VARF Larfs And Other Musical Matters
We had a predictably fine time at VARF this weekend. VARF management decided not to order the tradition "PRs are visiting/Air-Temps-In-The-Lower-Thousands" site decoration option. This put me in a better mood for stealing food from the greyhounds. We were only dampened by one rain shower, and the sky was blue for much of the weekend.
The site continues to be improved through the hard work of cast and crew. You have to admire the spirit of these dedicated people.

I got to flirt with the queen on Saturday. My jealous bandmates prevented me from singing more than 3 verses of my extemporaneous composition," The Queen, She Is So Lovely". It's sad when your crew are too ignorant to recognize true art.

Our friends Ruth and Ron made the trek up from NC to see us and the fair. It's always a pleasure to see them. They made for good company at dinner later. Sorry about the salsa incident.
Bobba DaVinci, the Mad Mechanicals, and the lovely Sashenka were also on site, but we weren't allowed near them because of national security concerns.

It was VARF's Pirate Invasion Weekend, and we were supplanted in our caterwauling by Letter of Marque, Calico Jenny, and Pirates For Sale. I wonder how long it will be before someone realizes that between the four groups, we actually only sang five different songs all day. The trick is to do "Drunken Sailor", for instance, in 3/4, 4/4, as a polka, waltz, Tango, modulate to different keys, tempos, and languages. Pretty soon, you've filled up the dance-card.
There are just two more weeks to visit the fair, so you best get down and see them

In Other Music News:


Ancient Horn Recreated
The link has been problematical

In case you can not read the BBC text, I'll just say that you would have read about a project to recreate a Roman ceremonial horns, the Lituus, that has not existed since about 1800. This would seem like a wonderful application of modern technology to reclaim the music of the past, until you actually click on the provided sound sample link... the sound clip"
...and listen to these honking monstrosities ruining the background of a perfectly good choral piece by Bach.


_Plus Also:

Who says that games don't train you for the real world?"