May 11 - The World Askew Anew

Up early, helping Harriet get out on a job, and doing a bit of Journal work, then off to St. Mary's -- this the last week of regular classes, both here (with Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, first movement, complete, and excerpts from the rest of the piece, plus respective shorts from Sym 7 through 9: III.) and at Diablo Valey College (with dictations from Paul Desmond's Take Five presented by John and the Miles Davis Bitch's Brew thanks to Kyan, a nice board-harmony chord sequence from Austin, and fine compositions of Stephanie Geneza and Nate Thomas).


The lab eventually, after passing off various foks re keyboard-solfege re various old quizzes, with two more pages of orchestration re Elijah Rock: VI. Go (Elijah and Ahab), recording what's been done thus far, as well as V. Man (Elijah and the Widow's Son), briefest of coffee breaks with Doug, zipping home past the slant Poverty Hills,


the crooked lines of Lagoon Valley,


and the North Lagoons, the angled sun already goldening-out, and finishing Go instrumentalization before becoing totally horizontal.

April 1 - La Folia

Write up two Music and the Enlightenment quizzes in the middle of the night -- perhaps not a stellar idea, particularly when alarm will not sound, printer cartridge needs changing, but somehow make it to St. Mary's anyway, the bright sun blinding amongst the palms.



More Do Re Mi in Theory and reality, record King David: XVI. Before the Arc in the lab, and begin the orchestration of XVII. Song of Appraisal upon return through the stark Poverty Hills.



Oh yes, and a flat tire beyond the North Lagoon Mountains, just a few blocks from home, so limp in and call AAA, writing above while waiting in the comfort of home, rather than some lonely outpost, on this prankster/trickster date.

March 4 - Cloudier Mountains Verdant of Earth

The continuing saga of the rain continues, in shadow and sun, past a vivid Cordelia Junction from afar (the warehouses are almost forgivable)



or anear,



rocketing to the cumulo-nimbus of Diablo,



the Pleasant Hill offramp,



and St. Mary's, where Claudio Monteverdi (definitely Green Mountain and/or Forest) reigns supreme, blasting off again for DVC and Franz Gruber Silent Night dictation,



then to Marin for paper grading, postbox (with greetings), and a view of the Big Rock Ridge and Terra Linda Divide from Macy's, as thoughts turn to finishing the orchestration of Saul! Saul!: XI. Make an Offer (through page 134 of score) and also that of XII. Infernal People (all of two pages more).

February 16 - Working Vacation

Perhaps teaching at two schools means never having to say that you have a holiday, but it's delightful enough, despite the alternating torrents and shafts of gold, to spend time in a second week at St. Mary's, with our talented trio delving into an analysis of Henry VIII's Pastime with Good Company and making our way (finally) through most of the first week's material -- to the Sudanese Funj Sultinate and just about up to Thomas Tallis.



Back on the road again, taking leave of institution's namesake Ridge shedding bits of precip suspiciously whitish, we make our way back to the Lafayette-Moraga Trail,



with its vistas of the former's highlands,



sun hesitantly breaking through to this old railroad grade.



Short jaunt, barely long enough to appreciate the scrimmed views of the Las Trampas country adjacent to its Creek, before heading to a Chinese place for lunch, NYT, and paper grading (virtually everyone is doing quite well in the Diablo Valley Theory Class and at St. Mary's).




A brief stop at DVC to record Saul! Saul!: III. O early Piety! and IV. Fell Rage and Black Despair possessed Us before sailing up the slick roads back home, where Clare and Tisha have joined us, evidently for a 1920's revival.



Nothing to be done but orchestrate pages 3-6 of S!S!: V. O Lord, how Merciless numb (the title keeps changing), before succumbing to the numbness of nocturnal nostalgia.

February 9 - Bright Enlightenment

Up bright and early for first day at St. Mary's -- with Christine, Karina, and A.J. -- for Music and the Enlightenment (beginning featuring Reformation-era chorales of Martin Luther and the Hugh Aston My Lady Carey's Dompe),



with the sun glaring/streaming over the hills and world at large.



Back to Diablo Valley College for Theory thereafter, in a dictation of the Orkney Island Hymn to St. Magnus, and the lab, to record Saul! Saul!: II. Along the Monstrous Atheists Strode (default sounds from the Triton rack and c. 26 beats from ACID loops rock samples -- geological music!).



Next, in heading to Half Moon Bay, return to the Lafayette-Moraga Trail for a brief jaunt past giant Eucalypts,



sunset foothills,



and stately, plump residences.



West toward the San Mateo Bridge, clouds mount up as fantasy ridges,



the moon a polished scimitar among crescent ufos at Miramar Beach,



and the Henry Purcell Dioclesian score is waiting for me at Marilyn's, as arranged.



John B's house is illumined, but quiet,



amongst a generally subdued architectural array,



so up the coast, adjacent to ghostly waves, and home to Harriet, where the beginning orchestration of Saul!: III. O early Piety! awaits....

February 7 - Cross-Cultural Return

Second Henry Purcell Dioclesian / Mark Alburger Diocletian rehearsal with members of San Francisco Cabaret Opera at Berkeley Chamber Arts House,



with Indre et al in fine voice,



then off to Moraga Boulevard (a first),



past hills and


old orchards,



up St. Mary's Road




to Syufy Hall and the Chapel. Time for another walk.



The inclined plane of Mission Road leads into the hills



above dormatories,



becoming a gravel path,



ascending to the observatory



and solitary



cross,



looking across to St. Mary's Ridge,



ahead to the Berkeley Hills,



Rheem Hill,



and even, astoundingly, our distant Vaca Mountains, of all landmarks....



From this vantage point, the campus lies map-like below,



including Syufy Hall, the Library,



and Chapel.



A friendly recent alumnus, on a visit from Dana Point, has reached the summit as well, and we chat back to the trailhead, to vistas including a compromised Las Trampas Ridge,



the Observatory,



and the general splendor of the EBMUD (what an ungracious name in all this beauty) and Open Space Districts.



Crosses seem to the order of the day, at the start of a second walk, continuing on the Lafayette-Moraga Trail at the hardly-further-modified



Christian Church,



near the trail's turnoff from St. Mary's Road.



Here the course is somewhat more prosaic, until Rheem Hill's bare, decidous, parasite-festooned oaks loom into view,



at the Leisure Estates crossing (something about that nomenclature....) and



the cows take over,



staring,



glowering,



indifferent,



as the sun streaks through (beam me up, Cowie!)



and the trampled grass is renewed.



'Nuff said, and photographed, so there's nothing for it but to get on Route 24 west, with Diablo dominating,



and make the way back to Lagoon Valley in a daylight full moon,



with the North Lagoons making their characteristic surreal showing.



Harriet returns from various SF Cabaret Opera meetings, and I return to an orchestration of Saul! Saul!: II. Eli's Sons, page 3.