No way to treat a trombone

I won't say how I came across this photo, but once I had it pointed out to me I had to share

Busy Busy Busy

It is currently a very busy time for me, like most brass players I seem to be in great demand for playing Christmas carols, and the day job keeps me pretty busy as well.   On Monday I had the final rehearsal for a concert with the LCO which we played at St John's Smith Square on Tuesday.   Being a Christmas Gala night for the London Cab Drivers Fund for Underprivileged Children we played a popular selection including some Eric Coates as well as the Capriccio Italien, Czardas and a few other "Lollipops"

Along with the rest of the Brass I had one rehearsal and some "topping and tailing" on the night.   I think we all felt under rehearsed, and wondered how Will Carslake our excellent Conductor manages to control his nerves knowing that there are parts of the program that have not been rehearsed by the whole Orchestra at all.   Wednesday evening was given over to our Church Home Group, with tonight being the start of a carol marathon.

Tonight we played Carols around our Parish, tomorrow we have an open air Carol Service (both on Euphonium), then on Saturday I am playing trombone with the Norwood Wind Ensemble for some carols in Sutton.   Sunday is our  main Church Carol service (Bass Tuba probably the EEb) and then on Monday evening the Brass Band is paying carols at Brockwell Park Lido (conducting), that make Carols on five successive days!

Of course in between all this I still have to work, I am trying very hard to catch up after taking tie off for my bad back, I hope tomorrow to finish a clearance job I have been working o for the last couple of weeks, then next week I can get on with some proper gardening

still going

I noticed today that I have been writing mostly about y music - I know that this is what this blog is meant to be for but I did want to remind you all hat I am a gardener as well as a musician.   Well at the moment I am engaged of a clearance job, it is taking longer than planed partly because of my bad back, and partly because I keep find lots of rubble and paving just below the surface.   I have been working on the job for  most of the last couple of weeks, having got behind after the trouble I had with my back.   I am now nearing the end and Hope to be finished n Friday, but it may go into next week.

Today I had to tear myself away from that job and go and do some proper gardening.   It was a joy to get involved in some established lawns and borders.   Working in Bromley, Kent I was very aware that I was dead heading Cosmos and pelergoniums still in flower   This time last year we were uder 3 inches of snow

I Need a sponsor

I like cartoons, and I like the Internet, therefore I like Internet cartoons - right?   One of my favourites is 9 Chickweed Lane, I have commented on this before but it bears repeating, the current story line involves the Heroine doing some "butt" modelling.

Click on the images to enlarge, they are worth it!

On a different note I am very busy at the moment on the Music front, tonight I will playing a concert at the Bennett Memorial Diocesan School in Tunbridge Wells, my friend Paul Bennett is the MD and a few of us are supplementing the School's musicians.   I know Paul primarily as a flute player with ASO but he should be better know as a very talented up and coming Conductor.   I am looking forward to finding out what we are playing, and how the youngsters get on.

With bearly time to get home and have some sleep I shall be up ridiculously early on Saturday to go to Cardiff to visit my Mother for a couple of days.   When I come home I have a rehearsal on Monday evening with the LCO for a concert on Tuesday night.   That's before we start the Church Carolling on Thursday and Friday - ahhh the joys of Christmas for the Brass Musician. 

CSB Strike Gold

Last Sunday the Croydon Symphonic Band, played at the Colchester round of the National Wind Band Festival.   Despite an absolutely horrible journey (for me because of my bad back, for others because a lorry shed it's load of Christmas Trees on the A12) we all arrived i decent time, had a run through ad then hit the stage.
The consensus of opinion in the Band is that we played as well as we could have, and quite possibly as well as we have.   I am glad to be able to say that the adjudicators seem to have agreed and given us a Gold Award.    couple of years ago BASWE introduced an extra, higher, standard of a Platinum award, and now it is only Platinum award winners who get an automatic invitation to the finals, gold award winners have to wait.   Given the standard of our performance we are hopeful of an invitation to the finals, which we are especially keen to be at this year, since they will be help at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Well we followed that with a fund raising concert lat night (Saturday) for Ifield Church.   As well as the program we played at the festival we added a few repertoire numbers including my favourite show selection - Les Miserables.   I get a tremendous kick out of playing with this band, I have been with them for well over 30 years now, and I think that overall we are better now than at any time in the past.   However we are short on numbers in the heavy brass, a shortage that is about to become critical as our first trombone is leaving due to a change in his work.   In consequence I don't know what part I will be playing when we start up again after Christmas, at various times this term I have played Bass, Bass Trombone, First Trombone and Euphonium.   The only one of these I would not be happy commit to would First Trombone.   I am not a tenor player, I never have been and never will be I just can't play up there.

How many Tuba players does it take to change a light bulb? None we can't reach that high.

Bad Back

I have been suffering, not in silence but I have made sure that every one around e knows that I a suffering.   This also mean that I have not been working, which in turn means that I have been thinking. I have also been watching daytime TV, surfing the net, and finding all sorts of ways of not doing my Tax Return.   I think what actually did the damage to my back was playing Mrs T stood up waiting for the Croydon Christmas lights to be turned on.

