In honour of the lore and symbolism of the season, a few links:

"Proserpina" by the extended McGarrigle-Wainwright family. I first saw this performance on a 2015 CBC special, and I've never forgotten the power and beauty of the song, and of the family.

"Spring Shall Bloom," by the Elektra Women's Choir. This site has a link to Christina Rossetti's poem so that listeners can read along.

The Rite of Spring, by the London Symphony Orchestra. As one of the commenters says, "... spring and human sacrifice just go so well together." In 1987, the Joffrey Ballet presented a reconstruction of Nijinsky's choreography. It's easy to see why the original performance would have caused a riot.

Finally, here's a link to my short story about two participants in a self-help class for the unwillingly resurrected--led by an expert--who get to know each other during a coffee break.

1. Wow, October is almost here. I'd hoped to be able to go back to doing a trad sit-down Thanksgiving (October 9) for the usual suspects, but given the loved one's illness it probably won't happen. Maybe we can all find a way to celebrate ad hoc later in the season when things have calmed down a little bit.

2. Hugh's Room is back, though the space itself is not yet fully accessible (they're doing a fundraising campaign to fix this). The last time I was at the old location was to see James Keelaghan (circa 2007, before Oliver Schroer's death). Welcome back to a much-loved live-music venue--sadly, a critically endangered species in Toronto.

3. Finally, finally, we're going to get season 2 of Surreal Estate. It starts on October 4 on what used to be Space (in Canada) and is now CTV Sci-Fi something-or-other. I was curious about George R. Olson, the creator and showrunner, and found this article. Not a bad start for someone doing his first TV production. I'm so looking forward to seeing all the people at the Roman Agency again.

4. I've developed a bit of a thing for Moopsy. I loved For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched This Guy by curator, and I think I could probably consume as much Moopsyfic as the universe cares to provide.

Thanks to the kindness of my pal J., I will be attending my first live concert in just about forever. J. has tickets to the Tafelmusik performance of "Tales of Two Cities: The Leipzig-Damascus Coffee House" at Koerner Hall, and she has invited me to go with her. I'm a bit nervous for physiological reasons, but will take all due precautions.




I've missed live music very, very much. Live music of any kind, not just baroque--every time I walk down Yorkville or Cumberland, I fantasize that I'm going to hear strains of folk or jazz drifting out of a coffeehouse storefront. Never mind that there hasn't been a true coffeehouse in Yorkville for years (maybe decades), and that all the storefronts open into venues so expensive that I won't be entering any of them unless I win a lottery. The fantasy abides.