Stacy Horn

I read this piece in the BBC News yesterday about Dr. David Creese of the University of Newcastle, and Armand D’Angour, a musician and tutor in classics at Oxford University, who are recreating music from thousands of years ago. You can read about it here, and listen to Creese sing one of the pieces. Creese’s singing skills are endearingly voice-next-door.

This reminded of a 3,400 year old song that was found in Syria in the 1950’s. It was also recreated a few years ago. I listened to it and parts of it sound exactly like the Christmas carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Found it! Please listen to it. I still hear God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

This is choir 5 from the Forty Part Motet piece up at the Cloisters right now.

I have two public speaking engagements rapidly approaching, one of which I’m my usual-nervous about, but one I’m absolutely terrified about. Don’t want to name names. Begins with a T. And it happens on November 9. So, 19 days until my total humiliation.

Fall leaves on a rock wall at Fort Tryon Park.

I handed in two articles I’ve been working on and now I get to play. I’m going to go shopping for something to wear for my Tedx talk and then I’m going to see Gravity.

On my way home from errands I passed by Jane Street where they were having a block party. The vibe there was so happy and generous. Everyone was having such a great time, I couldn’t possibly exaggerate it. Some blocks, for whatever reason, are … better. I lived on 11th Street between Greenwich and Washington, for instance. I don’t know if it’s still like this now, but when I lived there in the 1980’s it had a great feel, it was friendly and neighborly like this. This section of Jane Street has always had this positive vibe. This is the block where that same family always comes and sells Christmas trees every year. They wrote a book about it and I met them at a party last year.

These guys were enjoying the party and the music from above.

A job ad I read recently said, “A Note of Caution – PLEASE DO NOT ASK WHAT OUR BUDGET IS, that might work negatively against you.” I think I know what a person asking such a question is getting at, although I would find a more subtle way to do it. You need to know that this is not some guy who thought he’d start a magazine out of his basement and has no support, no way of paying the people he hires, or paying for what the company needs to grow, and so on.

To me, a job ad with that line says exactly that, so don’t bother applying. Who answers job ads like that? Oh god, that reminds me, I watched a couple of episodes about the reality tv show about personal shoppers—Million Dollar Shoppers. This one client (who had great taste in art), I can’t imagine what she thought when she watched herself on the second episode. If she’s as insane and awful as she was portrayed, perhaps she’s happy with it, but she was monstrous. At one point the monster-client had a friend with her and I kept waiting for the friend to say, “Stop. You can’t treat people like this, you’re acting like a crazy person.” All in all it looked like a soul-destroying job that didn’t pay much considering the time involved.

A couple of shots in Washington Square Park.

I’ve got this collection of quotes about amateur singing. I sprinkled some of my favorites throughout the book but I couldn’t use them all, alas. Here is one that didn’t make the cut.

It was written by Richard Aldrich, the music critic for the New York Times way back when, and it was published in the paper on September 27, 1903. The title of the article it appeared in was, The Worcester Music Festival; A Critical Period in the History of an American Musical Association.

“There are not many influences more fruitful in results, more potent in diffusing a love and appreciation of music than the widespread practice of choral singing by amateur choristers …”

While I agree with every word, it doesn’t communicate the bliss, the sheer ecstasy felt when singing some of the masterpieces we’re called on to sing in choir.

When you sing a piece of choral music you fall in love with it in a way that doesn’t quite happen when you listen to it. You can get there at The Cloisters and the audio installation, The Forty Part Motet, though. I still think singing takes it all up a notch, but this is pretty freaking great.