Having cut the marching lugs off the EEb and the ones on the CC being for a European style strap I had to use Mrs T.   Nothing wrong with that,,,,except that she is a little heavy, ad I haven't played a BBb in bass clef for about two years.  Seriously I just couldn't put the right fingers down.   I just hope that there weren't too any musicians listening. I also hope I can get back to work soon

Saturday Night

Saturday night just over half of the members of the Croydon Band band played at the end of a masons dinner.  To be be perfectly honest it wasn't our best performance.   We were missing our two top cornet players, and we really missed them.   There were a couple of moments when,,,,,, no I think I will leave it at a there were a couple of moments;- while I know that the band was a bit disappointed and I know I was too by some aspects of our performance, the punters seemed to enjoy it.   Yes I know they had had a few drinks, and I know that they enjoyed the jokes, but, still we had to play the tunes.

The important thing though is that the audience enjoyed what we did.   We gave them what they wanted and I hope enough of it to be asked back at some point.   I also realised that playing the trombone and conducting at the same time is not a god idea with a bad back.

Bad Back

Just when I am really busy something goes and throws a spanner in the cogs.   Last night I went out to pick up a new(er) van, on my way home I stopped for some shopping which I put on the front seat, reaching across to get something I put my back out.

I have been t the osteopath today to get pummeled and he assures me that I should feel better over the next few days, but I have already had to have one day away from vigorous work, and can't really afford many more.   Add to that how much I have on on the music front and it looks a bit desperate.   Tonight I am meant to be playing trombone and at the moment I'm not even sure I can hold it!   Then tomorrow we have an extra rehearsal with the brass band, and then the mega weekend - think of me and my pain!

Busy Weekend

I have a busy weekend looming ahead of me, on Saturday the Brass band has a gig in Surbiton playing for a Mason's dinner.   We are only doing a half hour slot, but it still takes up the whole evening, and off course I will have to take the band kit and give a couple of members a lift.   We will not be doing anything too taxing, but this job came in very late so quite a few members are already committed to other activities, still we should be able to give them an entertaining half hour with a few songs to sing along to.

Then on Sunday it all gets a bit more serious. CSB are playing at the Colchester area round of the BASWE National Wind band Festival.   I shall be playing Bass Trombone for this, I am glad to be getting the trombone out, but am still surprised at how little I get to play.   It is always an odd feeling when you look around the band and see everyone else blowing their hearts out while you are still counting bars rest.   Of course with a Bass Trombone there is always an impact when we do come in, especially if it's a ff fzf.

One orchestral conductor I had stopped the orchestra to point out to the violins that the Bass Trombone had a dynamic that no other orchestral instrument possessed, "Obliterato".

Mrs T allowed out!

Yes Mrs T has had an outing.   Last week I played in Croydon tow centre with the All Saints Concert Band.   I was originally booked to play euphonium, but after being let down at the last minute i ended up on Bass with the euph part being covered by one of the trombones.   Now the thing about this gig is that we had to play standing up.   A few years ago I decided that I didn't lie playing standing up and wasn't going to do it, after all that's why I didn't join the Arny.

Because I wasn't going to play stood up I cut the marching lugs off my EEb, and my strap won't fit the CC therefore my only option was Mrs T the original mighty BBb.   It was only after I had got into Croydon and started to play that I fully realised what I had done.   It is over 2 years since I last played a BBb in concert pitch and could not get my brain around the fingering.   I half expected to use EEb fingering by mistake, but I actually ended up using more CC fingering.

I'm not sure why I enjoyed this outing, since I was struggling with the instrument and I hate playing stood up or on the march.  I can only think that it must have been something to do with the company.

This is Smudge

he's not been well, a week or so ago we found he had a viral infection, that was effecting his kidneys, we weren't at all sure he would last.   But he is a strong young cat and after he got through the week we knew he was through the worst.   He has lost a lot of weight, stroking him you can feel all his bones, there's no flesh on him.

Now Smudge is getting better, yesterday he was at last beginning to eat a bit, then last night we gave him a steroid pill, since then he seems to have got his appetite back. Although he is still painfully thin I get the distinct feeling that he is past the crises. Now we just have to feed hi up so he can get his strength back.
I have got to replace Gloria. There is nothing wrong with her, she would happily give me another 3 or 4 years service, she is just the right size and power for what I do. I love he driving position and "feel" of how she drives, the steering is just the right weight. All in all she suits me, added to that all the experts tell me that this is the best model Transit Ford have made. So why replace her. Simple in January the London Low Emission zone is being extended to include light vans. Being well over 10 years old Gloria cannot get through the new restrictions, if I use her after early January I will have to pay £100 each time I use her. As a self employed tradesman I simple can't afford to pay this, but in the current economic situation I can't afford a new van either.

Gloria, somewhere in France

This is a real catch 22, I can;t afford to not work, I need a van to work, I can't afford a new van. I know that some micro businesses are just closing up as the need for a capital outlay at this time when we all have reduced income is the final straw. I can't stop working as I need the income for a few years yet, so I have a bid in on e-bay for a new van, can you all keep your fingers crossed for me please.

HMS Belfast

Yesterday we played for the remembrance service on HMS Belfast.   This is a wonderful experience, and puts a lot of what we do into perspective.   The HMS Belfast is part of the Imperial War Museum. a second world war battle Cruiser, and the home of the main naval remembrance service in London.   This particular remembrance service has been going since about 1983, and the Croydon Band has played at nearly every one of them.

