Henning's Headquarters

[Cato]

I sent the following to Karl earlier: no time right now, but I hope to add some more comments later.

What struck me especially, upon first reading the opening half of the score, was the unifying nature of the motifs introduced in the opening bars (e.g. the organ's 8th-notes at bar 10 ff.), and the occasionally archaizing, e.g. the touch of ending phrases with the open fifth.  In fact, when I saw today the way you used that 8th-note motif from the organ throughout, e.g. sped up to bring excitement and joyousness, I thought it was most striking!

The mysterious atmosphere evoked by the organ at e.g. 44 ff. and also at bar 276 ff. is most excellent, a symbol of the  arcanum of Divinity.

And then I really liked the organ's insistence on a key of F at bar 548​ (presaged back at bar 98-102 I believe)​: it seemed like the organ was saying to the others: "Wander if you must, but there is a fundament in the Universe,​ at least now and then!"

Most excellent of all is the use of the instruments as a subtle Greek chorus, commenting on the action in the text, elucidating it, or agreeing with its inexplicable mystery.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, Cato!

I printed hard copy of the old edition of the Op.80 (God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen), and used the old-fashioned pencil method to finish scheming the timpanist's participation . . . with a little luck, I might wrap that up tonight.

I've also printed out hard copy of the Op.60 (I Look From Afar), thinking that it might be a bit quicker than flipping between two windows on the computer screen . . . .

So . . . ought to have even that last ready to send to Katie in time for their 1 June meeting.

And, I have finally let Google do the work!  We're talking about the South Coast Community Chorale in Fall River.

Well, another excuse to hang out in Fall River . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Here they are.

[kishnevi]

just beware of someone with an axe to grind.

[Karl Henning]

Indeed!

[Karl Henning]

Olivia (director of the Reinhardt Univ Perc Ensemble) has My Island Home slated for a fall concert.

Tuesday, 11 November!

Plans to head southward are now brewing.

[Karl Henning]

Christmas in May!  God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!

[Karl Henning]

Much less work than Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song, and possibly less work overall even than God Rest Ye Merry . . . here's the start I made last night on I Look From Afar.  I've already sent the Opp. 67 & 80 to Our Man at the SCCC;  and I have advised that I shall be able to send the Op. 60 first thing Saturday . . . and the good news is, that's okay.

Of course, nothing is certain;  but they shall have these three scores (and, eek, sound-files) to consider when they have their board meeting on 1 June.

There is a sort of nervous impetuosity to this setting of I Look From Afar, with which I am still finding myself very much in musical sympathy.

[Karl Henning]

20 pages (of the source score) down, 21 to go:

[TheGSMoeller]

Tuesday, 11 November!

Plans to head southward are now brewing.

Very cool, Karl.

Christmas in May!  God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!

This is really good. I love the Interlude III/Variation, such vigor leading into it too.  Would love to hear the combination of Choir, Organ and Brass in a nice hall. May I make a request for the next Christmas tune transcription? 

[Karl Henning]

I don't know when there will be call for it; but, please: request on!  0:)

[Karl Henning]

I have the string trio version of Le tombeau de W.A.G.! Listening now.

Will be able to share this evening.

[Cato]

This (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) is really good. I love the Interlude III/Variation, such vigor leading into it too.  Would love to hear the combination of Choir, Organ and Brass in a nice hall. May I make a request for the next Christmas tune transcription? 

Amen Amen!!!   0:)

[Karl Henning]

I think she's done;  one more look-through before I send it in.

[TheGSMoeller]

I think she's done;  one more look-through before I send it in.

Them some juicy brass parts, Karl, it looks intriguing.   

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!  The text is perhaps best known in an exquisite Palestrina choral setting.  When I showed this setting to my friend Mark Engelhardt, it shocked him beyond the capacity for words 

[Karl Henning]

Re-post & refresh (and high time, too):

Fancy on Psalm 80 from the Scottish Psalter, Op.34 № 3, performed by Carson Cooman, on YouTube.

Journey to the Dayspring, Op.40 on YouTube

Counting Sheep (or, The Dreamy Abacus of Don Quijote), Op.58a for Pierrot-plus ensemble [ score, part I ].

Counting Sheep (or, The Dreamy Abacus of Don Quijote), Op.58a for Pierrot-plus ensemble [ score, part II ].

