Double Post: Macaroni Pizza And Sweet Sounds From The Choir Loft

This evening, I embarked on a culinary experiment where I combine two of my favorite food vices: macaroni and cheese and pizza. I prefer not to self medicate with carbohydrates so I took steps to make sure I wouldn’t be experiencing my first open heart surgery at 35.

The first step was, instead of a flour crust, to make a crust out of polenta.

Once it was set, I added caramelized onions and the macaroni.

Next, came some steamed broccoli I had thoughfully prepared ahead of time.

I then added a slathering of cheddar cheese and roast garlic. The dash of Panko  was to give an extra bit of crunch.

In retrospect, I would probably go instead with some kind of Béchamel sauce instead of tomato. Also, I could have done without the Panko and gone instead with some Parmesan cheese. It’d be a more harmonious set of flavors instead of a stampeding melee.

On the subject of harmonious creations, the Vancouver Peace Choir is performing my in paradisum setting next month. It’s a very ambitious piece that manages to incorporate a lot of what I love about the art of being able to write music down and definitely sets the bar for what I expect from myself artistically quite a bit higher. Note the proximity of my name to one of the heaviest of heavyweights in the canon on their poster:

From what I can tell, I’ve definitely written a finite number of works and of those finite works this piece has some of my absolute most favorite musical moments of gnarly grinding chords giving way to sonic caramel.

The ending also holds a special significance for me: The main motif of the whole piece ends up capitulating to the last of its endurance and becomes resigned into to a fated chant on the word, aeternam (Eternity). Whenever I send this score to people I tell them to play the last page first as it never fails to cause a pitter-patter of the heart.

Two performances!

Saturday, November 22, 2014, 7:30pm
Vancouver Community College Auditorium, 1155 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 4V5
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/898234
Cost: $20 adults, $15 students / seniors, FREE 18 & under
https://www.facebook.com/events/1543887875824217/

 

…and…
Sunday, November 23, 2014, 3:00pm
Highlands United Church
3255 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver
British Columbia, V7R 2P1