Initially it was a simple question of there being no service band avaiable, but the veterans wanted to have their service, at that time one of the veterans was a member of our band so he volunteered us.   Since then we have been privileged to be part of this event every year.

A few years ago the service went into a bit of a decline, less sea scouts and of course less veterans who served on Her around each year.   However over the last few years it has really picked up again.   Yesterday there were around 200 - 300 people on the quarter deck, including senior officers from at least four different Navies.   I am glad to see an increase in awareness of the sacrifice of servicemen, I just hope that by remembering we do not gloriefy war, but rather make sure we avoid it.

Hard work

Today has been hard work, in many ways just hard slog, but also good rewarding stuff.   One of my customers has been concerned about her pond for ages, it would be filled up, then g down a few inches in short time.   Obviously there was leak, rather than tr to patch I decided tat the best thing to do was to empty the while thing our and put in a fresh liner.   This would also give me he opportunity t level up the edges; when it is was put in there doesn't appear to have been a spirit level available!.

The pond itself is a nice natural type pond with broken paving slabs around the edge over gravel ad some feature rocks.   There are a few plants and lots of frogs, newts and even some toads but no fish.   Today I emptied out the pond, lifted all the slabs and rock, and cleaned up the gravel.    I managed to raise the side that was low with some soft sand and put in the new liner and filled with water.

By this time I had lost the light so I will have to go back tomorrow to finish dressing the pond.   The rocks and paving will go back more or less as they were but I have divided the plants which should leave a bit of room for the amphibians.   I will try to get a couple of photos when I am finished.

Although I really want to get this pond finished I could have done without working tomorrow, as I want to make sure that I am proper set for Sunday, and I need to pick up all the band kit in the afternoon as well, oh well who wanted an easy life anyway?

The Program

I should have said what the program for the festival is we are playing three pieces
Finnegan's Wake by Archibald J. Potter
The Sun Will Rise Again by Philip Sparke, and
The first three movements of Robert Russell Bennett's Suite of Old American Dances.

this is a good varied, and challenging program.   Let's hope the adjudicators agree.

Another day another dollar

Funny old game in't it? Today I acquired my new laptop, courtesy of a highly valued customer.    have managed to transfer all my files across and am just beginning to get to grips with it, this does however mean that I have not done much that pays me today!   Still I have managed a fair bit of admin stuff that needs to be done.

This evening we had a CSB rehearsal, I am getting the hang of the Trombone after m long lay off and beginning to remember why I took it up to start with.  We rehearsed the selection we are going to play at the the Colchester region round of the National Wind Band Festival and it is beginning to sound fairly well, still plenty of work to do though.   Musically I am mostly concerned with Sunday's Remembrance Service, we now have a drummer who will be playing so I am greatly relieved to know that we can start the National Anthem with a drum roll.   The congregation expect this, it gives them a chance to stand up and prepare themselves,whereas for eh last few years we have had t play an introduction and that just seems to confuse people.

Practise

I have a few performances coming up, with wind band, brass band and orchestra.   Now as a conductor I am always telling the members of the band that they have to practise, it's simply not enough to rely in the playing we do at rehearsals.   We need to practise so that when we get to the rehearsal we are ready to rehears the piece not practise the instrument.

The trouble is a lot of the time I don't follow my own advise, and now I have been found out big time!   All the time I was playing Tuba I was OK, I could pretty much cope with anything thrown at me, but at both the Orchestra and the Wind Band I will be playing Bass Trombone at the next few performances, and I NEED TO PRACTISE.   If you live near me I apologise but I just have to do it.

The Orchestral job is with the London Charity Orchestra and we are going to be playing lots of "lolly pops" including the Capriccio Italien, Roman Carnival, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, and Dambusters, so it looks as though I could end up with quite a bit to do.

Remembrance

HMS Belfast in 1948

The Croydon Band will be playing for the remembrance service on HMS Belfast again this year.   I think this is the most important thing we do as a band, it is a real honour.   Two of our cornet players will be playing the last post, as well as the full band accompanying hymns for the service and some solemn music before hand and some marches afterwards.   Tonight was the last rehearsal for this, and all in all I think it went pretty well, we have a decent selection of solemn music for before the service, and a couple of appropriate marches for afterwards "A Life on The Ocean Wave" and "Hearts of Oak".   For years we used to play "On the Quarter Deck" and I could never understand why, it's not a very good march and nobody ever recognises it, so last year we changed to "A Life on The Ocean Wave" and got quite a few favorable comments.   I just hope that this year we are able to get it right again.

This is the second of these services I will have conducted, but I have played in them for many years and have always got a kick out of seeing how important it is to the veterans, especially those who served on the Belfast herself.   Last year I was very nervous, I hope that this year I will be a little more relaxed, and will be able to enjoy the experience.

Cartoons

I love cartoons, I must have said this before, but it's true.   This one tickles my fancy and is specially for all you closet Jazzers

Hi Honey, I'm home

Well I know it's been a long time, but here goes, lets get restarted.

I'm still conducting the Croydon Brass band, and we have had a few gigs, including two to celebrate our Centenary year. the last one was last month, and I was very encouraged in that most of the band that played were regular members coming along to rehearsals each week.   When I took over back at the beginning of 2010 we had only four or five players at most rehearsal, now we regularly have have 11 or 12, that means that we have more than doubled our regular attendance.   Which in turn means that we Can play some good challenging music and put on decent performances.

