Modern Composers: A Composer’s Journal Entries January 15, 16 & 17, 2005

Saturday, January 15

3:40 a.m. Feeling better today. M. Xeroxed up the ms paper this morning. I’ve copied out the first 15 pages of the score. Making final decisions as I go. Am pleased.

Sunday, January 16

M. went to Windgarth today. The plumber tore the downstairs bathroom ceiling out & the rug people tore the rug up, so it could all dry. Good thing we had no tenants booked for the coming weeks.

Continue to copy out the score. An e-mail from Bob: the musicians had their first quintet rehearsal & they want me to come to the next one. I will try to be at every rehearsal they have in Ithaca. Coaxing the sounds & phrasings & tempi from the players & instruments is a part of the creating ...

Am now on page 23 of the score. Only 40 or so more to go. The cats and I are watching the flames in the coal stove. The flames are a reminder of the power & Mystery of the universe, the cats are entranced by them. The wood is not burning easily for some reason, & the relationship one develops with the fire at these times is fairly intense - especially when one isn’t feeling well & needs the heat. Far too easy to flick on the thermostat & forget the immensity around us, that which we call Nature.

Monday, January 17

12:10 a.m. Six or seven inches of snow fell today - it’s a fairyland outside. The back garden is lit up by the floodlights & is magical in its simplicity ... The forms of the winter garden now outlined by the new snow. I find myself walking to the windows, to gaze at the Day’s work, the lines of the grapevines turning so effortlessly & gracefully & now piled with their own fragile drifts of light snow as they weave through the arbor. The cement statue of Christ under the lilacs has its usual crown & shawl of snow - a tall miter-shaped crown & an ermine shawl of snow that covers His shoulders & upper chest. When the sun comes out tomorrow His face will be uncovered, but He will still have his miter & shawl - it is always this way.

The topiary fir trees are mounded, like mushrooms. It has almost dropped to zero degrees, so I will not shovel tonight. Although the night, the Beauty & Silence of the night are very tempting. Shaun brought more wood in today, so there is a happy fire as I continue to copy out the score. I am approaching page 30 & hope to do many more pages tonight. There is a sacred Presence filling the downstairs as I write.

More e-mails from Bob today, about the concert & rehearsals & halls. Diana wrote to say that she has finished formatting half of ROL. (My new book: "Realms of Light").

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