Saxons go where Angles fear to tread. (The Jutes just sit by and watch.) –Postcards From Red Squirrel Trail The intensity of his perfectionism on this movie, made the movie. This is a master at his best." — Michael Deeley, on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner Almost three months have passed since my last post. There has mostly been the non-news of all the non-acceptance e-mail messages received, as none of the scores which I have submitted to several calls found a home. We have had a successful reading, and (the following week) rehearsal of the present Henning Ensemble, which will play at King’s ..read more

In Art, the opposite of Consistency is not necessarily inconsistency; the opposite (or, Complement) ought to be Variety. George Harrison’s song for the sovereign of rodent grains, “Mice Wheat Lord” I don’t think it can be time to procrastinate yet .... Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) A prune isn't really a vegetable. a cabbage is a vegetable. — Frank Zappa, “Call Any Vegetable” Now that the church choir’s repertory is settled through Epiphany, in theory I could set to creative work again, but I don’t have any piece I am “burning” to write. I have a libretto written by a friend ..read more

The Mirage of Figaro Are the lemons omens? Barberous Monk: Crépuscule for Scandal Now, about that enigmatic song I wrote .... Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) Mr. President–if I may speak freely...The Russky talks big, but frankly, we think he’s short of know-how. You just can’t expect a bunch of ignorant...peons to understand a machine like some of our boys–and that’s not meant as an insult, Mr. Ambassador.... — Geo. C. Scott as Gen. Buck Turgidson in Doctor Strangelove The blu-ray edition of The Twilight Zone, improving even on the DVD release, is generously appointed with ex ..read more

Pedestrians of the Paleozoic A fossilized beast who feasted on unleavened bread? The Matzo-don. I cannot be the first with that. – Postcards From Red Squirrel Trail There’s no need for music to make people think. It would be enough if music could make people listen. — Claude Debussy, 1901 Clavichordist Monica Chew has created a Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame Call. Recently the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra lost one of the captains of its saxophone section, Arni Cheatham. The last I saw Arni was when he appeared, a little by surprise (given his poor health) at the Church of the Covenant during the annual ..read more

The Orchestra of the Age of Endimment. Thank you for not asking me not to joke. Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) Some men, Lieutenant, do not want to look like an unmade bed. — Susanne Pleshette to Peter Falk This weekend I sent both the orchestral Ear Buds and the brand-new Cape of Good Nope to a Call. ”[The composer of the selected score will be notified by [Christmas Day.]” I also chanced upon a Call for which the “Pierrot-plus” version of Counting Sheep (a damned good piece which no one outside the composer’s near circle has evinced any appreciation) so I’ve submitted that ..read more

When zombies roamed the land, and musicologists openly wondered if Schubert was coming back to finish the b minor symphony Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) I never met anybody who could sit through the entire Ring of the Nibelung and come out sane. Or even alive, for that matter. — the immortal Chuck Jones Gentle Reader, I launched this blog 15 years ago today, so happy Bloggiversary to me. My schema for The Cape of Good Nope, formed not subconsciously, but with a surprisingly low wattage of conscious effort: A. Opening (new, proprietary material) B. Much of Intermezzo I from Wh ..read more

I'm not arguing about the value of studying how we know what know. It's just that these days, I find I am more interested in how we forget what we forget. A proposal to modify the New Hampshire State Motto to “Live free, but don’t be a jerk.” Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) When a case gets too tough, I’ve gotta talk to my wife. — Lt Columbo the Wise The possession and cultivation of talent will not guarantee success “in the marketplace.” Do I even yet hope for such success at this point? I’m not sure, but in any event, I still compose because that is what I love doing. Especi ..read more

Done, but with errors on page. They're freaking out on the Internet? Again? . – Postcards From Red Squirrel Trail I don’t want any commies in my car. No Christians either! — Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man Ten years ago today, I wrote: Music is part of the tangle of my life, so that it is pointless to wish that some part of my past had been at all otherwise, since my music would therefore be otherwise. (I mean, if I think at all that I am making the right music. The orchestral call I mention here has been a bit of a poser, at least in terms of what I have ready on the shelf. As to what I was ..read more

Sneak some chic shiitake for Schnittke's sake. Why are the geezer's tweezers in the freezer? Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) If the judge in the Rittenhouse case doesn't like the word ‘victim,’ perhaps the phrase ‘unarmed person shot to death’ might do the trick. — Jn Cleese The orchestral call I mention here has been a bit of a poser, at least in terms of what I have ready on the shelf. One can submit two works, so I’ll leave open the possibility of something new. As to what I was thinking at first, the prohibition against harp rules out White Nights, Second, Fuchsia is too b ..read more

“. . . this one corner of ornamental untidiness . . . .” Awesome Ostrogoths of Oz Witch Ballerinas of the Berkshires Zorro’s sorrow Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions) Geo. Harrison It’s not always gonna be this grey. — Geo. Harrison So, seven years ago today I finished the first movement of the “Henning First.” Opus 143. One benefit I draw from revisiting old blog posts is, I get glimpses of a past life. By now, I’ve physically forgotten that distanced life of getting up so early so as to get into Boston to be a working schmo, and when I might actually do some composing at 5AM b ..read more