I Look From Afar, Op.60 for choir, brass quintet, organ & optional timpani

Blue Shamrock, Op.63 for clarinet unaccompanied, at Amazon.

Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song, Op.67 for choir, brass quintet, organ & optional timpani 1^st half | 2^nd half

Timbrel and Dance, Op.73 [ St Paul's choir plus ].

Scene 2 from White Nights, Op.75 № 3

Scene 3a from White Nights, Op.75 № 4

Intermezzo I from White Nights, Op.75 № 6, arr. for saxophone choir

26 February De profundis, Op.78 [ Jaya Lakshminarayan & friends ]

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Op.80 carol for choir, brass quintet, organ & timpani

Moonrise, Op.84 for brass quintet. And MIDI

Moonrise, Op.84a for flute choir in six parts. And MIDI

15 March Passion rehearsal A [ Sine Nomine ]

15 March Passion rehearsal B [ Sine Nomine ]

15 March Passion rehearsal C [ Sine Nomine ]

Conclusion of the 19 Mar 2010 performance by Sine Nomine of the St John Passion, Op.92:

http://www.youtube.com/v/8netMuAHFkI

12 May recital [ k a rl h e nn i ng Ensemble (Bloom/Henning/Cienniwa) ]

18 May recital [ Bloom/Henning ]

23 May pre-concert rehearsal [ Sine Nomine ]

22 June recital [ N. Chamberlain/B. Chamberlain/Henning ]

Score of The Wind, the Sky, & the Wheeling Stars, Part I

Score of The Wind, the Sky, & the Wheeling Stars, Part II

Love is the spirit of this church, Op.85 № 3

Nicodemus brings myrrh and aloes for the burial of the Christ, Op.85 № 4 for cello & piano | Recording on SoundCloud

For God so loved the world, after Op.87 № 9 {Would you like the Doxology with that?} Yes | No | Recording on SoundCloud

The Passion According to St John, Op.92 (on MediaFire, courtesy of Johan)

Lutosawski's Lullaby, Op.96a № 1 (string quartet)

Marginalia, Op.96a № 2 (string quartet)

Après-lullaby, Op.96a № 3 (string quartet)

Score of Fair Warning [Viola Sonata, mvt 1]

MIDI of Fair Warning [Viola Sonata, mvt 1]

Score of Suspension Bridge (In Daves Shed) [Viola Sonata, mvt 2]

MIDI of Suspension Bridge (In Daves Shed) [Viola Sonata, mvt 2]

Score of Tango in Boston (Dances with Shades) [Viola Sonata, mvt 3]

MIDI of Tango in Boston (Dances with Shades) [Viola Sonata, mvt 3]

Cato's analysis of the Viola Sonata

Johan's MediaFire folder, including the whole of Dana's première performance of the Viola Sonata

Angular Whimsies, Op.100a (bass clarinet, percussion [two players] & piano)

Whimsy brevis, Op.100b (bass flute & piano)

http://www.youtube.com/v/OAp3w15ISl4

These Unlikely Events, Op.104 № 4

These Unlikely Events, Op.104 № 5

Kyrie, Op.106 № 1

Credo, Op.106 № 3

Brothers, If They Only Knew It, saxophone quartet (after Op.106 № 5)

Agnus Dei, Op.106 № 5

Organ Sonata, Op.108 :: Mvt 1, Eritis sicut Deus

Organ Sonata, Op.108 :: Mvt 2, . . . scientes bonum . . .

Organ Sonata, Op.108 :: Mvt 3, . . . et malum

In the Artist's Studio, work-in-progress

Thoreau in Concord Jail, Op.109 for clarinet solo

http://www.youtube.com/v/iDY7Dc41vL0

Airy Distillates, Op.110 for flute solo

Annabel Lee, Op.111 for vocal quartet

http://www.youtube.com/v/tN3aMOrzEb8

Misapprehension, Op.112 for clarinet choir

The Mystic Trumpeter, Op.113 № 1 for soprano & clarinet

Après-mystère, Op.113 № 2 for flute & clarinet And MIDI

just what everyone was expecting, Op.114 for clarinet & marimba

just what everyone was expecting, Op.114a for clarinet, mandocello & double bass

My Island Home, Op.115 for percussion ensemble

Plotting (y is the new x), Op.116 for violin & harpsichord

http://www.youtube.com/v/2vKGfppo0o8

Jazz for Nostalgic Squirrels, Op.117 (fl, cl in A, gtr & cb) [ and at Soundcloud ]

