New Year, New Leaf

It is that time of year when you sit back and take a good hard look at how you have done over the last year, well some things have gone OK and some not so much so.   It was good to have a holiday (I missed out in 2011) and the business is still going, on the other hand I have not been playing as much as I would have liked and I am tired too much of the time.   So it's now time to look ahead at what I want to achieve over the coming year.   I am going to limit myself to six things and I am going to try to make them SMART that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

1 To achieve solvency ~ I think I may have mentioned before that money is an issue, like so many other people I ran up credit card and other debt that I suddenly found I could no longer service. I have had to make "arrangements" with my creditors and have, with difficulty being sticking to these arrangements. Towards the end of 2013 I anticipate a small windfall, nothing substantial, but it should be enough to settle everything except the mortgage, that would be a very nice feeling!

2 To take off one day each month, solely for my own edification. I have tried to do this a few times but have always ending up missing a few, these are my days to go to an art exhibition visit a garden or house, time to myself to go out and do something that will inspire and enlighten me. I have already set this in motion I have booked for a couple of exhibitions at the Royal Academy.

3 To spend quality time with my wife, to restore our relationship and to get better at communicating. I think we have started this and things have improved over the last month or so, but I am still very aware that I could "blow it" big time with one false move. When our daughter was born I bought my wife a gold chain, a couple of years ago it broke, as part of her Christmas present I had it repaired, this was meant to be symbolic of my determination to repair our relationship, I hope this was noticed.

4   I mentioned I am tired a lot of the time, too often wake up on the same day that I go to bed, I will aim to go to bed on the same day as I wake up more often.

5   Last year (2012) I managed to visit Wells Cathedral, something I have longed to do for ages, this coming year I want to visit Ely and Lincoln Cathedrals, I long to visit Durham as well (or instead) but I think Ely and Lincoln could be achieved on a single trip over two or three days.   I know that this may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I do enjoy visiting Cathedrals, especially the old ones.

Ely Cathedral

6 To play more music, by this I mean both recorded music to listen to and as an instrumentalist. I need to do more (or indeed any) practise, especially on the tuba, I have noticed that I am not as good a player as was even a couple of years ago. I think that a lot of this is down to my conducting, this takes a lot of the time that I was previously devoting to playing, and I have not made up for it any other time. To a certain extent it is just keeping the muscles in trim, but I definitely need to play the bass guitar more so that I can get to the level where I am playing the music, rather than the instrument! It also struck me the other day that I rarely get to listen to music, the television tends to dominate in our household, but I am determined that I should listen to more of the music I know I love, and some that I don't know, I think this is one of the ways that we grow as musicians, exposure to new music as well as looking deeper into what we already know and love. It could be as simple as retuning the radio to Radio 3 and Classic fm occasionally rather than leave it stuck on Radio 4.

Maybe these are not all very SMART, but they are at least all timed. I'm not always good at making changes, but it is always worth trying to change the things you are not happy with.

Am I Getting Old

The other morning I woke up later than planned, and feeling definitely second hand, I had far too much to drink the previous night and paid the price in the morning. Too make matters more complicated I had at least some sense and didn't drive home but "crashed" at my friends house, so in the morning I had to go home, get changed and then get to work, only around an hour late.

I don't think I was giving prime value for money, I just can't do this sort of thing anymore. I have to admit that I'm no longer a teenager, there was a time when I could (and did regularly) do this sort of thing with little care, now I am wasted for the whole of the following day, ahh another aspect of growing old.

We went out again that night, and for once I volunteered to drive and not drink,  it has to be said that not drinking did not have any impact on how much I enjoyed the evening.   This is a time of year when introspection is very much to the fore, maybe this is an aspect of my lifestyle that could bare a little self inspection.

'Tis the season......

As a tuba player I am suddenly in a lot of demand, on Thursday evening we played carols around our Parish, four brass players and a little choir while others knocked on doors and handed out mince pies sweets and a list of the Christmas services in the Parish over Christmas. As we are a joint benefice with two ministers and two Churches there are quite a lot of services. Then on Friday evening we had an outdoors carol service in front of one of our Churches, this time three brass and electric keyboard along with the choir. All great fun and a good thing to do but none the less pretty tiring after a days work, on both days I didn't get home and have any dinner till around ten.

