Countertenor

Before leaving for my sister’s Cape Cod wedding, I sent out a quick e-mail to my coworkers informing them that I would be absent.

I always try and include something fun in the e-mails because “out of office” e-mails are notoriously boring parts of the cubical lifestyle. This time, I described the music that was planned for the wedding:

Fun Fact:
My sister is a professional flutist. As such she has a lot of classical musician friends who have offered their services at the wedding. The ceremony will include the following music:

Pre-ceremony
Selective Airs From the Renaissance and Baroque periods by a professional violist and cellist.
Ave Maria sung by professional Soprano

Processional
“Spiegel im Spiegel” for Cello
A piece by an Estonian composer (‘spiegel im spiegel’ means “mirror in mirror” in German)

All Mass Parts are from the Renassance composer William Byrd to be sung in Latin by a countertenor and two tenors

A response psalm sung by my other sister accompanied by some guitar by me.

Next, I will rock the heck out of the Alleluia on guitar. My eldest sister asked for acoustic, but I might bring out the electric with some heavy distortion just to shock the classical crowd.

After the vows there will be a performance of a Bach Flute solo, a Bach gigue for solo violin, and Panis Angelicus for soprano and flute.

The recessional will just be rocking loud organ.

One of my coworkers replied with this fantastic response:
“Is a countertenor anything like a counterterrorist? Is that an anti-tenor?”

Hilarious.

10 thoughts on “Countertenor

  • 12/3/2007 at 1:11 pm
    Permalink

    That is a crap-ton of music. Should be entertaining, to say the least.

    Reply
  • 12/3/2007 at 7:27 pm
    Permalink

    Sounds really nice… though isn’t someone who plays the flute professionally a professional flautist?

    Reply
  • 12/5/2007 at 12:14 pm
    Permalink

    Only on the British Isles!

    Reply
  • 12/12/2007 at 5:37 pm
    Permalink

    So was it nice, music-wise? I’m not into the instrumental music aspects of the SCA yet, so I am curious as to the great Mike D’s take on Renaissance tunes.

    Reply
  • 12/13/2007 at 9:06 am
    Permalink

    The music was beyond nice. When it comes down to it, I think the style doesn’t matter as much as the quality and abilities of the performers.

    And these musicians are the top of the top. It was breathtaking.

    Reply
  • 12/13/2007 at 1:41 pm
    Permalink

    Great Question.

    First, bravo on your perfect understanding that I must top it. As a younger child I’m sure that you can comprehend my competitive nature.

    The answer to this question is a descriptive term that I have coined: ‘hugely minimalistic.’

    Andrew, my middle sister’s boyfriend, came up with a great way to describe this idea: A small family wedding with only a few invites… taking place in the Superdome. The wedding would scream both complete excess and complete frugality at the same time.

    Could I top her music? Not in the conventional sense, but if I could get a full drum core to perform a choreographed dance sequence, I think it’d come close.

    Although really, I suppose I should find some chick who would be to get engaged with me first.

    Reply
  • 12/13/2007 at 1:53 pm
    Permalink

    I find your plan confusing. If the idea is to competitively top the last wedding with as much subtlety as possible, I guess that would work.

    I think you ought to go for a theme weddings. Theme weddings are fun.

    The drum core would be awesome though.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to mike d. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *