Tuesday's Homework

These  two  walkers venture along the towpath  near  the  London Road bridge.  Although the snow is lovely to look at,  I shall be glad when it has gone.   I don't want to wear my hat and gloves anymore, as I'm fed up with "cabin fever and bad hair days."   I took a tentative short walk on Monday morning, and then came home for lunch, and to watch "Neighbours" which was, sadly, interrupted by an electrician who turned off all the power!   I caught up with "Neighbours" at 5.30pm, and I'm pleased to say that the two lead ladies are about to go into labour!

I tackled my choir homework last night!   I have to learn the following two pieces for the Devizes Chamber Choir.  Both look fairly straight forward, although I have learned, that no music is easy to sing well, even simple carols and nursery rhymes have their own particular challenges!

At the moment,  because our scores have not arrived, we are using the photocopied 1st and 4th movements from the Cherubini "Requiem."    Born Maria  Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini in Florence on or about the 8th September 1760, he was regarded as a musical prodigy, and studied with his father counterpoint and dramatic style at the age of six.  At 13 years of age he had already composed several religious works.  He later studied in Bologna and Milan, but spent most of his life working in France.  The "Requiem" was composed in 1816 to commemorate the anniversary of the execution of King Louise XVl of France.  Cherubini died in Paris in 1845.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born in Saltzburg on 27th January 1756, was a prolific composer of the Classical era.  Mozart showed prodigious talent from early childhood, and was a competent keyboard and violin player by the age of five, and was also composing for and performing before European royalty.  Aged 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Saltzburg, but grew restless and travelled in search of a better position.   He eventually left Saltzburg to live and work in Vienna, where he achieved much fame, but little fortune.  A mystery surrounds his death, and he was survived by his wife Constanza and two sons.

Both these pieces look deceptively easy to sing!  The Chrubini contains some high and sustained notes for the sopranos, and it's never easy to find enough breath to hang on for more than 8 beats across two bars!   The Mozart is great fun, with a fast pace but too many notes!    I will eventually learn to fit the latin words to the fast paced music, at the moment I have to resort to "la li la li la li la la la."

Both works have a good tune, and  I do like to sing recognisable tunes in a regular key, and at a comfortable pace! (I think this is indicative of a closed musical mind!)  Sir Thomas Beecham once lamented that many modern composers of his era were unable to write anything with a good tune!    When asked if he had played any Stockhausen, he replied with a "No, but I trod in some once!"  

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