So it was nice yesterday to have a bit of lie-in before driving down to Hever Castle for a final concert of the year, this time with a different local Brass Band playing BBb bass. It was good to play some different music and meet up with some old friends, also the way the castle and grounds were lit up was very pretty, indeed I wondered about using the title "Hever on Earth" I didn't have a camera with me so these shots are ones I took on my rather poor quality phone camera.


It seems odd but I realised the other day that I only seem to play Mrs T (my old Hawkes Cavalry Model BBb) at Christmas, I used a band instrument yesterday evening so Mrs T went back up into the attic for another year. This evening I will be playing at our main Parish Carol Service for what feels like the first time for ages I will be using "the new toy" my Conn CC. I shall have to find some time today to have quick practise to see if I can remember which fingers to use!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

I'm not the most enthusiastic person when it comes to Christmas, in fact in many ways I'm a bit of a Scrooge. I can't get into the "Christmas spirit" until I have played a few Christmas gigs, well this weekend I have managed two. Yesterday evening the Brass Band played at Brookwell Park Lido, maybe not the most prestigious of venues, but alongside the choir from St Paul's Church over the road we had a great time, playing carols and Christmas songs. We had a good audience with a great age range, from some quite small children to some ladies of much more "mature" years. For once my wife came along as well, we had a good time, and on the way home stopped for a quick drink, all in all a good evening.

Today I took a little trip up to town with Mrs T (my pre first world war Hawkes and Sons BBb Cavalry model tuba) to join with around 40 other tuba players to play some carols on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral. I missed this event last year but have played the previous four or five, and I suspect that this was one of the smaller turn outs. I don't know why since the weather was nice and mild, and there had been a fair amount of publicity so I would have expected more like 70 or 80. Still there is nothing like the sound of massed tubas playing carols in four part harmony, it was good to meet up with some old friends. It's a bit early for there to be any photos available on the Internet so this is one I took on my phone as I arrived, I shall be checking over the next few days and if there are any good ones I will stick them up.

Audition

This mornings post brought the usual seasonal selection of Christmas cards and bills, along with one large A4 envelope addressed to all of us. This letter was from the BRIT school, a while back my daughter applied for the sixth form there, we were told that we would hear from them by the beginning of April. We had steeled ourselves to a long wait, so I was very pleased when I opened the letter to find that my daughter has an audition and interview next month.

There could be a lot of pressure on her over this, she has an audition piece to prepare, and another to learn for a theory test. They also want a letter explaining how she is preparing, sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure it will be worth it. I can't imagine her being happy unless she is singing and playing, one way or another I am sure she will be involved in the music business.

There is also the added attraction the school is a lot closer than her current school, Selhurst is within walking distance whereas her current school is the best part of an hour's journey each way. It would be really nice if she could not have to do that journey anymore. Many (many) years a ago I attended the Selhurst Grammar school (for Boys) the BRIT School has taken over the buildings of the Selhurst Grammar School (for Girls) next door. If she does get in I truly hope that she will be a lot happier there than I was next door.

Somehow it sort of puts my evenings work into some kind of perspective, I will be conducting the local Brass Band in an outside "singalong" of Christmas songs, still it should be fun and they are providing "Bambi burgers" and mulled wine

Frosty

Wednesday mornings I go to an early morning prayer meeting at my Church, at the moment this means getting up early (for me) and getting out while it is still dark and before breakfast.   By the time we are finished it has got light and we can begin to see something of the day.   This morning that meant frost and mist.   Walking back home through the local park I was struck by the beauty of the trees covered in frost, I was quite sorry that I didn't have my camera with me.

When I got home I could see some details of the garden picked out by the frost, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.   While I am not particularly looking forward to going out into the cold again to do some garden work, I am cheered by the beauty of these images.

