Passing Notes January 2015

Resolutions

Making resolutions doesn't seem to work too well for me: I try to do everything at once, and by about the third week of January (around now...) I am run ragged and exhausted and just give up. Besides, the start of a new academic year in September always feels a bit more like a fresh, clean start to me than January ever has. So instead, I have a list of projects for this calendar year, some ongoing, some new; some personal, some professional; and some that I probably won't get around to doing.
 

Flash Compline

There will be a Flash Compline tonight (!) in London: 8.30pm at the north end of the Millennium Footbridge. Compline is perhaps the best-beloved of the monastic offices, and derives its name from a Latin word meaning "completion". It's a lovely way to bring the day to a close, whether you've been out for an early supper after Evensong, or stuck in the office working late. Please arrive quietly and depart in silence. We are @FlashCompline on Twitter.
 

Works in progress

I'm working on a SATB a capella Nunc dimittis setting. The opening melody is a bit earworm-y, to the point that I wasn't sure whether I'd cribbed it from somewhere. I'm also working on some words by Julian of Norwich; this may turn into a multi-movement choral work for SSAA, but I haven't quite worked it out yet.
 

Recording

I've made a rather rough demo recording of one of my pieces, Transfiguration. It's available with video on YouTube, or just sound on SoundCloud. This is another with words by T Thurman, but unlike "I walked in darkness" it is accompanied by organ, and suitable for small choirs: in a pinch, it can be sung unison, but expands easily to SAB if there are enough people to cover the parts. Like most of what I've written that I have to play myself, the organ part is quite straightforward! As the Feast of the Transfiguration is on 6th August, small choirs are likely to be the norm in churches that have a choir then at all, but it's also a suitable anthem for when the Transfiguration comes up in the Gospel reading: this year, that's Sunday 15th February.
 

Open Volume

The Open Volume Hymnal Project is still accepting submissions. The aim is to create an open-access, flexible resource that can be used by parishes which wouldn't necessarily spend much money on a new hymnal supplement, and to showcase the work of writers and composers who are happy to release their work under a Creative Commons license. So if you'd like to try your hand at hymn-writing, or you know someone who might enjoy it, please do have a look or pass on the link. The text deadline is 15th March. 
 

Sweet Singing...

Looking ahead a bit, on 21st March there will be a "come-and-sing" performance of Stainer's Crucifixion. The rehearsal starts at 2.45pm and the performance itself is at 6pm; refreshments for singers will be provided. There is a long-standing connection between St Andrew's and this particular work, as the librettist was taking services at the church while working on the words, and I'm really pleased to be able to revive this community tradition. All proceeds go to the Organ Fund; further details and a registration form are available on the St Andrew's website.
 

...in the Quire

On Friday 7th February the London Gallery Quire is giving a concert at St Mary's Richmond. The concert starts at 7.30pm and will include a good range of West Gallery music. You'll get to hear the serpent and I understand there will be food and drink.

 

Some things I like

I've found Siderea's LiveJournal post on filing to be quite helpful. Yes, I know. Filing. But if you're as disorganised as I am, it will be well worth your while to read the whole thing, and even implement some of it. 

This purr-generating page is the cat's pyjamas, especially if you love cats but don't have access to a furry feline friend of your own. I'm almost tempted to bring headphones into the office.
 

Recipe: Shortbread

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup softened butter
Directions:
1. Sift together the cornstarch, icing sugar and flour.
2. Blend in butter until a soft smooth dough forms.
3. Chill 30 to 60 minutes.
4. Shape (either make it into balls and flatten them with a fork, or roll it out and use a cookie cutter... but see below!)
5. Bake 150 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Watch that they don't brown, you want to pull them out while they still look a smidge underdone - the idea is that they do not brown on the bottom.
I can't take a lot of credit for this one: it's the recipe my mother used for shortbread, and it came off the back of the Canada Corn Starch box (corn starch is corn flour over this side of the pond). But it's a good, reliable recipe. These days, I usually double or even quadruple the recipe. Then I roll the dough into long sausages and wrap them in greaseproof paper and freeze them. When I want shortbread, I put the oven on, remove one shortbread sausage from the freezer, cut it into half-inch thick slices and arrange the slices on a cookie sheet (sorry, sorry, baking tray). It only adds a minute or so to the cooking time, and makes a quick and easy recipe even quicker. I've also had success with throwing a frozen shortbread sausage in my bike pannier and doing the actual baking at a friend's house, which makes for fewer broken cookies than doing the baking first.
 

Coda

Please share anything in this e-mail with anyone you would like to. My e-mail address is artsyhonker@gmail.com and I'd love to hear from you. My music is community supported, not commercially supported. Please pledge something at Patreon if you can afford to -- even small amounts help a lot -- and please don't if you can't. Thanks!