Stacy Horn

I’m going back up to the library this afternoon, I forgot a few things. (Ah, aging.) I took this picture of one of the windows my friends Marianne Petit and Matthew Belanger did for the library branch across the street, at 40th and 5th. Information about their windows follows the picture. (Yeah, that’s me. Look how long my fingers are, what a freak.)

Ada’s Shop explores the world and work of Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), the daughter of Lord Byron, who is recognized today as the first computer programmer. If you bring your phone you can listen to excerpts from her notes and correspondence with Charles Babbage as well as activate things that spin.

Ada’s Shop will be up from December 1st, 2010 through January 3rd, 2011 and is on view both day and night. There will be an artist dialog on Saturday December 18th at 2:30 pm.

The video is by Daniel Houghton and it’s for the song Third of Life from the band A Weather. The album is called Everyday Balloons. I just watched it again. Almost cried.

I clearly can’t pass up taking a picture of a pack of dogs.

So, I’ve started the next chapter of my book … late. I was supposed to start on December 1st, and the goal is a chapter a month so I now have less than three weeks for this one. The race is on! Chapter—you’re going down. No, I kid. I love you chapter.

Oh right, Tuesday. I’m going up to the Met today because my choir sang there twice (I did it once) and I want to describe the room we sang in. I’m in such a good mood now, I love going up there. My plan is to get up there early and walk back. It’s in the 80’s at 5th so that will count as my exercise for the day (I’m a few blocks west and 70 blocks down).

This is the view from my friend Peter’s apartment. (Lucky Peter, right?? Also lucky me because I get to visit AND Peter is a fabulous cook.)

The tribute I wrote for Frank Smith that appeared in the program for our concert was an edited down version of my earlier post, basically. (I had to keep under a certain word count.)

In Memoriam: Frank C. Smith

A New York music critic once wrote, “In no other art are amateurs
privileged to enjoy the spiritual beauties of a creation in the degree
that music offers to choristers.” For Grace Church organist and
choirmaster Frank Smith that was an article of faith, and he
wanted to offer that privilege to the community outside the church.
After rebuilding the church choirs and overseeing the installation
of a new organ, he established a community chorus with this wife
Dilys, in 1974. You didn’t have to be a member of Grace Church
—all that was required was a love of music and the ability to sing.

When I showed up at the church almost a decade later for my
audition, I was taken to the music room. I was terrified, but Frank’s
calm and gentle nature helped, and I sang as best I could.
“Welcome to the Choral Society,” he said. Since that day, I haven’t
found the sorrow that couldn’t be at least somewhat alleviated, or
the joy that couldn’t be made even greater, by singing.

Frank Smith died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2010.
On behalf of all former and future members of
the Choral Society of Grace Church, thank you for the music, Frank.