 

Later today I will be cooking for the final session of the Alpha Course we have been running, this will be quite a big deal, since it is the last night I will be preparing a three course meal including a hot dessert, and as yet I haven't even done the shopping.   So I am in for another busy day, set in a busy week, and next week I start my two days a week in the office, as well as all the gardening work; and this is meant to be my quite time!

Up Dates

Written mid day Monday 10th December 2012

 

I am thinking of running a series of pictures of Christmas trees, here is the first example.            I keep missing a few days of posting so this is a quick catch up, I have been very busy with lots of different things

Saturday night my Symphonic Band played a concert at my Church, my first "Christmas" event of the year. As I was in effect the host this meant I had to set up, move the platform around set up chairs, while my wife and daughter prepared mulled wine and fruit juices, mince pies and "nibbles", decorated the tree etc. I also had to introduce the band and plug the appeal. The evening was a great success, the band and audience both enjoyed themselves and we raised over £450 for the food box operation we run. All very good but by the end we were all a bit drained.

• Sunday and I found I was on rota for both morning and evening services, due to the timing this left little time for much else apart from having lunch. I find that of all the different roles I have in the Church family that praying for others can be one of the more draining, so yesterday we made a point of praying for each other after we had prayed for others, I think this is a good thing and we shall continue to do it.
• In amongst all this I have had to arrange three pieces for the Brass Band for tonight's (Monday's) rehearsal so we can perform them on Saturday, they are only short pieces but it all takes time, I have completed the arrangements but still have to print out the parts.

In short a very busy, but progressive time. I also expect to have a lot of work on (which is good) as tomorrow I will be seeing one of my consultancy customers about taking on a period of office cover which would mean two days a week for a few months. This would be a big change in the way I work, but would give a much needed financial boost and some useful security.

Widening the Franchise

I have just had it pointed out to me that I have not posted much for quite a while.   It seems that I will go through a period of regular posting then just let it slip, well here goes again, this time with quite a heavy one.

Those of you who know me know that I am a big fan of marriage, and so want to see the institution flourish. It looks like the Government will soon be publishing a bill extending the opportunity to be married to same sex couples. At first I believed all the hype from some Christian activist websites and e-mail news that this was a re-definition of marriage, that Churches would be forced into having to hold ceremonies against their firmly held believes, that in short this was the end of society as we know it.

The case against

This is not a crazy as it sounds after all marriage is the bedrock of our society, it is the standard context for a family, and although it has been through a time where marriages are breaking up more and more, there does seem to be no popular taste for abandoning it as our standard for living. I was interested to hear David Cameron saying that they will now after all allow same sex marriages in places of worship, as a response to the consultation! Several Churches and synagogues want to be able to solemnise these marriages, just as I now feel that people who happen to be born homosexual should not be denied the joy, the dignity, and the security of true marriage, then neither should those of faith be denied the opportunity to have this solemnised in Church, or indeed neither should the Church be denied the opportunity to serve it's members in this way. It seems that for once I am actually agreeing with David Cameron and the Government (if not the Conservative party), I find this somewhat uncomfortable but when I find I am wrong I am prepared to change my mind!

The case for

I do think it is important that there is protection for those religious groups who are opposed to this, whatever their faith, and there may well be areas of law such as equality and human rights legislation that have to be looked at to accommodate them, without such an accommodation I cannot see such a bill getting through Parliament, and I now feel that it is more important that as a society we should allow all who wish to be married to be married. This is not a re-definition of marriage, more a widening of the franchise.

The Church of England has a pretty poor track record recently of following the will of it's members, this may be an opportunity for the (all male still) Bishops to take a lead, make sure that the rights of individual Churches are protected, while not impinging on the rights of individual people

That explains the sound

I love cartoons, and on line cartoons are one of the best ways to waste time.   I just have to share todays Wizard of ID

A Blue Peter

After a long period of dry weather the rain has come back in force this week, yesterday and today I have basically only been able to do some admin, and get some letters written that are long overdue.   Although it is frustrating to not be outside getting the gardens done, it is also quite nice to have an enforced break, even though I'm not sitting around unoccupied, it is different.

