Wonder who will be there?
Go to Jim's to trim the tree (put the appetizer together), enjoy some of Jim's famous Oven Stew for dinner, visit with friends and relatives I haven't seen for a while, work on the course some more (just more frantically), post a poem on the blog, work on the course some more...
Maybe I can come up with some kind of computer poem tomorrow.
No practicing done today. Tomorrow will be very busy: get up VERY early, work on the online course, pick up an appetizer, go to St. Leo's, prep and play, go out for brunch at the Fish & Chip place with the family. Wonder who will be there?
Go to Jim's to trim the tree (put the appetizer together), enjoy some of Jim's famous Oven Stew for dinner, visit with friends and relatives I haven't seen for a while, work on the course some more (just more frantically), post a poem on the blog, work on the course some more...
Maybe I can come up with some kind of computer poem tomorrow.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Days to go: 879 -- Pieces to go: 9.75
Day 121: This morning after seeing my nurse and printing off my course materials, I had a decision to make. Shall I work on my next course assignment or go see "Megamind"? Two equally-weighted options, in my opinion!
Well, using an unusual form of avoidance to avoid doing my coursework, I stopped off at St. Patrick's to practice. I relearned Variation VIII and played everything I knew twice. Eight variations still to learn. There was a man hidden in the shadows (very dark in the church; no overhead lights were on).
Not realizing there was anyone in the church I registered the Bach appropriately and let 'er rip! When I finished, he spoke out and thanked me for playing the beautiful music. I had trouble trying to figure out where he was sitting and it took some squinting around in the dark to find him. Creepy.
The upside: Mary Lou, Elaine, Helene and a woman I don't know were in the kitchen making sandwiches for the Bazaar tomorrow. I've been wondering about the secret of Helene's egg salad sandwiches for years. I told her I thought it was curry. Apparently not -- it is green onion. She insisted I have one, and I munched my way back to the Sanctuary.
I think I will ask my nephew to go with me to see "Megamind," and as for online course work -- byte me!
Well, using an unusual form of avoidance to avoid doing my coursework, I stopped off at St. Patrick's to practice. I relearned Variation VIII and played everything I knew twice. Eight variations still to learn. There was a man hidden in the shadows (very dark in the church; no overhead lights were on).
Not realizing there was anyone in the church I registered the Bach appropriately and let 'er rip! When I finished, he spoke out and thanked me for playing the beautiful music. I had trouble trying to figure out where he was sitting and it took some squinting around in the dark to find him. Creepy.
The upside: Mary Lou, Elaine, Helene and a woman I don't know were in the kitchen making sandwiches for the Bazaar tomorrow. I've been wondering about the secret of Helene's egg salad sandwiches for years. I told her I thought it was curry. Apparently not -- it is green onion. She insisted I have one, and I munched my way back to the Sanctuary.
I think I will ask my nephew to go with me to see "Megamind," and as for online course work -- byte me!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Days to go: 880 -- Pieces: 9.75
Day 120: Well, finally! Down to "Pieces to go: 9.75"! On Sunday I played part of the Passacaglia as a recessional. It was a lovely service all around, because...
My new choir sang its first choir piece (separate from the congregation), a trumpet player sounded Last Post and Reveille, the Assembly fairly shouted "O Canada" and the "somber music" that Fr. Charles wanted as an organ recessional ended up being the first few variations of the Bach Passacaglia.
At breakfast at the Fish and Chip place after Mass, a choir member reported that the choir had received a compliment! One of the other diners said that "the choir sounded good today." I was really glad. We all can go very far on a little bit of encouragement.
I guess I should mention that I stacked the deck when it came to the hymns. "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" always are sung out well. I wonder how we'll do with this Sunday's "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"...
Oh, I almost forgot. The Passacaglia was perfect. More comfortable under my fingers than anything else I played all morning. Hooray for Dupre and his reps!!!
My new choir sang its first choir piece (separate from the congregation), a trumpet player sounded Last Post and Reveille, the Assembly fairly shouted "O Canada" and the "somber music" that Fr. Charles wanted as an organ recessional ended up being the first few variations of the Bach Passacaglia.
At breakfast at the Fish and Chip place after Mass, a choir member reported that the choir had received a compliment! One of the other diners said that "the choir sounded good today." I was really glad. We all can go very far on a little bit of encouragement.
I guess I should mention that I stacked the deck when it came to the hymns. "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" always are sung out well. I wonder how we'll do with this Sunday's "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"...
Oh, I almost forgot. The Passacaglia was perfect. More comfortable under my fingers than anything else I played all morning. Hooray for Dupre and his reps!!!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Days to go: 881 -- Pieces to go: 10
Day 119:
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
(Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD)
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
(Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD)
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