The Croydon Symphonic Band is still strong, however we have lost one of our bass players and one of our trombones, we have had some new members join so the numbers are more or less the same, but we are short on heavy brass.   The change in Bass players has left me with a problem, the chap who has left played a Cervany BBb. ad the New Toy blended nicely in tone, the new player uses a Besson Sovereign, my CC just doesn't blend at all so I have been using new Little New Standard EEb which works perfectly, the problems is that I am just not using the CC at all.   I am playing the EEb the Euph and the Trombone but the Mrs T and the New Toy seem to just be living in their cases.

Since I need the money to buy a new van I am planning to put the CC up for auction on e-bay, a great shame but I can't see a way round at the moment.

Disk number five

I notice that all my disks so far are Orchestral, well that's primarily what I listen to, but I would not want to be without some rock, so what would I have? Beatles? Stones? Who? Yes? King Crimson? all these and many more have a place in my record collection - and yes most of these are on records, large flat round black things that go round and round on a record player - but as I suspect I will have only one it will David Bowie, and the track would be "All the Mad Men" from man who sold the world, great song, great sound and great keyboard playing by Rick Wakeman.

Disk number Five All the Mad Me by David Bowie

Comments

I have been trying to leave a comment on another blog which I follow, and for some reason I can't fathom have been unable to, maybe it is just my technical inability, but anyway It's good to see you back Shayla, we have missed you

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning and happiness is a new razor blade! yes nothing quite like a really good shave, a leisurely shower followed by breakfast in the garden - life can be very good.

Bad Boy

I have slipped yet again and missed quite a few posting opportunities, this is not because I have had a boring time, rather I have been too busy, with some ups and some real downers.

The other week I heard the incomparable Grimthorpe Band in concert, this was truly inspiring, Croydon are a long way from them in almost every way, except the most important ones, we both try to perform to the best of our abilities at all times, and we both enjoy playing! I think those are probably the two most important things there are.

Last wedenesday was the final rehearsal before the CSB concert at St John's Smith Sq, I should have been there but.... just as I was about to leave for the rehearsal I realised that my diary and wallet had been stolen from my van earlier in the day. Certainly I could have done without losing the money, but by far the worst is all the fuss of replacing all my cards, AA; RHS; B&Q trade; Macro; Driving license etc. etc. - and then there are all my appointments, contact phone numbers, suppliers business cards. All in all a real downer

Disk number four

I think I may have mentioned before that my Wife and I do not always coincide on our musical tastes, while she was swooning over Donny Osmond, I was freaking out to King Crimson, when we got married we found that the only record we had in common was a Shakatak album - Night Birds.
I did take her to a few orchestral concerts and gradually we have both broadened our tastes, indeed it was through going to concerts that we found the first peace that we both liked, and because of this connection Mozart's Clarinet Concerto has to be in my eight. As soon as I hear the opening bars I am immediately reminded of my wife, and that can't be bad.
I dare say that some will say that it's not his finest work, but I don't care - I like it. It is however the last concerto Mozart wrote, and one of the best. At the time it was written the clarinet was not as fully developed as it is now and this must have been one of the earliest virtuoso pieces for it, but what I like is the way the sound of the clarinet merges and then emerges from the sound of the string orchestra, oh yes and there are some cracking tunes as well,
Disk number four - Mozart Clarinet Concerto

Disk Number Three

I love Rachmaninov, I know that that’s not a very trendy statement these days, and many of the musical literati will turn their noses up at Rachmaninov, he is accused of being overly sentimental, derivative and shallow. Well I say you can’t beat a good tune, and Rachmaninov had a melodic gift and an opulent lyricism second to none. On the way home from dropping a friend off at Paddington Station I was listening to Classic FM and heard the second movement of the second Piano Concerto, this is currently top of their “Hall of Fame” so it goes without saying that this is a very popular work. I am of the opinion that if something is popular there is a good reason, it’s often because it’s good.

I did think about including the second piano concerto, and the first and indeed the fourth, but I finally decided on the Paganini Rhapsody, or the “Rag Pag” Although the theme is Paganini’s the orchestration and lyricism is all Rachmaninov. The piece builds through a series of variations until getting to the final Polka section, it is all very lush and romantic, we even have a couple of statements of the ‘Dies Irae’ before ending quietly with a little self mocking flourish.

I can’t remember when I first came across this work, but I do remember sitting in Monk’s Hill junior school for Sunday after Sunday as CYPO rehearsed it prior to one of our Fairfield Halls concerts. The work we put in then means that whenever it comes up now, I know that I can play all the notes so I can concentrate fully on playing the music.

I just hope that the music police realise soon that Rachmaninov is one of the greats and that he is rehabilitated into our concert programmes, great music to listen too, and great fun to play

Disk numebr two

This one has to be in, I am sure that I am not the only one who think of this as the pinnacle of romantic music, a piece with every emotion laid bare, this really is a piece that leaves you emotionally drowned, as it covers every aspect to the human state.
in four movements with 1/ adagio; 2/Allegro moderato, and 3/ Maestoso in the key of C this is the great Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. I have played this with a number of orchestras, some better than others, lets be honest,,, some great and some rubbish - over the years. Since first playing this with the Croydon Youth Philharmonic (CYPO) to a recent performance with All Souls Orchestra at the Albert hall, it is always fresh, it is always exciting.