It looks as though the rain will only be around for a couple of days, then I will be back at it, nose to the grindstone, in the mean time here's one I prepared earlier.....

Taken in our garden in July

A thing of beauty

I may have mentioned that this is a busy period for me, so time for both blogging and Playing are rather limited. I do hope to find a little time next week, but at the moment I am so busy and have so much admin to catch up on I don't know how or when.   I did manage my second outing on Bass Guitar this weekend, I shall try to post about that later, today I want to show you some f the work I have been doing.

As well as all my regular maintenance work I do other extras, I have recently started working on a project that all in all will probably take me till the end of the year to complete. Stage one was to demolish and remove a concrete shed, I sub'ed this out, and am very glad I did as it actually turned out to be a bomb proof workshop left over from the last war. The house is very near what was a major airport at the time and the owner was engaged in important technical war work so he had a very large solid work shop. Once this was demolished and the ground cleared it was my turn, I put in a wooden base for a new wooden shed, and have just built a compost system. Now I know not every one will agree with me but I think this is not only practical gardening, and good ecological practise, but is also a thing of beauty.

I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I find beauty in this, so maybe there is a chance for all of us and that in someone's eyes we are all beautiful

Just like buses

Yes post on this blog are just like buses, they are not big and red, neither do they have two decks, however you can wait ages then two come along together.

I have just been sent some photos from the concert I played a couple of weeks ago and I thought it would be good to share,

And not a fishing rod in sight

A friend of mine is a great fan of Get Fuzzy. Much of the humour results from the cat (just plain mean ~ I would've dropped him in the lake long ago) and the dog (not very smart) not having a complete grasp of the English language.

She sent me last week's sequence, and I enjoyed it so much I fet I just had to share it here.
 

 

 

It is Big and it is Clever

Last night I was playing in a very unusual concert, it was a memorial concert for a friend who died earlier this year, many of his friends were there and quite a lot were playing in the band. This meant that the band was very large, including a bass section of four. Only one of us is a regular member of the band and we had not all managed to make a rehearsal, so the final run through was vital. The one member of the section who is a regular member had all the music, when he found that he had to work on Saturday and would be late he dropped the music around to me to take.


Because of uncertainty about who would be there with what instruments I ended up taking two tubas and a trombone, and stands. As I too had been working it was all a bit of rush to get showered changed and on my way, it was only when I had turned up at the hall (a little late) brought all the instruments in and stared to set up that I realised I had left all the music for the section at home! This is just about the ultimate sin for a musician. Fortunately I live close to the hall and could get home pick up the pads and get back before the run through had finished.

As a section we ended up with an interesting selection of instruments, Dave (the BFG) was playing his compact Cervany four rotor BBb, this is a very small tightly wound instrument, and as Dave is so large it looks more like a tenor horn when he is playing it.   Garth borrowed my old Besson EEb, this is a Sharp pitch conversion, four piston fully compensating New Standard, with a few bits robbed off a Besson Westminster BBb, I have removed the arching lugs and the ball off the bottom, but in Sovereign soft stops and pads neoprene water key pads, and most important of all a sovereign mouthpiece receiver ~ you won't see another like it!   Alec used his monster BBb this is an old American Conn with a recording (forward facing) bell.   Although this only has three valves it is so big that it is relatively easy to get "false" notes to fill in the gap between the true notes and the pedals, he can also get some outrageous pedals, this Conn really is a big beast.   I had planned to use the Besson if Garth hadn't had to borrow it, but instead opted for the New Toy the Conn International four rotor CC.

As Garth is out of practise I ended up playing the top line a lot of the time, on the instrument I bought specially for the low notes, however on occasion it must have sounded as though Alec and I were having a farting contest at the back as we "rifted" down an octave or two as the mood took us!   I now regret not getting a photo of the four instruments as I doubt if there will often be a section with four such unusual instruments.

