May Day is still going at Seattle’s Town Hall. I finished my last two hour set. Highlights for me were Stuart Dempster’s moving tribute to double bassist Matthew Sperry; Byron Au Yong’s Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas; and Michael Lim and Melia Watras’ improvisations on S.O.S. Alas, wifi problems are continuing. Sometimes the network works, other times not so much.

Still to come: The Esoterics; Christina Valdes and friends play Louis Andriessen’s Workers Union; Paul Rucker playing Call, a piece he wrote for cello; and to close the night the Seattle Chamber Players do Nicolai Korndorff’s Get Out.

Hearing and helping emcee this festival has been a tremendous experience.  I’ll be remembering and processing the music a few days.  I am looking forward to hearing Byron Au Yong’s CD of 24 of his bottled operas.  I’m curious about the trial and execution of Joe Hill thanks to Wayne Horvitz.

I hope it happens again next year. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the the afternoon and evening: