Cross-posted from my blog about singing, Just Another Bass... Our final choral performance this weekend is Haydn's Missa in Anguistiis, known more commonly as the Lord Nelson Mass. Of the 14 different mass settings Haydn composed, this one is considered his greatest -- in fact, his biographer calls it "arguably Haydn's greatest single composition," though my… Continue reading Finding Triumph in Lord Nelson’s Mass
Exploring the Pizzetti Requiem
Cross-posted from my blog about singing, Just Another Bass... Our upcoming Friday night Prelude performance at Tanglewood is a pretty spectacular collection of a cappella choral sacred music. The backbone of the program is Pizzetti's Messa di Requiem, a hauntingly beautiful setting of chant-like melodies that have been a joy to internalize and sing. The Choral Scholar's… Continue reading Exploring the Pizzetti Requiem
Beyond Your Expectations
One of the best kinds of joy is when you set what you think are high aspirations, and then to your surprise do so well that you blow those aspirations away. Three examples for you to contemplate: In 1899, one of Thomas Edison's first inventions, the stock ticker, got the attention of the President of… Continue reading Beyond Your Expectations
The “Aha!” Moment
When you've been staring at a clue like "First of cubs housed in lion building's storage bin (8)" on and off for a couple mornings... ...let's see, 'first of cubs' is probably the letter C, and that goes inside a word that means 'lion building' ... what the hell is a lion's building? a den?… Continue reading The “Aha!” Moment
Conservation of Creativity
Every once in a while, we can get in a "creativity consumption" kick. Binge watching a TV series, or getting engrossed in playing a particularly creative video game that tells a story with you as the hero. It's not all electronic, either; I know I can easily get sucked into a book series and then… Continue reading Conservation of Creativity
The Joys of JJFoley 