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Classical music: What music is helping you get through the Coronavirus by staying home? Help create a Pandemic Playlist
Starting today, Wisconsin joins other states and countries in proclaiming a stay-at-home emergency condition to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
That means non-essential businesses and schools are closed; restaurants can only deliver food and do pick-up; and residents must stay at home except for essential services and travel such as buying food, seeing a doctor and getting medicine.
For a couple of weeks, many of us have already been spending almost all our time hunkering down at home.
And the Internet and other mass media are full of helpful hints about how to handle the loneliness, fear and anxiety that can come with self-isolation and self-quarantining.
For many, music proves a reliable coping strategy.
Since there are no live concerts to preview or review, now seems like a good time for The Ear to ask readers: What music helps you deal with the isolation of staying at home?
Is listening to music a part of your daily schedule, structure or routine?
Maybe you are using the time to discover new music or neglected composers, works and performers.
Maybe you are using the time to revisit old favorites by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.
Maybe you prefer darker and deeper, more introverted works such as symphonies by Mahler, Bruckner and Shostakovich?
Maybe you prefer the stories and drama of operas by Verdi and Puccini, oratorios by Handel and songs by Schubert?
Maybe, like The Ear, you find the music of Baroque Italian composers, such as the violin concertos by Vivaldi and Corelli, to be a great, upbeat way to start the day with energy and a good mood.
One more modern but neo-classical work that The Ear likes to turn to — a work that is rarely heard or performed live – is the beautiful "Eclogue" for piano and strings by the 20th-century British composer Gerald Finzi (below).
Finzi wrote it as a slow movement to a piano concerto, but then never finished the concerto. The "Eclogue" — a short pastoral poem — was never performed in his lifetime. So it continues to stand alone.
But like so much English pastoral music, the poignant Eclogue feels like sonic balm, some restorative comfort that can transport you to a calmer and quieter place, put you in a mood that you find soothing rather than agitated.
Hear it for yourself and decide by listening to it in the YouTube video at the bottom, then let The Ear know what you think.
Perhaps you have many other pieces to suggest for the same purpose.
But the series of reader suggestions is meant to be ongoing.
The idea is to build a collective "Pandemic Playlist."
So right now and for this time, please post just ONE suggestion – with a YouTube link, if possible — in the Comment section with perhaps what you like about it and why it works for you during this time of physical, psychological and emotional distress from COVID-19.
What do you think of the idea of creating a Pandemic Playlist?
The Ear hopes that you like his choice, and that he and other readers like yours.
Be well and stay well.
Let's get through this together.
Tags: #20thCentury, #AntonBruckner, #AntonioVivaldi, #ArcangeloCorelli, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BritishComposer, #BritishMusic, #CentersforDiseaseControl, #ChoralMusic, #COVID-19, #DmitriShostakovich, #EmotionalImpact, #EnglishComposer, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzSchubert, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GeraldFinzi, #GiacomoPuccini, #GiuseppeVerdi, #GoodMood, #GustavMahler, #HandelOratorio, #HealthCare, #HolidayFavorites, #HunkerDown, #ItalianBaroque, #JacobStockinger, #JohannSebastianBach, #LiveConcert, #LivingComposer, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MassMedia, #ModernMusic, #MusicReview, #NeglectedComposers, #NeglectedMusic, #NeglectedWorks, #NewMusic, #OperaMusic, #PandemicPlaylist, #PianoConcerto, #PianoMusic, #Self-Isolation, #shelter-at-home, #SlowMovement, #SocialDistancing, #Stayathome, #StringMusic, #TheEar, #TheInternet, #ViolinConcerto, #ViolinMusic, #VocalMusic, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YouTubevideo, 20th-century, agitating, agitation, alone, Anton Bruckner, Antonio Vivaldi, anxiety, Arcangelo Corelli, Arts, audience, Bach, balm, Baroque, beautiful, Beethoven, blog, Bruckner, Business, buy, calm, Centers for Disease Control, Chamber music, choice, choral music, Classical music, classicalmusic, closed, collective, comfort, Compact Disc, composer, Concert, condition, cope, coping, Corelli, coronavirus, countries, country, COVID19, create, daily, darker, day, decide, deeper, deliver, discover, distress, Dmitri Shostakovich, doctor, drama, Early music, Eclogue, Education, emergency, emotional, energy, English, essential, Facebook, favorites, fear, fight, finish, Finzi, food, forward, Franz Schubert, George Frideric Handel, Gerald Finzi, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, good, good mood, Gustav Mahler, Handel, health care, help, helpful, hints, Home, hunker down, idea, Internet, introvert, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, lifetime, like, link, live, live concert, Living composer, lockdown, loneliness, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Mahler, mass media, media, medicine, modern, mood, Mozart, Music, music review, neglected, neglected composer, neo-Classical, new, New Music, non-essential, old, opera, oratorio, Orchestra, pandemic, pandemic playlist, pastoral, performer, physical, Pianist, Piano, pick-up, piece, playlist, poem, poignant, post, posting, prefer, prevention, preview, proclaim, prove, psychological, psychology, Puccini, quarantine, quiet, quieter, rare, reliable, resident, restaurants, restorative, review, revisit, routine, schedule, school, schools, Schubert, self-isolating, Self-Quarantining, services, share, shelter, short, Shostakovich, sing, Singing, Slow movement, social, social distancing, song, songs, sonic, soothing, spend, start, state, stay at home, stories, strategy, stress, strings, structure, suggest, suggestion, symphony, tag, The Ear, think, thought, time, together, transport, travel, United States, use, Verdi, Viola, Violin, virus, Vivaldi, vocal music, weeks, wisconsin public radio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
Classical music: Saturday brings percussion music, chamber music and choral music, much of it free
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As you can tell from earlier posts this week, this weekend will be very busy with music.
But Saturday is especially, offering percussion music, chamber music and vocal music, much of it FREE.
PERCUSSION MUSIC
At 1:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, the Percussion Ensemble of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras will perform its 18th annual Percussion Extravaganza.
It features the world premiere of "Common Mind" by composer and WYSO alumnus Jon D. Nelson (below). For more a bout Nelson and his music, go to: http://jondnelson.com
More than 150 performers – instrumentalists, singers and dancers – will be featured.
Here is a link to details about the event, including ticket prices:
https://www.wysomusic.org/wyso-percussion-ensemble-to-present-the-2019-percussion-extravaganza/
At 3:30 p.m. in Morphy Hall, the Perlman Piano Trio plus two guest artists will give a FREE concert.
The program is the "Kakadu"Variations in G major, Op. 121a, by Ludwig van Beethoven; the Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49, by Felix Mendelssohn; and the Piano Quintet in F minor by Cesar Franck. (You can her the first movement of the Mendelssohn Trio performed in the YouTube vide at the bottom, by pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.)
Members of the quintet, based on an annual student piano trio supported by Kato Perlman (below), are: Kangwoo Jin, piano; Mercedes Cullen, violin; Micah Cheng, cello; Maynie Bradley, violin; and Luke Valmadrid, viola.
A reception will follow the concert.
At 8 p.m. in Mills Hall, the UW-Madison Concert Choir (below top) will perform a FREE concert under conductor Beverly Taylor (below bottom), who is the director of choral activities at the university.
AN UPDATE: Conductor Beverly Taylor has sent the following update about the program:
"I'm happy to update our Saturday, April 6, free concert at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall:
"The Concert Choir is singing a program called "Half a Bach and other good things."
"We're singing just half of the B Minor Mass: the Kyrie and Gloria (12 movements), which were what Bach originally wrote and sent off for his job interview!
We have a small orchestra and a mixture of student and professional soloists: Julia Rottmayer, Matthew Chastain, Wesley Dunnagan, Miranda Kettlewell, Kathleen Otterson, Elisheva Pront and Madeleine Trewin.
The remaining third of the concert is an eclectic mix of modern composers (Petr Eben's "De circuitu eternal," Gerald Finzi's "My Spirit Sang All Day"), Renaissance music (Orlando Gibbons' "O Clap your Hands"), spirituals and gospel.
Tags: #BeverlyTaylor, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CesarFranck, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #ConcertChoir, #EmanuelAx, #FacebookPosting, #FelixMendelssohn, #GeraldFinzi, #GospelMusic, #GuestArtist, #ItzhakPerlman, #JohannSebastianBach, #JonD.Nelson, #KakaduVariations, #KatoPerlman, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MassinBMinor, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MillsHall, #ModernComposers, #MorphyHall, #OrlandoGibbons, #PercussionEnsemble, #PercussionMusic, #PetrEben, #PianoQuintet, #PianoTrio, #RenaissanceMusic, #SpiritualMusic, #ThemeAndVariations, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VocalMusic, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #WorldPremiere, #Yo-YoMa, #YouTubevideo, activities, alumnus, audience, B Minor Mass, Beverly Taylor, blog, cellist, Cello, Cesar Franck, Chamber music, choral music, common, composer, Concert Choir, conductor, dancer, director, eclectic, Emanuel Ax, extravaganza, Facebook, Facebook post, Felix Mendelssohn, forward, free, Gerald Finzi, Gloria, gospel, guest artist, instrumentalist, Itzhak Perlman, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jon D. Nelson, Kakadu Variations, Kato Perlman, Kyrie, like, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Mass in B Minor, Mead Witter School of Music, Mills Hall, mind, mix, modern, Morphy Hall, movement, movements, Music, Orchestra, Orlando Gibbons, percussion, performer, Petr Eben, Pianist, Piano, Piano Quintet, Piano Trio, price, professional, program, Renaissance, Saturday, share, singer, small, soloist, spiritual, spirituals, tag, theme, theme and variations, ticket, University of Wisconsin, variations, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, vocal music, Website, week, weekend, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, world premiere, WYSO, Yo-Yo Ma, YouTube
Classical music: The Wisconsin Chamber Choir will sing a varied holiday program about peace on Earth this coming Saturday night
This coming Saturday night, the Wisconsin Chamber Choir (below) will sing its holiday concert featuring works about peace on Earth.
The concert is at 7:30 p.m. in the Atrium Auditorium, (below, in a photo by Zane Williams) of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive.
The holiday message of peace and good will to all people resonates across the centuries. Tragically, the proclamation, "Peace on earth" is every bit as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.
WCC director and conductor Robert Gehrenbeck (below), who directs the choral program at the UW-Whitewater and who is celebrating his 10th season with the group, writes in his program notes to the concert:
"According to New York Times foreign correspondent Chris Hedges, "Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history." "This evening's program by the Wisconsin Chamber Choir explores humanity's yearning for peace through the centuries.
The centerpiece of the WCC's 2017 holiday concert is British composer Gerald Finzi's exquisite retelling of the Christmas story, In terra pax, for choir, soloists and chamber orchestra. Baritone Brian Leeper (below top) and soprano Ann Baltes (below bottom) are among the featured soloists, performing with members of Sinfonia Sacra, the WCC's professional orchestra.
In his own program notes, Finzi explained that the Nativity "becomes a vision seen by a wanderer on a dark and frosty Chrismas Eve, in our own familiar landscape."
Finzi scholar Andrew Burn elaborates: "On New Year's Eve, 1926, the 25-year old Gerald Finzi (below) joined the bell-ringers of the tiny church of St. Bartholomew perched on the crest of Chosen Hill, near Gloucester, as they rang in the New Year. For Finzi, the experience was unforgettable—the frosty starlit night with bells ringing out from churches far and near across the Severn valley—and from it sprang the orchestral New Year Music and [25 years later] In terra pax, his last major composition.
In terra pax is a masterpiece in miniature. Finzi's pacifism is at its heart, and his belief that men and women of goodwill should live harmoniously together. Weaving through the music are three ideas: the pealing of the bells with their joyous message, a phrase from the carol The First Nowell, and the alleluia refrain from the hymn Lasst uns erfreuen ('Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones")." (You can hear the opening of the work in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Complementing Finzi's music are two other works with instrumental accompaniment: Felix Mendelssohn's moving prayer for peace, Verleih uns Frieden, and an energetic Gloria from Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in A major.
Several more recent works bring the concert's message up to date, including Cry Peace by Libby Larsen (below top) and the haunting Winter Solstice Carol by Giles Swayne (below bottom).
A varied selection of carol arrangements rounds out the program, including a resplendent setting of Silent Night by one of the WCC's favorite composers, Peter Bloesch (below).
Founded in 1998, the Wisconsin Chamber Choir has established a reputation for excellence in the performance of oratorios by Bach, Mozart and Brahms; a cappella works from various centuries; and world premieres.
Advance tickets for the Dec. 16 performance are available for $20 ($10 for students) from www.wisconsinchamberchoir.org, via Brown Paper Tickets, or at Orange Tree Imports and Willy Street Coop (all three locations).
Tickets will also be available at the door for $25 ($10 for students).
Tags: a cappella, admission, alleluia, Andrew Burn, Arts, ATRIUM, auditorium, Bach, baritone, Baroque, bekll, Brahms, British, Carol, Cello, century, Chamber music, chamber orchestra, choral music, Chris Hedges, Christmas, christmas eve, church, Classical music, composer, Composition, Concert, conductor, correspondent, director, Early music, Earth, excellence, First Noel, First Unitarian Society of Madison, foreign, Gerald Finzi, giles swayne, Gloria, Gloucester, good will, gospel, heaven, hill, Holiday, holy, host, human, hymn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, journalism, Joy, Libby Larsen, Luke, Madison, masterpiece, men, Mendelssohn, message, miniature, Mozart, multitude, Music, nativity, New Year, New York Times, night, notes, Orange Tree Imports, oratorio, Orchestra, pacifism, peace, Peter Bloesch, prayer, premiere, proclamation, professional, program, refrain, relevant, reputation, ringer, Robert Gehrenbeck, Saturday, scholar, Season, Silent Night, soloist, soprano, St. Bartholomew, story, symphony, ticket, UK, United Kingdom, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW-Whitewater, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Willy Street Co-op, Willy Street Coop, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Choir, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, women, world, world premiere, YouTube
Classical music: YOU MUST HEAR THIS — the slow movement of the Violin Concerto by Gerald Finzi
The Ear has long had a fondness for the works of the 20th-century British composer Gerald Finzi (below).
His work may be relatively tweedy and conservative, but it is unmistakably modern. It is very poignant and appealing, with accessible harmonies and beautiful melodies. He seems much like a British Samuel Barber.
Ever since he first heard it maybe 20 years ago, The Ear has loved Finzi's pastoral Eclogue for Piano and String Orchestra, which was meant to be the slow movement of a piano concerto but ended up being an independent work. And, judging by how increasingly often it gets played on Wisconsin Public Radio, the Eclogue seems to be a favorite among a growing number of fans.
But there are other works.
There is the Romance for Violin and Small Orchestra.
There is the Romance for String Orchestra.
There is the Concerto for Cello.
There is his Romance for Clarinet and String Orchestra as well as the Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Orchestra.
And now The Ear has discovered the slow movement — appropriately marked "very serene" — of the Violin Concerto by Finzi, which you can hear in the YouTube video at the bottom.
It is performed by British violinist Tasmin Little (below, in a photo by Melanie Winning), who four seasons years ago turned in wonderful performances in Madison with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra under Andrew Sewell. She played Finzi's rarely heard "Introit."
If you want to hear the whole concerto, it is available for free on YouTube from a couple of different performers. And you can find many other works by Finzi on YouTube.
In any case, The Ear hopes the Violin Concerto gets programmed at a local concert.
This past summer, the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society featured a song cycle by Finzi. Even so, we need to hear more music by Gerald Finzi in live performances.
Finzi was a modest and retiring man, publicity shy and not given to self-aggrandizement or self-promotion, who went underperformed and underappreciated during his lifetime. But he is an extremely welcoming and moving modern composer.
The Ear thinks he deserves a better place among other modern British composers who have become more popular, including Ralph Vaughan Williams (shown, below right, with Finzi), Benjamin Britten, Frank Bridge, William Walton and others.
Are there other Gerald Finizi fans out there?
What do you think about him?
And what is your favorite work by Gerald Finzi?
Tags: accessible, Andrew Sewell, Arts, Bach, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, bagatelle, Barber, Baroque, beautiful, Benjamin Britten, British, Britten, Cello, Chamber music, clarinet, Classical music, composer, concerto, conservative, cycle, dance, dynamite, Eclogue, England, English, Frank Bridge, Gerald Finzi, Great Britain, harmony, introit, Jacob Stockinger, live, Madison, melody, modern, movement, Music, Orchestra, pastoral, performance, Piano, promotion, publicity, Ralph Vaughan Williams, recording, Romance, Samuel Barber, self-aggrandizement, self-promotion, serene, singer, Slow movement, society, song, String Orchestra, summer, symphony, Tasmin Little, tweed, U.K., UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, William Walton, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wisconsin public radio, work, YouTube
Classical music: Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society announces its upcoming summer season of "Alphabet Soup" this June
The time for announcing new seasons has arrived.
Pretty soon, over the next several weeks and months, The Ear will hear from larger and smaller presenters and ensembles in the Madison area, and post their new seasons.
First out of the gate is the critically acclaimed and popular summer group, the Madison-based Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society. (You can see a short promo video about BDDS on the YouTube video at the bottom.)
It has just announced its upcoming summer season this June, and sent out brochures with the season's details.
This will be the 26th annual summer season and it has the theme of "Alphabet Soup."
The concept is explained online and in a brochure newsletter (also online) in an editorial essay by BDDS co-founder and co-artistic director flutist Stephanie Jutt (seen below with co-founder and co-director pianist Jeffrey Sykes).
By the way, Jutt is retiring from the UW-Madison this spring but will continue to play principal flute with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and to work and perform with BDDS.
In many ways it will be a typical season of the eclectic group. It will feature local and imported artists. Many of both are favorites of The Ear.
His local favorites include UW-Madison pianist Christopher Taylor; violist Sally Chisholm of the UW-Madison's Pro Arte Quartet; UW violinist Soh-Hyun Park Altino (below top, in a photo by Caroline Bittencourt); and Pro Arte cellist Parry Karp (below bottom).
Among The Ear's favorite guest artists are violinist Carmit Zori, clarinetist Alan Kay, the San Francisco Piano Trio (below top); UW alumna soprano Emily Birsan; pianist Randall Hodgkinson; and baritone Timothy Jones (below bottom).
As usual, the season features 12 concerts of six programs over three weeks (June 9-25) in three venues – the Playhouse in the Overture Center (below top), the Hillside Theater (below middle) at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin compound in Spring Green and the Stoughton Opera House (below bottom).
In addition, there is a FREE family concert in the Overture Playhouse on June 10.
What does seem somewhat new is the number of unknown composers and an edgier, more adventurous choice of pieces, including more new music and more neglected composers.
Oh, there will be classics by such composers as Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Luigi Boccherini, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel, Bela Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, Benjamin Britten and others. These are the ABC's of the alphabet soup, according to BDDS.
But also represented are composers such as Philippe Gaubert, Czech Holocaust victim Gideon Klein (below), Guillaume Conneson, Carl Czerny, Paul Moravec and Franz Doppler. These are the XYZ's of the alphabet soup.
In between come others. Contemporary American composer, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Kevin Puts (below) is a BDDS favorite and is well represented. You will also find less performed works by Ned Rorem, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Gerald Finzi.
For the complete programs and schedules as well as the list of performers, some YouTube videos and ticket prices, both for season tickets ($109.50, $146, $182 and $219) and for individual concerts ($43), and other information, go to:
http://bachdancinganddynamite.org/concerts/festival-concerts/
Tags: ABC, Alan Kay, alphabet soup, Arnold Schoenberg, Arts, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, baritone, Bartok, BDDS, Benjamin Britten, Boccherini, Carl Czerny, Carmit Zori, Cello, Chamber music, Christopher Taylor, clarinet, Classical music, composer, Czech, Emily Birsan, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Frank Lloyd Wright, Franz Doppler, Gerald Finzi, Gideon Klein, Guillaume Conneson, Haydn, Hillside Theater, Holocaust, Jacob Stockinger, Jeffrey Sykes, Johannes Brahms, Kevin Puts, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mozart, Music, Ned Rorem, New Music, opera, Orchestra, Overture Center, Parry Karp, Paul Moravec, Philippe Gaubert, Piano, Piano Trio, Pro Arte Quartet, Pulitzer Prize, Randall Hodgkinson, Ravel, Sally Chisholm, San Francisco Piano Trio, San Francisco Trio, Schubert, Season, Sergei Prokofiev, Soh-Hyun Park Altino, Sonata, soprano, soup, Spring Green, Stephanie Jutt, Stoughton Opera House, summer, symphony, Taliesin, Tchaikovsky, Timothy Jones, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, victim, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, XYZ, YouTube
Classical music education: This Sunday the Madison Youth Choirs will present their Winter Concert Series celebrating "Shakespeare 400 "
This winter, the Madison Youth Choirs are joining cultural institutions around the world by celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare (below) and his ongoing legacy.
Singers of various ages will perform musical settings from the plays Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost and The Tempest by composers including William Byrd, Thomas Morley, Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Benjamin Britten, Giuseppe Verdi, Cesar Franck, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, John Rutter and others.
Examining the role that motif, tension, structure and rhythm play in the repertoire and Shakespeare's vast body of work, the choirs will explore the elements that combine to create compelling art that stands the test of time.
The MYC Winter Concerts, "Shakespeare 400," will take place this Sunday, Dec. 11, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ (below), 1609 University Ave., near Camp Randall stadium.
Here is the schedule: 1:30 p.m. Girl choirs; 4 p.m. Boy choirs; 7 p.m. High School Ensembles
Tickets will be available at the door. Admission to each of the three concerts is $10 for the general public, $5 for students 7-18, and free for children under 7
Here is the repertoire for the MYC 2016 Winter Concert Series "Shakespeare 400":
1:30 p.m. Concert (Featuring MYC Girlchoirs)
Choraliers
"Hey Ho! To the Greenwood" by William Byrd
"Spirits" by Douglas Beam
"Orpheus With His Lute" by Ralph Vaughan Williams
"Double, Double Toil and Trouble" by Leeann Starkey
Con Gioia
"When Icicles Hang by the Wall" by David Lantz III
"You Spotted Snakes" by Toby Young
"Ban Ban Caliban" by Dan Forrest
"Hark! The Echoing Air" by Henry Purcell
"Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind" by Sarah Quartel
"Philomel with Melody" and "I Will Wind Thee in My Arms" by Cary Ratliff
"It Was a Lover and His Lass" by John Rutter
When Icicles Hang" by Stephen Hatfield
"Che faceste" from Macbeth (sung in Italian) by Giuseppi Verdi
4 p.m. Concert (Featuring MYC Boychoirs)
Combined Boychoirs
"One December, Bright and Clear" Traditional Catalonian carol, arr. By Wilberg
"Panis Angelicus" by Cesar Franck
