My wife Rachel’s uncle is the noted American composer Ned Rorem and we will often make a visit in the summer to his charming home on Nantucket.
Nantucket is a fascinating mixture of a meticulously clipped, old village spatchcocked onto a wild island 40 miles out in the Atlantic. A typical day involves a bike adventure out to a remote beach – where you are left with the fascinating choice of the placid,Sound side – or the tumultuous ocean side. Either way there is plenty of room to let the frenetic density of city-living dissolve.
Ned is a thought provoking host …and another fascinating mixture. He is both a eloquent,incisive author of diaries , essays on music ,art and many other topics and a moving composer of art songs,operas, chamber music and many other genres of music.
All his linguistic ability and creative spirit can all come together to produce a daring and scintillating game of Scrabble on a quiet summer night.
