The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

Geography Lessons!


Dave MacIsaac and Louis Benoit at the Old Triangle, Halifax

http://www.alansondheim.org/strathspey.jpg

This was one of the most amazing nights of my life. I love
this music and its subtlety - its grace notes, rhythmic,
tempo, and genre shifts - its joyful and mournful beauty -
its singing to the world. We listened and talked with the
musicians for three and a half hours; we're going back next
Monday night as well. The music is formal, the occasion
isn't, and everything was perfect. Dave MacIsaac is
internationally known for his playing on fiddle and guitar;
he's played all over the world. I hadn't heard Louis Benoit
before, but his mandolin playing is wonderful, and his
guitarwork perfect. MacIsaac's right hand picking is the
best I've ever seen, and his bowing, magical.

ice pellets with the latest change in heavy weather:
a beautiful sound!

http://www.alansondheim.org/pellets.mp4

flocking starlings on the side of the Halifax Citadel!

http://www.alansondheim.org/starlings.mp4

And th'Nor'easter's leaving th'ice behind
And in the foggy curtains of m'mind
I see'em still ha'f way's up th'hill
And I'd not what dialect's t'fill
But's circled n'my mind's gone's spill

whiteout

http://www.alansondheim.org/whiteouts.mp4

it happened again, perhaps the ghost a few night ago
generated another weather event, ice pellets, not hail,
and then snow and blowing snow and wind and whiteout,
the blankness announcing and renouncing the deathspace
i head into, everything left behind, decathecting, the
world untethering, on my lips the words 'azure, i love
you,' and then the whiteness deepening and swallowing
into me, and then nothing or a slide and my chest
tightens, i am gone, my chest releases, azure remains,
i don't see what she sees, no longer hear her voice