The imminent release of Four Mages on 2 May 2024 draws every closer, dear readers, and I’m continuing to feature some of the pieces from that album here.  Today’s piece, “The Blind Prophet,” is one I particularly enjoy for its playful experimentation with irregular time signatures and multimeter wackiness.

“The Blind Prophet” is a companion piece with “Black Mage,” “Blue Mage,” “Red Mage,” and “White Mage.” A duet for trombone and tuba, “The Blind Prophet” depicts the irregular scrying and soothsaying of the prophet—and his own staggering through his blindness. The poem “Anticlea” by Stacey C. Johnson provided partial inspiration for this piece:

Here are the manuscripts—the first, handwritten version; and the second, illustrated, digital version:

“The Blind Prophet” – Original Manuscript

“The Blind Prophet” – Final Illustrated Manuscript

Happy Listening!

—TPP

Other Editions of Open Mic Adventures:

• “Open Mic Adventures I: Oingo Boingo’s ‘Just Another Day’“
• “Open Mic Adventures II: Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’“
• “Open Mic Adventures III: Joanie Sommers’s ‘Johnny Get Angry’“
• “Open Mic Adventures IV: KISS’s ‘I Still Love You’“
• “Open Mic Adventures V: ‘There’s a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)’“
• “Open Mic Adventures VI: Journey’s ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’“
• “Open Mic Adventures VII: ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’“
• “Open Mic Adventures VIII: Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’“
• “Open Mic Adventures IX: Journey’s ‘Faithfully’“
• “Open Mic Adventures X: ‘Time Warp’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XI: Spooktacular Supergroup Covers ‘Monster Mash’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XII: ‘Ghostly’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XIII: The Penguins’ ‘Earth Angel’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XIV: ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XV: ‘O Holy Night’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XVI: ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XVII: ‘L’il Divertimento in C major’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XVIII: ‘Satiean Motion’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XIX: ‘Two-Day Minuet for Left Hand’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XX: ‘Sleepy Student’s Serenade’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXI: Styx’s ‘Come Sail Away’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXII: ‘Blessed Assurance’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXIII: ‘Gabbi’s Gavotte’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXIV: ‘Softly and Tenderly’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXV: ‘Venite, exultemus Domino’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXVI: ‘Sonatina’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXVII: ‘Heavenly Sunlight’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXVIII: ‘Song of the Bigfoot’”
• “Open Mic Adventures XXIX: ‘Lavender’s Blue’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXX: ‘Chorale for a Sleepy Wednesday’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXI: ‘Carousel’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXII: Hymn Medley“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXIII: ‘Spore Song (Mushroom Dance)’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXIV: ‘Chase’s Dilemma’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXV: ‘The Rings of Saturn’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXVI: ‘The Rings of Saturn’ LIVE!“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXVII: ‘Private Lessons (Goth Chick)’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXVIII: ‘Quasi-Date’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XXXIX: ‘(I’m in the) Business of Love)’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XL: ‘Parada’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLI: ‘Serenade for a Sleepy Student No. 2’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLII: ‘1001 Arabian Nights’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLIII: ‘Greek Fair’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLIV: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 1’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLV: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 1’ – BASS“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLVI: ‘Canon Event’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLVIII: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 2’“
• “Open Mic Adventures XLIX: Sloppy ‘Hipster Girl Next Door’ Medley“
• “Open Mic Adventures L: ‘Lament of the Lizardman’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LI: ‘Bigfoot Boogie’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LII: ‘Minuet for a New Moon’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LIII: ‘Andante in D major’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LIV: ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LV: ‘”Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LVI: ‘Orange Roll’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LVII: ‘Firefly Dance’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LVIII: ‘Kartofelsalat’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LIX: ‘Listless Chorale’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LX: ‘Silent Night’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXI: ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXII: ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXIII: ‘FRANTIC!!’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXIV: ‘Snowfall’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXV: ‘Uninspired Étude in E major’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXVI: ‘Scribblings I: Post-Christmas Concert Scribbling’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXVII: ‘Ode Napoléon’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXVIII: ‘Cook’s Brief Bourrée in E minor’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXIX: ‘Triumphant Processional’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXX: ‘Moody Noodling’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXI: ‘Epistemology’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXII: ‘Three Chorales in Diminishing Length’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXIII: ‘Blue Mage’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXIV: ‘Red Mage’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXV: ‘White Mage’“
• “Open Mic Adventures LXXVI: ‘Black Mage’“