Journal Entries
O fortuna
Posted Jun 11, 2005
The dates for the performance of Carmina Burana are closing in. We have been asked to keep mum about the special effects and everything, but I can tell you lot because I'm bursting to tell someone and you are all so far away you can't let the cat out of the bag for me.. 
The music director who organises the summer festival in our town is a crazy, disorganised but very creative chap. He recently retired as a teacher which means he now has all his time to spend on the music school. He is also a very good musician - and knows lots of good musicians.
He composes pieces which incorporate practically every musician in the town - from the Turkish balalaika group* through the samba drum combo to the primary school kids on their recorders, the jazz ensemble (his daughter is a good jazz pianist) to the music school orchestra, big band and choirs. He uses simple motifs which even the audience are joining in with by the end.
The festival starts on 24 June. The big gala night which used to be at the end of the festival will form the opening event this year, and the finale furioso on that evening will be the Project Choir (including me) singing O fortuna (and maybe one other movement) from the Carmina Burana.
The actual performance of the whole of the Carmina will be on 17 July to close the festival.
Before I can describe the spectacle itself, I have to explain where it takes place.
Germersheim is based on a military fort which was built 1834 - 1855 to "protect" the surrounding countryside from the French. There are many such military bases all along the Rhine. Even under the Romans and before that the site was used for the same purpose.
The present fortifications were never put to the test and have disintegrated somewhat. Now the town are renovating what is still usable and putting the buildings to municipal use, improving the overall appearance of the place and making an effort to attract tourists.
This link (which might be removed because I can only find a German version) shows how much of the structure still remains.
http://www.verkehrsverein-germersheim.de/festung.htm
The music school is the U-shaped building at the bottom left. This was a parade practice ground with barracks round it. The building is linked underground to the other parts of the fortifications by catacombs with large areas for ammunition storage. The whole of the summer festival uses the parade ground in the middle to great advantage. There are numerous doors opening out into the courtyard, in front of which, for the purposes of the summer festival, small stages and rostra are erected for various performances.
In the point of the U is the large stage for the big performances, on two levels, the lower one for the orchestra. Gantries for lighting are fixed from one side of the open area to the other, above and in front ot the stage.
At the open end of the "horseshoe" which is the local name for it, is a very high wall, above which there is a steep grass rise. When there are concerts on down in the horseshoe, passers by can stop there and watch for free from the fence at the top. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh at their antics when you're on the stage trying to sing a difficult fugue. The audience can't see them.
Sorry that went on for so long, but I had to explain that so that you can imagine what happens next.
At the end of this gala on 24 June, we are to stand on the green slope opposite the stage. If we're lucky, the lighting technicians will time it right and the lights will go on with the first chord. We are having kaftans made in Syria and will all be dressed up in these. We shall have to sing from memory. The whole thing will be rounded off by fireworks (a wheel of fortune).
The accompaniment will be played over the speakers from a CD.
The rest of the programme involves food and drink and lots of little tidbits of good quality music on the various small stages and on the large stage intermittently during the evening, partly played by pupils and teachers of the music school, partly by professionals.
It promises to be a great evening - I only hope the weather holds out.
*I know they're not called balalaikas but I can't remember the Turkish name
Discuss this Journal entry [33]
Latest reply: Jun 11, 2005
New glasses
Posted Mar 20, 2005
I don't mind my hair going grey - it's been doing that since I was 22. I don't mind all my teeth falling out - my own teeth were horrible anyway (never had a brace when I was a kid). I do mind my back giving me trouble, but at least other people can't see that.
But the worst sign of getting old for me is when you have to start holding the newspaper/book/menu at arm's length to be able to read it. IT DRIVES ME MAD. And so now...
For the first time, I've had to have glasses made for reading as well as for my short-sightedness.
So I have progressive lenses, or variglass, or whatever they're called.
Picked them up yesterday morning and went shopping - no problem.
But we had choir practice all afternoon and I didn't come to grips with the reading part of them straight away. Singing in church this morning (it's Palm Sunday) I still had to keep moving my head into the - unaccustomed - right position. No doubt this will become subconscious after a while.
