The circlers begin arriving around 5:30 and commence preparing the space. Dev is still on tour, so it will be another night of six players.
As Glenn and Chris finish in the bathrooms, Victor is teaching Alex, Rick and Brad parts to a short but stately canon by Haydn; when the group is assembled, this is set aside and a formal soundcheck and warm-up begins. Askesis is the first piece, with some interrogation of the basses acting wonky in the "bridge" section. Calliope and a slow Batrachomyomachy each receive a briefing, and Victor makes a timbre suggestion for the melody section of Where's the Nurse.
At 7:30, the Circle is on. The mood in general is almost somber, and there are strong showings of Eye of the Needle and Where's the Nurse. The improvisation is more restrained than last week, but sinewy and coherent, with a thoughtful solo from Brad as a highlight. Meditative circulations cushion many of the pieces in the near-hour set.
After the performance, there is a conference between the circlers, who opt for some extra rehearsal before tearing down. The group reconvenes work on the Shostakovich prelude, addressing mainly the pattern of the melody circulation, then adding a few bars of notes. The Debussy prelude, which has been left out of the set with Dev's absence, gets a hearing in anticipation of his return (with counting out-loud as an added challenge/aid).
After this, some cleaning up and out the door by 10:40.
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