Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

Well, we had our first rehearsal yesterday morning. As first rehearsals go, it wasn't too terribly bad. This is such a difficult concert for everyone that the main concern will be endurance. There will be bloody lips by the time this is all over!

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I got an unexpected phone call right after rehearsal. Rachel let me know that she was in town for the weekend! (Though I just saw that she left a response to my comment on her site telling me too. Oops!) I bought Kokanee and mint chocolate ice cream and she had chips and salsa from the dollar store and we watched "Alien" and "Aliens" and I played with her dog and we just had a nice evening. And I drank way too many Kokanees. She heads back home this afternoon.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUMMER!!!

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The next movement in The Planets is possibly the best movement, if not the most recognizable one. "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" has three distinct moods. Lots of great brass writing. The music of the second mood could be the basis for the music from the orgy-like scene from "Conan, the Barbarian" before Ah-nold destroys the temple. Very similar music. The third one is vintage Holst--writing a theme that sounds like it's an old English hymn. In fact, the music was original, but he adapted it to a poem by Cecil Spring-Rice, and the result was "I Vow to Thee, My Country", now a famous and well-loved English hymn. It was performed at the funeral of Princess Diana.

The video clip is not my favorite one, but I've been having issues with YouTube and Google over the past couple of days, so this is the best one I could get to load...