Wednesday 1 November 2006

I noticed that John Oswald and Chris Cutler are playing in Glasgow on Saturday night, so this is probably a good place to point out that you can download Oswald's entire Plunderphonic album as a .zip file here (if you look hard enough to find it - try clicking on 'd' and scrolling down). Nothing to do with James Oswald of course. But well worth listening to if only to hear Dolly Parton undergo a spectacular aural sex change on The Great Pretender.

I'd intended to come up with four concert programmes on Monday, but by 10pm I'd just managed two. Also this week I must give serious thought to what gigs I'm going to play next summer: I've got good at turning down playing work (more today), but I really ought to start deciding what I'm going to do instead. HTF plans are developing fast on the other side of the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, in my email from Alison comes a letter from Charles Schetky to George Schetky written on the Cape of Good Hope in September 1797.  It contains the following advice about the music profession: 

Ten or 12 dollars a week barely able to procure you raiment & subsistence; together with the society of wicked profligate men who, tho’ not always, yet generally compose the bands in orchestras, will never my Dear Brother suit either your natural disposition or be consistent with your future comfort & happiness.[...] I think were you once firmly established independent of orchestras you would be in no danger of recurring to them.

Plus ça change, ... but now I have some lecture notes to revise for tomorrow morning.