You can thank (blame?) Deana for this one. No one should send me Inspiration pictures ….. Or ideas….
(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)
——————————-
Music of the Heart
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson
The early morning air had that sharp chill that carried the reminder of oncoming fall. A cold, damp nip that sent a shiver down Aiden’s spine and raised goosebumps on his arms. Fingers cupped around the warm coffee cup, he took another sip and savored the rich taste. With some effort, he managed to ignore the cold rock under him and focused instead on the gorgeous sunrise just peaking out from behind the mountains in the distance. Still quiet for now, the nearby music festival was scheduled to start in two days and with the promised appearance of Bran’s Visions, it was going to be utter chaos.
Just the thought of seeing the famous celtic rock band made Aiden’s heart beat a tiny bit faster. Well, if he was honest with himself, it was a single member of the band that made him abandon his office and deadlines to travel across the country to Seattle for two weeks. He shook his head, still wondering what it was about Colen, the band’s charismatic fiddler, that brought out uncharacteristic impulsiveness in Aiden. But the tall, hazel-eyed blonde man had caught his attention the first time he’d seen Bran’s Visions perform almost five years ago. The mix of a very handsome man with huge amounts of energy coaxing every emotion possible from the strings of an electric fiddle changed Aiden’s musical taste. His large collection of classical music was now peppered with CDs from a wide variety of celtic or alternative groups.
But rumors abounded that Bran’s Visions might announce their retirement. Colen had broken up with Kate, the lead singer, and she’d married a man she’d met in Ireland. The live concert he’d caught on PBS was…different. Colen was different. Hell, he’d even cut off his gorgeous long hair. Stupidly, Aiden mourned that hair - not that he had any right to but he loved long hair on a man. Hell, he’d never even met the man and given Colen’s past history, he seemed securely on the straight side of the buffet table. Damned shame.
He drank the last of the coffee and enjoyed a few more minutes of peace. Just as he started to push himself up off the boulder to return to his cabin, he heard a faint sound from the direction of a nearby cabin. The sound of a violin being tuned. Maybe it was someone performing at the festival? Aiden sank back onto the boulder and cocked his head to listen.
Seconds later a violin’s slow, sad strains drifted out on the morning breeze. Recognizing the plaintive notes of Tchaikovsky, he closed his eyes and drank in the depth of emotion and loss evoked by the talented violinist. A segue into Barber’s violin Andante. Then into Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. Aiden felt immersed in the music, in the sadness and longing. The last mournful notes by Mozart trailed off into silence, somehow oppressive now instead of peaceful. When the violinist didn’t continue, he sighed and pushed himself up off the rock. Time to get back to his temporary home and see if he could get any work done on the website design he was trying to finish, even though he really was not in the mood for a light, humorous website right now.
A few steps took him back to the walking path and he looked up toward the closest cabin, surprised to see a man standing on the front porch. Shadowed by the overhang of the roof, Aiden couldn’t make out his features but he appeared to be wearing just a pair of shorts and had a violin dangling from one hand and a bow from the other. Aiden stopped near a tall fir and watched. Should he approach him and thank him for the music, sad as it was? The man’s bowed head and slumped shoulders made Aiden sure the tone of the music was an echo of the man’s own emotions.
Just as Aiden made up his mind to continue back to his own cabin and leave the other man in peace, the violinist lifted his instrument again and the notes of Cerridwen’s Cauldron emerged from his talented fingers. The violinist moved out of the shadows and Aiden gasped in recognition. It was Colen Cassidy.
Loading ...
MORE!! Oh, definitely need more of this one! Pleeeeaassee don’t leave us hanging!
by Robin Snodgrass September 6th, 2008 at 4:38 pmOkay Maura,
Do I need to e-mail Laura or are you going to be motivated to continue this on your own? I like that you did your homework on violin repertoire…
by Mer Grotti September 6th, 2008 at 5:13 pmGlad you liked it Robin!
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pmThat is a brilliant hook, made me want MORE!!
by Corinne September 6th, 2008 at 5:28 pmI love the name of the band, Brand’s Visions
LOL, Mer. I’m glad you stepped out of lurkdom!
*whispers*I’m waiting for Laura and Deana to discover it *
LOL - I have several friends who are violinists and celtic musicians. I LOVE violin music and tried to learn to play in my childhood but, alas, was only capable of producing sound something akin to two fighting, asthmatic cats. Now I just listen to others.
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 5:28 pmWhata do we have to bribe you with to continue with this. What is wonderful picture you paint with words. More please.
by melanie marshall September 6th, 2008 at 5:30 pmGlad you liked it Corinne!
Bran is a celtic god of music. I’m a bit of Celt-o-phile.
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 5:30 pmThanks, Melanie!
This one may end up having to become a story. When Deana sent me an inspiration picture, the story just appeared in my mind.
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 5:34 pmWell, wait no more, woman. I’ve found you and it. It’s beautiful and haunting. It’s first for the anthology! What shall we call the antho? Soul Music? Strings of Love? Notes of My Heart?
Help me out here, since I now have to create ANOTHER anthology to put your story in! Poor me. lol.
by Laura Baumbach September 6th, 2008 at 7:34 pmI told her you would say that Laura.
By the way Maura, I’m happy it looks like its going to be finished. It gave me several questions I want you to answer.
by Jo September 6th, 2008 at 7:38 pmLOL - umm - Hi Laura :)
I’m glad you like it. I sent a suggestion but I suck at naming anthologies. Heart Strings?
sigh - this may be longer though. Maybe too long for an anthology.
*hides*
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 7:48 pmharrumph, Jo.
You’re evil and an instigator!
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 7:50 pmA novel! Cool. No problem. Contracts being drawn up as we speak. *g* It can be due after you give me my forensic geologist. 2009 has holes waiting for titles to be scheduled yet.
by Laura Baumbach September 6th, 2008 at 7:51 pmumm… yes, ma’am.
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 7:53 pmI would definately snap this up in a second if you made it a full novel. I can’t wait to read this one it sounds amazing and you wrote the perfect excerpt for it.
Here’s hoping there is definately more.
ReaLee
by ReaLee September 6th, 2008 at 9:57 pmThanks, ReaLee.
Apparently it’s now on the schedule for 2009 :)
by Maura Anderson September 6th, 2008 at 10:02 pmGlad to hear it’s on the schedule. :)
by SarahL September 7th, 2008 at 1:09 amOhhh, I may have to fight Laura for this one
by Nikita September 7th, 2008 at 7:19 pmArm wrestle or pistols at 30 paces, Nikita? *g*
by Laura Baumbach September 8th, 2008 at 1:56 amBeautiful. I’m a celt-o-phile too (and an Irish dancer) and I know a few fiddlers…
I can just hear the music…
anthology names…
If it’s a celtic anthology, I’m thinking something either in Gaelic or the name of a traditional tune… (will brainstorm during work, lol)…
by suzanne lazear September 8th, 2008 at 7:30 am