Disk number one

Holst suite in Eb, first this is simply a great piece of music, better still it is a wind band original. When I started playing this was one of very few original wind band pieces we played, and in my opinion the best. Yes the Vaughn William Folk Song Suite and the Holst second suite are very, very good, this is my favorite. I am sure that I am only partly influenced by the minor fact that it starts with a bass solo.

Not long after I started playing the Tuba my teacher very sensibly realised that I needed to be playing with other people, so git me into the Croydon Schools Wind Orchestra, as it was then known. I was not really a good enough player but at that time there very few pupils in Croydon learning the Tuba so I was in. At the end of my first term with the Band there was the Croydon Schools Music Festival, at the Fairfield Hall http://www.fairfield.co.uk/ This is a purpose built concert hall in central Croydon, which seats 2000 people, that night it was full. The first item was to be from the Band, I was sat on the back row on the Conductors left side, right at the edge of the platform, and yes that first item was the suite in Eb. So my first playing performance was to a hall full with an audience of 2,000, sat right at the front of the stage, and started with a solo!

Having got through that it is not surprising that pre performance nerves are not debilitating for me, sure I get nervous, but it just builds me up, anyway that's why the Holst First Suite has a very special place in my affections. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5nTxePv7kQ&feature=related

Desert Island Disks

If you are not familiar with Desert Island disks, it is a radio show where the interviewer invites a guest to select 8 pieces of music that they would take on a desert Island if they were to be marooned. Three books are also aloud, the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare and one free choice, one luxury item is also allowed. This last must not be something that could be used as a survival tool or to communicate to seek rescue, so mobile phones and the like are out. Over the years I have often played Desert Island disks with friends, usually far too late and far too relaxed to make a lot of since. Over the last few weeks the BBC have been asking us, the great unwashed British public to suggest our Desert Island Disks, and on Saturday they broadcast a special programme with the top tracks.

It was quite interesting to listen to, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr and note how English the selection was, this is the top eight
1. Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending
2. Sir Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations
3. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No 9 in D minor 'Choral'
4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
6. Sir Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor
7. George Frideric Handel - Messiah
8. Gustav Holst - The Planets

In my humble opinion it is only the Beethoven that does not have definite Englishness about it, this would not be my selection, although I do like all theses pieces (with the exception of the Queen which I have always found to be excessively pretentious and total nonsense)
Unless anything more interesting rears it’s head I intend to share my 8 disks over the next few days, they will be in no sort of order or preference just the order that I think of them, I am sure I will leave out some I should include and therefore include some that I will regret, but then that’s part of the fun, I would have chosen a different eight last year, and will choose a different eight next year.

Canadian Grand Prix

I had planned a post about Desert Island Disks, but have just watched the Canadian Grand Prix. BBC report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9511066.stm

As something of a Jenson Button fan I have to say that I got very excited and enjoyed the race enourmously. For those pf us who follow F1 it was good to see a race with over taking, a few incidents, close racing with drivers realy trying. I have always liked Button's style, but today he exceeded even his fans expectations, I think at one time or another he held every position in the race. At one point he was 21st and carved through the field to win. At the end he was so much faster than anyone else that it almost looked suspicous. After the race Sebastian Vettle said how he lead every lap except the last bit of the last lap, sorry Seb but that's the bit that matters. Some will say that it was Vettle's error on the last lap that allowed Button to win, I would say that it was Button's speed and pressure that forced Vettle into the error.

I say well done Jenson, great race, great win.

The Ascent of Man

This is my current desk top, is that sad?

Nothing in Particular

Well life carries on, I see that I have not mentioned much about gardens for a while, I have not lost interest in gardens, indeed since I spend at least five days a week gardening it would be difficult to. I think it is more that as I am at it every day it just doesn't seem so special. But now is the time I love most, putting out the bedding, yesterday I spent the afternoon planting up containers for one customer, this felt a bit like a guilty joy since there is so much in that garden that needs doing, having the fun of planting up the pots seemed a bit like cheating. Still the customer is happy and I can go back next week and tackle some of the other jobs.

Another garden I will be working on next week has just about all the problem weeds there are, with ground elder, bind weed, and mare's tail you would think that was enough, but no someone has planted ferns which are out of control, and worst of all, bamboo! Now bamboo is a lovely plant, with interesting colour in the canes, translucent screening, and most of all I love the sound of it rustling in the wind, however it is just too invasive for suburban gardens. Bamboo should never be planted in any garden where the size is measured in anything smaller than acres. I will try to make a point of taking my camera out this week and getting some photos to show you what I spend my days doing.

Monday musings

Nice rehearsal last night, but we are at a funny stage, we have had a very hectic time with lots of jobs in a short time, and now we have nothing in the diary till November. I am hopeful that a couple of jobs will come in over the summer, but we need something closer to be working towards. We are thinking of another formal concert in the early autumn but it is difficult to get a date that works.

On a different note I am thinking of starting a gallery of "Tuba pornography" - no nothing sinister just pictures of instruments so if any of you (Alec) have an interesting or unusual instrument I can feature it would be great to get some pictures, let everyone know that there is life outside of Besson!

