music memory poem #7
here’s a partial list of music I’ve stayed
in the car to hear the finish: a partita –
bach – for unaccompanied violin, a hayden
concerto I thought was an unfamiliar
mozart, thais meditation, vaughn williams’
fantasia on a theme by thomas tallis for
double string orchestra (I played the
cello solos in that one) the overture to
midsummernight’s dream (donkey brays)
percy grainger’s jolly handel in the strand
maybe half-dozen others – back to the
tallis: when the music came to a certain
spot where the time changes abruptly to
douple my brain automatically registered
“33 1/3 before S” I phoned my violinist
sister “what does ‘33 1/3 before S’ mean
to you?” “nothing” but I bet had I been able
to call my other violinist sister – she died
recently – she’d have promptly replied,
“that’s the tallis, where teacher always had
us start rehearsing – that tricky timing bit!”
2018 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2019.
