So, how's the practice going today, Richard (of RBB)?

 

1 1/2 hours done, so still potentially 2 1/2 to go.

It's cold in the Nui. Cold and very wet.

I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I thought I'd knock out a quick post. 

I'm looking for something to write about.

Here's something that Rob said. "One thing I noticed with tempering is that as violinists or a cellist our ears get finally (I think he meant 'finely)." tuned but when we play with a tempered piano or guitar we effectively have to play slightly out of tune."

I have never found this. Hey, we've all played tempered music all of our lives. We lock into those sounds. We're not really aware of how things sounded before tempering took over. I'm not aware of Rob playing out of tune, but it shouldn't be hard to hear your notes against a piano. Oh, well. Never mind.

* * *

Today is the feast day of Saint Maria Antalek. 

Saint Maria was born around 1490, in Hungaria, and came from a very poor family. She got a job cleaning and cooking for a local Cardinal, Cardinal Adelburt Almassy. Cardinal Almassy had dreams of being a pope. He thought his chances might be helped if his cleaning lady, and cook, became a martyr and then possibly a saint. He thought of this as success by association. "Hey, that's Cardinal Almassy! His home help became a saint!"

The 'good' Cardinal had heard that women gathering herbs and spices were deemed to be witches and put to death in a very slow and painful way. One day he approached Maria and told her that some of her cooking was a bit tasteless and he'd like her to gather some herbs and spices from a nearby forest. He said she would get extra pay for doing this. 

Maria knew nothing about herbs and spices, so she tasted everything that she found in the forest. About twenty minutes later a glowing lady appeared before her.

"I am the Virgin Mary." she said. "See those men in the distance? They are looking for you, but God doesn't mind because he wants you with him in Heaven."

"Why are they looking for me?" asked Maria.

"The Cardinal organized them so that you could get to Heaven quicker." said Mary.

"Bassa meg!*" said Maria. "I don't want to go to Heaven. I've just discovered some herbs that taste very nice and I think they're giving me superpowers! Bring 'em on!"

The Virgin Mary disappeared, just as three men came into the clearing where Maria was. The three men were never heard of again. Maria did not return to the Cardinal but, instead, created a little house in the forest. She made a broomstick out of a branch and some straw. She was happy and ready for her new life. She planted a huge herb garden to grow her favourite findings.

Cardinal Almassy couldn't figure out what had happened when Maria never showed up, so he invented a story about her being pronounced a saint by God and taken up into Heaven. All the local Catholics were very gullible and believed the story. Maria was pronounced a saint but Adelburt never became a pope. In fact, because he screwed up a few things that he was supposed to do, he was demoted to the rank of Bishop. He was never mentioned in any of the holy books of the Catholic church.

* * *

See, when I write a post you get variation. When Peter writes a post, you get something like THIS.

When Rob writes a post, he quotes the Gospel. Yawn.

But, when you come here, you get variety, AND info about practising the violin!

Talking about practising the violin, I'd better get back to it.

Ciao tutti.

* Fuck that!