# Don't Ask Me Why: Chapter 4



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Tanya and Marcus immediately became busy as the weeks progressed. Marcus had teaching to do, and Tanya several graduate courses. Tanya had to audit various choral rehearsals, and take notes for each session. It was quite a tedious responsibility, and Dr. Johnson was very strict in getting detailed reports for everything. Tanya's most dreaded work was research class though. She had to do complex bibliography assignments, and read dozens of articles and books per semester. If anything, she would be glad when her Graduate Thesis was finished, which was on the topic of late 19th century French Choral Music.

On top of this, Tanya took vocal lessons, and was expected to do solo performances in various small concerts. She only did two the year before, but she was expected to do more. Tanya had found a great interest in singing lieder rather than opera, and wondered if it was worth looking into further.

One day, Tanya came home from the school to find Marcus in his office, composing.

"Have you any good ideas?" she peered in through the entrance.

"I do actually," Marcus remained bent over his sheet music. Although he had a music writing program, he liked to write things on paper ever since he first started composing. He felt more expressive as a writer than a typer/mouse-clicker.

"Looks nice!" Tanya looked over his shoulder at what looked like a symphonic sketch. "Where is the choir?"

"I will put it in when I have a poem. Still stuck on that."

"I thought of one the other day! Why not do a Pushkin poem?"

"Pushkin?... I hadn't thought of him. Why him?"

"He makes the most romantic poems ever!"

"Not to be sung by a female though..."

"Well... they can be interpreted either way, some of them."

"Which did you have in mind?"

"A Wish! You know that one, don't you?"

Marcus stopped writing, and turned to Tanya.

"Now that you mention it, that's a good one..." Marcus turned quickly back to his music, focusing his mind intently on how it might fit. "It's rather short, and tragic, but it will suit well for the mood I've created so far. Maybe I'll do a song cycle... Thank you, Tanya."

"Don't mention it," Tanya grinned, and went off to do chores. She had quite a bit of homework to do.

The first choral concert of the semester was approaching.



Marie was putting together the programs now for the first concerts of the semester, and it was looking very exciting. She planned to go the choral concert, and also to the Symphony. Marie still had to take shifts at the box office, which was stressful for her. When it opened up every morning, she had to be there to serve a long line of people. Christy and her would run each their own line, and still it would seem to take forever. Marie also had to organize all the will-calls for online ticket buying. Concert nights were the most busy, but luckily she was able to give those shifts to students.

Strangely enough, among all the people she would meet at the box office, more knew her name than she knew them.

The only person she recognized instantly was the cellist. He came to pick up a complimentary ticket for the symphony, likely to give it to someone else.

"Are you coming to this concert?" he wondered. "We have a great program. Brahms, Hindemith and-"

"I know, I make the programs," Marie laughed.

"Oh!" he suddenly looked ashamed and turned his eyes down. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"It's nothing. I forget your name, by the way, we met some weeks ago," Marie had to know.

"Alex."

"Well, nice to meet you again. Hope you enjoy."

"I will." He walked off in a serious mood.

Marie hadn't thought of it at the time, but later she wondered why he was so recognizable.

"Must be his unusually stern face. He has a rather dark look about him... I wonder how he plays..."

She began wondering who the ticket was for.


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