"Chairs to Mend" by William Hayes
"Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind" by John Rutter (heard in the YouTube video at the bottom)
"The Coasts of High Barbary" Traditional English sea song, arr. By Julseth-Heinrich
"Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind" by Roger Quilter
"Full Fathom Five" by John Ireland
"Who is Silvia" by Franz Schubert
"Full Fathom Five" by Robert Johnson
"Sing We and Chant It" by Thomas Morley
"Come Away, Death" by Gerald Finzi
"The Witching Hour" by Brandon Ayres
7 p.m. Concert (Featuring High School Ensembles)
"The Willow Song" by Arthur Sullivan
"Willow, Willow, Willow" by Charles H.H. Parry
"Fair Oriana Seeming to Wink at Folly" by Robert Jones
"You Spotted Snakes" (from A Midsummer Night's Dream) by Felix Mendelssohn
"Give Them Thy Fingers" by Stefan Kalmer
"Four Arms, Two Necks, One Wreathing" by Thomas Weelkes
"And Draw Her Home with Music" by Nancy Hill Cobb
"Come Away, Death" by Roger Quilter
Selections from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten
Cantabile and Ragazzi
"Ave Verum Corpus" by William Byrd
"Jingle, Bells!" by James Pierpont, arr. by David Wilcocks
These concerts are generously endowed by the Diane Ballweg Performance Fund with additional support from the American Girl's Fund for Children, BMO Harris Bank and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
About the Madison Youth Choirs (MYC): Recognized as an innovator in youth choral music education, Madison Youth Choirs (MYC) welcomes singers of all ability levels, annually serving more than 1,000 young people, ages 7-18, through a wide variety of choral programs in our community.
Cultivating a comprehensive music education philosophy that inspires self-confidence, personal responsibility, and a spirit of inquiry leading students to become "expert noticers," MYC creates accessible, meaningful opportunities for youth to thrive in the arts and beyond.
For further information, contact: Nicole Sparacino, Madison Youth Choirs, Nicole@madisonyouthchoirs.org or call (608) 238-7464
Tags: A Midsummer Night's Dream, arrangements, Art, Arthur Sullivan, Arts, Baroque, Benjamin Britten, boy choir, boychoir, boys, Byrd, cantabile, Capriccio, Carol, Catalonia, Cesar Franck, Chamber music, chant, choral music, Classical music, comedy, David Wilcocks, death, drama, elementary school, folk song, Franz Schubert, Gerald Finzi, girls, girls choir, high school, Holst, Ireland, Italian, Jacob Stockinger, John Ireland, John Rutter, legacy, Love's Labour's Lost, lute, Madison, Madison Youth Choirs, Mendelssohn, Middle school, motif, Music, Music education, Orpheus, Parry, plays, Purcell, Ralph Vaughan Williams, rhythm, Schubert, sea, Shakepseare, snake, structure, Tempest, tension, Thomas Morley, tradition, traditional, tragedy, Twelfth Night, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Verdi, vocal music, William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare's plays, willow, Wind, winter, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, youth choirs, YouTube
Classical music: Meet Joseph Morris, principal clarinet of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He solos in a concerto by Aaron Copland this weekend.
Conductor John DeMain and the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will open the MSO's 90th season this coming weekend.
The program includes the "Leonore" Overture No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven; the Clarinet Concerto by Aaron Copland with MSO principal clarinet Joseph Morris (below, in a photo by Cheryl Savan) as soloist; and the Symphony No. 4 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The concerts in Overture Hall in the Overture Center, 201 State St., are Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
One hour before each performance, Michael Allsen, UW-Whitewater Professor of Music, MSO Trombonist & MSO program notes annotator, will lead a 30-minute Prelude Discussion in Overture Hall to enhance concertgoers' understanding and listening experience.
More background on the music can also be found in the Program Notes at: http://www.madisonsymphony.org/tchaikovsky
Single Tickets, $16 to $85 each, can be purchased at www.madisonsymphony.org/singletickets, through the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street, or by calling the Box Office at (608) 258-4141.
Groups of 15 or more can save 25 percent by calling the MSO office at (608) 257-3734.
For more information visit, www.madisonsymphony.org/groups
Student rush tickets can be purchased in person on the day of the concert at the Overture Box Office at 201 State Street. Students must show a valid student ID and can receive up to two $12 or $15 tickets. More information is at: www.madisonsymphony.org/studentrush. Students can receive 20% savings on seats in select areas of the hall on advance ticket purchases.
Find more information at http://www.madisonsymphony.org.
Clarinetist Joe Morris (below, in a photo by Jennifer Morgan) recently agreed to an email Q&A with The Ear:
Could you briefly introduce yourself to readers and give some highlights of your education and career?
I grew up in Northern California before heading to Los Angeles where I did my undergraduate degree in Clarinet Performance at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. It was there that I began my studies with Yehuda Gilad (below), who has been, by far, the highlight of my musical education.
After graduating I continued my studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where I received a Professional Studies Certificate in 2014.
Some highlights of my education included summers at the Aspen Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra and two summers at the Music Academy of the West studying with Richie Hawley.
I won the MSO's Principal Clarinet audition out of 44 applicants in 2013 when I was 22 and still studying at Colburn.
This past winter, I joined the Sarasota Opera Orchestra in Florida as their Principal Clarinetist and I have spent the past two summers at the Clarinet Faculty at the Luzerne Music Center in the Adirondack region of New York.
Other highlights of the last few years have been returning to Colburn to perform John Adams' Gnarly Buttons for solo clarinet and chamber orchestra with Mr. Adams conducting, and competing in the fifth Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition in Odense, Denmark.
How have your years in Madison with the MSO been?
I have enjoyed the past two seasons in Madison very much! Madison is a wonderful city and it has been very fun to get to explore all that it has to offer.
I love the sense of community in Madison and especially how that extends to the MSO (below). My colleagues in the orchestra are fantastic players as well as wonderful people. Everyone brings out the best in one another throughout the rehearsal and performance process.
It has also been a huge honor to receive the support of the MSO audiences who never cease to amaze me with their knowledge and enthusiasm for what we do on stage.
What was your Aha! moment –- perhaps a performer or a specific performance or a piece of music — when you first knew you wanted to be a professional musician?
When I was 15, I spent a summer at the Interlochen Arts Camp (below) in Michigan. After a summer of intense study, I realized that I had to pursue music as a career. More than anything it was the shared experience with my peers, who felt the same intensity for music that I did, that brought me to that conclusion.
At the end of every summer at Interlochen the entire camp performs Franz Liszt's Les Preludes together in an enormous musical collaboration. That specific performance will always remain in my memory as something that laid the foundation for my decision to go into music.
How do you compare the Copland Concerto to other well-known clarinet concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Nielsen and Gerald Finzi (which you performed with the Middleton Community Orchestra). And what would you like listeners to know about the Copland Clarinet Concerto in terms of its structure, technical difficulties, melodies and harmonies, whatever?
One thing that always interests me about works for the clarinet is whom the composer had in mind when they wrote it. For Mozart, that was Anton Stadler; for Nielsen, it was Aage Oxenvad; for Johannes Brahms, it was Richard Muhlfeld; and for Copland, it was Benny Goodman. And Benny Goodman's style, especially as a big band jazz musician, is extremely apparent in this concerto.
It opens with a first movement that is more typically Copland (below top) than Goodman (below bottom) — with huge interval leaps in the solo line over truly gorgeous string writing. It reminds me of the opening passage of his "Appalachian Spring," which, coincidentally, was the first piece I ever performed with the MSO.
Following the lyrical "first movement" is an extended cadenza where Goodman starts to take over as the piece morphs into something much more lively and jazz based. After the cadenza the orchestra comes back in for a sort of "second movement" that eventually comes to a very frenzied and glissando-laden finish.
(You can hear the first movement played by Benny Goodman with composer Aaron Copland conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a YouTube video at the bottom.)
Apart from concertos and chamber music specifically written for the clarinet, what orchestral works have your favorite clarinet parts?
I love the way the clarinet timbre can emerge from the orchestra with a sort of floating quality in a lyrical passage. For that reason two of my favorite orchestral works for the clarinet are Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 and Ottorino Respighi's "Pines of Rome," which the Madison Symphony Orchestra (below) will perform at its April 29-May 1 concerts.
What else would you like to say?
I'm very excited for this upcoming concerto both because of the opportunity to perform this concerto with my marvelous colleagues, and also to then get to sit in the orchestra with them all for Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.
Tags: Aaron Copland, Appalachian Spring, Arts, Aspen Music Festival, Beethoven, Benny Goodman, big band, Carl Nielsen, Chamber music, clarinet, Classical music, composer, concerto, conduct, Denmark, Fidelio, Gerald Finzi, harmony, Interlochen, Jacob Stockinger, Jazz, Johannes Brahms, John Adams, John DeMain, Leonore, Leonore Overture No. 3, Les Preludes, Liszt, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, melody, Middleton Community Orchestra, Mozart, Music, Music Academy of the West, Orchestra, Overture Center, Pines of Rome, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Respighi, structure, swing, Tchaikovsky, Thornton School of Music, United States, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, USC, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Yehuda Gilad, YouTube
Classical music: John W. Barker finds the Wisconsin Chamber Choir "moving" and "overwhelming" in its performance of the "German" Requiem by Johannes Brahms.
Here is a special posting, a review written by frequent guest critic and writer for this blog, John W. Barker. Barker (below) is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also is a well-known classical music critic who writes for Isthmus and the American Record Guide, and who for 12 years hosted an early music show every other Sunday morning on WORT FM 89.9 FM. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival and frequently gives pre-concert lectures in Madison. He also provided the performance photos for this review.
By John W. Barker
Having already established an enviable level of achievement with his Wisconsin Chamber Choir (below), conductor Robert Gehrenbeck led it to new heights with the concert on Saturday night at Luther Memorial Church.
The program opened with two examples of Gehrenbeck's interest in promoting new choral works through commissions.
The first, sung by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chamber Singers at his academic base, was by American composer Christian Ellenwood (below).
Entitled "Prairie Spring," it set a poem by Willa Cather, celebrating the Nebraska landscape, scored for choir and string orchestra. This is a gentle piece, full of lyric grace, in a neo-Romantic style, and reflecting a confident command of choral texture. It made me think a little of the music of British composer Gerald Finzi. The words were somewhat obscured, but that may partly have been a function of the church's spacious acoustics.
The second new work was by the older British composer Giles Swayne (below) that sets selected lines from Herman Melville's Moby Dick, under the title of "Our Orphan Souls." Solo baritone Gregory Berg (below) delivered reflections of Captain Ahab, with chorus, alto saxophone, harp, double bass and percussion.
The solo writing has strength, and might have been built into a more extended soliloquy—and baritone Gregory Berg delivered it with strength. But the choral writing — sung by the Wisconsin Chamber Choir itself — was unsettled and unidiomatic, running from word to word without much continuity of lines.
Ah, but the main event! Nothing less than the "German" Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem), one of the greatest of choral works, by one of the greatest of choral composers, Johannes Brahms (below). Setting passages from Scripture in the Martin Luther translation, Brahms made this a big work, both in length and in performing demands.
The chancel of Luther Memorial has only so much space, forcing a lot of crowding. The orchestra—37 players, familiar local performers—was arrayed through the center, while the two blended choirs were stationed on risers to either side: sopranos and tenors on the left, altos and basses on the right (below).
Such an arrangement could have strained ensemble coordination, but in fact it worked quite well. Indeed, it actually made it possible to follow the interaction of voice parts better than when the whole choir is in a single clump. German diction was a bit blurred, but, again, acoustics must take some blame. (I should note that I sat close and up front, so that what and how I heard may have been somewhat different from those in seating further back.)
The two soloists were both engaging. A last-minute replacement, soprano Catherine Henry (below left), was deeply expressive, a rich-voiced exemplar of the comforting mother we would all want to have.
The baritone, Brian Leaper, was a deft guide to the mysteries of mortality.
The orchestra took on its large assignment with skill, and the choral singers were simply magnificent. But the highest praise must go to Gehrenbeck himself. His tempos were flexible, his balances neatly coordinated, and his sense of what each of the seven movements had to say was perfect. This is not only a superb choral conductor, but a musician of true artistry.
I write as someone for whom the Brahms Requiem has profound meaning. I have known and loved it since student days. I have sung in it several times, and listened to it in many recordings and performances. It is one of the musical threads of my life.
But I think I can honestly say that this was the most meaningful performance of the work that I have ever experienced. I often felt moved to tears by the beautiful, truthful messages that Robert Gehrenbeck (below) — who heads the choral program at UW-Whitewater — brought to realization out of it.
There is a small lifetime list I keep of concerts and performances that I forever cherish, and this one is a rare addition—a presentation I will remember for the rest of my days.
One more reminder, then, of the riches Madison offers in choral music alone!
Tags: A German Requiem (Brahms), acoustics, Ahab, alto, American Record Guide, Arts, baritone, bass, choral music, Christian Ellenwood, Classical music, diction, double bass, Gerald Finzi, German Requiem, giles swayne, Grassland, harp, Herman Melville, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, Madison, Madison Early Music Festival, Martin Luther, Moby Dick, Music, neo-Romantic, Orchestra, percusssion, Robert Gehrenbeck, Romantic, Saxophone, Scripture, soprano, String Orchestra, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW-Whitewater, Willa Cather, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Choir, WORT-FM 89.9, YouTube
Classical music: YOU MUST HEAR THIS: Samuel Barber's "Canzonetta" for Oboe and String Orchestra. Plus a FREE one-hour hymn sing in Overture Hall is this Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
ALERT: A FREE one-hour community Hymn Sing will take place this Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in Overture Hall with the Overture Concert Organ played by guest Joe Chrisman. The event is put on jointly by the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Overture Center for the Arts.
Today's YOU MUST HEAR THIS comes from a recent concert that I attended.
I first heard this work — the Canzonetta for Oboe and String Orchestra by the 20th-century American composer Samuel Barber (below top) — at the concert by the Middleton Community Orchestra (below bottom) on Wednesday night a week ago.
So far as The Ear knows, the piece has never been programmed by the Madison Symphony Orchestra or, more appropriately, by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
Not that it is too late. It could stand being programmed again and having a wider hearing. I think it would even be welcome at Concerts on the Square.
I also can't recall ever hearing it at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, although it seems a perfect choice and could well have been part of a student recital with a piano instead of the orchestra.
In any case, the Canzonetta for Oboe and String Orchestra was a last work -– the middle movement on an unfinished oboe concerto, much like British composer Gerald Finzi's beautiful "Eclogue" was the middle movement of an uncompleted piano concerto.
The piece has all the hallmarks of Barber, who is best known for his Adagio for Strings. It is neo-Romantic, melodic, tonal and wholly accessible while being unmistakably modern. It is poignant and bittersweet, like many moments in the gorgeous and widely performed Violin Concerto that Barber composed.
In fact, some of the harmonies in the Canzonetta remind The Ear of the sublime and moving "Nimrod" Variation in Sir Edward Elgar's "Enigma" Variations.
I am not alone in being introduced to this work for the first time. A few very seasoned musicians and music fans in the audience I spoke to had never heard it either.
But it was given a splendid performance by the MCO under conductor Kyle Knox and guest oboist Andy Olson (below), who was trained at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, and who now works at Epic Systems near Madison.
Here is a link to a rave review that John W. Barker (below), who normally writes for Isthmus, did for this blog:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/classical-music-the-middleton-community-orchestra-under-conductor-kyle-knox-turns-in-its-most-impressive-performance-so-far-the-brass-proves-especially-noteworthy/
So here is a link to a YouTube video of the piece itself — the seven-minute "canzonetta" or little song, as the title announces. It is sadly telling of the work's fate that you cannot find a version with either a well-known oboist or well-known string orchestra.
Enjoy and let us know what you think of it.
Tags: Adagio for Strings, Andy Olson, Appleton, Arts, canzonetta, Chamber music, Classical music, Eclogue, Elgar, Enigma Variations, fight song, Gerald Finzi, hymn sing, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, John W. Barker, Kyle Knox, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Middleton Community Orchestra, Music, Nimrod, Oboe, Orchestra, Overture Center, Overture Hall, Samuel Barber, Samuel Hutchison, song, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, YouTube
Classical music: The Ear names the Middleton Community Orchestra and adult amateur music-makers as Musicians of the Year for 2014.
Today is New Year's Eve, 2014.
Each year, I close out the old year and greet the new year by naming a Musician of the Year.
I heard a lot of great music this past year.
Much of it you can relive in the year-end roundup by John W. Barker, the regular classical music critic for Isthmus who also contributes so much to this blog.
Here is a link that that roundup:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/classical-music-here-is-a-wrap-up-of-the-best-of-2014-in-madison-thanks-to-isthmus-critic-john-w-barker/
One of the ways in which John and I agree –- and in fact, we usually do agree — is regarding the Middleton Community Orchestra (below) for its admirable achievements in only four seasons.
As loyal readers know, I am a big supporter of music education. In fact, for the sake of full disclosure, I should say that I sit on the board of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO). And music education for young people and young students is about a lot more than music, as so much social science and psychological research continues to prove.
But this year I want to recognize ADULT amateur musicians.
These days, adult amateurs may seem unusual or an exception. But the historical fact is that for centuries, classical music was primarily the domain of amateur rather than professional performers.
So I am singling out the Middleton Community Orchestra, which uses some professional talent, but relies mostly on amateurs.
I have already written about how they point the way to the future for larger ensembles with the shorter programs; with the kind of music that is programmed; with the low price of admission ($10 for adults and FREE for students); and with the post-concert socializing with musicians and other audience members (below) — all of which adds up to a laudable community service that integrates a performing art into everyday life and society. That is a mission worth supporting.
Here is a older review that I did. In it I talk about some of what I admire by giving nine reasons to attend the MCO:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/classical-music-review-let-us-now-praise-amateur-music-makers-and-restoring-sociability-to-art-here-are-9-reasons-why-i-liked-and-you-should-attend-the-middleton-community-orchestra/
But the MCO, founded by members Mindy Taranto and Larry Bevic, is as much about hearing great and accessible music as it is about community service.
I will long remember piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edvard Grieg played by UW-Madison pianist Thomas Kasdorf, who will perform the famously popular Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor — the signature concerto of Van Cliburn — by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky with the MCO this spring.
I will also remember Madison-born, UW-trained and Juilliard-trained violist Vicki Powell (below) in shorter and unknown works by Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Max Bruch.
I will long remember former MCO concertmaster Alice Bartsch, who studied at the UW-Madison School of Music, in a wonderful interpretation of a Romance by Antonin Dvorak before she left for graduate studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
The same held true for Alice's gifted violinist sister, Eleanor Bartsch,when she was joined (below) by fellow UW-Madison grad Daniel Kim in Mozart's sublime Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola.
And I will remember the most recent performance with Madison Symphony Orchestra's amazing principal clarinetist Joe Morris performing a rarely heard concerto by the under-appreciated 20th-century English composer Gerald Finzi.
I will also remember fondly performances of symphonies by Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms done by the MCO under the baton of conductor Steve Kurr (below), who teaches music at Middleton High School. (The MCO performs in the Middleton Performing Arts Center that is attached to the high school.)
As with so many groups, including professional ones, booking great soloists seems to push the performers in the group to an even high level of playing. But the MCO takes care to book soloists with local ties, including soprano Emily Birsan who recently was at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, which adds an element of local pride to the event.
The MCO has some appealing concerts coming up in 2015. It deserves to have even larger audiences at its mid-week concerts.
Here is a link to their website, where you can see photos and learn about how to support the group and how to join the group as well as what concerts and program the MCO will perform during the rest of this season.
http://middletoncommunityorchestra.org
But I would also be remiss if I didn't mention other ways that are outlets for adult amateur musicians.
They include the University of Wisconsin Choral Union (below) and many other local choirs, including the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, the Madison Symphony Chorus and Madison Opera Chorus, the Wisconsin Chamber Symphony Chorus, the Wisconsin Chamber Choir, the Festival Choir -– to say nothing of the many church choirs, secular choirs and adult amateur performing groups in Madison and the surrounding area.
So leaving 2014 and heading into 2015, The Ear -– who is himself an avid amateur pianist — proclaims the new year to be The Year of the Adult Amateur.
If you want to sing, join a choir.
If you want to play an instrument, start practicing or sign up for lessons. It is never too late, even after retirement.
And if you want to perform and share the joy and love of music with others, find an outlet, including the Middleton Community Orchestra.
Nothing beats the thrill of experiencing music from the inside.
So don't just listen to music.
Tags: amateur, Arts, Beethoven, Brahms, Canada, Chicago, chorus, church, clarinet, Classical music, concerto, duet, Dvorak, Emily Birsan, Gerald Finzi, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, Juilliard School, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Max Bruch, McGill University, Middleton Community Orchestra, Montreal, Mozart, Music, New Year, New Year's Eve, New York City, Orchestra, Performing arts, Piano, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, secular, Sinfonia Concertante, singer, soloist, song, Thomas Kasdorf, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW Choral Union, Van Cliburn, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, WYSO


