Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[Cato]

With the interpolated ballet, Dance of the Chips! We wants it!

That would be AWESOME! 

[Luke]

It seems to be the day for getting replies to emails - Gavin Bryars and Daniel Grimley replied last week, but today I've heard first from Daniel Jaffe and, just now, a really touching email from Judith Weir.     

[Karl Henning]

It seems to be the day for getting replies to emails - Gavin Bryars and Daniel Grimley replied last week, but today I've heard first from Daniel Jaffe and, just now, a really touching email from Judith Weir.     

Splendid!

[Karl Henning]

In case this may be of interest:

Greetings, composers!

I wanted to let everyone know that my project for next year is launching today. In conjunction with Composer's Voice and their "15 Minutes of Fame" project, I am opening a call entitled "Fifteen Minutes of Meditation and Contemplation", looking for one-minute compositions for the taishogoto, an instrument invented in Japan in the early 20th century. The full details of the call can be found here:

http://www.musicavatar.org/categories/Fifteen-Minutes-of-Meditation-and-Contemplation-Featuring-David-Bohn/index.html

In conjunction with this, I have made a video describing and demonstrating the taishogoto, which can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVeCEKGN9KU

~ David Bohn

[Luke]

Slowly trying to work my way through acquiring permission to quote all sorts of things for the book, and also to reproduce some pictures. It's a HUGE job, and forcing me to rewrite certain bits, when the cost of quoting 20 words seems extortionate and avoidable. But find other ways of saying things isn't necessarily a bad thing.

More to the point, the process has seen me get in an email exchange with Lewis Foreman, the writer of all sorts of cool things including the great Bax biography.

[Luke]

Great, very helpful and very encouraging response to my book from Daniel Grimley today. Really touched to receive it.

[Luke]

Still in the stressful process of applying for permissions to use quotations in my book, I wrote to the conductor Christoph Schlüren, who had written some words on Foulds' April-England i want to quote. He replied not only with permission but also with digital copies of the scores to the piece in both piano and orchestral versions (I had the former but not the latter) and with an offer to read the whole manuscript through for me.

People are so kind!

[Karl Henning]

Still in the stressful process of applying for permissions to use quotations in my book, I wrote to the conductor Christoph Schlüren, who had written some words on Foulds' April-England i want to quote. He replied not only with permission but also with digital copies of the scores to the piece in both piano and orchestral versions (I had the former but not the latter) and with an offer to read the whole manuscript through for me.

People are so kind!

Superb!

[Cato]

Still in the stressful process of applying for permissions to use quotations in my book, I wrote to the conductor Christoph Schlüren, who had written some words on Foulds' April-England i want to quote. He replied not only with permission but also with digital copies of the scores to the piece in both piano and orchestral versions (I had the former but not the latter) and with an offer to read the whole manuscript through for me.

People are so kind!

Excellent News!

Here is the work:

[Cato]

Still in the stressful process of applying for permissions to use quotations in my book, I wrote to the conductor Christoph Schlüren, who had written some words on Foulds' April-England i want to quote. He replied not only with permission but also with digital copies of the scores to the piece in both piano and orchestral versions (I had the former but not the latter) and with an offer to read the whole manuscript through for me.

People are so kind!

Greetings LUKE!

I am simply hoping for an update on your activities!

[Karl Henning]

As am I!

[Luke]

Greetings LUKE!

I am simply hoping for an update on your activities!

Oh, same as before. Deadline to get the completed manuscript to him, all permissions granted, is September. Sorry I've been away for a bit. The end of term was ridiculously hectic.

[Cato]

Oh, same as before. Deadline to get the completed manuscript to him, all permissions granted, is September. Sorry I've been away for a bit. The end of term was ridiculously hectic.

Many thanks for the news! 

I remember the ends of school years: I usually needed a a day or two of the vacation to take care of my classroom, especially if my (schmuck of a) principal scheduled meetings for us right after the kids were gone on their vacations!

Best Wishes on the book!  If you have any composition news, that would be very welcome!  😇

[Cato]

LUKE!

I see that you have visited today!

Please give us an update of some sort!   

Best Wishes!

"Cato"

[Luke]

Please give us an update of some sort! 

Yes, I'm sorry, I've been rather absent for a while. My wife has not been well and looking after has taken me away from my usual online time.

Yesterday I was, however, finally  able to get the final draft of my book off to my editor, who hasn't seen anything of the revisions I have been making to it in the last months; tonight he replied with an email beginning:

Absolutely beautiful, Luke:

What a stunning piece of work. It was so before, when I saw it in the rough; it's even more so now.

Getting down to technicalities, you have taken such pains over the text that I don't think it needs copy editing and so I have immediately laid it out on the page and started the typesetting—really as an exercise for myself, but also to give to you as an early gift.

What I am especially delighted by is that what I thought would be a problem—your insistence on Roman and italic for the two narratives—turns out not to be a problem at all. Normally, I simply refuse to oscillate between fonts; young writers love it and I find it modish and juvenile when the job of different voices is given to the typeface instead of the writing—but in your case I completely see the logic...

[some technical issues]

Anyway, I think it's looking terrific and can't wait to typeset the rest of it. Well done. I think we'll try for April publication—but don't hold me to it.

...which is all very pleasing and confidence-boosting.

[Karl Henning]

Best wishes to you and ta femme! Good to hear the publisher news!

[Cato]

Yes, I'm sorry, I've been rather absent for a while. My wife has not been well and looking after has taken me away from my usual online time.

Yesterday I was, however, finally  able to get the final draft of my book off to my editor, who hasn't seen anything of the revisions I have been making to it in the last months; tonight he replied with an email beginning:

...which is all very pleasing and confidence-boosting.

Thank you for responding!

And the above - except for your wife not being in the best health - is excellent news!

[Luke]

Spotted on the Guardian's minute-by-minute updates on the ongoing Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Spurs:

Carter is robbed by Bizet, who moves into the area but can't decide whether to shoot or try to find Thomas.

Elliott, Georges and Ambroise, I assume.

[Guido]

I rarely visit GMG these days - maybe once a year, chiefly to check if Luke is back! And oh boy was I rewarded this year. Was so delighted to read of the last 8 months of progress on this book of yours (and very intrigued by your "Essays and diversions" style book too! )

I can't wait to read both!

I'm just over the moon that you have done something so significant, and even managed to put together a few notes on the page too.

[Luke]

Wow, wonderful to see you Guido! That's made my day (checks clock and sees that we're only ten minutes into the day, but you know what I mean!).

I've not been here much myself for the last few months, things have been bad with Philippa's health and with the care she needs I've not really had time for much online activity. But she'll get better, which is the main thing, and then I will be about more again. I hope you return.