The influences and responsibilities of the conductor towards the visual aspects of choral music

From the initial reading of a new piece to the final preparation prior to a concert weeks later, the conductor is constantly prioritizing the musical problems encountered during rehearsals. We are trained to classify musical problems into the categories coinciding with the elements of music: timbre, pitch, duration, and dynamics. The method in which these problems are categorized and solved becomes an integral part of our musical personality or experience and, on a surface level, becomes rehearsal technique. As rehearsal time dwindles, the conductor\u27s attention shifts quickly to hone those techniques that refine the concepts presented in earlier rehearsals in performance. These concepts culminate in performance

Birefringence and polarisation mode-dispersion in spun single-mode fibres

A theoretical and experimental analysis of the polarization properties of twisted single-mode fibers is presented. It is shown that whereas a conventionally twisted fiber possesses considerable optical rotation, a fiber which has a permanent twist imparted by spinning the preform during fiber drawing exhibits almost no polarization anisotropy. It is thus possible to virtually eliminate the commonly observed fiber linear birefringence. As a consequence, fibers made in this way are ideally suited for use in the Faraday-effect current transducer. It is further shown that a permanent twist of a few turns/meter effectively eliminates polarization mode-dispersion. The technique therefore appears attractive for enhancing the bandwidth of very long unrepeatered telecommunication links

Their songs of freedom

1. A Torch that burns across the World: Magna Carta (1215)2. Grace and Myght of Chyvalry: Agincourt (1415)3. One Young Drummer Boy: Waterloo (1815)4. Sustain a Hungry Nation: The Women's Institute in WWI (1915)5. The Tribe: Churchill and WWII (1940, 1945, 1965)There are so many distinctive anniversaries which commemorate important British events in 2015. Andy Rashleigh’s narration draws them all together and excerpts from his words provide the titles for each musical section, also for the work itself. The composer’s challenge is to reflect on these collectively.A Torch that burns across the World: Magna Carta (1215) commemorates the legacy of the Magna Carta and its complexity, depicted with a certain grandeur but also recognition of ‘Bad King John’.Grace and Myght of Chyvalry: Agincourt (1415) draws on the words and music of the traditional ‘Agincourt Carol’, featuring cornets as English longbows and the lower brass as the French cavalry. One Young Drummer Boy: Waterloo (1815) reflects the initiative in the battle swinging this way and that after the first attack from which a lone drummer boy survived. Sustain a Hungry Nation: the Women’s Institute in WW1 (1915) features lyrical echoes of a Welsh folk tune as well as Parry’s ‘Jerusalem’, so synonymous with the WI. The Tribe: Churchill and WWII (1940, 1945, 1965) recognises the death of Churchill(1965) and commemorates WWII events with rhythms inspired by his ‘Finest Hour’ speeches (1940). It recalls the Battle of Britain, touches on the role of the Turing Bombe’s first Enigma code breakthrough at Bletchley Park (1940) and of course, celebrates with the people on VE Day (1945).Their Songs of Freedom traces and commemorates many different roles – whether battles won, the role of the Women’s Institute or that of a great leader. The music seeks to be a tribute to those involved who – in their distinctive ways – helped change the course of our British history over 800 years. Liz Lane and Andy Rashleigh, 2015www.lizlane.co.ukwww.rashleighguiding.co.u

The Story of St Alban

‘The Story of St Alban’ was commissioned in 2015 by St Albans Choir for performance at Hatfield University by St Albans Choir, baritone soloist Michael Bundy, narrator Andy Rashleigh, members of local school choirs, members of Orchestra Nova, conducted by George Vass. A further performance will take place at St Albans Abbey in November 2019 to celebrate 50 years of the choir. The music sets an original libretto by Andy Rashleigh which traces the complex story of this iconic historical and religious figure. The pathos of Alban itself (baritone voice) is contrasted by the chirpy pagans (children), whilst a commentating chorus takes on a variety of important roles and the narrator links the characters, all underpinned by the ensemble. The ending – a setting of the St Alban Prayer – was written towards the beginning of the compositional process, with the musical material of the rest of the work leading to and branching from this pivotal section of the work. The tonality of the prayer grounds a more dissonant language which represents some of the more dramatic and dreadful aspects of the story. The creation of this cantata has enabled close artistic collaboration with lyricist Andy Rashleigh with regards setting the story of St Alban in a modern context, and the chance to introduce this to a younger generation through the involvement of young voices. The second, more large-scale performance scheduled for November 2019 will enable this narrative to be experienced by more young singers, as well as give them the opportunity to perform in a major venue alongside professional musicians. A direct outcome of this work has been a further choral commission for the Open University Choir, performed in November 2017, and a forthcoming large-scale project in Lewisham, London, with groups of older singers in October 2019

