Programming, challenges

For those of you who can’t make the recital tomorrow, here’s a sneak-peek at the program. (I guess it’s technically a sneak-peek even if you can make the recital!) As is often the case with these things, Jocelyn and I switched a bit of the order around today at the dress rehearsal, which made me happy that I put off getting the copies made!

I have some light: Songs of Spirit

from Hermit Songs, Samuel Barber:
St. Ita’s Vision
The Heavenly Banquet
Sea-Snatch
The Desire for Hermitage

Mary, did you know?, Lowry & Green
Breathe on me, Breath of God, Hatch & Jackson
w/ Amanda Crider, Cameron Smith, & David Giuliano
Suzanne, Leonard Cohen
Waitin’, William Bolcom

quiet

Action de grâce Olivier Messiaen
Hillula, World Premiere, Judd Greenstein

peace

from Mirabai Songs, John Harbison:
It’s true, I went to the market
All I was doing was breathing
Why Mira can’t go back to her old house
Don’t go

Songs, Sergei Rachamninoff
Ja ne prarok
Zdes xhorosho
Fso xhotchet pet

All together, it’s about 65 minutes including the two small pauses. We’re not calling them intermissions, because, well, they’re not really; they’re just breaks. Each one has part of the drama of the program tied to it, but I can’t say more than that until we go live!

Donations for The Bhakti Project continue to come in, and I’m finally starting to believe that we’ll make this happen! Today we got our first repeat gift, ear-marked as it were for the wine reception. Thank you, SK! We’ll raise a glass to you. My sweet friend LW gave a small donation yesterday because she isn’t able to make the recital, and the gesture gave me an idea…

I’d like to issue a “pledge challenge,” taking a page from public television. If you are sorry that you can’t attend tomorrow’s recital, whether because you don’t live in New York or because you’re currently out of town or because you have rehearsal or because it’s raining like crazy, please consider donating the cost of a ticket – just $15. That may not seem like much in the donation-sense of things, but trust me! It will add up!

This site gets about 240 unique visitors a day, and if 2/3 of you gave $15, we would easily meet Phase One of our fund-raising: recital costs. If 300 more of you gave $15, we could meet Phase Two, which covers the commission fee for Judd Greenstein. We’ll deal with Phase Three, the recording, over the summer and into the fall.

Think about it? Here’s the link again, provided for you just like the number on your screen: Join the $15 Pledge Challenge!

Off for some final study, then bed. Tomorrow: sleeping in, a good breakfast, getting the programs printed, then folding and stuffing them with pledge cards and envelopes while my toenails dry…