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Pittsburgh Street Sweeping Will Soon Resume, With $30 Tickets for Cars Parked in the Way
Parking enforcement in street sweeping zones was not enforced for the last two years because of the volume of residents working from home.
Ollie Gratzinger,
If you park on Pittsburgh city streets, you'll soon have to start heeding those "no parking" signs once again.
For the last two years, street sweeping with parking enforcement was put on hold since the pandemic had so many people working from home and cars lined the sides of the streets with nowhere to go. But now, as more folks begin a gradual return to the office for in-person work, the Department of Public Works says enforcement will recommence on April 1.
Starting then, cars parked on the street during the posted sweeping times will be ticketed. The fine for parking in a street cleaning zone is $30, according to the PPA's list of infractions.
"The city was happy to make street sweeping parking enforcement accommodations for residents during the early part of the pandemic, when people were mostly at home," Acting Director of the Department of Public Works Chris Hornstein said in a statement. "But as a result of increased parked vehicles, crews were less able to effectively clean the streets. Consequently, we saw a rise in litter in streets as well as debris and waste entering our storm water system."
Resuming service, the city says, will allow crews to perform a more thorough cleaning.
"Not only does this have positive impacts for our storm water system, but it also leaves Pittsburgh streets cleaner for residents," Hornstein said.
Street sweepers operate every day of the week; neighborhoods are typically swept Monday through Thursday, with Fridays reserved for the main corridors and business districts. There are signs posted in each neighborhood that will let residents and parkers know when the streets will be swept.
Street sweeping season runs from April 1 through Nov. 30. Any questions about the enforcement for street sweeping should be addressed to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.
Got An Overdue Library Book in Pittsburgh? No Problem