Fish assemblage patterns as a tool to aid conservation in the Olifants River catchment (East), South Africa

South Africa has committed to address freshwater conservation at the catchment scale, using a combination of landscapelevel and species-level features as surrogates of freshwater biodiversity. To support this work, we examined fishes in the Olifants River catchment, where multiple anthropogenic pressures affect streams. Patterns in fish assemblage data across 88 sites were analysed and related to landscape environmental variables using statistical techniques of multivariate ordination, cluster analysis, and regression tree analysis. We identified 6 distinct fish assemblage types, which were separated by altitude and human influence, primarily dry-land cropping and dams. In the upper reaches of the catchment, we identified a faunal shift from Barbus neefi, which occurred in less impacted sites, to B. anoplus and Tilapia sparrmanii, which werefavored in cropland and mixed cropland/urban settings, respectively. The fish assemblage of the middle section of the catchment was not unique, but supported one species, Chiloglanis pretoriae, that could be considered a focal species for conservation. The low altitude, high-runoff section of the catchment supported the most species. However, species richnessincreased in association with dams, through the addition of species that are more tolerant of flow and physicochemical modifications. Thus, species richness may not be an optimal conservation target for this system. Rather, a series of indicators will be necessary to track and measure conservation success in the Olifants catchment

Interview with Rashleigh Jackson: Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Rashleigh Jackson, conducted 27 January 2015 in Demerara, Guyana, as part of the Commonwealth Oral History Project. The project aims to produce a unique digital research resource on the oral history of the Commonwealth since 1965 through sixty oral history interviews with leading figures in the recent history of the organisation. It will provide an essential research tool for anyone investigating the history of the Commonwealth and will serve to promote interest in and understanding of the organisation. Biography: Jackson, Rashleigh Edond. 1929- . Born in New Amsterdam, British Guiana. Joined the civil service in 1949. Received scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, 1954. Educated at the University of London and University of Leicester. Teacher at Queen’s College Secondary School, Guyana, 1957-64. Joined Ministry of External Affairs (later renamed ‘Foreign Affairs’) in 1964, becoming Permanent Secretary in 1968. Permanent Representative of Guyana at the United Nations in New York and President of the UN Council for Namibia, 1973-78. Foreign Minister of Guyana, 1978-1990. Recipient of the Order of Roraima of Guyana, 1991

Population Structure of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the Urban Landscape of the Cleveland, Ohio Area

Author Institution: Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State UniversityTo obtain information on the population structure of coyote (Canis latrans) in an urban setting, a non-invasive genetic sampling technique was applied that consisted of DNA isolation from scat collected around the Cleveland metropolitan area. Muscle tissue was provided from two other coyotes. Amplifying the mitochondrial D-loop or control region produced 33 haplotypes from just 57 coyote sequences and two additional dog sequences from putative coyote-dog hybrids. The mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity in the Cleveland area was high, π 0.02, and composed of six distinct haplotype lineages. In addition, Fst values ranged from 0.07 between collections east and west of the Cuyahoga River to 0.17 for samples separated between the Cuyahoga River valley and the adjacent Rocky River valley to the west. Interstate highways may restrict gene flow between populations that are based around the numerous large parks while channeling migrants towards the urbanized center. The low number of haplotypes sampled may attest to a poor reproductive rate after arrival, and the two dog-like haplotypes, which were confirmed using a nuclear gene, may be a secondary consequence of low mating opportunities for surviving males

Population Structure of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the Urban Landscape of the Cleveland, Ohio Area

To obtain information on the population structure of coyote (Canis latrans) in an urban setting, a non-invasive genetic sampling technique was applied that consisted of DNA isolation from scat collected around the Cleveland metropolitan area. Muscle tissue was provided from two other coyotes. Amplifying the mitochondrial D-loop or control region produced 33 haplotypes from just 57 coyote sequences and two additional dog sequences from putative coyote-dog hybrids. The mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity in the Cleveland area was high, π 0.02, and composed of six distinct haplotype lineages. In addition, Fst values ranged from 0.07 between collections east and west of the Cuyahoga River to 0.17 for samples separated between the Cuyahoga River valley and the adjacent Rocky River valley to the west. Interstate highways may restrict gene flow between populations that are based around the numerous large parks while channeling migrants towards the urbanized center. The low number of haplotypes sampled may attest to a poor reproductive rate after arrival, and the two dog-like haplotypes, which were confirmed using a nuclear gene, may be a secondary consequence of low mating opportunities for surviving males