Today  I seem to be in a much better space for some reason. For no discernible reason, actually.

I have Tallis playing in the background to remind me I need to sit down and do some work on my upcoming choir recital.

I have decided to call it something like “Voices, Strings, & Harpsichord.” I am planning to alternate choral pieces with instrumental. The choral will be mostly renaissance (Tallis, Dowland, Gibbons) but also a lovely Lotti  Sanctus, a short Bach cantata movement and an Arvo Part piece.

These are in preparation already. I managed to go through all of them this past Sunday with the crew.

Today I want to work on a poster, choose some pieces for the instrumentalists, & work on the Lotti string parts.

I will have a good violinist and cellist. Also there is a viola player but she is one half of the soprano section.

I am thinking of arranging some Fitzwillian Virginal book pieces (probably dances) to put in between the Renaissance choral music. I also want to play a couple of harpsichord solos. I will look for an easy violin sonata. This is what I need to do today.

Also I have a Worship Commission meeting. For some reason church stuff has really been depressing me. I still enjoy doing the work very much. But the whole believing end of stuff is very trying. Last night my guitar student (the woman I am helping get started on guitar…. I really don’t feel comfortable in the role of guitar teacher for someone who is basically learning chords) asked me if she should attend the Worship Commission meeting today or skip it.

I smiled and said, “don’t ask me that.” I told despite my professional position as church musician I had problems with religion. Since I was sixteen. She said she was going to attend. What did I say?

I got a disturbing email from my grad school organ teacher, Craig Cramer, that his wife who is battling a tuberculosis type disease is in critical condition this morning. Bah.

I spent most of the evening last night rehearsing with high school students for a solo and ensemble festival this Saturday.

By the end of the evening I broke my general alcohol fast and has some wine. Heh.

I also did some comfort reading in Ulysses by Joyce. As I read it, I can’t believe I actually read the whole thing as a younger man. Much of it must have slipped past me. Much easier reading at this stage of my life.

Anyway, that’s all I have time for today.