A Work in Progress

I visited a garden today that I have not been to for about a year. Last year I did some work in the back garden but none in the front, there were some plans for a complete make over but nothing much happened. I put together a plan and did some drawings but then they decided that maybe they would have the front paved to park a car on, in the end nothing at all happened.

Well saying nothing happened is not quite true, a better comment woudl be no one did anything because something did happen, it continued to grow! A little after we started work today S suggested some before photos should be taken.

These are the photos I took after we had been there for about half an hour.

Several hours later we were still going and the garden was still a mess, however we had found a path a safe route to the front door, and a couple of plants that are worth saving, in the mean time we had filled 12 large sacks with green waste and had several logs. I have arranged that we can go back and try to turn it into something resembling a garden, however I still think we should dig the whole thing up and start again.

Then before leaving I took some more pictures, these are not really after photos, but definitely "on the way" pictures.

Maybe next week I will have some more pictures, of something more closely resembling a garden.

Oh yes and by the way last night I agreed to play electric bass on Sunday evening, that may not sound much but I haven't actually played bass for over thirty years!

Some Like it Hot

But I'm of one of them!   Work wise I prefer hot to wet thought and so over the last couple of weeks I have been working flat out trying to catch up o all the work that piled up while it was raining.   I have just worked three consecutive six day weeks, and I have now almost caught up with myself, every time I think I have caught up something else emerges that has been waiting for me to do, so I will not go further that almost.

Yesterday I actually got a little time in my own garden.   My wife and daughter were both out and I was sitting in the lounge watch Carry on Follow that Camel when I managed to work up the energy to cut the grass, this was a little difficult as our Hibiscus Tree had fallen over the grass.   So I drove in a stake and tied it back, now I just have to hope that it will stay that way.   As the space underneath now looked a little bare I popped in  my last pair of busy lizzies, by the time I had done this lot it was beginning t get dark and was time to eat.

I know this doesn't sound like much, but it is the first bit of work I have managed in my own garden for so long, I wonder if I may have turned a corner.

Rochester?

I received an e-mail the other day just titled Rochester, I assumed it was something to do with the diocese, this is not unreasonable for me since I was on the Synod and am currently on the committee of the RSCM. I forgot that I also have a customer ( a Methodist Minister) who lives on Rochester Avenue, and it was about their garden.

Of course many people will think first of Mr Rochester the bigamist and love interest in Jane Eyre. I was put in mind of him earlier today listening to Woman's hour on BBC Radio four as they discussed suitable holiday reading, there was much discussion as to the character of Rochester, and Jane's suitability as a feminist icon. Personally I find the Brontes generallyhard work needing a bit more reader input than I am prepared to give.


Mrs T Herself

Next month I am playing in a last night of the proms style concert in Basingstoke, the music has just been sent through to me so I could have a look at it before actually having to play on the day. Even a quick glance immediately told me that I would be using my EEb, the register and the keys just scream EEb, on the CC every single piece would be bit harder, and on the BBb a lot harder. This means that at some point I will have to go up into the attic and get my trusty old customised Besson down. We have quite a small house so I only have the CC (which is in a very large case) and what ever other instrument is in use in the house, the others along with mutes and stuff live in the attic.

Over the last couple of years I have used the CC as my main instrument, but the EEb comes down quite often, when the parts are higher or more active. I have also had quite a few occasions to play the Trombone and the Euphonium, but the poor old BBb ~ Mrs T Herself ~ has not been down for a couple of years. I am beginning to feel a bit like Mr Rochester keeping my mad first wife in the attic while I dally with younger prettier models downstairs.

New Toys

Today I have spent a small fortune on new toys.   On Saturday it is my daughter's birthday, for ages she has been lusting after a proper digital SLR. She had more or less set her heart on a Cannon, but I felt we should at least have a good look around to see what else is on the market, and make sure that whatever we got did what she wanted and was comfortable to use.   I didn't have too much on this afternoon so we took a little trip to our local camera warehouse.   All the staff there know their stuff and are very helpful.  Since they are enthusiasts they don't mind spending time chatting.   I'm glad we did since when we tried them all we ended up with a Nikon.   It was a good deal and she is happy with how it feels and operates.   So result then!

