Apologies

First things first I owe Jim an apology I put him in the wrong regiment, and of course the Grenadiers are a very different outfit from the Coldstream. Sorry Jim!

When I started this blog I thought I would record my journey in music, but looking at what I have written so far I seem to write about just about anything but. Maybe this is just a reflection of what is really on my mind, or how I actually spend my time. Certainly now that my main income comes from Gardening rather than playing music things like weather play a much bigger part in my life. The other side of it is that at the moment there is not a lot actually happening with my music.

Of the two orchestras I am a regular player with one, the London Charity Orchestra ( http://www.londoncharityorchestra.co.uk/ ) have decided that this spring the concert will be classical music - Mozart and Schumann - so no need for Trombones and Tuba, this is a shame for me since I enjoy this orchestra so much I always play Bass Trombone with them since they seem to have loads of good tuba players but struggle to find mediocre Bass Trombones!

The picture shows the LCO in a concert we played at LSO St Luke's a while back, this was a big orchestra since we had the Planets on the program.

The All Souls Orchestra ( http://www.allsoulsorchestra.org/ ) are a christian orchestra based on All Souls Church Langham Place - next to the BBC - and call on players from across London and the South East, for the first part of this year they have decided to use younger players and since there is only ever one Tuba or Bass Trombone this leaves some of us older guys out of it.

This is of course an admirable idea and in theory I absolutely applaud it. However in practise it has left me with a few issues to deal with, there is a definite feeling of rejection, as well as disappointment at not playing at some events that I really enjoy. Maybe this means that I have been thinking playing with ASO too much as simple music performance rather than worship, and putting myself at the centre rather than putting God at the centre.

Still I do have a few things coming up other the next few weeks, including a concert with a local orchestra I haven't played with for about 20 years, so in effect new ground. So plenty to look forward to.

Stuck at home

I've been getting a bit frustrated this week, my daughter has been struck down with the dreaded lirgy, and since my wife can't take time off work I have stayed in with the young one. Having planned a full week out in gardens not only am I getting a bit stir crazy but also I'll be missing the money that I would have been earning.

On a better note (pedal C that's one of my favorite notes) I have been out to a rehearsal with a band I play with occasionally. The Surrey Yeomanry Band http://www.surreyyeomanry.com/ used to be the regimental band, but have now survived the Regiment but quite a few years. Not so long ago this band was struggling both with lack of players, and lack of ability. A new conductor and a few new recruits has transformed the ability and sound of this Band. They are now playing some challenging music, but more impressive to me they have a "sound". The sound they have is in the model of a Guards band with a wall of sound, big warm and mellow. This is not so surprising really since the conductor was trained in the Irish Guards, and quite a few of the players are ex-guards as well.

Just to add to my fun it was a real treat in an amateur band to sit next to a totally competent tuba player, again since the guy in question is currently with the Coldstream Guards again his playing was not a surprise, but finding players of that quality in a local amateur is a treat indeed.

Tonight I will be with my own band, Croydon Symphonic, http://csb.watchfresh.com/content.html This will be the first rehearsal after our last concert, so it will be interesting to see what music we will have out for the next concert which will be in Greenwich Park, then a more formal one in St John's Smith Square.

The photo on the right is from our Christmas concert last year, we played to raise money for a locally based charity Five Talents UK. www.fivetalents.org.uk

If you have been thank you for reading - I will post more tomorow