The Space Between the Notes - V –
I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.

Here we are, just a few moments since I last wrote to you.

I’m not sure whether it’s a phase in my life, the pandemic, the leering uncertainty that hides around so many corners these days, my mood, the soaring temperatures, or parenting, but somehow minutes bleed into hours into days into so many fragments of tiny lifetimes that it’s sometimes eerily difficult to keep track of time. So: Hello again!

Inspired by a Nine-Year-Old

'I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.'
- from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Pippi Longstocking, a character that accompanied me in my childhood, sums up my attitude to life in that one sentence. Her words ring just as true at 40 as they did at 4.

Music is storytelling. We, the planet’s people, pour our experiences into telling stories; those stories take on ever more expression and that expression we call art. We live and process our experiences through art.Before the pandemic, and certainly during it, my disquietude and frustration at how my career sector dealt with itself had come to a peak, and I begin planning a thing — a movement? A resistance? Or the very opposite of resistance — a pursuit of connectedness?
A way to tell stories through art.

At a time when art and culture are almost at a standstill, I want to offer a new home and invite people of all ages, social classes, genders and nationalities to be part of a club that celebrates and supports the arts. I have named it “Gwendolyn's Bridge Club”.

Gwendolyn's Bridge Club

Rehearsals for the second Bridge Club happening. Pictured here: Raphaela Paetsch, Darryl Bachmann, Martin Moriarty, Jiska Lambrecht, yours truly and Ysaÿe.

This name was inspired by a quote from violinist Jascha Heifetz, "When people come to play music as they do to play bridge, civilization will have taken the longest stride forward since the beginning of time.” What I take this to mean is that through music and the focus it provides the player and listener, we arrive to new heights of awareness and empathy. I am driven by the idea of building bridges between different arts, between those on stage, behind it, and in front of it. Gwendolyn's Bridge Club sets out to show audiences how far-reaching and inclusive an immersion in the arts can be when the setting is right.

Have I done this before? Not like this. Might I fail? According to Beckett — certainly. According to Pippi however – no way.

The first house concert for Bridge Club was on 27 June 2021, followed by another on 3 July at a different location with a different programme. These concerts are put together quickly and, paradoxically, with a certain impatience that many performing artists are experiencing at this unprecedented time between lockdowns and openings. Both Gesamtkunstwerks incorporate classical music, literature and theater.

> some performance details here

First Bridge Club Soirée

The first Bridge Club happening included elements of classical music, theater, literature and togetherness. Pictured here: cellist Matthias Walpen, pianist Vera Kooper, myself, writer Jürg Halter and actor Dominique Jann.

> find out more about Gwendolyn's Bridge Club

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Someone who brings Pippi to life for new audiences is Danyah Miller. I heard about Danyah from Heidi Lang, a social media strategist whom I had hoped to work with last year and who, just at the moment I had FINALLY managed to get her to consider the job, turned her back on (nearly) all things digital. I can’t blame her (see my blog post on Facebook here).

Danyah’s job profile is “storyteller”. Yes, in true tradition of the bard, she tells stories. Take a look here to dive into a wonderland.

> Article About Censorship on Facebook

The Secret Garden

Image from the first The Secret Garden Party invite.

One of those storytelling moments is about Pippi. Other stories are inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I read Ms. Hodgson Burnett as a child – one of the most popular marathon-type happenings I have instigated is called “The Secret Garden Party”, inspired by her eponymous novel. “The Secret Garden Party” takes place annually in August – in our backyard garden. It involves artists across all disciplines coming together and playing for each other. The Secret Garden Party is not commercial, nearly completely spontaneous, and not documented professionally. This may be part of the reason it proves so popular.

Tangos and Time Machines - Podcast Tip

Music is storytelling and my childhood friend and former student of my father, Clíodhna Ryan, recently piloted a podcast. The podcast underlines the amazing work of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Both ensemble and podcast are excellent. If you love tango and want to listen to something very informative and beautifully edited click here.

> podcast with Clíodhna Ryan