When the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy, Op.118 № 1 (shakuhachi, drum & handbell choir)

http://www.youtube.com/v/79tPHWpH3UI

Divinum mysterium, Op.118 № 2 (choir unison & handbells)

http://www.youtube.com/v/MPr7NhE2-Bs

Easter Stikheron, Op.118 № 3 (choir SATB & handbells)

Welcome, Happy Morning!, Op.118 № 4 (handbells)

My Lord, What a Morning, Op.118 № 5 (choir & handbells)

Hymtunes Moscow & Te Deum, Op.118 № 6 (handbells)

Musette, Op.118 № 7 (handbells)

Psalm 130, Op.118 № 8 [ I think ] (clarinet & bass voice) [work-in-progress]

The Crystalline Ship, Op.119 № 1 (mezzo-soprano & baritone saxophone)

I Saw People Walking Around Like Trees, Op.120 (flute, clarinet, double-bass & frame drum)

http://www.youtube.com/v/E0_-CTvtSS8

... illa existimans quia hortulanus esset ...., Op.121 (cello & piano) [work-in-progress]

Le tombeau de W.A.G., Op.122 (flute, clarinet, double-bass & frame drum)

8 Oct 2013 recital at King's Chapel

Henningmusick at ReverbNation.

Henningmusick at Instant Encore.

About an hour's worth of Henningmusick, too, at SoundCloud

The 9^th Ear at SoundCloud.

And: Maria appears on the evening news in DC.

[Karl Henning]

Be the first on your block!

http://www.youtube.com/v/AJzV-RxXiIk

[Karl Henning]

All right:  the Christmas music sprint done, I must needs now pay better attention to the clarinet, as we've a brace of 9^th Ear concerts coming this weekend.  For one thing, I had to learn Charles Turner's Tala Pieces, four artfully shaped one-pagers, each with a distinct (and winning) character, and (true to the title) each is governed by its own rhythmic pattern(s).  These were quite easy to learn, and the writing is perfectly idiomatic, and lies well under the fingers;  thus, I've pretty much learnt them over two days' rehearsal (I shall send Charles mp3s of this evening's run-through;  if anyone here may be interested, just give word.)

The elephant in the clarinet studio has been, Thoreau in Concord Jail.  The piece is not technically difficult (that was one of the points of the piece, back when I wrote it . . . it was a last-ish-minute Plan B for a King's Chapel date).  The challenge remains the fact that it's a 25-minute piece.  The two Action Points for me this week are:  I still remember that I rushed the piece, that initial performance at King's Chapel (a trim 19-minute outing – the Ozawa Version).  So Mission № 1 is, learn the piece, in the sense that I need to learn its proper pace (as the guy playing it, I mean) . . . I need to internalize the pace, so that in performance, with the anticipated adrenalin and "feeling" the audience, I can stay centered in the piece's own tempo.  True to the work's title, I must march to the beat of my own drummer.

(And I am keen to bounce it off the two fresh audiences.  The piece could break either way:  the listener could lose patience with the piece – "Nothing is happening! He's mad, mad, I tell you!" – or, enter into the spirit and flow of the event, as it is essentially a sort of "environment piece.")

Mission № 2 is, simply, stamina.  When I played the piece at King's Chapel, it was the entire program, and I had nothing else I needed to play.  Here, I shall already have played I see people walking about like trees, Charles's Tala Pieces, and Le tombeau de W.A.G. in the first half;  Thoreau opens the second half (so, a decent break at intermission);  and then a break, and the concert closes with How to Tell, which is itself a long, challenging blow.  So, these coming three evenings, I need just to play until my chops cannot take any more.  Thursday evening is choir rehearsal, so largely a break (though I told Charles I would play his Tala Pieces for him, which will be light enough duty, that Thursday will still feel like a day's rest for the clarinet).

Wish my embouchure luck!

[Karl Henning]

An unexpected bit of news (one result of casting so wide a net):  Dylan Chmura-Moore, whom as a trombone student at N.E.C. I hired to play for the instrumental bits strewn through the Evening Service in D, writes to say that the tuba player he was counting on won't be returning to the Academy this summer;  but that he is still hopeful of arranging a reading of Le tombeau de W.A.G. sometime ere long.