Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

Quick arrangement for my choir's rehearsal tomorrow, and for this Sunday's service.

[Karl Henning]

Reflecting today's work.

[Karl Henning]

Reflecting today's work.

Even apart from the dynamics I should add, I am wondering if mm.41-53 are quite "done";  but that is part of the process.

Scribbled three measures more on the bus ride this morning . . . I expect to "fill out my quota" over lunchtime.  With choir rehearsal tonight, I'm not sure I'll manage to update the Sibelius file;  but if not, tomorrow is another day . . . .

[Cato]

Even apart from the dynamics I should add, I am wondering if mm.41-53 are quite "done";  but that is part of the process.

Scribbled three measures more on the bus ride this morning . . . I expect to "fill out my quota" over lunchtime.  With choir rehearsal tonight, I'm not sure I'll manage to update the Sibelius file;  but if not, tomorrow is another day . . . .

The sonata so far strikes me as a great "wild man's dance"    ! And bars 28-40 are most excellent: love the piano part there!

[Karl Henning]

Well, I am so far running on hardly anything more musical than what I think would be a blast to play for an audience.  I hope that actual music may prove a collateral incident   

[Karl Henning]

Oh, Cato!  To answer one question, my thought is to keep the piano accompaniment toccata-ish in the first movement.  We shall see if I can maintain that;  if I can reserve "genuine pedaling" until movement ii., I should somehow like that.

[Cato]

Oh, Cato!  To answer one question, my thought is to keep the piano accompaniment toccata-ish in the first movement.  We shall see if I can maintain that;  if I can reserve "genuine pedaling" until movement ii., I should somehow like that.

Aha!  I thought the ghost of Prokofiev was in the air...or the ink!   0:)

[Karl Henning]

Mind you, in my arbitrary way I scrawled that I plan on a 12-minute first movement.  We shall see whether I can manage that or (wait . for . it . . .) if I have another think coming . . . .

[Karl Henning]

There was a meeting of three-fourths of 9^th Ear last night, basically to firm up the programs for 18 March at the Church of the Advent (at which we have, say, 20 minutes of a composite concert) and 19 March at the Nave Gallery (a/k/a Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, a full concert all our own).  Jim Dalton, Charles Turner, and yours truly attended last night.

18 March program to include (in part):

Dalton: new piece for clarinet and guitar
Turner: Suma Beach for soprano and shakuhachi
kh: just what everyone was expecting, as arranged for clarinet, mandocello & double-bass

19 March program to include (in part):

Dalton: new piece for clarinet and guitar
Dalton: songs for voice & guitar
Turner: Suma Beach for soprano and shakuhachi
Turner: KOAN, a miniature opera for two singers and chamber group

Henningmusick:
just what everyone was expecting, as arranged for clarinet, mandocello & double-bass
Things Like Bliss for clarinet, two guitars & double-bass
Three Things That Begin With 'C' for clarinet and horn

An idea that Charles has had, and which has been floated by Triad (but wants inking in), is having Triad sing some of our music on this Nave Gallery concert.  It would be Charles's O miei dolci animali and my own Agnus Dei, from the first Triad concert;  and Jim has two short pieces which would be easy for the group to learn.

There is a Triad Rep Committee meeting this Monday, so we may possibly have a firm answer then.

Oh!  Last year, I began writing Darkest Doings, the idea being (since Charles is engaging a violist and marimbist for his KOAN), it might be good to have two "operatic" pieces on the program, and give the hired hands more employment.  I left Darkest Doings in that just-begun state, pending (well) this meeting, because my piece would probably run to 20 minutes, I think, and I wondered if the consensus would be that such a piece would too much dominate the concert.  Last night Charles (obliquely, diplomatically) indicated that if I had a piece to use the hired instrumentalists, I could share the cost of hiring them.  Okay, I get that;  but on the other hand, on the last 9^th Ear concert, I made Peter Bloom and Dan Meyers available to Charles for a piece of his, at no cost to him.

There was no need for me formally to decline the invitation — we went on to sort out what pieces we have ready for the program, and I simply suggested a number of pieces of mine, and made no mention of Darkest Doings.  What I shall do with the Doings, I am not at present sure.  At some point, I may slightly rescore it so that it would suit a k a rl h e nn i ng Ensemble program;  I certainly still like the idea of setting that scene from "the Scottish play."

[Karl Henning]

And today's edition:

[Karl Henning]

Quick arrangement for my choir's rehearsal tomorrow, and for this Sunday's service.

This went quite well last night.  There is a note or two which gives a couple of my sopranos some difficulty, but I believe we can sort that out Sunday morning.

[Karl Henning]

And for your bemusement and consideration, the twain versions:

https://www.youtube.com/v/jGkVt7TQfl0

https://www.youtube.com/v/V-KeuEdIL4U

One of my co-workers who has been warmly supportive of my work (has always been interested in the latest piece, and came to a couple of our King's Chapel concerts) has been out of the office for several months.  I found out a month or so ago that he has lung cancer, which grew worse over a period of time when he was trying to cure it by "natural methods."

Joel has been out of the office, as I say, for several months, but he is still an employee, his email address is active.  So, as I do periodically, when I sent the YouTube video of Things Like Bliss to a select list of co-workers, I included Joel.

Just heard from his this morning (the first I've had word from him since his indisposition).  He writes:

I like it—very soothing

The music, then, does as I wished.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

And today's edition:

Just wanna say, bar 3 of this is rhythmic genius

[Karl Henning]

(* blush *)

And the latest:

[Karl Henning]

Relaxed morning . . . now that the guitarist confirms that those repeated notes are executable, preparing versions of Things Like Bliss for flute (for PHB) and cello (for KSP).

Just got a wicked textual idea, too . . . .

[Karl Henning]

And I've prepared the dual-guitar part for Jim & Aaron to read Things Like Bliss.

[Karl Henning]

Only a bagatelle.  When at Charles's house for the 9^th Ear meeting Wednesday, his toy piano was on the dining room table, and I thought, Why not write a piece for shakuhachi and toy piano?

[Luke]

A question I have often asked myself!

[Karl Henning]

A question I have often asked myself!

And well? 

[Luke]

Once I've got the sarangi, washboard and tuba trio done.