Second rehearsal at Chamber Arts for the revival of Job: A Masque, with Kate Bautch (Job's Wife / Servant III),
Marilyn Pratt (Job),
Harriet March Page (God / Bildad the Shuhite),
and
Suzanna Mizell (Eliphaz the Temanite / Servant II), lingering with
Meghan Dibble for sandwiches and a Goat Hall / San Francisco Cabaret Opera meeting (re the evolving Weill/Brecht Project), then back through the
Berkeley Hills (pictured in the beautiful temperate weather on the way in), to more labors framing each side of the outing: Edits for Psalm 37 "O Rest in the Lord" (after Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah) completed (five sheets total), 21st-Century Music work, and the editing of Psalm 38 "Domine, ne in furore" (again a pentagon of pages, the superimposition of previous, adding a minor modal 7/8 spin on Josquin des Pres's analgous effort).
On the way home, thinking about the balky internet connection at Chamber Arts (we again rehearsed pretty much off of the YouTube videos of last June, but this time to less certain effect, as the files went into buffering mode not infrequently), reflect with Harriet over the possibilities of the Swarthmore Student and Alumni Composers Concert that occurred while we Board Meeting'ed and returned:
1. Video could have not played correctly, and people could have not liked the piece
2. Video could have not played correctly, and people could have liked the piece anyway
3. Video could have played correctly, and people could have not liked the piece
4. Video could have played correctly, and people could have liked the piece
And of course, only "4" is what anyone would want.
Substitute "Bad performance / Good peformance" for the video component, and you have the situation in virtually all the performing arts... or rather -- life, the universe, and everything.
Mercifully, the report from the good folks in residence suggests that all went quite well and that "4" ruled the night, not only for the piece in question, the entire concert. Great news, indeed! In fact, give that notice a "4", too....
