Last week, I put together my annual season round-up of area orchestral concerts; this week, the focus is on chamber and instrumental music.

http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2014/09/chamber_music_ensembles_announ.html

It also happens to be the last article to be supervised by my long-suffering editors, Jim Berrie and Michael Mancuso. Over the years, Jim and Michael have come to expect copy one-third longer than quota, turned in at least 24 hours late. I’ve greatly appreciated their personable approach and unflagging sense of humor. They always made everything a lot less stressful than it could have been. I will miss them both.

Big changes coming to The Times of Trenton, as NJ Advanced Media absorbs Advance Publication newspapers. Starting next week, I fear I may have to think less like a Victorian novelist and more like a haiku poet.

Here’s the official line, published in March:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/03/faq_nj_advance_media.html

And an article about pervasive layoffs, from April:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/layoffs_at_star-ledger_njcom_other_advance_newspapers_top_300_1.html

So it goes.

PHOTO: Sunset for some at the Times