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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GOG Summer Sale – Handpicked Fantasy Games
Our coverage of the GOG Summer Sale continues with a look at the best Fantasy games currently on sale! The sale runs until the 27th, with over 3500 deals on a gigantic variety of games. For more curated lists, check our other selections at the bottom of this post! There, you'll also find links to the following games, with their price and discount displayed for your convenience.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of The Year Edition
This game needs no introduction. It's so well-known and beloved that it's become a running meme of being labeled everyone's favorite game ever.
The Witcher 3 is a 150+ hour RPG with a vast open world, where you play as Geralt of Rivia and do the things you'd expect: Hunt, kill, collect gear, some lewd stuff, play GWENT – the game-within-a-game card game – and much more. Even though the last sentence was loaded with selling points, it barely scratches the surface of how absolutely filled to the brim this game is.
If you're a fan of the Netflix adaption but haven't played the games yet, it should be noted that the TV show follows the books rather than the games. This shouldn't be a factor in deciding whether you want to play the game that sold over 40 million copies and won an astronomical amount of awards.
It should be noted the game's standard edition is also on sale, for $2 less, but does not include the absolute massive amount of concept art and FLAC version of the soundtrack that the Game of The Year Edition will net you.
Classic Geralt.
You ever wanted to find out what that angry lady, chanting angry words in that 2019 trailer for Hellblade 2 (beautifully shot in Unreal Engine 5) was all about? Why don't you pick up the first game in the series and find out.
Senua's Sacrifice is about a Pict warrior on a psychosis-fueled journey to Helheim. It's best to stop here else we'll get into spoilers, so let's talk about how the game plays out. There's a lot of voiceover, which is great for those story-starved. There's some pretty trippy visuals, courtesy of Senua's mental struggles. Combat, puzzles, exploration, it's all in there.
The game has received great scores upon release and was praised for its artistic direction, production value and novel-like story. It's won a variety of awards and was successful enough that it received an update in 2021, updating the visuals and adding a variety of accessibility improvements.
She's going to be so angry in the sequel!
Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition
Divinity: Original Sin serves as the prequel to the Divine Divinity trilogy and is the precursor to the widely-acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin II. It's a well-crafted, turn-based, isometric RPG set in a co-op multiplayer world.
Original Sin has been praised for its depth, freedom, story and meaningful player choice, earning the title of "classic-style RPG", which is the sort of title that means something different to everyone else, but serves to distinguish it from other recent RPGs.
The Enhanced Edition comes with split-screen cooperative play, includes the Source Hunter DLC and controller support for PC. There's also the bonus art "juice": The ability to leave the isometric view and enjoy a 360 degree view of your surroundings and fully-recorded dialogue.
Is that not enough? Well then, you can also enjoy additional quests, a revamped ending (which probably only matters if you played the original release), balance changes and new combat additions such as dual-wielding, grenades and new skills for all classes.
This is starting to look like a remaster rather than a big, paid update, right?
STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic
Now, this is a list containing fantasy games, not just high fantasy games, and if we're being honest, Star Wars is not a franchise you'd associate with the 'hard sci-fi' genre.
KOTOR's combat is unusual. Combatants attack and react simultaneously in rounds, but the rounds take place in real-time (you don't take 20 minutes to move one unit like Civilization allows you), but after you get the hang of it you can start focusing on why this game's reviews are basically all in the 90th percentile.
The game lets you control up to two companions and the way that works is you can possess them, leaving the body of your character and immediately being able to control another (in this scenario, you are the camera!). They can act autonomously or you can order them to do your bidding, adding an additional layer of depth when it comes to tackling different situations.
Dialogue is an important part of this RPG. KOTOR uses an 'alignment system', which is a fancy way of saying everything you say and do determines whether your character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. Doing nasty, rude things turns you closer to the dark side, altering your character's appearance to look more evil and vice-versa.
It's probably the best time to play this game, as a remake is currently in development!
I know, there's maximum three pixels in there, but I promise the game has way more. At least double.
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
Remember Game of Thrones, that show everyone was so hyped about? The one that disappeared from our collective consciousness overnight after their disastrous eighth season?
Go back to the show's good times by picking up a copy of the digital version of the GoT board game. You can pretty much expect it to play out like most board games involving land, resources and politics: Gain territory, forge alliances, bicker with Ultimate Loser Stannis Baratheon and dominate Westeros in a chill turn-based game with a lot of replayability.
Naturally, it wouldn't be a faithful digitization of the physical board game if you couldn't play with your buds. The game supports up to 6 players online, but if that's not your thing, you can turn the other five slots into AI opponents, so this is a perfect game to play if you're, say, stationed at a research outpost in Antarctica and you've had enough of the computer beating you at chess (this scenario may or may not include parasitic alien lifeforms).
So pretty.
Discounts & Prices
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of The Year Edition ($9.39, 80% off)
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice ($7.49, 75% off)
Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition ($13.99, 65% off)
STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic ($2.89, 65% off)
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game ($10, 50% off)
The GOG Summer Sale lasts until the 27th. Are you going to dedicate anywhere from 10 to 1000 hours on these awesome fantasy games? Let us know in the comments below!
It's a busy time of the year for gaming! The GOG Summer Sale is taking place at the same time as the nearly-finished Steam Next Fest and will be coinciding with the Steam Summer Sale. Stay informed by reading our other articles for good game deals, upcoming releases and demo reviews:
GOG Summer Sale – 6 Handpicked Roguelike Games
GOG Summer Sale – 5 Handpicked Classic Games
What to Play Next – Upcoming Game Releases for June 19-24
Steam Next Fest: Lost in Play Preview
Posted in GeneralTagged GOG
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President of Enhance Product Development, Inc.
With the rising level of customer sophistication and the widespread use of Amazon reviews, the days of huge profits for subpar products in direct response is quickly coming to an end. Gimmicks are quickly identified as such and once exposed these products rarely make it to retail. If they do, they are doomed to fail quickly, afflicted by the weight of returns and a negative reputation.
More than ever before, companies launching products in As Seen on TV must adopt a proactive approach at product development to complement their marketing systems. Successful product development results in products that function as advertised, leading to positive customer experience, 5-star reviews and a longer life cycle.
At Enhance Product Development, we've made it our mission to create long lasting product rollouts by adhering to sound principles of inventing and design, resulting in hits such as True Touch and Hover Cover. Much of our process is proprietary, but here are some key ingredients and considerations for companies and inventors as they develop new products in the As Seen on TV category.
Identify pain points as product opportunities. The best new products provide customers with meaningful solutions that alleviate painful problems in an innovative way. With that in mind, the first stage of inventing is to uncover a common problem consumers are facing. As easy as that sounds, this is often half the work in inventing! Once you develop the habit of observing pain points as potential new products, your opportunities for creating meaningful products greatly increase. It has become an obsession for our team, which is why we have over 100 pain points we are currently exploring.
Remain data driven and nimble. At every stage of inventing and product development, gather as much feedback from trusted individuals as possible. At Enhance, our system has been structured with several gates in which to incorporate feedback at every stage of product development. Whether it is from colleagues or potential customers, this data becomes a crucial component to success. Feedback will give you the insight to make improvements, pivot or abandon an underperforming product and focus resources on other products with better feedback and data. Often, we see inventors fall in love with their product and continue with the same direction for an item for years without success. Rather than get bogged down, stay nimble and channel energy toward products with the best feedback.
Consider customer experience. Excellent product design takes into account user experience. From ergonomics for comfortably using a product to design cues that make it clear how a product operates, as a design firm we dive deep into these considerations. For As Seen on TV, this has an even greater importance, since great user experience makes for excellent product demonstrations – which is the fundamental building block to a successful TV item. If a product looks awkward to use or the function isn't readily apparent, it will not demo well and thus fail on TV.
Be honest. Over the years, direct response has been notorious for "over-selling" products, either by stretching the claims or including contrived demonstrations. At Enhance, our goal is that our customers become raving fans of our products. It may seem obvious, but to earn that response, a product must do what it claims. Consequently, when developing the product, be brutally honest and if you encounter areas of weakness, make improvements!
Design for function AND form. It is hard to deny the value of aesthetic beauty in product development. We naturally gravitate toward products with better visual form and numerous studies have confirmed how buyer behavior and consumer perceived value is shaped by design. Since As Seen on TV is by definition visual, do not skip this critical component to product development.
Don't overdesign the solution. When developing a new product, follow the path of elegantly simple and avoid being overly complex. So often I've seen inventions from inventors wherein they've killed a mosquito with an axe. Yes, the end result may be a product that achieves the desired effect, but in so doing the solution becomes excessively complex or includes unnecessary features. In this case the value proposition becomes murky and the customer is lost.
Build a great team. Launching a successful product on As Seen on TV requires a vast range of skill sets that are typically not found in one organization, much less one person. From research, marketing, product development, commercial production, manufacturing, etc., the list goes on. Know your core strengths and seek a collaboration with experts in their respective fields that complement your abilities.
Trevor Lambert is the Founder and CEO of Enhance Product Development. With 18 years of experience in product development and licensing, he's been involved in the development of hundreds of products and generated royalties for his clients in the millions of dollars. Trevor has a passion for innovation and helping product ideas reach their full potential. He also serves on the board of directors of the United Inventors Association.


