Fifth and Final Movement

As I finish up my fourth movement, I've been mulling over the fifth movement. I know that it is an outside anchor / a companion movement to the first. I originally wanted it to be about the granite monoliths in the Valley, but with all the slower movements in the piece, I want it to be faster. So instead of worrying about the inspiration of the piece, I thought about the musical nature of the piece. It needs to center on C.

On Saturday I attended an Orff workshop where we spend half of the time working on canons. We manipulated canons, including doing simple phasing (ala Steve Reich). The phasing idea was simple enough that it gave me an idea of where I'm heading with my string quartet. I like the sounds of the gamelan, and I would like to use ringing tones (harmonics and open strings) to accentuate the sparkling sun off of water, probably Tenaya Lake.

So today I started and have about 30 seconds of idea sketched out....

A Cross We Must Bear

Since I have started playing viola, I realize that my intonation on that instrument needs some serious work. Well, it needs work on the violin, too. I have listened to several performances I did at church in the past month, and though the second one had better intonation, I still have work to do. Today I got out my Fisher book Basics, and did some slow, careful work. Must do that every day. One thing I should probably also do is memorize more music and close my eyes while I listen more critically.

Intonation is the cross string players must bear. It's one reason I enjoy composing - don't have to think about composing "in tune"!

Trio!

This morning a newly-formed trio rehearsed some Beethoven. Sarah on violin, me on viola, Lynn on cello. We'll play at the Claremont Library on October 11 at a lecture/demonstration about Beethoven for our city-wide discussion of The Soloist by Steve Lopez. A great excuse for me to practice viola even more!

Crankin' out the duets!

And today I added a version of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to my violin/viola duet collection. I've added the partner song, When the Saints Go Marching In into the mix, and if I was writing for string quartet, I'd add This Train is Bound for Glory, and I'm Gonna Sing, I'm Gonna Shout! All four go together.

Church Musician

Feeling a little like the old-fashioned church composer. I was asked at the last minute if our trio would play during our Ministry Faire next Sunday. Since Pat is not a member of the church, I could not, in good faith, ask her to give another freebie. But Edris and I both play, and were willing, so I rearranged Precious Lord, Take My Hand for violin and viola, and to top it off, arranged duets of I Will Arise and Go to Jesus and Be Thou My Vision.

Gamelan!

Yesterday I went to the first rehearsal of the year for the Harvey Mudd College Gamelan, along with 7 students and two profs. In 1997 I played in the Pomona College Gamelan for a semester, but this one is different in that we read music instead of learning by rote. I thought that might be easier, but it actually isn't, at least at first. I have to learn which notes are which on the various instruments instead of just calling them by a number name. I started out on an instrument reading bass clef and then tried one out in treble.

Hymn Arrangement

I now have a video on youtube of an arrangement I wrote of Precious Lord, Take My Hand. You can see it here.