Monday 15 September 2003

The weather's now changed to humid, sticky and oppressive. Much like it was for most of last summer, strangely enough. I'd forgotten how effective it is at inducing inertia, lethargy and general irritation - everything suddenly feels like it requires enormous effort.

Today I managed to re-acquaint myself with the Chris Norman Ensemble set, after moving the harmonium into the hall first to avoid annoying the neighbours too much.  I'd written out the chords onto tiny pieces of card while listening to the CD on the train journey up to London last Thursday.  Unfortunately, today I only had 2 hours left this afternoon to look at all of our  music for the Concerto Caledonia concerts and recording coming up in the next week - just enough time to look out all the parts, check them through and put them in a folder. 'Well, that's what rehearsals are for' chides a voice in my head, but I'd much rather be properly prepared. That's just the way things are, you spend months preparing all of the admin and management for a stretch of work, and then have no time left to actually consider the music.  It took two hours this morning just to send a couple of cheques out, by the time I'd been to the building society and entered all the correct figures into the correct spreadsheets.  Moan moan.

Still, I'm very much looking forward to having the quartet all in the same room again for the first time since our recording in Nenthorn in February. I suppose I'm trusting in some magic to happen. Fingers crossed.  Our US agent was in touch a few days ago, saying things are looking up for a 2004/5 tour, so a diary session is going to be necessary at some point this week too.

Standing in the supermarket in Robertsbridge one morning last week, I answered my phone to hear Maggie Cole on the other end saying 'Could you do me a favour? You know that silly Corri piece you played on Mungrel Stuff? I'd really like to play it, can you send me it?' It's nice to have a musician of her good taste and discernment hoodwinked into liking a completely trashy piece of nonsense.