text:
A dead accurate optical punch
An optical punch consists of a brass body with two holes through it, one for use, the other for storage, because there are two rods. One rod is the punch, the other a vertical magnifying glass made of a plastic rod. You look down the viewing rod at a dot marked on its base. You then move the whole apparatus around until you can see the point where you want to put a punch mark. Holding the brass body, you remove the plastic rod and drop the steel punch back into the same hole, then hit it. Result: a perfect, vertically punched mark, precisely on the spot.
Folding wooden sawhorse plans from The Shed Issue 93
Here is an easy download for the plans to construct a foldable wooden sawhorse from The Shed Issue 93.
Pleasant Point Railway photo gallery
We visited and wrote about the impressive Pleasant Point Railway & Historical Society in South Canterbury, in The Shed September/October 2020 Issue 92.
Sadly, we just couldn't squeeze in all the great photos we shot for the article into the magazine. As you will now see, these unpublished photographs are just too good to leave sitting on our hard drive so we felt we just had to share them with readers.
Shed 92 on sale across Australia today
For all our Australian readers the wait is over to grab the latest issue of the magazine. The September/October, Issue 92, hits the shops all across the country from today 17 September.
Spotless shine
Polishing metal isn't a task for which you want to be ill-equipped, especially when you're chasing that perfect shiny finish! That is why Autosol has been the most trusted name since forever. The new Autosol 3in1 for Stainless Steel is specially developed to clean, protect, and leave a shiny streak-free finish on stainless steel surfaces — with anti-fingerprint effect.
Is it a beer keg? No, it's a hangi
It's not every day that you come across a blindingly brilliant and deceptively simple use for a piece of gear that you just knew would come in handy one day.
When sheddie Stan Scott showed me his prototype portable beer keg hangi, I knew it was something that the world needed right now… like world peace.
Installing a sash window
Old villas don't necessarily have all the windows desirable for modern living.
In the project here, the homeowner wanted to install another window into an outside wall. The most effective method was to buy a window that was made by a joinery firm to match the existing window and create the hole in the wall to match.
Video of the weird and wonderful world of Andrew Hall
A visit to Andrew Hall's shed — a single garage in suburban Henderson, West Auckland — is a portal into another dimension. In this realm, a sense of humour is essential.
For the past two decades, Andrew has been working full time at turning society's cast-offs into three-dimensional cartoon gargoyles, aliens, monsters, and effigies of mirth.
2020 Father's Day gifts for Dad
Keep Dad comfortable, entertained, and productive with these great products. We're counting down to Father's Day 2020 with these awesome deals!
Modern man, ancient craft
Asked why he has spent the best part of 20 years producing garden trugs, besom brooms, bentwood log carriers, wooden pitchforks, and rakes, he says he's always had an inbuilt love of wood, of trees and the desire to work with his hands. "I was brought up on a farm in North Otago and in the Moeraki village.
My parents valued things like gardening, sewing, and cooking, and being self-sufficient. And those values were inculcated in me.
The Shed September/October Issue 92 is on sale now
There's a real treat for knife makers in the September/October Issue No. 92 of The Shed.
We head to the Auckland workshop of master knifemaker Brent Sandow to get insights into what makes him such a well-regarded exponent of the art. We watch and learn as he goes through the steps on how he makes a Springbok Hunter knife.
Get ready, secrets are shared.
Make a simple toy truck
With toys, in particular, maintenance and reparability are important to ensure a long life. A broken plastic toy goes in the bin, whereas a well-designed wooden toy can make many trips to the repair shop over generations of play.
Make a simple vacuum former
A vacuum former is a very handy piece of equipment to have around the home workshop.
It works quite simply: heated plastic is sucked rapidly and strongly over a pattern or formed shape. As soon as the plastic has set again, it retains the shape.
GripWorks' very popular line of 'Hunt Wilde' injection-moulded FPVC grips come in a variety of styles, with local distributor Hi-Q Components stocking plain straight, ribbed nubbed, contoured bump, straight ribbed, tapered flanged, flanged rib-finned, and honeycomb options.
A toddler's table and chairs
You can follow the basic design in this article or design your own version. Once you have absorbed some of the basics of furniture-making, there is a great sense of satisfaction in designing and making your own. As an amateur hobbyist, I find the process is just as important as the finished product itself, so to check this I decided I would try to make a scaled-down version of an adult chair with a curved back.
Make a camper trailer
American teardrops first became common in the 1930s after DIY magazines such as Popular Mechanics published plans to build your own. The ultra-lightweight concept normally only sleeps a maximum of two adults in the cabin and has a small outside galley or kitchen at the back of the trailer. Often these campers weighed little more than 450kg and were very streamlined so were ideal for towing behind small cars or for long road trips.
Making a ring roller
The solution was to use the offcuts and a cheap bottle jack to make a set of rollers that can bend the material into wide arcs. Since I had to buy the $39 jack, the budget was well and truly blown. But this ring roller will be useful for future projects.
Simple hydroponics nutrient solution
Hydroponics is all about growing without soil. In many ways, this simplifies the lot of the gardener, but it gives them added responsibility for providing plants with the right level of nutrients.
As water with nutrients tastes, feels, and looks much the same as plain water, a testing instrument called an "EC meter" or "CF meter" is used.
Building a 50cc mini-kart
The design is not intended to be a high-performance, go-anywhere vehicle. It is a school project and therefore there are a few compromises in the design. It is economical to construct, achievable and straightforward for average Year 12 students. I might add, with some guidance.
It is also intended that most, if not all, of the Tools4work Level 2 mechanical engineering standards can be assessed against this project. Some of the techniques described may seem unnecessary, such as using a surface plate and scribing block for marking out, the design of the bearing retainers, or the generous use of a Bramley tube bender.
The Shed May/June Issue 90 on sale today throughout Australia
The Shed Issue 90 is finally in shops across Australia from today.
The COVID 19 virus disrupted all shipping so this issue of The Shed is over six weeks late to arrive in stores. Our apologies for that delay but we hope you find the wait was actually worth it. Check out the fully illustrated content rundown for this magazine.
The Shed July/August 2020 Issue 91, on sale now
The July/August 2020 issue of The Shed, No. 91, has got something in it for every sheddie.
Even though there is something of a nautical theme to this issue, our cover story is on building a very powerful, vertical, hydraulic log splitter. Bill Stevenson from Christchurch walks us through the construction of his trailer-mounted log-splitting machine that was started prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, worked on during, and completed immediately after. A great effort.
Building a Stirling engine
I always get a thrill at seeing one of my engines running for the first time. It was especially true for this one because I had had no previous experience in making such an engine. The engine runs at about 600 RPM with a good differential between the hot and cold ends of the displacer tube.
Work, life and play
Most people have separate places for work, play, accommodation and their hobbies but Malcolm Anderson has successfully managed to combine them all into one.
Malcolm's father, Bruce Anderson, has a passion for collecting and restoring motorbikes to the highest standard. One of his projects, a 1929 Harley-Davidson OHV Two-port Special that he restored from a pile of parts, now resides in the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee in America.
Shed Issue 90 late arriving in Australia
An update for all our Australian readers of The Shed.
Shipping schedules have been seriously disrupted with the COVID 19 Lockdown here in New Zealand therefore copies of Issue #90 won't arrive in Sydney until mid-June.
Expect to see copies in the shops and in subscribers' letterboxes about a week after 14 June. Our apologies for this lateness, let's hope this is a one-off disruption.
Video of Cowper Trucks from The Shed Issue 90
In this issue of the magazine we featured the trucks and workshop of Dan Cowper of Cowper Trucks in his shed just outside Whanganui.
Check out this video where Dan gives us the background to his business and how he builds his go anywhere, do anything, V8-powered, 4×4 vehicles.
Make useful trammels
A trammel is a really useful item to have when you need to mark a curve onto sheet metal, plywood, MDF, plasterboard, or even a paved surface when painting lines for a netball court.
Sure, you can use a pencil and a piece of string but there can be a variation due to the angle that the pencil is held and differing tensions on the string. A trammel will easily produce an accurate arc.
Rimu Dining Chair
Start by drawing a full-size plan of side elevation and seat plan. You will probably want to make at least four chairs so it is easier to measure angles and sizes and maintain consistency in measuring from a full-size plan. Make a template from 12 or 16 mm MDF or plywood for forming chair back legs directly from the plan shape. I have found the easiest and most accurate method is to punch holes with an awl or sharp point and simply connect up the dots.
Installing an automatic gate
With the benefit that he worked for an engineering workshop, Karl knew that making the gate wasn't likely to be a problem. He didn't want an elaborate gate, rather one in keeping with his house that would tone in with his existing wooden fence.
Pipe bender that curves flats
But a pipe bender has no other use and that is too bad because it is a large expensive tool.
I wondered if the heavy 12-ton bottle jack could be used for some other purpose. Once I had inspected it, it seemed reasonable to modify the bender so that it could be used to bend flats as well as pipe.
Video of McLean weaving of Oamaru
In The Shed Issue 90 we featured this small family business working from a shed in their back garden.
Using a 100-year-old Hattersley Domestic Weaving System, the McLean's make stunning fabrics using traditional techniques and thread.
Incidentally, this Hattersley loom became popular after WWI when they were embraced by returning soldiers who preferred to work from home rather than a crowded and often fraught mill environment.
High flyer
What better way to introduce a legendary aircraft to another generation than through the universal medium of toys? While there are a number of limitations in a toy around scalability, safety, and complexity, I wanted to still give a firm nod in the direction of the original inspirational aircraft. A search of the internet yielded some basic plans of the original plane and images of recreations of the Sopwith taken from various angles.
The Shed May/June 2020, Issue 90, is on sale now
Issue 90 of The Shed has a treat for lovers of fast off-road action. We visit the shed of Cowper Trucks who make world-beating 800hp 4×4 off-road race vehicles. Built strong, tough, and powerful from a shed outside Whanganui, this is automotive engineering at its best.
Video demonstration of the new Benchtop Nova Drill Press
In The Shed Issue 90 we showcased this new product designed by a Kiwi company and proving to be a huge success internationally.
In this video, Grant Oxenbridge of Carbatec New Zealand gives a demonstration of the features of the new home workshop Nova.
Lockdown sheddies
As New Zealand was in this stay at home order for five weeks, sheddies were busy and very active.
Here are some of them that shared their sheds, families and projects with us.
Video of Ray Woodhouse, artist and sculptor from Raetihi
From his shed on the Central Plateau in the North Island, Ray Woodhouse creates totally unique pieces that are more than sculpture and more than a lamp. They would be a truly special addition to any space you choose to place them in.
An artist who we featured in Shed 82, only started this type of work when he retired. Ray has a working shed than many sheddies will envy.
Making a dirtsurfer
The real-life issue this all stemmed from was: "I wanted a dirtsurfer and I could not buy one in New Zealand. Therefore, I will have to design and make one myself." At the same time, my students were able to record their technology practice and gain credits at NCEA Level 1.
Video of John Hickey, vine and manuka furniture maker
In Issue 89 of The Shed we featured the work of John Hickey.
John created a career and a business for himself making unique furniture following a workshop injury which resulted in him losing the lower half of his left leg.
John is an inspirational sheddie.
Build a barbeque trolley
BBQ season seems to come around faster and faster each year—not that it is a bad thing and sometimes I wonder if it ever really ends!
Each time I head out to the barbecue, it takes multiple trips to carry the meat, the vegetables, the implements, sauces and marinades, and obligatory chef's beverage. Then there are never enough flat surfaces in the vicinity of the barbecue to keep everything organised.
Video of vintage fire engines at the Westland Heritage Park, Hokitika
In The Shed Issue #80 we visited this heritage park and met the great folks caring for and restoring industrial machines and vehicles.
Here is a short video of their collection of volunteer fire brigade engines from around the South Island. Our tour guide is Michael Rooney.