Here's a start, this is a most unusual instrument, a little Miraphone Eb 4 rotor with recording bell. I bought this a few years ago with high hopes, it had a very focused sound quite like an F tuba, and would have been good for solos, unfortunately it just needed too much work doing (and therefore too much money spending) for the small amount I would have used it. I quite liked it but when I used it at band and orchestra conductors weren't quite so happy. Whoever has it now I hope it is used and enjoyed.

Morden Hall,

What a good day! lots of sunshine, making music with good friends, and paella! The event was a Craft fair, quite a big do with a lot of exhibitors, sales stalls and entertainment. Lots of inflatables, displays of Suffolk Punch Horses, dogs, ponies, birds of prey - oh all sorts of things. There was so much going on it was rather impressive how many people stopped to listen to the Band. We played two 6o minute sets and managed to cover quite a wide range of styles, with some marches, overtures, Faure's Pavanne, the Sound of Music and even a couple of my own arrangements.

As the Band is a little short of players at the moment and a couple of them weren't available we had to rely on the help of friends to fill some empty seats. As the conductor I was very impressed and pleased at how well the Band gelled into a single performance with little or no rehearsal, this certainly made my job a lot easier, and a lot more satisfying.

Another really satisfying thing about today was that my wife was with me, she doesn't come to many of the Band's gigs so I was glad she came to this one, where we were "spot on", her presence also kept me out of the beer tent, and better still bought me Paella! pretty close to a perfect outing.

Busy Times

Busy Times indeed, although this is a long bank holiday weekend, I can't say that it has been particularly restful, Friday included a long drive home from Cardiff after a day of working around my Mother's house and garden, then a Saturday the Croydon Band played the first of two performances at the Brockwell Park Lido, they have an event going on over the weekend involving all sorts of activities and stalls selling various things, we were just providing some background atmosphere. After lunch I then had to work, with all these holidays I need to make sure that my customers don't go too long without having their lawns mowed. Then this morning we had a repeat performance at the Lido.

We are building up quite a good relationship with the company that runs the Lido - Fusion Leisure - and will be playing there again at Christmas, if not before.

Since our Centenary Concert we have only had one rehearsal, and that wasn't too intense, I'm afraid that means we are a little under rehearsed for this weekend, tomorrow, Monday, we are playing at a craft fair at Morden Hall, we will be expect to play 2 sets so will need around 90 minutes of music. A lot of the music we performed at the concert will not be suitable and we will be using a few deps, so quite few people may end sight reading on the stand.

We played for this event last year, it was my first performance conducting so something of an anniversary for me.

Brassed Off

Just watched this excelent film on TV, If you havn't seen it make sure you do, I think this film more than any other I've seen conjurs up the working backdrop to the brass band movement. These days bands are made up of people from all walks of life, gone now are the days of the pit band, or the works band where the employer, encouraged, and sponsored a Brass Band as a benifit for the workers. Maybe this is because the coal mines and factories are also gone. There are a few odd moments, like the band being in uniform for rehearsals, and instruments being cariied through teh streets without there cases, and the tenor trombone, instead of a bass, but I still think that somehow this film captures something special about teh brass band, as well as that rather sad moment in our history. Mind you if I threw myself around like the "conducter" of the band at the RAH my band would think I had either gone crazy, or was having a fit.

Brass Band Concert

Last night we played our concert, and I have to say that it mostly went well, I have to say that since the band may be reading this. No I have to say it because it's true. The overall performance was much better than I feared it could have been, if maybe not all I had dreamed it might have been. What I am surprised by is how exhausted I feel, not so much physically but mentally and emotionally. I don't know how professional conductors manage if it is like this every time. Today I have basically done nothing except watch TV, I would have had a few beers, but that's still not allowed until next Sunday. It was mentioned to me last night that many people consider Lent to finish today, on Palm Sunday others do not consider the Sundays to part of Lent, at least not for fasting purposes. For myself I think Lent stars on Ash Wednesday and finishes on Easter Sunday, and all days in between constitute part of the fast, if you are following one. I also know that this year feels harder than previous years, I hope this does not mean that I am more addicted to booze than before, it has been a stressful time for me, and my normal response to stress, involves booze and tubas, and this year I have been playing less, since I have been conducting, and adding to my stress levels - role on next Sunday. I hope to have some pictures from the concert soon, and will try to write a fuller report over the next couple of days, however there is no rest, we still have a rehearsal tomorrow as we will be out playing four times over the next few weeks. All good stuff, providing the Band with extra income, and raising our local profile.

Final Rehearsal

We have just finished the final rehearsal for Saturday's concert, I'm worried, worried that I have put too much music in the programme, worried that we haven't prepared enough, worried that some players will be sight reading on the stand, worried that I will let the band down, worried that I will get found out - look he's not a proper conductor, what's he doing there - or in other words just plain worried. I shouldn't be, every thing's been done that can be done, and there's no point in worrying about the things that can't be done. The band did well tonight almost despite me wanting to rehearse everything, I'm sure it will go well, but I can't help worrying. If I carry on like this I'll be a nervous wreck by Saturday night, but knowing what I'm like, once we get started I'll be OK and will start to enjoy the experience, in the mean time I think I shall just try a combination of trying to keep myself busy, and sleeping.

