notes in the music of the spheres

dedicated to the Bells of the Cascades

to be an intricate part of a whole

to learn to be an individual note

varying in intensity and technique

no more and no less vital

to the music heard

than each other handbell rung or plucked

martellato-ed or malleted

important only as contributing

in its time and tone to the music

heard as aggregate ensemble

with each person, each bell contributor

enriching with skill and dedication

along with all the others to the harmony

of the song beyond ourselves

ringing meaning and joy in the entirety

of life before and after each of us

traffic in Italy

in Venice, long, slender, black gondolas

each with distinctive hood ornament

pole-oared on one side only

with such skill the length turned corners

with bare inch and a half to spare

and slipped beside one another and other water traffic as jaw-droppingly as

street traffic and pedestrians in Rome

            mjNordgren  12/21/2022 Splendid Venice Hotel

high impact concert

high impact concert

Bells of the Cascades

intense individual musicians side by side, playing only

their own few notes as though D through F# on the piano

but creating a musical whole, ensemble

rapid runs, trills, intricate rhythms, varying techniques requiring skill

practiced change from mallet to ring to damping sound on padded table

to switching to chime rung or bowed

dedicated to difficult, complex, ethereal or passionate expression

rapt audience watching, listening

rising to their feet to acknowledge these incredible players made one

by genius young director Matthew Compton