Episode XXIX: Elvish is still in the building

Hello, you wild and zany people! Instead of apologizing for my lack of communication, I’m going to assume that you are used to the fact that these missives come out every once in a blue moon. If you’re not used to that yet, you will be. Oh yes, you will be.

Now that we’re halfway through the year, things have actually happened in my life that one would actually take note of. I've been gardening a lot. I know many of you are not very much into that, but some of you are, and I figure that as long as I have a captive audience, I might as well brag about my backyard.

My tomatoes have taken over the garden. I felt sorry for a few volunteers, so I kept them in the ground, and now they have bullied their way to the top of the totem pole (or the tomato pole), crowding out the peas and beans. My pumpkins, too, were volunteer this year; I had had such rotten luck last year with them that I decided not to plant any. But I had thrown a couple bad pumpkins on the compost pile last year, and guess what popped up in the garden this year? Now I have 5 growing pumpkins on the vine. I can't wait to make some pumpkin pie!

My pond has been doing quite well this year, too. I had a bumpy start this spring, when about 11 of the 16 fish I bought died within a week of being in the pond. But I also bought about 9 tadpoles, and they've been doing a great job keeping the pond mosquito free. Some of them have now shed their tails and are full-fledged frogs, and they're very cute. I took a picture of this one sitting on a lily pad.
As frogs, they can do an even better job of taking care of the mosquito population. :)

In the singing arena, I've been doing lots and lots of performing, so much that I actually got myself sick with allergies in the late spring, and didn't get better for almost 5 weeks. But now I'm better, and the latest concert is full of adventures.

I'm performing the Lord of the Rings Symphony by Howard Shore, which is basically a compilation of the movie music. We are singing in Elvish (both Quenya and Sindarin, which are "high" and "low" dialects, for those of you who aren't dorks like me) as well as Khuzdûl (dwarvish) and Black Speech (Sauron’s language, spoken by orcs and ringwraiths). I showed myself as super LotR dork at the first rehearsal by correcting our conductor’s pronunciation, thanks to my dad, who read these books to me when I was little and used to chant the ring’s inscription: Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul (One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them). I just couldn’t bear the thought of “burzum-ishi” to be pronounced “burzum i-sheh.” What’s a girl to do?

It is clear that when Mr. Shore wrote the music (which is beautiful, and I have no bones to pick with him on that score), he was not concerned with the Elvish words at all or what they meant, because the music is: a) full of partial words and mixed up phrases; b) there is no word painting at all; c) throughout most of the score, all the singer sees are transliterated syllables, none of which are strung together to make a word. Thanks to Ryszard Derdzinski and his site at http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie_soundtrack.htm, I was able to piece together what the syllables meant and show everyone what a complete LotR freak I am.

Perhaps it paid off, though, because I just auditioned for the mezzo-soprano solo for Gandalf’s Lament, and I got it! I do have a sneaking suspicion that it’s because I actually knew what I was singing about. Who says Elvish is dead?

If you want to hear me sing, it’s one day only this Tuesday, July 13th, at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, at 8:00 PM. Lawn tickets are $10; if you want an actual seat, I think the price goes up incrementally to $65. You can call 215-893-1999 or go to http://www.manncenter.org/Pages/Orchestra.html to buy tickets online. If you’re in town, I’d love to have you come hear me.

That’s about it in SuperMaren land. We’re redoing our garage, but I don’t really want to talk about it until it’s finished…I have a feeling there will be a story or two in there before it’s done. Until the next blue moon, take care and keep in touch!