9.00 am. A digestion (indigestion) and a rumination upon the published REF results. There is always a perceivable differential between one’s effort and attainment. For the School of Art to make a further improvement upon its score, there would need to be a significant inward investment on the part of the university. (I doubt whether, in this present climate, that’ll be forthcoming.) Nevertheless, what we as a very small department have achieved — in the face of an unjustifiably high staff-student ratio, in the absence of a sabbatical program, and bearing a weight of administration that, in large departments, is shared among a staff five times our number — is not to be sniffed at. We have had every excuse to throw in the towel, but accepted none.

10.00 am. Back to the ‘Bible Studies’ series. I was intent on resolving the ‘Line upon Line, Line upon Line’, ‘Rivers’, and ‘Sins Removed’ pieces by the close of the day. The processing required a minor biblioclasm of a four-volume bible, published in 1792, in order to obtain blank paper sheets on which text can be printed:

1.40 pm. Over lunch, I began to develop the second filter annex (Handboard 2) for the ‘Graven Image II’ sound project:

2.00 pm. A further exploration of printing on different book papers was followed by a rehearsal of the strikethrough process for ‘Line Upon Line’, then a revision of two tracks from the CD master copy (so as to excise a few annoying digital artefacts), and, finally, the development of the text/image template for ‘Intercessions’:

5.15 pm. The day’s intent has been realised.

7.00 pm. Off to Llanbadarn Church to attend the Penglais School carol service:

School string sections always remind me of sawing wood. There was heart in it all. And, at this stage of the students’ musical development, that is of paramount importance. You can’t touch an audience without it. Technique and theory can be taught and learned. Passion and enthusiasm are given, and received with gratitude.