Now I'm looking at the screen I have to remember to keep my head down and just look through the top part, as it's fuzzy if I look through the reading glasses part.
The frames I chose aren't much different to look at from the last ones I had, but are slightly darker and more striking and I've already had some compliments.
Because they are more noticeable, however, I think I need make up - and darker lipstick, or the rest of my face will (literally!) disappear into the background. Perhaps that's why people thought I looked nice - because I'd taken trouble to balance my "look" to go with the new glasses and had daubed some colour on.
My eyesight had deteriorated considerably for both close-up and distances during the course of the last year. And glasses are now very expensive in Germany - the compulsory health insurance doesn't cover any part of it. I have a private insurance which I hope will take the brunt - the whole caboodle has cost 830 euros.
*wanders off singing the rest of the "song of indifference" na na na nana na na, na na na nana na na.... I don't mind I don't mind, I don't mind at all*
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Latest reply: Mar 20, 2005
I don't care who knows it
Posted Nov 20, 2004
I will be 50 on Sunday.
You are still all invited to my party on the 27th. I am sure the cheap airlines will enable you all to get here. No idea where you'll sleep but we can all get so blotto it doesn't matter anyway.
We are having a whale of a party. My son Patrick will be 21 on that day and he and I are inviting about 30 people each. The idea is that all those who have one and can play one should bring their instruments and we shall have one mega-pangerational jam session. I have friends with accordeons and saxophones, he can provide the drums, bass and acoustic guitars.
I can't persuade him to set up a complete PA for mikes and instruments in our lounge, so we shall be just doing our thang unplugged.
At the moment I am copying out the words of dozens of songs to make a "song book" which I shall distribute among everyone.
The kids prefer playing with us old folk, as we "know all the words".
Any ideas about which songs would go down with a group of kids from 16 to 60? I've already got 100. I'm going to have to print them pretty small as it is!!!
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Latest reply: Nov 20, 2004
News from here
Posted Jul 24, 2004
Just a few things happening today. Prince Hendrik of Denmark got married. I am a soft one for weddings, and watched a bit this afternoon. He looked about 16, poor lad, and was crying when the first bars of Handel's "Zadock the Priest" started up. There have been loads of Royal Weddings lately, remember the downpour in Madrid?
Formula 1 - Racing at Hockenheim (just over the river from us) this weekend. I couldn't care less, quite honestly.
They've just closed the Gothard tunnel. Probably too many people queueing up to go through. They'll have to go over the top now - lucky them, it's one of the loveliest drives in Europe.
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Latest reply: Jul 24, 2004
Vivaldi - Glorious
Posted Jul 20, 2004
Our town is becoming a cultural centre, and deservedly so, from what the critics say. During the early summer there are a series of concerts and happenings in the new music school which is in the fortress - most original surroundings. The Festival is rounded off with a big concert, for which I had joined the choir.
On Sunday night we had our big concert.
In the first half, one of the local lads played Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto. Hadn't heard him play for ages, he has improved no end. It was really a joy to hear.
The second half was then the choral part.
1. Vivaldi - Magnificat
2. Vivaldi - Gloria.
Everything went soooo perfectly. The orchestra are wonderful, the conductor had really got us very enthusiastic and well prepared, the weather stayed fine and the gnats even kept away.
Even now, Tuesday morning, I am still high from the whole thing .... this morning there was a picture in the local paper and a flattering review. (And yes, you can see me in the picture, they put me in the front row!) Sorry, no link - subscription only!
The music school is more into jazz and swing and incorporates this where they can in the festival. Purists may turn up their noses, but everyone agreed that the way this was done was just perfect: between the movements a jazz pianist and violinist improvised an intermezzo, incorporating the tunes from the last movement and the coming movement. They did it with such subtlety and captured the baroqueness of the tunes, but rendering them with gypsy, jazz and modern styles.
I am so glad I ordered a CD in advance. This was something so unique that it will be a real treasure and a joy to listen to in the future.
And that Vivaldi is just wonderful - every song a hit in those works. Everyone should listen to them!
Shame it's all over now.
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Jul 20, 2004
You can call me TC
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