A full day!

Today is chock full! My retired clergy group met this morning at 10:30a.m. (Ellen brought scones as usual, though this time they were blueberry scones). We discussed the chapter on "Immediacy" in Joan Chittister's book. - more on that below. From there we came to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Cardiology Department for a 1p.m. appointment with Tammy Simpkins, NP. That went well - everything looked good and sounded good, heart-wise. From there we came to Marlboro, which I where I am now. At 6:30 there will be a GCC Council meeting. My cell phone is dead - battery needs charging and I do not have a charge cord. So, I can email using the Festival WiFi, but cannot make any calls.

Wind Decet, *********playing the Divertissment Op. 36 by Bernard.**************About Bernard: Émile Bernard: Born November 28, 1843, Marseilles, France; Died September 11, 1902, Paris, France. Bernard’s Divertissement for wind instruments was dedicated to Paul Taffanel, a flutist and conductor involved in multiple musical societies in France, including the Société de Musique de Chambre pour Instruments à Vent which he founded, and which premiered the work. The Société resembled the classical style Harmonie ensembles, which were small wind bands. Thus, Bernard’s Divertissement resembles classical Harmoniemusik in instrumentation, yet reflects the Romantic time period in which it was written. This will be the third time the work has been programmed at Marlboro, and the first time since it was conducted by Marlboro co-founder and flutist Marcel Moyse in 1961. Participants: Denis Savelyev, flute; Joshua Smith, flute; Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Donovan Bown, oboe; Javier Morales-Martinez, clarinet; Yuhsin Galaxy Su, clarinet; Joshua Butcher, bassoon; Natalya Rose Vrbsky, bassoon; Ryan Williamson, horn; Carys Sutherland, horn Immediacy. Going back to this morning, Joan Chittister says, in effect,"When you get old, don't ACT old." I.e., don't stop learning and growing, traveling and trying out new things. Don't use your age as an excuse for not doing something, assuming you are able to do it and it isn't dangerous to yourself or others. She argues that "acting your age" is good when you 17, but not when you are 77 (or 87). She actually overstates this a bit, and we took some exception to the way she puts it, but we get the point, which is consonant with all the other chapters we have read: when you get old, stay alive, active, inquisitive, etc. Being old is an opportunity, not a decline. Our group is getting more and mpre relaxed about sharing personal feelings and experiences.

Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun who is 88 years old. ******************* LATER I am now hearing a work by Brahms titled "Sechs Quartette," for piano and an SATB vocal quartet. It is a very well-blended group, and the piece is very Brahmsian. Beautiful. Here is the German text of the sixth song: Liebe Schwalbe, kleine Schwalbe, Trage fort mein kleines Briefchen! Flieg zur Höhe, fliege schnell aus, Flieg hinein in Liebchens Haus! Fragt man dich, woher du kommest, Wessen Bote du geworden, Sag, du kommst vom treusten Herzen, Das vergeht in Trennnungsschmerzen. Translation Dear swallow, little swallow, carry forth my little message! Fly up into the heavens, fly away quickly, fly off to my darling's house! If someone asks you from whom you come, whose messenger you are - say that you come from a faithful heart that is almost dying from the pain of separation.

ABOVE: The singers are sitting on the floor and sharing comments with the pianist on a performance of the Brahms piece they just concluded. BELOW:

The quartet singing the Brahms. Bridget Esler, soprano; Chihiro Asano, mezzo-soprano; Patrick Bessenbacher, tenor; Evan Luca Gray, bass-baritone; Lydia Brown, piano.