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INTRODUCTION
I would like to welcome all of you to these spaces,
dedicated to sharing my interests in music, art, travel,
life, and language. A place for cultural exchange and
understanding. I had originally entitled my page,
Ars Subtilior Now, but have reason to fear
that many might think the entire site was really dedicated
to esoteric discussions of bizarre late 14th century French
music manuscripts, although one nod in that direction is
made. The "subtle art" of which I thought was merely the
act of living, especially living in complex times (an old
Chinese curse). I am always struck by the similarities
between the 14th century in France (and much of Western
Europe) and the age in which we live. Certainly it has
taken some difficult tightrope walking for me to maintain
balance in my lifetime. On the one hand I see endless war,
famine, and plague just as I would have in the Middle Ages.
I see religious zealots now, just as I would have then. Yet
as bleak as it looks, I wanted to be able to say that I see
some glimmers of light and hope; that humanism which rose
at the end of the 14th century and the rediscovery of "old"
knowledge which we now refer to as the Renaissance might
yet happen again. But even that view I now recognize as
naive, having recently been made aware that the “humanist”
movement itself was still intimately involved in theology
during the “reforms” and that the oft cited classical
knowledge was likewise laden with the same old repugnant
views on many subjects, but particularly those concerning
women. My student “Renaissance” naiveté fails to include
the witch hunts and the Malleus Maleficarum in its
“enlightenment.” The “End of Days” was an obsession in the
late 16th century, as I think it is again today. And
frankly one is coming, but not the one theology has in mind
for us. Quite sobering, I must say. There is another aspect
of the "subtle art" of living which I will share with you
at the conclusion of my web site. In any case, many thanks
for visiting me here.
I was born in Oklahoma in 1946, but have lived in Canada
since 1975. Happily I have been a Canadian citizen for over
30 years. My hobbies have included palaeontology, and
horticulture, but chiefly music which is also my
profession. You can check out a short professional
biographical sketch from the menu on the right. I presently
live in Victoria, British Columbia, a city which boasts
fine cultural events, and a garden-like setting. It also
benefits from having the mildest winters in Canada.
Considering that it can reach minus 40 in other parts of
the country, this is not an insignificant feature!
Visit Victoria and Vancouver Island
Now a Professor Emeritus of the University of Lethbridge,
my retirement is filled with new interests in Turkish
music, language, and culture, and the task of mastering my
new IMac computer in order to pursue sound editing and web
authoring. By no means skilled at either of the latter, I
beg your indulgence in this matter. On the pages that
follow you will find samples of my life experiences in
poetry, music, and photographs with links in some cases to
more complete collections. I will also include
informational links which interest me, and perhaps may
interest you as well.
Please enjoy your
time here, and if so inclined,
please feel free to write to me.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO VISIT THE POSTLUDE PAGE FOR SOME
INTERESTING LINKS, AND STREAMING MUSIC TO HEAR COURTESY OF
MAGNATUNE