Crafty Outing

On Saturday members of the Croydon Band put on a short performance in Penge. The event was a Craft Fair (hence the odd title) at St John's Church Penge. St John's is a "proper" Church, built around 150 years ago it has nave, chancel, tower, spire, Lady Chapel, and all that sort of thing, that some of us on the more happy clappy wing of the C of E don't really recognise any more. http://www.penge-anglicans.org/ It was a good event, well attended with lots of stalls and customers, so when we played there were plenty of people listening, we even got some applause! As I say there were plenty of stalls, unfortunately for me some were selling cakes and fudge, - so there goes me being supportive of the dieters in the household! It was nice to support a local event and at the same time publicise our upcoming concert. This concert is now less than a week away and I will admit to getting nervous. At the moment I am more nervous about conducting this local concert with the brass band than I was last week playing with ASO at the Albert Hall. That is now a couple of events that we have played at where we have pulled the programme from the pieces we will be playing at the concert, we have two more rehearsals but I feel we are getting to the point of being about as prepared as we can be, music wise. We still need to sort out the catering, printing the programme and some stewards, I really don't want to get too involved in this stuff so I can concentrate on the music, but hey ho that's the way things go. So now I'm going to sit down and write a nice flattering biog of myself that makes me sound like a real musician and conductor, after all the two don't always go together!

Concert report!

Well sort of. I have been told off by one of my loyal readers for the sparsity of my posts and the lack of comment on the concerts after they have happened, I shall try to put that right now. I know many musicians can be a bit picky about the Albert Hall, I have only played there about half a dozen times and each time I get a real thrill out of being there, when you walk out the bull run onto the platform you are hot by the sheer scale of the place, this is certainly the largest hall I've played! From stage level you look up and the tiers of seats just keep on going, then you climb up the steps of the platform to the top level to sit down, then you look across to the podium and realise just the platform is larger than a lot of halls. Behind you is a choir of about 150 flanking the finest and most powerful organ in the country. You are now in my seat for last Saturday nights concert. The first half started with Shostakovitch Festive Prelude, I think this went well. We had five Brass (2 Trumpets 2 horns and a trombone) on either side of the organ a couple of levels higher than the orchestra, this gave a really good effect, although just as the piece goes into a slower pace as the climax, it feels rather strange to look around the rest of the orchestra and find that everyone else is playing - all bar the tuba - then a fff accented entry, and you realise why he was saving that last extra bit of sound to raise the excitement level just a bit further. Although this is one of my favorite pieces I think this is the first time I have played the original orchestral version rather than a band arrangement. The other Orchestral piece in the first half was the waltz Orient Express by Richard Rodney Bennett, I had not come across this at all before and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The second half kicked of with the John William Fanfare for Liberty, this was the piece I was most worried about and the one I had to get the EEb out for. The tuba part starts on a high B natural A natural ending up on a top D, I was more than a little nervous about this, but got way with it, while I did have a little stumble later the overall performance was very effective. If you don't know this orchestra it is a mixture of professional musicians, semi pros, amateurs and students; the musical and instrumental standard is very high, to the degree that as a rank amateur I rely very much on the indulgence of the pros surrounding me. However unlike any other orchestra I know every one is very much working together to the same ends, there is no "points scoring" or rivalries, and there is even socialising between sections! The main thing about these concerts though is not the orchestra performance, indeed not the performance at all, this is an event that is very much about lifting Gods name, as the title of the concert says, it is all about praise. I think the event was recorded and a DVD should be out before too long, in the mean time here is a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuzLoN6COTY to one we prepared earlier!

Proms Praise Programme

That's enough alliteration for one post! We had the first full rehearsal tonight, and I find that we have the Shostakovich Festive Overture and the John Williams Liberty Fanfare both on the programme. The problem is that I need a Contra Bass for the Shostakovich and a Bass for the Williams, the Fanfare is too high for me to play on the CC and the Overture too low for me on the EEb. The only answer is take both, sometimes I feel this smacks of showing off, but it's also a serious logistical pain getting both instruments up to town for rehearsals, and on Saturday there is going to be a big demo on my route.

Who said life was going to be easy?

The best layed plans

Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear, yes the best laid plans of mice and men come to naught. I refer of course to my total inability to keep this blog up to date. I see I promised to make at least one post each week, and have failed miserably. However I refuse to be disheartened and will carry on, whether anyone is reading this or not (please let me know if you are)

I have had some very bad news over the last weekend, an old friend has passed away, I'm not sure of his exact age but he could not be much over 50 if indeed that old. He was a very talented, but underrated tuba player who lived life to the full. I lost touch with him a few years ago, and now feel guilty as well as sad, I can't help wondering if we had not lost touch if I could have done something to help him. As well as sadness for my friend, when people younger than yourself die, it is a reminder of one's own mortality, as well as a reminder not to lose touch with any more friends. That having been said there is only so much time available, and as musicians we can spread ourselves pretty thinly. At the moment I am exceptionally busy and am finding it hard to put much time in with my own family, and surely this should be the priority.

There are a couple of concerts coming up, Proms Praise with the All Souls Orchestra http://www.allsoulsorchestra.org/Events/2011-04-02/Prom-Praise-London-2011/ and a centenary concert with Croydon Brass Band http://croydonband.webs.com/news.htm . As conductor & MD this is taking a lot more effort and input from me than I had appreciated, but I am looking forward to both of these events.

