More snow

First I shall get my rant over with, best to do it early!

Yesterday my daughter's school decided that the weather was not so bad that they couldn't open, so off to school they all went. Then at midday they decided that the weather was too bad after all, we were told that the school would be closed from 12:30, and by the way the buses had stopped running. Why wait till the buses had stopped, now we were faced with the prospect of 13 year old girls being asked to walk more than 7 miles home in the snow.

I made the rash decision that it would be better to get the car out and pick them up, the 15 mile round trip journey took me about six and a half hours. There was no communication from any authorities as to what was going on, which roads were open, or indeed the causes of hold ups. I know in a lot of places gritters had been out and roads were clear - this is LONDON after all, but in Bromley there was no sign that even main roads had been gritted before the morning rush. The consequence buses cancelled, grid lock on the roads gritters unable to get through because of the grid lock. It has to be said that some of the problem comes from people not knowing how to drive in the snow, but it is more difficult in modern cars than those from say the 60s and 70s. Also those like me making unnecessary journeys (as it turned out they would have been home quicker if they had walked.

Today I'm staying home, and possibly all week as far as work goes!

OK rant over

Like everyone else my garden is covered by snow, but already I am worried about the damage. All my Kerrier is weighed down but my main concern is my Pittosporum, it is a variegated form which currently stands about 12 feet high with a potato vine (Solanum Jasimoides) growing through it. The snow has weighed it down to no more than 6 - 7 foot high, I have been trying to pluck up the courage to give it a good prune for a while, I think it may now have been thrust upon me.

Yeh sure, Very Pretty

Yeh sure, very pretty were my first thoughts this morning when I looked out of the window. I know some people get excited at the prospect of some snow, it's just that I'm not one of them when I would rather be out doing some work, earning some money.

The few from my back door this morning

For the last couple of weeks I have been worried that I have taken on too much work, and have begun to slip behind schedule, now I will be losing at least another full day, by the look of the forecast it could well be the rest of the week. I shall try to look on the bright side and take it as a opportunity to do some practise for the plethora of concerts coming up, and catch up with some paperwork.........

Hey ho nothing I can do about it so might as well make the most it.

The Organ Symphony

We are playing the last movement of the Saint Saens 2nd symphony, the Organ, at Christmas Praise this year. I have been playing this piece regularly every second year or so over the last 35 years, so when I saw it in the pad thought "no problem", then I looked at the dots and a rather worrying thought dawned on the rather slow Goodwin mind, I've never seen this before!


I don't know how it's happened but I think that every time I've played this great work I have been on my second instrument - Bass Trombone. That's no bad thing since there is a major Bass Trombone solo in the last movement (Bass Trombone solo, not a phrase you come across very often), but none the less very surprising since I still, and always have played a lot more tuba than trombone.


We are playing the concert at both the Fairfield Hall in Croydon and at All Soul's Church Langham place, and since the Fairfield is my "home" hall I am looking forward to this as something of a high point for this Christmas.....more will follow

regular posting

I read a few blogs written by other people, and I am in awe of their ability to make regular, interesting and varied posts. There are a couple who make me feel totally inadequate and question why I do this.

Of course I know the reason why I do this, it is to inflate my own ego! why else would I think that other people would be interested in my verbal wanderings? Well I hope that very soon there will be some more before and after photos as well as reports on concerts I play in. I think it's all very interesting even if no one else does

It all starts now

I am majorly busy these days, not just with the day job (which is good news indeed at this time of the year) but with music making as well, I just had a quick count up and I have 8 performances as well as my Church Carol Service and going out caroling around the Parish.

Just a few quick lines (Presto agitato) to let you all know I'm alive before dashing up to Town for an ASO Rehearsal.

Weekends

It's been a long and tiring weekend, but basically a good one. went abroad to Wales to visit my mother - good - meant I was away from wife and daughter - bad - saw eldest bother - good - spent ages sitting in traffic - bad - got home so late daughter and wife in bed - bad:

Hey ho, another week starts over and above work something on every night this coming week, by Saturday I shall be wasted. - and all I want to do is a bit a tuba practise...................

Another day another concert

On Tuesday night I was out with the London Charity Orchestra, we were playing a concert in aid of the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust http://www.cwmt.org/ a charity active in the area of mental health, specifically depression, they do a lot of excellent work, and I think the whole orchestra is both glad and proud to be associated with them.

The venue was St Johns Smith Square, a decommissioned church within a stones throw of parliament, it has been tastefully and effectively adapted for use as a concert hall, and has become one of the more prestigious central London venues.

Playing Bass Trombone I was involved in two pieces, a selection from the Gadfly Suite, and Tchaik 5. While I have played the Tchaikovsky many times the Schostakovich was totally new to me, and due to a strained rehearsal schedule I ended up sight reading the first movement on the stand. That always adds to the excitment! Now I have played this piece I know it to be a fine work, and I will be seeking out a recording, any suggestions?

The Tchaikovsky was the piece that first made take up the Bass Trombone, playing with my youth orchestra I commented to the tutor that it was a shame that none of the trombones we had were proper basses, but that we ended up with the best tenors on first, the next best on second and the beginners on third. In this symphony all three parts are equally important, indeed I think the Bass has more solos than the first. Well half an hour later the Tutor comes back with a Yamaha student Bass Trombone, gives it to me and tells me that I'm playing it in the concert at the end of the week. I did play in the concert, and wasn't the worst there, but I think I have made some substantial progress in the intervening #* years.

This was an excellent concert, well played and well programmed, the LCO has one of the best string sections of any of the non professional orchestras in London, and a very fine conductor in Will Carslake (and I havn't been paid to say that -- yet)

It is always a joy to play with this Orchestra, at this venue, and then have a pint or three at the Marquise of Granby afterwards.