We were meant to have Christmas Tutti Fruti tonight, but Claire spent ten minutes searching for it and this was the closest she got. I was out all afternoon and more of the evening than was ideal playing with the Yorkshire Wind Orchestra. The main piece was Pictures at an Exhibition (minus The Gnome, which was a relief) but there was other stuff besides. It was all a test of my sight-reading and by the end I was in need of a bottle of wine. It was all I could do to avoid looking at my watch during the concert.
When I got home, Claire handed me a glass immediately, and then fed me a meat and potato pie. Neither touched the sides. The wine is excellent and slips down very nicely. What a pity I have to go to work tomorrow.
Shame about the gnome Ben - I'm sure you could have really made the audience jump if you played that opening flourish fortissimo!
ReplyDeleteDo you like the Emerson Lake and Palmer version of Pictures at an Exhibition, Ben? Fantastic band. I once saw them in Manchester.
ReplyDeleteJerry - The Gnome just looked really difficult, and as I had not seen the music before, avoiding that flourish was actually a huge relief. What I was disappointed about was that 'The Old Castle' had been given to the Baritone Saxophone and the Euphonium. Sacrilege.
ReplyDeleteDave - I haven't heard the EL&P version, and it sounds suspicious to me - not being a full orchestra, two pianos or a Concert Band arrangement (and the last of those is pushing 'acceptable').