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Home > Sports > Summer Olympic Games
Simone Biles' Olympic Stumble Isn't the Real Reason She Withdrew From the Games
Jul. 27 2021, Published 12:53 p.m. ET
One of the biggest shining stars in the crop of U.S. athletes who headed to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is inarguably gymnast Simone Biles. The 24-year-old has been making waves in her sport for quite some time and has amassed quite a following on social media thanks to her incredible skills on the mat.
However, something happened during Simone's routine at the Olympics that resulted in that goal of gold not manifesting for her, dealing a serious blow to herself, her team, and the nation rooting for her success. So, is Simone hurt? Furthermore, what details do we know about the situation that caused her to withdraw from the competition? Keep reading to find out.
Is Simone Biles hurt? She had to withdraw from the Olympics after fans saw her take a noticeable stumble on the vault.
Simone's rise to athletic superstardom has been well-documented, and virtually all of her fans were aware of her ambitions to win in gymnastics for herself and her country. Sadly, Simone's encountered a "medical issue" that forced her to step down from the team finals.
"She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions," team doctors told the press.
Simone seemed to stumble and almost fall while wrapping up her vault routine.
While concluding her routine, Simone noticeably stumbled, drawing concern from viewers.
Moments later, she huddled with a trainer and promptly exited the stadium, returning shortly after with her right leg wrapped, indicative that something had gone wrong.
Teammate Jordan Chiles replaced Simone for the remainder of the competition, and in its final moments, Team USA fell just short of the gold medal, which ended up going to the ROC athletes.
Olympic pressure is ruthless. Simone Biles looked uneasy just prior to her unsuccessful vault, and subsequent pulling out of the Olympic team event. The evasive eyes and unsettled body language are clear signs of discomfort. Probably working hard to find stability and focus. pic.twitter.com/BzrkX1DmFk
— Geir Jordet (@GeirJordet) July 27, 2021
Simone's mental health seems to be the reason for her withdrawal from the team event.
All signs seemed to point to the fact that Simone's alleged injury was a result of the final vault that she did as part of her routine, however, some new clarification reveals that the issue wasn't physical, but mental.
Indeed, although fans may have witnessed a shaky landing by the young gymnast extraordinaire, reports have emerged that the reason behind her withdrawal had to do with her mental state.
During an interview with Hoda Kotb after the dust settled from her withdrawal, Simone explained, "Physically, I feel good, I'm in shape. Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see."
On the potential for her to compete on July 29, 2021, in the all-around competition, Simone said, "We're going to take it day by day, and we're just gonna see." Simone did not end up competing in the all-around competition, but did rejoin the roster for the balance beam competition, for which she won the bronze medal.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 27, 2021
Beyond her television appearance, Simone took to social media to reflect on her mental state and the immense weight and pressure of being not only an Olympian but the best in her sport.
"It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times," she wrote.
Simone concluded her message by saying, "I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke! BUT I'm happy my family was able to be with me virtually, they mean the world to me!"
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
After the medal ceremony, Simone took to social media to congratulate her fellow teammates on a job well done. "I'm SO proud of these girls right here," she captioned a picture of herself with teammates Sunisa Lee, Grace McCallum, and Jordan Chiles. "You girls are incredibly brave and talented! I'll forever be inspired by your determination to not give up and to fight through adversity! They stepped up when I couldn't. thanks for being there for me and having my back! forever love y'all."
We wish Simone a speedy recovery as well as a full and prompt return to doing what she loves most!
Simone Biles Is Already the Gymnastics GOAT, but Is Her Career Almost Over?
Simone Biles May Be the GOAT, but One Event Stands Out Above the Rest
Gymnasts Simone Biles and Alec Yoder's Friendship Started on Twitter!


