Well, as of last Saturday evening, I am now a dues-paying member of the Carmina Burana club, finally.  It's a very famous piece, quite challenging, and one that I had waited a long time to do.  It's satisfying to have completed it, and be able to put that score back on the shelf for a while while I concentrate on everything else that's coming up...

Most pressing is of course the Britten Journey of the Magi, Cornelius Three Kings and Warlock Bethlehem Down pieces that I'm singing at the Chapelle Royale on the 11th of December.  Two of these are new to me, and the Britten in particular will take some time to prepare.  It's a setting of quite a compelling and unusual poem by T. S. Eliot, written in 1930.  Here's a link to the text, and a recording of the poem, read by the author.  It speaks to me of great transformation and mystery, I suppose; the death of old ways and the birth of new ones.

While that's happening the staging rehearsals of Duchesse continue, with another one this evening, and I am starting to get ready now for next year's projects... there is some discussion of Die Fledermaus being sung in german, with the interjected dialogue in english, as seems to be the style these days... as well I have to learn the german text to Die Schöpfung for April so I might as well get on both of those now while I have some time with Peter before he goes off to Lyon in mid-January for a couple of months.

 I received the official contract from Ixelles for Die Schöne Müllerin yesterday, and I have secured a projector and screen for the Biedermeier paintings to be shown while the cycle is performed; pictures like this one by Waldmüller:

Likewise the french translator Guy Laffaille has agreed to let me read his translations of each song interspersed between singing them in german, so it's good to have more details settled all the time.

What else?  We have Malcolm's teacher interviews coming up on thursday, and his report card wasn't bad.  His guidance teacher was quite positive, but there are one or two subjects to pay extra attention to, and so we will visit those teachers this time.  I had a good long meeting with Duncan's teacher last week, and she is impressed with his eagerness to learn, and his high level of proficiency in academic subjects.  However his comportment still needs to improve, so we are continuing to work together on keeping him focussed.

Bruce arrives in another week, and we have a brief trip to Paris planned early in his stay, to pay respects to his late teacher's widow and family, and visit Monsieur Fleta's gravesite.  I am looking forward to not only the conversations and the occasional cigar together, but also to some singing lessons, which I must frequently I have to go a long time without.  Bruce will be here for a little less than two weeks so we will try very much to make the most of that time.  However we will have to fit things in around lots of rehearsals.

Ok, time to review my staging and dance steps for tonight...