In the mean time we have a family outing on Sunday - we're going to Brands Hatch for the Truck Racing

A Funny old week

Well my week has been rather mixed, with no major events to report just very much the usual cycle of rehearsals and work. I have started putting in a new patio for one of my regular customers, but due to other work commitments and poor weather have not managed to progress as much as I would have liked.

Of course there are always things going on in the family, my daughter is in a show later this month and preparations and rehearsals for that are gaining pace, this is not the place to publicise it, this is http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000777333945

Having to ferry her around for rehearsal etc. now makes me appreciate what my parents went through while I was learning. In addition to that we have just bought her a new electric guitar, now twangy things are a bit a mystery to me, but I do have say that this guitar is pretty cool. I will add a photo soon.

Just for fun

Here's a little bonus, I know I'm going to be very busy this week so there is unlikely to be anything else here until next weekend now.

I love 9 Chickweed Lane, found it by accident but have followed it everyday for quite a few months now, so I can recommend it highly.

More on Last weekend

I mentioned Mike Ray, a super musician and good friend, well now he can add photographer to his CV, he sent me through these pics he took last Saturday night. Of these six reprobates I'm the only one who might not be described as a professional tuba player anymore, I think we all have at least two instruments, some of us more, yet we all choose to take a Besson EEb admittedly 5 different models, but I think you can still see that they are all basically pretty much the same. I do know that my little Besson is the oldest of the bunch since the others were all manufactured in concert pitch and mine is a sharp pitch conversion, sound wise though it held it's own against it's much newer brothers.

One of the things we enjoyed most about being at Expo '92 was the fireworks. Every evening, not long after we had finished our set there was a big display of fireworks and holograms over the central lake of the show ground.

We were both really struck by the music, but like so much about this Expo the whole show was something very special. See what you think follow this link to see someone's home video on facebook..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y2Y3ST-URI&feature=related

Great Weekend

What great weekend, I travelled down to Bournemouth on Saturday for an "End of an Era" party. A professional German band I used to play in over a period of about 25 years packed up last year. After years of declining bookings due to venues being too mean to pay for a full pro band the band leader finally bit the bullet, sold the kit and wrapped up the trading company. Very sad for all of us, but none the less inevitable.

The good thing was that one of the last members of the band and a good friend to the band leader decided to mark the event with a surprise party! Musicians, and families came from across the UK to reminisce, play a few tunes and meet old friends. Personally it was a special pleasure to meet up with Mike Ray, the accordionist who worked with me in Seville at Expo '92. This was a pivotal time in my life as during that year, I got engaged, my father died, my wife's best friend died, and oh yes we got married. During the party lots of people were taking photos and videos, I think actually everyone except me, so as soon as I get copies of some of these I will put them, in the mean time this one was taken at Expo '92 outside the bar we were working in. There is now a lot less hair, we both shave now, and what hair is left is a lot greyer.

A Drive Finnished

I have just completed a job more or less on time. When I say more or less it is in fact a week behind schedule, but by recent standards this is pretty good. Because I am busy with maintenance work through out most of Spring Summer and Autumn I like to do my landscaping during the winter, previous years I have got away with this, but this year I am very behind. Of the three jobs I had in the book one is now complete, one half done - now just waiting for warmer weather to complete the deck and the planting; and the one that was originally scheduled to have been completed this coming week, not yet started.

These are some shots of the drive just after we had started, I always seem to forget to get proper before shots, just to keen to get stuck in I suppose. In this case it does mean that the shots include both Sue and Gloria - there are no prizes for working out which is which.







And these are the after shots. I am really pleased with this job, I have been undertaking maintenance at this garden for several years now, and have wanted to redo this drive since I started. The gravel had got bedded into soil, leaves had rotted down into it and the levels had long been lost.

There were big dips and mounds where vehicle tyres had kicked up the gravel and then bedded it in, paving slabs had been put in up to the garage but most of them had broken, in all this gave the whole house a bit of an unloved demeanour. Now it all looks a lot more kempt and loved, and I cam in within budget! all in all I am pretty pleased.

The house is a fantastic Edwardian Family House near Beckenham Junction, it is the last of these houses in the area that is still in single family occupancy, all the rest have been knocked into flats, or turned over for commercial use of one form or another, so we have been trying to keep as much of the original character as possible, with a period style of rockery gravel drive and a lavender hedge under the bay window. I replanted this hedge a couple of years ago, so the this coming year I hope it will put on some serious growth and start to look more like a hedge.

Late resoltions

There are a few blogs that I follow, and look forward to their comments on the world they observe. I am a little in awe of these people who manage to put up a new post just about every day, sometimes more than one a day. Anyone who has read this blog will know that I am a serial non poster. It must now be around a month since my last post, although this is partly down to initially being down because of the weather, and then being too busy, because of the weather I think it is largely lack of commitment.

Well back to the title of this post, I have resolved that I will make at least one post each week, usually on the Saturday. I know this is not much but if I set my sights on an easily obtainable target then I hope I may not just succeed but also exceed my my aim. So to all my readers, (or maybe that is now both my readers) a very happy 2011.