89 /* Return the spec structure for the public key algorithm with NAME.
114 * look through the list to find a list beginning with "private-key"
116 * set the function will only succeed if a private key has been given.
121 * call gcry_sexp_release on it.
219 * A USE of 0 means: don't care.
299 passed to to pk_decrypt.
301 Returns: 0 or an errorcode.
347 Returns: 0 or an errorcode.
361 leading zero octet even if not included in the original data.
398 PKCS#1 block type 1 style padding and "pss" for PSS encoding.
400 Returns: 0 or an errorcode.
416 Note that (hash algo) in R_SIG is not used.
475 the internal structure is okay.
477 Returns: 0 or an errorcode.
503 Create a public key pair and return it in r_key.
513 and optionally some additional informatin.
594 Get the number of nbits from the public key.
621 key parameters expressed in a way depending on the algorithm.
806 Returns 0 when the specified algorithm is available for use.
890 returned. MODE is either 0 or one of the GCRY_PK_GET_xxx values.


Notepad++ has this annoying built in feature where it autocompletes quotes brackets angle brackets braces parens parentheses etc.
You type " and it throws in another " right away! Stop it already!
2nd grouping called "Auto-Insert", check/un-check the appropriate auto completion/inserts.
Note there seems to be a bug in version 7.5.7 where I can't set which character it is from.
So I could only turn off auto complete.
How to disable annoying 'parenthesis completion'?