I also bought myself a new toy.   I now have three chain saws, two of them won't even start, I tried to get them repaired but was told that they are too old and the parts aren't available.   I suspect that they are perfectly repairable but I don't have the time or the inclination to try myself.   After a fair it of consideration I decided it was easier and probably cheaper to just buy a new one.   I have a couple of jobs looming where I could really do with it, indeed it will probably hit payback within a few weeks.   There is also the element that knowing I have it available I know I can take on pretty much any job now.

I now have a working chain saw, hedge trimmer and strimmer, next I need to sort out my mowers.

Performance Piece

I just wanted to share this with you, as with so many pieces of music the interest comes from more than the notes, the expression, and the dynamics.   The performance, anyone following all the performance instructions on this piece will be richly rewarded.

Click to enlarge

Big Beasts

Yesterday evening after a visit to my osteopath I was feeling pretty good, and enjoying the "cool of the evening" so decided to take a quick walk around my local park, before dinner.

While I was there I bumped into some old friends, it was nice to see them again.   This park has been part of my life as long as I can remember, where ever I have lived it has always been near by, and is the place where I go when I am seeking solace.   It may also be responsible in some small way for my choice of career, it was through this place that I found out about Joseph Paxton, my gardening hero.

 My old friends

Flame Away

Yesterday morning Croydon band played as the Olympic torch went by, well more accurately we played before and after the torch went by. The procession is not that impressive, but it is very noisy, I think there were three vehicles from major sponsors all balling out their wares, bizarrely enough followed by a breakdown truck with a dead car on the back then quite a lull before a couple of lone runners, then some cyclists, and another lull before the flame itself arrived.

We were next to a "Kissing" point, nothing romantic this is where the flame gets passed from one custodian to the next. This did at least mean that the "circus" stayed in town for a little longer. I have heard of other locations where spectators complained that you "could blink and miss it" In all we played for over an hour and included in the programme the John Williams Fanfare and Theme from the LA games. This is a really tricky piece to play and the band hadn't even seen it till last Monday so I was very pleased at how well we managed it.

As we had been playing the morning we decided not to have a rehearsal in the evening which meant I had the opportunity to go and rehearse with the All Saints Concert Band.   I love conducting, it is the most musically challenging thing I have done for years, but nothing quite beats playing!

torch song

Tomorrow the Croydon Band plays in Thornton Heath as the Olympic torch goes past.   I am not sure that I can work up much enthusiasm for the whole Olympic thing never mind the torch relay, but it is a chance for us to be out and playing in the community.

Maybe tomorrow I will get a bit fired up and excited, if I am I will let you know, in the mean time enjoy this alternative use for Baritons

Concert

Did I mention that I was playing a concert last night? Although I did have one or two problems relating to concentration I think it went pretty well. It was very nice of the conductor to come up and congratulate me afterwards, altough I may have had the biggest toy I was a very small part of a quite a big band, all of us working for a good performance.

We played a very entertaining programme, but one that was technically very difficult as well, this meant that the band and the audience were all on the edge of their seats with excitement for much of the time. Most of the second half was taken up with an arrangement of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana all 16 movements of it, in many ways this was one of the hardest peaces we have yet performed, a few years ago we looked at it and decided that we were only capable of playing a couple of the movements, now we have performed the whole thing to a high standard at the main Fairfield Concert hall.

The biggest toy

This is also an occasion when the ladies in the band like to dress up in their glam rags, well most of them anyway. Many variations on the theme of the Little Black Dress were in evidence along with some quite cute shoes. This generaly adds to the fun of teh occassion, but I did try to concentrate on playing the music.. Of course there are always one or two who just won't play the glam game, my friend S in one of them, just wearing plain black trousers and a shirt blouse, she did go as far as to buy some "Girly" shoes specially for the occasion.

That is quite an old photo if me, dating back a couple of years to my more hirsute days, the beard is now just a memory, but I thin I may grow my hair a bit longer again.......