Notes from the IEC Harmonia
August 23rd, Cesare Mineon, Orbital Monthly Journalist
After lift-off the IES Harmonia is a fairly standard interstellar exploration craft. The passengers are also quite the standard fare, upper middle class, mostly, a slightly above average number of tourists, just on board as part of one of those round trips. It's partnered with ISC (InterStellar Cruises, I'm pretty sure). Notable about the IEC Harmonia is the full classical orchestra that is stationed permanently on board. At ship-time 1800, they play a short concert, or set, or whatever it's called. It's about 30 minutes of music, there's a few repetitions here and there, but most of the programm I've seen is unique to the evening. It's not quite my taste, but it's really fine.
August 28th, Clementine Ho, 2nd Violin, 1st Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
I don't think I've ever lost interest in a permanent seat as quickly as I did in this case. We play with basically no rehearsals - not that we have a real space to rehearse at anyway. The way I understand it, the stage is occupied by like, magicians or children's entertainers or whatever during the day, and we get about an hour before the show to rehearse. It's kinda terrible each time. I also don't know how to feel about a good number of my colleagues. Rehearsal or not, I'm not sure how badly you'd have to be at listening for the melody to be this off beat. Also, our conductor came down with a virus or something. Either way, we don't have one.
August 29th, Sergei Milovich, 1st Horn, 3rd Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
As a first big orchestra, this is an okay gig. Then again, I don't get too many opportunities to play the horn, so I will bear with it, until we reach some place where I can find different, or better opportunities. It is, simply speaking, chaos. Not good for the spirit.
August 30th, Betty Leslies, 1st Oboe, 4th Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
When I agreed to sub in for Alexey, they assured me that the organizers knew what it took to make a traveling orchestra work. Then again, we're not really a traveling orchestra, especially between the stations. We're mostly stuck with the same people that need to be entertained, with music that's just about famous enough to hum the tune, but not so overplayed that the orchestra starts calling for a muscian's strike. We butcher about one opening theme of some old pop-culture movie a night. It's about as much as we can manage given the working conditions.
August 30th, Flip Callaghan, Frycook, Harmonia
My shift usually ends at about 1745, so I can just about listen to the Harmonia Orchestra most evenings. It's a nice way to end the work day. Otherwise, this is a very normal position as an IEC frycook. You have to find the silver linings. It's definitely better than the last time I took an IEC position, where I got off shift in time for bingo with the seniors.
September 3rd, Herway Munn, Conductor, Harmonia Orchestra
No way am I getting back into the pit with that orchestra. We have no chance for rehearsals, and the organizers hired some musicians that can't hold tempo to save their life. It's a disaster. We're scheduled to arrive at larger station in early November. Maybe I can manage to book a craft back home from there, if I "don't make it back to the Harmonia in time".
September 4th, Cesare Mineon, Orbital Monthly Journalist
I've seen about everything the Harmonia has to offer in terms of accommodations. Had they given me the opportunity to travel with an engineer, I could further document the concert hall, which is, in many ways the main draw of this particular vessel. I'm supposed to write something for the culture rubric though, and those don't get engineering specialist chaperones - at least not on short notice. I've taken to interviewing staff and passengers. One or two of the musicians, as well, but they strike me as stressed, and perhaps subject to a gag order of some kind? I would need to see for myself.
September 4th, Sergei Milovich, 1st Horn, 3rd Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
I believe I saw Munn sneak off into the engine wing of the vessel. He has been avoiding the members of the orchestra ever since lift-off. Perhaps he, too, has realized that in many cases there is no salvaging this, although his abandoning the group is somewhat disappointing. I don't believe anybody else has done the same so far, and while I was certainly tempted on occasion, I don't think it's a fine move, as they say. While not playing, most of the orchestra is just milling around the entertainment and dining segments, so I suppose Munn can't really avoid us outside the engine rooms. I don't suppose it'll be very comfortable there, in any case.
September 8th, Clementine Ho, 2nd Violin, 1st Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
It looks like we're scheduled to play at each station we stop at, and play a selection of the greatest hits. I don't know who makes the programme for those shows, but maybe we should find them and tell them that there are more than four orchestra pieces. I'm getting real tired of Vivaldi.
September 14th, Pauline Doles, Co-Captain, IEC Harmonia
We have received reports of a large part of the orchestra not returning to the ship before lift-off, among them, the conductor. The orchestra shows are suspended until further notice. Apparently, they had been performing without a conductor for the majority of their time on board anyways, so I don't exactly understand what has changed, but it frees up the evening slots for guest performers.
September 15th, Sergei Milovich, 1st Horn, 3rd Seat, Harmonia Orchestra
At least the part of the orchestra that decided to stay is being paid for the remainder of the round-trip. Maybe I can still treat this time as a markedly mismanaged paid vacation.