Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

At an early-ish point in the process, I half-wondered if I might be spoiling an excellent, streamlined piece. But I soon set that nagging down to an echo of (rightly) discarding my first attempt in the opening statement. The fact is, I love the "fatter" sound. I don't believe I've muddied things. In a way, my gravest concern was that the clarinet solo (in m.263) which answers the flutes and which, when I first composed the piece in December, I presumed that Dan would play, well, I felt a pang that Todd was "taking that away" from Dan, which felt like shabby treatment. Since it's all pretty mad imitation, though, the easily obvious solution was adding an entrance for the bass clarinet. And I almost immediately decided that the bass clarinet and bassoon should play it in unison and thus we enjoy an entirely new color.

Don't try this at home, kids, but I seem to be playing this to destruction, and it is holding up.

[Karl Henning]

Nuts and Bolts of the Op. 197a

[Karl Henning]

So, say we have concerts at Redeemer in May and in the Library during the summer. With the understanding that we want to "brush up" music recently-ish performed, to keep it in our rep, as well as bring forward new pieces, what might the program look like?

Dark Side of the Dance Floor
Alan Westby's Quiet Girl  (revised version) 7:00
Down Along the Canal to Minerva Road 7:00
Pam Marshall's Carvoeiro Clifftop Walk (revised version) 7:00
Jazz for Nostalgic Squirrels 7:00
Dark Side of the Sun, Op. 193 (première) 8:30

Intermission

Snootful of Hooch 8:30
A Dance Floor for the Introverted, Op. 178 no. 2 (première) 6:00
Fantasia on a Theme by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Op. 197 (première) 8:00
Nostalgia Ain't What It Used to Be, Op. 191 2:00

It's an hour's program.

In fact, a bigger program than it needs to be. We'll strike Snootful, and revive it at a later date.

[Karl Henning]

By no means are things muddied!  The work occasionally reminds me of some of Honegger's jaunty chamber works, so you are in very good company!  😇

Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

[T]he simple fact that if I don't write my music, there ain't nobody else will.

The Catching of Breath and Reflection on a New Life