Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

Well, I've invited the gentleman who was director of the Wooster Chorus during my time there, to our Triad concert this Monday.  Wonder if he will come?  He certainly knows the venue!

[Karl Henning]

The Triad concert is listed at the Boston Musical Intelligencer, but I am doubtful that they will send any reviewer to cover the event.

[Karl Henning]

It's official: No Mousetrap in June.  I had better get the Studies in shape.  (The violist likes the Mousetrap;  just a question of prep time.)

[Karl Henning]

Okay . . . an auld virtual acquaintance not forgot, organist David Bohn, has asked for a one-minute piece.  It's a project dubbed Fifteen Minutes of Fame, and the call is for scores of 60 seconds in length, and the idea is 15 of the submissions are selected, and will be performed (in David's present case, in November of this year).  David wrote to me about the call months ago, and I've rarely forgotten about it;  but knowing that the deadline was not until 1 June, I worked on other things, reckoning that I would see to this matter in May.  So my challenge to myself is, ten seconds of music each day, and the piece (obviously) done in a week's time.

So, here they are:  the first few measures (and yielding ten seconds of duration) of the piece:

[Karl Henning]

I was ready to get my day's 10 seconds in yesterday . . . and the girls dragged me off on a day-trip to New Hampshire.  Which was only wonderful, of course;  made me realize that it has been years (perhaps even more than a decade) since I've set foot in The Granite State, which is an absurd state of affairs.  (Well, there was the eight years when I was indentured at the museum gift shop, that has an impact on one's discretionary free time.)

Writing 20 seconds today, to make up for yesterday's shortfall, should not be onerous . . . I did turn some ideas around, in my mind yesterday . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Yesterday

[North Star]

Yesterday

Looks much the same as it does around here. 

[Karl Henning]

On Friday, I chanced on a very old score of my own (last century, Op.44) . . . decided it was time to do up the Sibelius file for it, have it ready for the publisher . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Also, this weekend I've at last taken the viola-&-string-orchestra version of the Canzona & Gigue, and "backed it into" a va/org version.  So the time has not merely been a matter of apparent delay on the brief organ piece . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Presently will attire me for the Triad concert.

[Karl Henning]

The concert went splendidly, and we had quite a crowd; at least 50 in the audience, I should say. We had it professionally recorded, both audio and video. Two of the non-Triad composers whose work we sang were in the audience;  it was the first I met Kevin Siegfried, who was warmly gracious in thanking us for our performance of his Three Horizons.  It was my privilege to launch the proceedings: the concert began with Sarah Riskind's Hariyu, which it was my choice to conduct. We managed even to add a little detail in yesterday's performance which we had never rehearsed in real time, but had only spoken of after the last rehearsal: a couple of passages which are marked mezzo-piano which, in our musical excitement, we were apt to just forte on through. They followed me, singing the piece the best we've ever done, and I could feel in the air that we won the audience over right away.

[Karl Henning]

Splendid to hear!  I am very happy for you, many congratulations.

Thanks!

My Agnus Dei went very well, and (again) the best we've sung it to date (which is the right performing arc).  After-concert buzz was gratifying.  One of the basses (the fellow with perfect pitch, who at more than one point in the concert kept us honest) asked if I had more pieces like the Agnus Dei;  and more than one "outsider" in the audience told me it was his or her favorite piece on the program.  David Harris trained us into a richly exquisite sound, and it showed to no better advantage in all the program than in my own piece here.

[North Star]

Good news indeed, Karl. So, when is the European tour?

[Karl Henning]

[Cato]

Good news indeed, Karl. So, when is the European tour?

Yes: and let's see if the local press gives you and the group any encouragement!

[Karl Henning]

I don't believe any of the local press were there (thought I had alerted the self-styled Boston Musical Intelligencer to the event).

BMInt did lately review the Cantata Singers concert (Sunday, 10 May).  As usual, the composers being dead (which to my mind makes the matter less newsworthy) appears to be the driver.

[Karl Henning]

The concert this Sunday on which the Libellas are singing Annabel Lee again is in the BMInt calendar, but neither the Quartet nor I am named.

[jochanaan]

...One of the basses (the fellow with perfect pitch, who at more than one point in the concert kept us honest)...

Basses with perfect pitch are good at that.  I've kept a few choirs honest myself.

[Karl Henning]

[Cato]

The concert this Sunday on which the Libellas are singing Annabel Lee again is in the BMInt calendar, but neither the Quartet nor I am named.

Well, you are sort of named: "...and living composers..."   0:)

Such a bias!  Such is our era's sentiments!