Oi, what a month!
I'm glad November is over. Very much with the running back and forth for rehearsals, and concerts, and killing time between rehearsals and conerts, and going face-first off the sidewalk into a merge lane in the winter storm North Dakota was thoughtful enough to send our way.
I think I'll declare war on North Dakota because of their invasive weather patterns. Right after I have myself declared a Nation Within Canada. Wanna vist me? Better make sure your passport's up to date!
Ahem, yes. I'm back now.
So the final chorale concert was last Sunday. Just under half a house, I should say, which is a pity: most of the concert was very, very good. By the way, I'm now officially the Assistant Something-or-Other for the chorale. We'll see what that means in the long run, besides leading the bass section, potentially covering rehearsals when the conductor's away, and doing arrangements.
The final collegium concert was on Tuesday (the day of face-first off the sidewalk... the snow was so heavy I literally couldn't see where I was going). It felt crappy, but I've heard good things about it since. According to the program, I'm the Asssistant Director, which seems to mean playing harpsichord (and maintaining harpsichords) for singers who can't count. We'll see what that translates to next term, when the focus is going to be medieval-Renaissance, rather than Baroque. Get out the shawms! Yay!
The final theatre rehearsal of the term is coming up next week. No official title there, yet (sigh), but I managed to find a good whack of music to cover scene changes. Music that also sets place and time, and now and then underscores what's happening on stage. Go me! Mostly folk-song stuff, with the original explicit words, but at least tuneful. The next step will be teaching the non-musicians all about it come January, and sorting out the instrumental bits. The real challenge will be convincing them NOT to sing like a good choir!
No romantic news, although there's certainly one that I see every week that I wouldn't mind getting to know much better. However, I've learned that particular lesson, and I'm not going there. Bad, bad idea.
Luckily, there's lots of snow to move. I've already shoveled off a foot of it, and there's another inch or so out there from the last two days to be removed. Since I've cancelled my plans to go mall-wandering today (wind chill of -29; I'll stay at home, thanks very much!), I suppose there's really nothing to stop me. I have rum, I can get smokes quickly and easily from my new convenience store (just out the back door and across the street, actually), and I made up a big pot of chili last night.
While I was out yesterday, paying bills and rent, I stopped into the downtown mall to get smokes, and decided to sit for a quick coffee. Yet another reminder of how the city is changing: far more Latino/Hispanic faces than anything else. It's becoming very possible to go places and not hear a word of English. (Okay, AND to lust after Latino men. Sue me.)
Hmmmm... my coffee cup is empty again. That's not a good sign.
I think I'll declare war on North Dakota because of their invasive weather patterns. Right after I have myself declared a Nation Within Canada. Wanna vist me? Better make sure your passport's up to date!
Ahem, yes. I'm back now.
So the final chorale concert was last Sunday. Just under half a house, I should say, which is a pity: most of the concert was very, very good. By the way, I'm now officially the Assistant Something-or-Other for the chorale. We'll see what that means in the long run, besides leading the bass section, potentially covering rehearsals when the conductor's away, and doing arrangements.
The final collegium concert was on Tuesday (the day of face-first off the sidewalk... the snow was so heavy I literally couldn't see where I was going). It felt crappy, but I've heard good things about it since. According to the program, I'm the Asssistant Director, which seems to mean playing harpsichord (and maintaining harpsichords) for singers who can't count. We'll see what that translates to next term, when the focus is going to be medieval-Renaissance, rather than Baroque. Get out the shawms! Yay!
The final theatre rehearsal of the term is coming up next week. No official title there, yet (sigh), but I managed to find a good whack of music to cover scene changes. Music that also sets place and time, and now and then underscores what's happening on stage. Go me! Mostly folk-song stuff, with the original explicit words, but at least tuneful. The next step will be teaching the non-musicians all about it come January, and sorting out the instrumental bits. The real challenge will be convincing them NOT to sing like a good choir!
No romantic news, although there's certainly one that I see every week that I wouldn't mind getting to know much better. However, I've learned that particular lesson, and I'm not going there. Bad, bad idea.
Luckily, there's lots of snow to move. I've already shoveled off a foot of it, and there's another inch or so out there from the last two days to be removed. Since I've cancelled my plans to go mall-wandering today (wind chill of -29; I'll stay at home, thanks very much!), I suppose there's really nothing to stop me. I have rum, I can get smokes quickly and easily from my new convenience store (just out the back door and across the street, actually), and I made up a big pot of chili last night.
While I was out yesterday, paying bills and rent, I stopped into the downtown mall to get smokes, and decided to sit for a quick coffee. Yet another reminder of how the city is changing: far more Latino/Hispanic faces than anything else. It's becoming very possible to go places and not hear a word of English. (Okay, AND to lust after Latino men. Sue me.)
Hmmmm... my coffee cup is empty again. That's not a good sign.