As he weaves masterfully crafted notes that, though played on a small keyboard, sound like fairy voices singing romantic sonnets in English, he calls out to Ogon Fox:
Please tell our mutual friend, Maestro Okumura, that I will be praying daily and nightly for his recovery from this fever you say he is indisposed with! I do hope he recovers before I must board my ship back to England... We’ve had so little precious time to enjoy each other’s company and exchange musical notes! He smirks oddly at Fox and winks before turning his attention to a particularly complex and beautiful phrase on his keyboard...
Toshio Okumura wrote: The problem is that we're going to be busy down in the catacombs (and wherever that portal leads). Should we ask good old John Dunstable to play it? Bloody brilliant idea, Maestro!
Inspired by the tales told in the taverns of Rome about the pope’s brave Crusaders, English composer John Dunstable rises on that Friday morning with a heroic melody spinning through his head, and thinking on the lovely duet of “bird songs” he’d heard coming from the garden of Palazzo D’Borja, he realized that by having a second voice take up the theme four or eight beats after the first, a beautiful counterpoint could be created...
At once, he leaps out of his bed and takes up quill, ink, and paper, and begins to scrawl out staves on which to write down his musical ideas. He begins work on what would eventually become an oratorio praising God for blessing mankind with such heroes as the Crusaders of the Catacombs. This, in combination with the effect that watching plays in the major cities of Europe has upon the Maestro, will later inspire work on a kind of proto-opera about the adventures of the Crusaders of the Catacombs, but alas, Maestro Dunstable will die before he completes this magnum opus, which, unfortunately, is lost to history...
Approaching Toshio Okumura reverently, John Dunstaple bows before him and extends his hand in friendship.
Needless to say, Maestro Okumura... Despite this unfortunate interruption of our contest, derailing the judges from declaring a winner, I believe everyone here knows that you won the day with your brilliant and inspired playing! But who on Earth would want such a gifted musician dead!? It boggles my mind, frankly, sir! Could it be jealousy? Why?
What in the Nine Hell’s!? Is Maestro Okumura alright!? Yes... The Holy Father succor him, thank God! But why would anyone want to kill such a precious talent!? It is insane!
Dunstable walks briskly up to the magnificent masterwork pipe organ of Saint Peter’s Church, sits upon the bench, and tests the keys with masterful hands and the pedals with deft, slippered feet, whirling through modal scales, particularly the Dorian, before looking to the Pope, and the Duke of Florence, and Bishop Tostado, and nodding to signal that his performance is about to begin...
Performance (keyboard) 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (1) + 20 = 21...YIKES!!
A sudden anxiety wracks Dunstable! So many powerful patrons of the arts present, carefully scrutinizing my performance!... My boring, hamfisted performance!... Oh God, John, play something else, you’ve played that same motif with no appreciable development five times now, you dullard!...Um...Um...What to play! What to play!... Maybe they won’t recognize a little Dufay if I sneak some in... Oh, bloody hell! Duke of Savoy is humming along! He’s obviously heard Dufay play this himself! Such an unoriginal dolt, Dunstable! G%$ d!#n me blind! The hapless English bard’s performance seems stiff, derivative, and uninspired...
Toshio Okumura wrote: at Mass
Toshio wears the same white robes he always wore while playing and leading the choir at the Church of Sainte Waudru, and he certainly looks the part of a church organist. After Pope Eugenius finishes the blessing at the close of Mass, Toshio approaches John Dunstable. "Hello, Mr. Dunstable!" Toshio says cheerfully as he shakes Mr. Dunstable's hand warmly. "I can't say how glad I am to meet you. It is a great pleasure to hear you perform your works. Have you enjoyed your stay in Rome so far? I am a newcomer here, myself."
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The pleasure is all mine, Master Okumura! I have heard that there is an ethereal—one might even say magical—quality to your music... I’m not sure I’m equal to such competition...but I shall do my very best to provide for you a worthy challenge! Dunstable winks and smiles knowingly at Okumura...
English composer John Dunstable is also in attendance, sharing guest organist duties with Toshio Okumura—a preview of their musical talents before the evening’s much anticipated contest and ducal feast...
The choir performs some of Dunstable’s works: Quam Pulchra Es and Veni Creator Spiritus... They also debut some of Toshio Okumura’s marvelous contrapuntal motets, much to the delight and wonderment of all present...and somewhat to Dunstable’s mix of admiration and envy...
That music! That is the birdsong duet I heard the other day outside the Palazzo D’Borja! So it was not birds singing, but Okumura making magical music somehow... He must have used an enchanted organetto...
How splendid! A contest is arranged by the Duke of Florence, and the prize a magical organetto of building... The Lord works in mysterious ways! I must practice my scales and arpeggios in the Dorian mode...
Dunstable spends much of the morning of the 5th playing on the masterwork pipe organ at the Basilica, weaving webs of sonic beauty that echo with bardic enchantment in the great cathedral...
As fate would have it, English composer John Dunstable happens to be strolling past the palazzo D’Borja on his morning walk when he overhears the exquisitely lovely contrapuntal music of thrush and magical organetto coming from a window overlooking the Cardinal D’Borja’s rose garden! He pauses to listen, enraptured...
My God! Such beautiful music! And two distinct melodies in harmonious union... Unprecedented! It seems to be the syrinxes of birds making those beautiful melodies, but how!? I must know who is creating this wondrous sound!
He draws closer to the low wall that encloses the rose garden and listens to the music of thrush and organetto of sounding, spellbound, tears of joy and envy dampening his face...
Having sailed across the English Channel and into the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy, the famous English composer John Dunstable has arrived in Rome to play the great pipe organ at the Church of Saint Peter.
He has heard that a composer and organist of foreign blood is making a name for himself... Toshio Okumura... and he considers challenging this organist to a contest of improvisation on one of the Church modes...
They say this Okumura chap has a masterful touch at the keys...
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