2005-02-02 - 2:21 p.m.

Budgets and Bach

Hurrah! I have come up with a simple solution to the budgeted salary issue. I learned that it is simple to request a fixed amount regardless of salary scale, and so we can simply ask for a bulk sum in salary and divide it equally. I've just sent an email to my colleagues asking if they object to this. I cannot imagine that they will fuss about our being paid the same amount, and I will feel much happier. I've already gotten an email from Oregon Annie who suggests that I allocate even more salary to myself...we'll see what happens with NY colleague.

Last night was the first rehearsal of the Vocal Ensemble, and we have a visiting conductor from Freyburg University in Germany. His visit means that our repertoire this semester will be rather stale (Bach, Bach, with a little bit of Bach thrown in...ugh.) I am sorry to confess that I find Bach terribly tedious to sing. The Bach that we sang last semester did nothing to improve my feelings on this matter. (Lobet den Herrn - which we ruefully interpreted as "lobbing the lord" - and that is kind of how it felt as we threw all those eight notes around).

Nevertheless I am giving it the ol' college try. The alto section this semester is much more entertaining. We still seem to be the least practiced at sight-singing, but our humor level is higher, and some of these young women can rest gracefully on a high G, which I find astonishing. Overall a good start, if not the music I wish to sing for the rest of my life.