March 27, 2017

8.15 am: I mopped up emails that had dripped into my inbox on Sunday. 9.00: Studiology. The sound system designed for the next 24-hour open studio event is ailing. I’d now lost both ‘A’ and ‘B’ loops. I like a challenge, but not this one … not today. This was one for after lunch. In the meantime. I returned to the melodic sequence that I’d constructed last Friday. It still stood up to scrutiny. I wanted the source samples to remain untreated whenever possible. It’s too easy to gild the lily. One must always question the application of modulation? Why is the effect necessary? How does it serve to either further or articulate the idea? Beware of being beguiled by fascinating but meaningless sounds.

Scourby (the reader) signs off at the end of each biblical book by stating the period of the recording. For example, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel he says: ‘recorded July 1964’. It’s an aural date-stamp. This ‘signature’ situates the recording in a more recent history (his present). There are two other histories besides, represented on the album: the date of, first, the Bible translation (1611), and, secondly, the incomparably more ancient source texts:

1.40 pm: Then there were problems with the digital recording software. After several aborted attempts (each taking 40 minutes to elapse before it failed), and having turned off the automatic screen saver, the system stabilised (a bit):

4.00 pm: Now, I was woefully behind time, and would require a further half-day (or equivalent) in order to get back on track.

6.30 pm: Practise session 1. 7.30 pm: The Vocational Practice module needed last minute adjustments to the project assessment regime. I’d become aware that some students were carrying a very heavy burden, above and beyond the demands of the MA scheme. My aim was to make life a little more bearable for all. Education should be demanding, but never a chore. One cannot learn under duress. Although, it’s quite possible to do admin in this condition (sigh!):

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