It seems that this is a week in which we conclude the end of three months in Coronavirus Lockdown. We started to ease our way into our own lockdown in the week commencing 17th March, the day it was officially announced, although it didn't officially start until the following weekend.
As weeks go, so far, this has been as normal as can be. B has been continuing the manufacture of face masks for the local care community, albeit under some stress early in the week. This was mainly caused by having spent the whole weekend making masks for family, not helped by the fact that the sewing machine apparently broke down - that turned out to be operator error, which she confessed ruefully! Nonetheless, she should have and indeed had always intended to take the weekends off and do something different. So her spirit was, shall we say, not in the most refreshed state. However, a good walk with the dogs on Tuesday afternoon, did refresh the spirit as it ever does, and on we go.
Tuesday evenings session with Hallmark was the first of a new schedule of activities for us, in the form of a musical education session with now Vice Chair of the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS), Alan Hughes. By way of background, Alan is member of the 2008 British Champion quartet, Monkey Magic, three of whom sing with Hallmark, and, famously a member of the Great British Barbershop Boys (the same four singers), who won a recording contract with Sony a couple of years later (look up their famous "Evolution of Song" on YouTube). Anyway, he did a good job of explaining some basics of understanding musical notation and, in particular, some of the unique aspects of barbershop music.
Zoom still punctuates our week: Tuesday mornings, the Wentworth Castle Archive team meets, Tuesday evening Hallmark of Harmony, Wednesday mornings Tai Chi, Thursday mornings usually Guide Dogs Puppy Class, Thursday evenings Fox Valley Voices and Saturday mornings Family. It's a full life being stuck at home. It's a human trait to be busy and, hopefully, constructive.
It seems this week that the press has been full of #BLM, Black Lives Matter, because of an awful event, the full video of which has gone viral. This was the killing of George Floyd, a black American stopped and restrained in the street by four US police officers, one of whom kneeled with his full weight on the neck of the victim for a full nine minutes. The consequence of this was that Floyd became increasingly distressed and eventually died. The callous attitude of all four police officers and their indifference to the plight of their 'prisoner' was plain for all to see. An injustice that keeps repeating itself all over the USA, but not often caught in full view of the light of day, the digital technology and social media that exposed the tragedy to the World. Had this not happened, those police officers would probably have got away with it. As it is, there in deep doodoos!
On a more pleasant note, music for the week is, as usual, from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder".
Monday: "Abendlied" - Evening Song by Robert Schumann (1810-1856). At first sight, I thought this song was the song, of the same name, that is on the current repertoire of Fox Valley Voices, my chamber choir. It was one I and we love. Even B likes this one, which we even performed at our Carol Supper last December. However, the one we sing is by Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901). This is a slow, melancholy instrumental piece for piano. One can imagine Robert himself or even Clara Schumann, who was allegedly a better pianist than he was, giving this its bucket full of passion. Today is Robert Schumann's birthday.
Tuesday: Sinfonia concertante for violin and viola in E flat major, K. 364 1: Allegro maestoso by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
Wednesday: Isolde's Liebestod - Love-Death from Tristan and Isolde by Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Premiered on this very day in 1865. Clemency writes a stinging critique of Wagner fans, who are obsessed with the whole Wagner aura, that you haven't a chance to become a member of the 'club' until you've seen every production at Bayreuth (Wagner's own opera house) ... tiresome. To say nothing of the 'Tristan chord' a harmonic ambiguity with which Wagner is said to have changed the entire course of Western music in just four notes! Whatever your views, I'll leave you to enjoy it.
Thursday: "Morgen! - Tomorrow", Op. 27 No.4 by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). He was born on this day and at the age of thirty he wrote this as one of four songs for his wife on their wedding day. Set to the words of his contemporary, John Henry Mackay, in 1894, it is poetic to say the least ...
And tomorrow the sun will shine again,
and on the path I will take,
it will unite us again, we happy ones,
upon this sun-breathing earth ...
Here sung by the delightful voice of Joyce DiDonato
Friday: "Mi Teresita (Little Waltz) by Teresa Carreno (1853-1917). She led what seems to be a turbulent life with three or four partners, several children by at least three of them. This piece was composed for her daughter, Teresita, who like her mother, herself became a famous pianist.
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