Wednesday 4 March 2009

Just back from the second day of rehearsals in the excellent surroundings of Mr McFall's Chamber's Morningside home. Unfortunately my masterplan to cycle there from the train every day was foiled by my Dahon still being in the loving care of biketrax awaiting parts. Michael Marra joins us tomorrow, and the gig's on Saturday night at the Bongo Club in Edinburgh: come and hear whether I make a complete arse of Timo's tunes on the melodica. As you can see below, I had a choice of harmoniums today (mine is out of shot, and Robert's is in the room next door): the collective noun for a group of harmoniums is of course 'an embarrassment'. 

the view from behind Brian's newly-restored harmonium

Fitting in a day's rehearsal amongst various domestic educational matters has been difficult enough, but in the middle of all of this we also finally got the go-ahead for another gig with the Tiger Lillies. (hooray) In three weeks' time. (oh) In Denmark. (right) So any free minutes today have been spent in texts and calls to Andrew and Alison co-ordinating lots of diaries and figuring out just how we're going to make it work.  Sadly, Emily can't make it, and as virtuoso sackbut players who also just happen to play the baroque violin are a bit thin on the ground, we're having to rejig things a bit, but I think we've settled on what will be a very entertaining alternative version of the evening's events.