I have found myself lately picking up a project I had initially had no time - but a skeletal plan for, that I now have patience to do at a pace conducive to completion (I say this, as i actively tell myself I may not do more than Act 1).
Inveigling a friend of mine and fellow musician, I began a Caribbean English adaptation of Offenbach's La Jolie Parfumeuse/ The Prettty Perfumier: a comic opera in 3 acts.
People, let me be the first to admit that stubbornly going about translating an 1800's French opera into modern Caribbean English while interpreting to fit the syllabication of the music composed (using o semi clear copy of the libretto) is an exercise rife with almost equal parts agony and ecstasy.
Also on the list of personal project divertimienti, is a trio of songs from Musical Theatre I am arranging for A Cappella Mixed Chorus. The three pieces will be for lower, treble and mixed voices: SATB, TTBB, SSAA; and will be from different composers and lyricists but all of the 30's-50's Musical theatre era- And all focused on aspects of romantic love. the mixed chorus piece, 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' from the Hart and Rodgers musical Pal Joey, was a good evening's initial foray seated at my keyboard. let's see how the other two (TTBB with Porter's Easy to love from Anything Goes; SSAA with Gershwin's Embraceable you from Girl Crazy) will pan out.
Moving on to the 2024 ahead, I hope we all have peace, love, release and a lot more music!
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