I just read via Steve Hicken’s listen that Henry Brant died yesterday. He was in San Jose a couple of times and there is even a recording that includes the San Jose Symphony. If I’m remembering correctly I wasn’t involved in the recording; I seem to recall no English horn in the piece. I was at the recording session, though, so maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe it’s the following that I missed out on:

April 19 to 21, the San Jose Symphony, (408) 288-2828, will perform the world premiere of Henry Brant’s “Old Italians Dying,” a musical setting for a poem, which will be read by its author, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. (Found here, from a 1991 New York Times article. A LOT has changed since that was written.)

I don’t remember a lot about Mr. Brant, but I do remember him always wearing some sort of a cap. And I remember musicians being in different parts of the auditorium. I seem to recall that in one work some singers were situated behind these large built in screen-like things in the CPA. He seems … hmmm … maybe “sprightly” is the word? Energetic.