. 1/14/2010 language: English pages: 9 . NO WARRANT USCG C-4 APPENDIX C Current US Military Rank Insignia USN Chief Warrant Officer 3 .
It english military ranks insignia is called NATO armies (Ranks & Insignia) and it is about a military reference application that . Information about armies includes military name (both in english and local language .
Military; Introduction; Systems; Facilities; Agencies; Industry . Rank Insignia - Japan Maritime Self Defence Force . hand out business cards with newly english military ranks insignia trumped up English ranks .
Military Rank And Insignia. One big problem throughout military history has been identifying who's in charge. . The use of most English ranks carried on even after the United States .
The first British Army rank insignia were introduced in 1760. According to the Royal . United Kingdom and United States military ranks compared; Comparative military ranks of .
In English usage, these ranks were merged into the single rank of Second Lieutenant in the . the nature of weapons used, and the strategies of warfare. Military ranks and insignia of .
English: Collar, shoulder, and sleeve rank insignia for a Fleet Admiral in the United States . Comparative military ranks of Korea; Template:Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/United .
MILITARY RANKS is designed to help you learn military rank and branch insignia. . Language: English; Seller: Sal Lucido � All Rights Reserved, Copyright .


Notes from the Field: Mining, memory, and meaning in Resolute Bay work such as heavy equipment operator, security, polar bear monitoring, or basic labour.
Mine Planning and Equipment Selection,. 1397 Despite the cold climate in the Arctic region, near surface deposits are initially mined with open pit mining.
Abstract. BACKGROUND: Heavy mining vehicle operators at arctic mines have a high risk of discomfort, musculoskeletal disorders and occupational accidents.
May 12, 2011 low political risk are the biggest drivers for Arctic mining, while climate which generally contribute more to local construction supplies than to.
Sep 5, 2012 The new kid on Canadian Arctic block is announcing plans to build two mines in Nunavut in the next six years.
Deep sea dredging/mining technologies. Arctic trenching technologies. Hydraulic transport for reservoirs and install subsea equipment. (pipeline, subsea.
Learn about working at Arctic Mining Ltd. Join LinkedIn today for free. See who you Mechanic of Mining Equipment at Nalunaq Gold Mine, Arctic Mining Ltd.
Apr 8, 2018 One local company, however, has carved itself a niche providing oil field, construction and mining equipment for cold-weather climates.
Feb 5, 2016 Due to the remote location of arctic mines, operations must be fly in fly maintaining heavy drilling or pile driving equipment in remote areas.
Arctic Traveler provides replacement aftermarket parts to maintain factory HVAC systems Large mining companies, competing to retain a skilled work force and a the equipment receives creates numerous challenges for Mining equipment.
Jul 8, 2014 The arctic region is a key area for mining exploration to discover offering progressively more complex tools for maintaining mining equipment.


Joe and Anthony Russo break down every major hero from Avengers: Infinity War and tease about their future, dead or alive.
The Avengers are hanging in limbo. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, some were dead, some alive, some seemed likely to be resurrected, others seemed possibly gone for good.
In a video posted Tuesday, directors Joe and Anthony Russo take 20 minutes to run down all the major heroes from the film, discussing their role in the fight against Thanos and dangling a few hints about what might happen to them in 2019's Avengers 4.
The entire video's worth watching, but here are five tidbits that seem especially pertinent, with some offering clues as to what the future holds.
Captain America and Black Widow may be different in the next film, due to the time they spent on the run after the events of Captain America: Civil War. "It's hardened all of them in a way," Joe Russo says of the so-called Secret Avengers, the group that hid from the government for two years in the movie timeline. "You can't go on the run without it affecting you emotionally."
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had a powerful role in Infinity War, but it could've been even bigger. "(Thor) has lost everything in his life," Joe Russo says. "In a lot of ways, he is the driving hero's arc of the movie, which stands in direct opposition to Thanos' arc. I would argue that had Thor chopped (Thanos') head off at the end of the movie, that the movie would belong to Thor, but because he didn't, it belongs to Thanos."
Remember when Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) said he saw 14 million possible futures and the Avengers win in only one? Turns out seeing all those deaths and defeats are hard on the magic man. "The fact that he was able to view the events unfolding 14 million times, and watching them lose 14 million times, is weighing heavy on his heart," Joe Russo says.
Shuri (Letitia Wright) may be Black Panther's little sister, but don't underestimate her. "Shuri is the smartest character in the Marvel universe," Joe Russo says bluntly. "She is the brains behind Wakanda's incredibly advanced technology."
"Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) has tremendous potential as a character in the Marvel universe," Joe Russo says. "And I think Wakanda is essential to whatever may happen post-Avengers Infinity War to how the world may deal with what has happened to them."


At Qualtrics we believe in experiences. We want to be sure we provide our employees the best employee experience possible. One way we do this is to offer to pay for an annual 'Qualtrics Experience'. The employee can decide when/where/how to have this experience and then let us know what they learned. This story is part of the 'Qualtrics Experience' blog series showcasing our employees and their ultimate experience.
We went on a couples retreat to Italy for 10 days and then went to Paris for four additional days. My wife and I wanted to spend some time together away from the kids and distractions to connect and enhance our marriage. It was amazing!
Learn: We learned about all kinds of history in Italy and in Paris. We took classes on cooking and baking to learn how to do that better from different cultures.
Live: We improved our lives by connecting as a couple and we never felt more alive than we did on this trip.


Tetrad's Alicia armchair is just the sort of place you dream off at the end of a long, hard day, sinking into its deep and comfortable feather-soft cushions. This armchair has a hardwood frame with sculpted back and arms, finished with a coil sprung base and foam seat cushion with feather wrap and a pillow back design. Loose covers and two large scatters complete the look, which has a traditional, timeless quality. There's a great choice of fabrics too, many of them washable.


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//[-------------------------------------------------------]
//[ Shader start                                          ]
//[-------------------------------------------------------]
#ifdef RHI_OPENGL
if (rhi->getNameId() == Rhi::NameId::OPENGL)
{

//[-------------------------------------------------------]
//[ Vertex shader source code                             ]
//[-------------------------------------------------------]
// One vertex shader invocation per vertex
vertexShaderSourceCode = R"(#version 410 core	// OpenGL 4.1

// Attribute input/output
in  vec2 Position;	// Clip space vertex position as input, left/bottom is (-1,-1) and right/top is (1,1)
out gl_PerVertex
{
	vec4 gl_Position;
};
out vec2 TexCoord;	// Normalized texture coordinate as output

// Programs
void main()
{
	// Pass through the clip space vertex position, left/bottom is (-1,-1) and right/top is (1,1)
	gl_Position = vec4(Position, 0.5, 1.0);
	TexCoord = Position.xy;
}
)";

//[-------------------------------------------------------]
//[ Fragment shader source code                           ]
//[-------------------------------------------------------]
// One fragment shader invocation per fragment
fragmentShaderSourceCode = R"(#version 410 core	// OpenGL 4.1

// Attribute input/output
in  vec2 TexCoord;		// Normalized texture coordinate as input
out vec4 OutputColor;	// Output variable for fragment color

// Uniforms
uniform sampler2D AlbedoMap;

// Programs
void main()
{
	// Fetch the texel at the given texture coordinate and return its color
	OutputColor = texture2D(AlbedoMap, TexCoord);
}
)";

//[-------------------------------------------------------]
//[ Shader end                                            ]
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}
else
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub