Great going, Peter. Hope it goes well--sounds like it definitely will.




I can't write much--have to go up any minute and take Jan to the post office so she can send some packages to the UK.

And I've been banished down here to the computer--she found Schubert guitar and violin too hard to take--wanted to continue listening to Sara Evans.   I suppose it's all what you're comfortable with.

But I just came back from a dress rehearsal for a concert I was drafted to help the bass section with, after one of the stalwart basses said he really couldn't count on his voice.   He says he has diabetes and it affects his voice. I've never heard of that connection before--has anybody else?

Anyway the leader of the group called me a week ago Friday and asked if I could step in. I thought sure Jan would veto it--I'm already in 5 concerts this month--(3 on the same day) and there's the SATB door-to-door caroling I lead every year--this year on 18 Dec. That's the day some real tenors could make it. I'm still a prisoner of tenors--without tenors, no quartet. But it looks like there will be 3 this year--which is great.

Not so great is the food situation.   Jan will be in the UK herself--first time for Christmas since 1998--and she's desperate to see an 8 year old and 6 year old on Christmas Day. She's convinced it's the last time they will believe in Father Christmas--and I'm sure she's right.

But she usually cooks up a storm here for the caroling. This year, I hope to make do with contributions from carolers--and a big lasagna and salad I've just heard I can buy.   Good thing. I ain't no cook, and I don't think I should experiment on my singers.

Well anyway the concert is tomorrow and it's entirely Renaissance, Baroque and a bit of classical. Which is why I'm doing it--I just love Renaissance, in particular.   I sure had a chance to stretch sight-reading muscles last Friday when I saw the music for the first time.   And I only had a chance to plunk out a few notes last night at the piano--and finished doing that this morning since I got there a bit early and they had a piano.

You really have to know the tonality all the time--here he's in D minor, here in G major, etc.   And to watch the meter carefully--it changes. And to know if the half note has the beat or the quarter note does etc. And is the conductor directing in 2 or 4 or 1 etc? And who should you be able to get your note from, the tenors, the first basses (I'm a second bass for this concert)?

It's going to be a bit of a white knuckle affair.

Thank goodness I managed to get to the rehearsal at all--I have a wretched sense of direction.   And he said it was in a historic church--
Washington was a parishioner--or was it George Mason?--in right in back of the modern church. The director said there was an easily visible steeple.   Not really--I didn't even see one.   But it's called The Falls Church--and there was a sign saying that.



And on the way home I was listening to some old tapes--heard Ian Wallace on "My Music" sing "Westering Home".   He's one who needs to be on the "Singers Who Really Can Sing" thread.   And turned off the Beltway to go through some wooded areas with a fresh coat of very wet snow.

More later, I hope.