This morning I have two things to start on. One is to research programme notes for a short organ recital on Saturday and the other is a portrait of a tree. The latter is a rather unusual commission!
I search out the photo I was sent of the tree and while it is printing I settle down at my laptop to research the music.
To my surprise it turns out the tasks are strangely linked.
As part of the International Year of Playing the Organ I have enrolled in a scheme in which organists across the globe will join forces in playing Handel’s “Ombra Mai Fu” in their own churches at 2pm on Saturday 22nd November across the globe to raise awareness of this magnificent instrument and the enjoyment that can be had from playing it.
There are three free arrangements of the piece for organ available to print from the Royal College of Organists website, created by Rosemary Field and varying in technical difficulty and clearly designed to be accessible as it is not a particularly challenging piece to play.
Often simply called “Handel’s Largo”, the piece actually comes from his opera Serse, written in 1738 and is the name of a famous aria within it. “Ombra Mai Fu” translates into English as “never was a more lovely shade” and is sung by King Xerxes to a plane tree he loves. In the aria he praises its beauty and shade above all other trees.
So while I am trying to paint a beautiful, shady tree that is important to a particular family man, in my musical life I will also be trying to depict a beautiful and shady tree in sound!
painting in progress…
I’m not giving any spoilers of the painting but here is an AI generated one!
There will be updates of both projects so watch this space!