Solo Piano Works from Jackson Berkeys
Sabbatical at Colvmns by the Sea
Cape May, New Jersey 1999 The easiest way to reach Cape May, NewJersey is by ferry from the east in Lewes, Delaware; or from the north via the New Jersey Garden State Parkway. I generally fly into Philadelphia, so the latter route is always taken. There is no exit for Cape May on the Garden State Parkway. The Parkway simply turns into the only road over the only bridge into Cape May. A strange jog, seemingly in the wrong direction, puts you on the right street to get to the Colvmns. (Yes, it is a v, part of the registered trademark for the Inn.) Even when the small southern New Jersey city of Cape May is busy, it is quiet at the Victorian Bed and Breakfast known for almost a hundred years as Colvmns By The Sea. Located in what is called East Cape May the quiet section of town, even during high season my Lady Almeda and I first stayed at the Colvmns in October of 1998. During that first encounter, some acquaintances there spoke with great enthusiasm about their accomodations. On seeing their room, I immediately knew why: Room 9 is a very large room with four windows overlooking the Atlantic coast. Because of Cape Mays peculiar southeastern exposure to the Atlantic, both sunrise and sunset can be seen from the room, and its windows open wide to let in the seas air and sound. With Room 9 in mind, I decided to return to the Colvmns the following January to write a commission that I had received for the 1999 SingLadySing International Choral Festival in Seattle. As fate would have it, the commission was moved back to 2001. But with my plans already firmly in mind at the time, I proceeded to go to the Colvmns to write LUltima Amor The Greatest Love. Somehow I knew immediately that this was the place for me to complete this commission. During my first hibernation at Colvmns By The Sea, I discovered a few other interesting facts: the city is almost deserted during this time of year, her residents more than ready for some quiet time following the busy influx of visitors during Christmas and New Years. Few eating establishments remain open, and most of those offer service only on the weekend. Only occasionally does one see other people. For me, it was a state of supreme quiet, accompanied by the sound of the sea and interrupted only by my thoughts. This Cape May solitude also brought forth my song cycle about baseball Open the Window Aunt Minnie, Here She Comes! as well as this first set of Cape May Preludes (Im already writing the second set.) The Preludes were written in response to the many feelings I experienced during my stay. They are about the vastly changing weather, the people and the animals encountered during this, my first writing sabbatical at the Colvmns on the Atlantic coast. |
