Pause...

...is the name of song number 12 in the Schubert cycle that has been occupying so much of my mental space these days. "Pause" is also the first song after the intermission that we have decided to impose on the work, and so it opens the second half. It's a very reflective, introspective part of the cycle, and so it's an appropriate term for what is happening at the moment. For those of you who know the work, I mean that it's appropriate purely from a timing point of view; I don't wish to share the young miller's fate!

After hitting the ground running on Tuesday the 26th of April, with rehearsals the same day as my flight, I've been singing pretty much every day since. Two Schubert concerts (one recorded) later, I then had two auditions, and all the preparation and travel associated with all of these activities has really tuckered me out. Fortunately there is now a little space before the next two concerts happen, so I can take care of some housekeeping, financial and otherwise.

To follow up on my last post, Steve Mazey of the Ottawa Citizen wrote a nice article publicizing the concert, and our performance was well attended. Several of my extended family from the Ottawa and Ottawa Valley are made the trip to see the show, and it was wonderful to see them and feel their support. There were quite a few German speakers in the audience, and they said they found it very moving, and also appreciated very much the English texts in between. We are trying very much to express what we think Schubert would have wanted, and without having an audience entirely composed of Romantic-era Germanophones, other techniques are required. I'm very glad that Bruce's concept of reading the translations is working so well to help create the same kind of emotional impact in an audience viewing the work that we feel while performing it.

I had a long conversation this morning with the Brussels contingent, and am happy to report that Maggie and the boys are doing well. Maggie was able to register Malcolm at his school, and she has also rescheduled his orthodontist appointment until after his music exam is finished. He's worked very hard on music this year, and all of his own volition, so we are happy that his recital performances with the director of the academy won't be affected by the braces that will soon be decorating his teeth. He also gets his choir robes tomorrow, signifying that he's been accepted as a full member into the junior choir at St. Andrew's. Well done, Malcolm! It will be a nice 12th birthday present for him.

Duncan had an extra long rugby match this morning, so he was a little tuckered out when we spoke on the phone today. He's still got lots of toys left to play with after last weekend, when his birthday party meant a house full of friends and a commensurate number of presents. He is a very physical guy, and we notice that he's happiest when he's done a fair bit of exertion, so we still think rugby is the thing for him. He's interested also in "foot" (soccer) so that might be an option next year too, although I'm sure that would mean a scheduling conflict, so we'll have to consider carefully. He has a performance/recital coming up with his music/dance group, but that isn't until after I'm back, so fortunately we'll all be able to attend that and support his performance.

Maggie is seeing the end of the school year in sight, and is planning some professional development for the next few months. She's also starting to pack up her classroom, and is continuing to have conversations with her new director about next year. It promises to be an interesting change for her, teaching social sciences, although she's already identified a few areas she'll have to catch up on, since she hasn't had to teach a few of those subjects for some years.

I had two auditions this past week, and I'm looking forward to listening to what Bruce has to say about them (from his point of audition, in the hallway), and working on some things to continue refining these pieces. There are other conductors to sing for while I'm in town, but we are still talking scheduling, so at the moment I'm glad that I can regroup a little prior to the Bach on the 29th, and the final Schubert on the 4th.

Bon Weekend!

In Ottawa

Enroute to Ottawa, 14:15

It's a sunny 19 degrees here in Toronto, and Bruce and I are celebrating Toronto's first warm spring day by leaving for Ottawa... the second of Dina and my three Schubert concerts is tomorrow night, and so we're heading up a day early so that Dina and I can polish up some transitions and get used to the recital hall.

The first performance last friday was a satisfying one; Dina played very beautifully, and the intensive rehearsals leading up to that first performance prepared us very well, and they should also help us very much tomorrow. The Ottawa Citizen published and posted a short piece publicizing our concert, and this music series is well-attended, so we anticipate a good audience. I'm particularly happy that my plan to use "a little book" in the manner of german lieder singers has worked out; there's no harm in using music but I wanted to try something different this time.

Some great news on the family front: Malcolm has succeeded in gaining admission to L'Athenee Royal Jean Absil beginning this september. Named after a Belgian composer who wrote in the style of the Second Viennese School, this ecole secondaire really impressed all of us with its philosophy, and Malcolm made it his first choice. I'm sure he would have been fine at any of the schools we selected together, but as well as being a really good school, this one is also quite conveniently located so that he'll be able to get there very quickly by transit or bike.

Duncan is having a good time in rugby again, and in his music class his teacher says his attitude is fantastic, so I wonder, perhaps I should go away more often?!? His birthday has already passed, but since it was close to easter vacation we delayed it until this weekend, so Maggie will shortly have her hands full with a house full of eight year olds. Fortunately they should be busy making pizza together, playing social games and watching some projected movies; these are activities that she as an experienced teacher can handle with alacrity.

Thank you again to those of you who came to the Toronto concert, and welcome in advance to those of you who I will see tomorrow in Ottawa. To everyone else, bon weekend!

Mayday

Well, I hope everyone had a pleasant Mayday, wherever you are. Since I last posted, our youngest celebrated his eighth birthday, and Dina and I had our first of several Schubert concerts.

Both were very successful, and in the matter of the concert I am very happy to have had the support of friends and colleagues. Dina and I are lucky to have ongoing opportunies to perform this cycle, and we are chomping at the bit for this coming Friday's concert in Ottawa.

Happy voting tomorrow!