The life of a musician can be strenuous, at least at times. I know this from personal experience, even though my life is far from the worst. This is a particularly hectic period, which actually is kind of a failure on my part.
I had originally planned on doing no other work besides Kristina från Duvemåla during the entire production period, but here I am filling up almost every waking hour with other work (it is not that bad, to be fair, but some days it feels like that).
Life also has a tendency to throw you curve balls when you least expect it, and usually also when it is the least appropriate. All year, I have had plenty of spanners in my works, not work-related but in my personal life. I have still managed to stay on top of things, in spite of it all, and get some things done that I am quite proud of. Especially so considering the circumstances.
My Rhapsody for oboe, bassoon and piano is certainly one such point of pride. Following the premiere performance last Sunday, I got word from the trio that it was a great success and that they enjoyed performing it. I also learned that they will perform it again next week, in a concert outside Gothenburg at Älvsborg Church, Tuesday Nov 18th 7:00pm. Tickets at the door. More information is available at the websites of both Älvsborg Parish and the Gothenburg Chamber Music Society.
Once again, I am unable to go hear my new work performed as we’re still playing Kristina från Duvemåla, up to and including our last performance on November 20th. And immediately after, the next day I drive some 400 kilometres from Sundsvall up to Skellefteå to rehearse with the Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble, which I will join in the tenor section for a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on December 17th – in Sundsvall, at Tonhallen where we are playing Kristina från Duvemåla! (Back to the scene of the crime, in other words.)
Incidentally, I will be singing the very same music – the first three (of six) parts of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio – with the Härnösand Cathedral Choir the weekend before. Lots of Bach, in other words, which is totally fine by me. (It also gives me even more opportunities to bake my so-called Bach Cake – sponge cake with fresh ginger and sliced pears.)
In addition, I still have two more lectures to give on Computer and Video Game Music History for Framnäs Folk High School, an orchestral arrangement to finish for Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas concert, a concert in Berwaldhallen featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen and Janine Jansen to livestream, and a series of Christmas concerts with my dear friends in the Norwegian vocal ensemble Kurve, to boot. Oh, and I have a website to design for another friend and colleague of mine.
I could say that I’ll sleep when I’m dead – but considering how I will have lived my life, I’m not sure even death will be able to put me to rest…