New and exciting things!!

Ok. Perhaps the headline is a tad exaggerated, but I did see a Robin and a bright red Cardinal on my morning walk. Also, I saw a tree cracked in half by that sudden, violent windstorm we had yesterday. So that’s two exciting things, and one new thing.

The Beltline Trail, which cuts across upper-midtown Toronto, secluded from the city by trees and brush, has become a human highway these days, with folks stretching their legs, breaking the monotony of isolation. Some people say hello, but most avert their eyes, as if greeting a stranger verbally is getting too close for comfort. On country walking trails everyone says ‘Hi,’ but in the city a ‘good morning’ is fairly rare. I guess walking culture differs from place to place…

Am I rambling?

One new thing is that Schola Magdalena had to cancel our Earth Day concert. I have never, ever cancelled a performance in my life, so this was weird. We musicians are trained that ‘the show must go on’, and I have many examples if you care to listen. Most memorably, Dan Norman played a long and very difficult concert so sick that he had a bucket placed beside the organ, just in case. Pale and hiding his pain he managed to struggle through Parry’s ‘Ode on the Nativity’ heroically. But this virus (which shall not be named) requires a kind of anti-heroism. It feels strange, but staying home is the heroic thing to do.

Another new thing that has required a steep learning curve is taking on new technologies in order to carry on York University classes, lessons, meetings and presentations through teleconferencing tools and video apps like Zoom. My brilliant friend Cate and I are turning this into a new social platform, hosting ‘Virtual Tea Parties.’ You stay at home, make your own tea, your own biscuits, and bring out your own best china tea cup, click on the Zoom app and you can see all your nice friends.

Also new – I never, ever use two exclamation points!!

Hope you are coping.

XOXO

Steph