The Black and White Show

No I don't mean underskirts, I worry about slipping up, making a mistake especially when it comes to getting everything right for a performance.    I have nightmares about arriving at the wrong venue (it has happened on one occasion I arrived at the Roman Catholic Southwark Cathedral instead of the Anglican one), or with the wrong clothes (again it happens white shirt instead of black etc.) so I like to make sure I avoid these sort of slips.

 Last night I agreed to play in a concert with a local band that I am not a member of but am a good friend to.   Just to make sure that I had all the details correct I sent a text message to the conductor.

"OK for Sat. please confirm time venue and dress"
The reply;~
"7pm St. Paul's Church.  Black dress for you"
 As he often wears a kilt as formal wear I replied
"Are you suggesting I wear a dress to distract the audience from you wearing a skirt?"

Having said all that I do have night mares, real night mares about getting on stage and not having my music, sometimes I wake up in near panic about a concert that isn't even real, but where I found myself on the stage all dressed up with my instrument and ready to play a solo but with no music so unable to perform, any way to get back to the point,

After taking a shower I took note of what I ad been told a put on a black dress shirt and trousers, and as it was a warm night didn't bother with a jacket.   When I got to the concert all the men were wearing dinner jackets with white shirts and all but two of the ladies were wearing black bottoms and white tops ~ ARGHHHH.   I'm, glad I had the conductors text with me to show why I was wearing all black.

Go on, yo know you want to

I have actually been doing a fair bit of playing recently, lots of practise / rehearsal on trombone for a concert in a couple of weeks, and a bit on the electric bass for services at Church, and of course my regular nights at CSB on tuba.

I have taken a plunge that I meant to make months ago, I have resigned as MD of the Brass Band, although I have enjoyed the job enormously and found the musical challenge very stimulating, I just don't have the time for the commitment, sometimes family is just more important.

Valuable Tips

No matter how experienced, or competent a performer we may be we can always do with learning from the valuable experience of others.

These are all from one of my favourite cartoon strips 9 Chickweed Lane.

We have been having a busy performance based week, on Wednesday my Daughter had a public run through of the song she would be singing at her audition for the BRIT school, on Thursday I had a Brass Band Concert, then on Friday my Daughter had her audition.

Today we will be going down to Brighton to buy her a new guitar, then tomorrow I will be playing Electric Bass at the morning service, before dashing up to London for an Orchestra rehearsal.

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,

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.

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.......

Audiences

It's not always easy to deal with audiences, one of the things I find most daunting when conducting a concert is the requirement to compere as well.   I am quite happy to compere, it is just that with the musical performance to worry about as well, I always fear that one or the other will suffer.   However the more I do the better I get, but I won't follow the example below

Click to enlarge

A night out on the town

It's Saturday night and we had a little celebration, it is coming up to a big birthday for my wife so we had to celebrate, during the summer we saw the Spaghetti Western Orchestra play a prom on TV. We enjoyed it so much that we decided there and then to make sure we saw them live next time they were in London. Well they are in London at the moment, they are at the QEH (Queen Elizabeth Hall) until Wednesday, we went to their performance tonight.

Perhaps I should explain that they are not a conventional orchestra, indeed five guys play everything making a much bigger sound than I for one would have thought possible. This is something that comes across so much better live than on a recording or on TV. I know that as a musician I may be biased but it is true, live is best, for sound, communication with the performers, for atmosphere, and for enjoyment.

Without a doubt this has got to be one of the best shows I have ever seen, and the only time that I have spent an entire concert with a smile on my face. By the very nature of the band the repertoire is a little limited but the standard of musicianship and the visual impact of the performance and the production was excellent. While maintaining their high level of musicianship they also managed to extract music from coat hangers, cereal, an apple and sundry oddities (Jaws harp duet!, ukulele, mandolin, bassoon, harmonica and plenty of others). My recommendation is to see them as soon as you get a chance, even if you are not a fan of Morricone you will still find plenty to enjoy, they even had my 14 year old daughter singing along to the Good the Bad and the Ugly! I don't think I can beat the description "Genius and Insane in equal measures"

Anyway take a look at their website http://www.spaghettiwesternorchestra.com/ check out the clips and make an appointment to see them live. I don't think that there are many bands that can entertain my wife, my daughter and me at the same time.

They are nice guys as well, they signed a CD for my wife, with a little note for her birthday - I hope I managed to score a few brownie points tonight!

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!

Horsham

On Saturday I played with the All Saints Concert Band, on the Bandstand in Horsham Town Centre. Horsham is a fairly traditional market town in Sussex, and on Saturday, yes there was a market. It is quite unusual to have a bandstand in the middle of town rather than in a park, but it does mean that lots of passers by get entertained, indeed I gather the bandstand is something of an attraction.

Finally a picture of yours truly playing the "New Toy" in anger. Final proof that it does get played for "real"