November marked a relatively calm month of conducting good music, and nothing overly strenuous. Consequently, as I begin a period of several weeks off, I do not need much time to wind down. Well, maybe I should not discount jet lag as I adjust to the time difference between Japan and St. Louis.

In the past month, I had the opportunity to lead a group of wind players in a Chamber Music Society of St. Louis concert, which included a beautifully played Serenade for Wind Instruments by Dvořák; Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat, a piece I had not conducted in quite a while; and the Petite Symphonie by Gounod.