Room One of the Corridors
06.55
Room 8, One of the Corridors, Convento La Pace, Sassoferrato, Italy.
Rising at 06.10. The sounds of running showers & toilet flushing in the adjoining rooms have accompanied the morning so far.
Morning Sitting at 07.15.
Breakfast at 08.00.
13.45 In the House of Guitars at 10.00…
Three Circles: 14 guitars in the Inner, 39 in the Outer & not sure how many in the Middle Circle. One suggestion, that there were 98 players in the room, seems about right.
When ready, please begin. Each of the Circles began when ready; this for c. 28 minutes.
Middle Circle, when ready, please begin.
Outer Circle, when ready, please begin.
And then - was it the Inner Circle? - at 11.03 a blessing: my heart caught fire.
A 10-minute break.
The Middle Circle began but was stopped quickly, as the opening notes of Theme Two began.
Fernando – solo! with accompaniment added by the Inner Circle, followed by the Outer Circle. Then a different Fernando was the soloist, accompanied by the Inner Circle.
Orchestra: when ready, please begin.
When this eruption ended, the Orchestra stood & all the seats were removed. The Orchestra divided into six independent & autonomous Circles, while continuing to be parts of the whole, with Curt, Tony, Victor, Mariana, Jaxie & Martin as Section Leaders. This configuration was adopted to fulfill the Point Of Seeing, almost 25 years ago towards the end of the first Guitar Craft Course, in response to Mark V’s question – Is there a future? A Point Of Seeing, in response to reflecting upon the question while in the bath, has resonated since & has now been acted upon; an example of the future reaching back & pulling us towards it.
Orchestra, when ready, please begin. Two sonic adventurings. At one point, two Circles became one Circle before returning to two Circles.
Free dispersal from the Circles c 12.53.
Lunch at 13.00.
Frank was called upon by Victor, and will present The Secret Of The Alexander Technique to one group at 15.00; the second group will learn The Secret tomorrow. Sandra will present a Full Disclosure Alexander Class to the group not acquiring the Secret from Frank today.
Personal meetings with Tony & Robert begin at 16.30.
T’ai Chi in two groups with Luciano & Leonor at 18.45.
Dinner at 19.30.
20.37 In two personal meetings, one today & one yesterday, Chief Feature was articulated & described by each of the two visitors.
Dinner: polenta of alarming proportions. Flan dessert of terror, wonderment & bliss arising. A magnificent achievement.
Erupting noise & a nourishing Silence, broken by the gently sucking-sucks of flan-ingestation, before noise returned.
A meeting of The Orchestra was called for 21.45 by Mariana & Mrs. Russia.
A SSG meeting at 20.45.
23.15 Six Circles, 5 of 15 members & one of 16.
Orchestra: when ready, please begin: c. 30 minutes.
A short break while the chairs were reconfigured to three Circles of 15, these enclosed by an Outer Circle of 46. One Circle had 2 empty chairs; ie 89 players in the Orchestra.
Some wonderful moments: but these moments of wonder were too often pinned to earth by eyes flashing, feet stamping, loud & unyielding strumming – a little too much worshipping at the shrine of St. Onan. Six strings struck, not to accent a chord but unending, unyielding, continued strumming that not only shut the door to music but nailed it closed. Awful.
