Month: December 2022

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2022

Gerald reads  “Ring out, wild bells”

IN MEMORIAM (1850)
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand,
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Christmas Day has come and gone, and I feel compelled to leave a few digital artifacts here before turning the corner into the New Year.

Increasingly my energy and focus are directed to work for Parks and Recreation. Yet other projects are always simmering and occasionally bubbling up. As I reflect on the past few months, I feel satisfied with what I have been able to do. My creative work now seems to be slowly transitioning to a hobby and away from a half-time job (though some gigs are still paid). There is a constant pull to want to do more, to go bigger, and to be better. That’s my professional conditioning, of course, which can either motivate me or make me feel unfulfilled. Artists of all stripes often find themselves in this sort of bind. We tie ourselves up in knots, and then spend hours meditating or working to untie them.

A big step forward this season was to rejoin the ranks of those who sing Handel’s MESSIAH as an annual ritual. I jumped into this as a volunteer to investigate a question–how does extended singing in a concert setting feel? It’s been a long road back from summer Covid. My energy flagged a bit in hour 3–MESSIAH is a long song!  Yet I was pleased to discover that much of it remains in muscle memory. Admittedly, the more vocally challenging chorus numbers were not always effortless. But overall it felt fine, and occasionally even joyful. The Harmonia Orchestra and Chorus is a fine ensemble full of high-caliber singers and players.

I’m the leftmost singer in this photo.

Church music work remains a small but steady source of income. The hours I spend now in churches (and a Buddhist temple) have me living in mental landscapes of agnosticism and openness to surprise. Most of my work hours are spent with a progressive, undogmatic Baptist congregation that allows everyone to simply be present and open to possibility. My other haunts are two Episcopal churches that occasionally request my voice and skills when a regular staff member is unavailable.

A few samples from Advent and Christmas services.

Reading Isaiah 7:2-9

 

 

 

 

The center of my work for Parks and Recreation has been Tai Chi/Qigong teaching with a focus on wellness. Many folks that come to my classes keep coming back. Clearly, we all are reaping benefits from a developing practice. And I now have a range of administrative responsibilities that add professional weight to my role as a Recreation Leader. (In the photo below, I am modeling a shirt with the new logo for Long White Cloud Qigong.)

(In 2022, I also acknowledge friends and teachers who aren’t featured or mentioned on this page. Grateful for them!)

And there is this when all else feels like too much or too little. (Green Lake). On January 1, 2022, I walked here for several miles. Barring terrible weather, I will do so again on January 1, 2023. And count every step as a piece of good luck.

LO ZAMPOGNARO (The Bagpipers)
(Free English translation by G. Seminatore)

Gianni Francesco Rodari (Italia 1920-80)

An Italian writer and journalist who wrote popular works of children’s literature. He received the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1970.

Gerald reads “Lo Zampognaro”

(The link will open in a new window so you can follow along with the translation here if you wish.)

Se comandasse lo zampognaro che scende per il viale,
Sai che cosa direbbe il giorno di Natale?

If the bagpipers piping down the avenue ruled,
What would they say on Christmas Day?

Voglio che in ogni casa spunti dal pavimento
un albero fiorito di stelle d’oro e d’argento.

I want, in every house, growing from the floor,
A flowering tree of gold and silver stars.

Se comandasse il passero che sulla neve zampetta,
Sai che cosa direbbe con la voce che cinguetta?

If the sparrow pawing on the snow commanded it,
What it would say with its chirping voice?

Voglio che i bimbi trovino, quando il lume sarà acceso,
Tutti i doni sognati, più uno, per buon peso.

I want the children to find, when daylight appears,
All the gifts they dreamed of, plus one more for good measure.

Se comandasse il pastore dal presepe di cartone,
Sai che legge farebbe firmandola col lungo bastone?

If the shepherd in the cardboard nativity scene were a king,
What law he would make and sign with his staff?

Voglio che oggi non pianga nel mondo un solo bambino,
Che abbiano lo stesso sorriso il bianco, il moro, il giallino.

I command that not a single child in all the world will cry,
For they all have the same smile —white, dark brown, yellow.

Sapete che cosa vi dico io che non comando niente?
Tutte queste belle cose accadranno facilmente;

You know what I tell you?
All these beautiful things will happen easily, though I do not command anything.

Se ci diamo la mano i miracoli si fanno
E il giorno di Natale durerà tutto l’anno.

If we only shake hands, miracles are performed,
And Christmas day lasts all year.