David and the Philistine

Tonight we practiced the music from this post. We decided the idea of drone using tone colour to distinguish voices was too complex and would take too much work for the time available.  I have updated the earlier post with comments on the rehearsal and an mp3 with comments which I did after the rehearsal. The music is of considerable dramatic interest and has structural elements that indicate an awareness of the repeated use of accents in the text as adornments for the tone and meaning of the words.

Job 8 - Bildad's first speech

This post is the first published from my new computer, now all set up with Oracle XE and GX-LEAF completely separate from my former office and with a little redesign of the data to speed up the process. It is 100 times faster. That means I can rush like David into the battle against the Philistine text with nothing but my sling and five concealed smooth stones. (I.e. without a lot of baggage and without armor or sword, distant but vulnerable).

It is also the first I have edited with IE, and Windows 8. The copy and paste is different. But it still seems to work.

What do we make of Bildad? He only gets 22 verses in contrast to Eliphaz 48. I don't know if he is insulting, but he seems to make light of Job's trouble, conditionally blaming his children for their own destruction, implying that Job is not diligent in prayer and pays little attention to tradition, and forgets God. He predicts a good end to Job's misery. Ah, religion, always right, but patently useless.There are no word patterns that jump out at me in this poem (for it is a poem too) but here are the frequently used stems (more than 2 times). The movement in the poem is from face to knowledge. So it has form.

Job 8		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר	1	g	Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,	3e	3g	10
עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ	2		How long, will you give speech to imprecation, and the intense spirit of the sayings of your mouth.	3e	4A	7 8
הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק	3	g	Does the One subvert judgment? And does the Sufficient subvert justice?	3e	4B	7 9
אִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־ל֑וֹ וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם	4		If your children sinned against him, then he sent them away by the hand of their transgression.	3e	4A	6 7
אִם־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן	5		If you, yourself, would seek the One early, and to the Sufficient ingratiate yourself,	3e	4B	8 7
אִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥תָּה כִּי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת צִדְקֶֽךָ	6		If you are clear and upright, that now he will rouse himself for you, and make whole the home of your justice,	3e	4B	14 8
וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד	7		Then as your beginning was small, so what follows for you will abound much.	3e	4B	8 9
כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישׁ֑וֹן וְ֝כוֹנֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם	8		But ask, if you will, of a former generation, and establish the examination of their ancestors.	3e	4B	8 9
כִּֽי־תְמ֣וֹל אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ	9		For we are yesterday and do not know, for a shadow are our days upon earth.	3e	4C	10 8
הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם י֭וֹרוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יוֹצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים	10		Will not they themselves instruct you, say to you, and from their heart bring forth speeches?	3e	4B	9 9
הֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם	11		Can rush be proud without a swamp, marsh-plants abound without water?	3e	4B	9 7
עֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבּוֹ לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ	12		Yet it, in its greenness unplucked, before all grass, it dries up.	3e	4B	10 8
כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחוֹת כָּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד	13	~	So are the paths of all who forget the One, and the expectation of a hypocrite perishes,	3e	4B	7 7
אֲשֶׁר־יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ	14		whose folly cracks, and a spider's house his trust.	3e	4A	6 8
יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתוֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בּ֝֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם	15		Let him buttress about his house but it will not stand. Let him make it resolute, but it will not arise.	3e	4B	11 8
רָטֹ֣ב ה֭וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּת֗וֹ יֹֽנַקְתּ֥וֹ תֵצֵֽא	16		Wet he is in the face of the sun, and over his garden his nursling shoot emerges.	3e	4B	6 10
עַל־גַּ֭ל שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה	17		Over rubble his roots interweave. The house of stones he gazes on.	3e	4B	9 7
אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ	18		If he swallows him from his place, then it will disown him: I have not seen you.	3e	4B	8 9
הֶן־ה֭וּא מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ	19		Lo, he is the joy of his way, and from dust what follows will sprout.	3e	4B	6 9
הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים	20		Lo, the One will not refuse completeness, nor will he be resolute in the hand of evildoers,	3e	4B	6 9
עַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂח֣וֹק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה	21		until he fills with laughter your mouth, and your lips with jubilation.	3e	4B	8 7
שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ	22		Those hating you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be as nothing.	3e	4B	7 9

David and Goliath again

We are going to perform this at St Barnabas next Sunday - 5 of us. With parts allocated in the PDF as outlined below. If you would like to perform it, be our guest - and let us know how it goes in your congregation in a comment - have fun. It is not like current beheadings, because it is a boy doing the killing.

The analogy of Jesus destroying by death him who has the power of death for our sakes is a strong one in this passage. The impetuous David reminds me of Mark's Jesus immediately doing this and that. The five stones are of course the 5 books of Moses, and so on - eisegete to your heart's content. And as to the shepherd's secret personal pouch, his bag, the כלִי, it has its mystery.


And here is the second part if you chose the entry and exit we expect to use. Perform in word rhythm and with gusto.


At rehearsal, we decided the drones were not going to work without more rehearsal time than we have. So there are four parts, David, Saul, the Philistine, and the Narrator. The narrator is doing all the narration - not as noted in the complex timbres in the score. This skill is not quickly learned.

This is a rehearsal and teaching MP3, not a performance.

Project status

I have been posting mostly about flowers recently but I have not been idle. I have a new powerful computer and it takes time to set it up. Translation has stopped until I get my forms established on the new box complete with a separate installation of Oracle and GX-Leaf - so I can even make mods to the software if I think it wise (probably not since I don't know javascript, but maybe...)

The installation has gone well so far, but I can't figure out how to do remote desktop to or from the New computer. It is Windows 8.1 and so different from all other boxes on the network. And I don't have various programs installed on it (lost most license keys in the home debris). But the main GX-Leaf and Oracle software is installed and the key back-end functions and procedures that I wrote are working in a redesigned data environment. Over the next few weeks I will elaborate my forms. I could export and import them but I may just redevelop from scratch - a good test of all usage, ideas, and the software.

There is a new version of Seen from the Street available. My editor has designed a new cover, and I have added an aide for reading by including a date for each of the 49 episodes. It will help the process of e-reading. I have looked at epub, PDF, and the Kindle - they are all quite good for the process. I like being able to search electronically and to have a full e-toc as well. (Wait till tomorrow to get the new edition on Amazon - it's in process - takes 12 hours for them to do it.)

Stopping to take a picture of the smell of roses

I was downtown on my bike to print some music and as I came up Rockland, I veered into Government House and cycled past the rose garden without stopping. Then I thought - how can you do that? You've never taken that viewpoint before - so I went back to take the picture of the smell that the sea breeze was blowing to the main entrance.

Government house Rose garden from the main entrance

The structure of a jellyfish

Imaged only. I make no attempt to describe this.

Sea life at low tide

Inspired by Karen Traphagen, here are some pictures from the North-West coast. No starfish or tritons and if you can identify things better that I can, please comment.