Saturday, February 18, 2012 11:14:52 PM
Minus 18 degrees centigrade is not to be messed with! As the mercury went lower and lower two pipes froze; one in the loft and one under the floor. When the weather warmed up you can guess what happened. The water ran with an unaccustomed freedom, through the ceiling, down the walls and the stairs! The boiler gave up the ghost as it had wet feet and there was a leak in its pipes and the electricity circuit breakers all popped out and cut power to everything they could think of! Spent a jolly time pulling up wet carpet and emptying the water out of the cereal bowls!
However, while all this was happening to my sister's house, I was blissfully unaware and playing at a wonderfully eclectic concert in the local church. We were raising funds for a music trust to give local children the chance to get involved in musical activities. Fellow performers included poetry readers, a professional singer, the church choir, a choir from the local village school an awesome organist and a very talented violinist. There was also a musical saw.....and me!
It all went extremely well and the audience, once we could persuade them to go home, were well pleased. Thanks to Jo and Karol for organising such a successful event.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:54:14 PM
music, folk, owls
Hello again,
Mild Rant Alert!
There was a survey taken recently where it appeared that people in Britain were not as honest as they were a while ago. These surveys always make me smile as they never ask me! I get people stopping me in the street to ask what toothpaste I prefer, but never to ask me about the weighty questions of the day. So where do they find the people who answer the survey? Perhaps we could do a survey to find out if the people surveyed are a representative sample of real people!
However, there is one sort of dishonesty that I find unnecessary. That is when people don't want to book you for their club or don't want to play your CD on the radio. If you say, "Is there a possibility of doing an evening for you?" then the club organizer should say, "no, you don't play the stye of music that our audience prefers." or, "We are booked solid until 2020, but I'll put you on the list for then, or for any cancellations," or, more simply, "Yes!".
There is a type of organizer who says, "Sorry, we probably won't be running in a year's time so I'm not booking anyone else until I know what's happening!" Or, "Yes, mate, I'll let you know".
In the first instance the club is thriving and a quick search of their web-site shows they have booked well ahead and in the second instance, well.....they never get round to you! (Probably not worth the gig anyway if we're honest!). Maybe it is a way of not hurting one's feelings, but it would be much better to be honest. Even complete silence and a raised eyebrow would be preferable!
Then there was the radio presenter who said they wouldn't play any of my CD as the tracks were too long! Pardon? The longest track is 4 minutes with the majority being 2 to 3 minutes long. Why couldn't they just say, "Sorry, don't like it - not playing it!"
These few make me even more glad of the friends who have allowed me to play in their clubs and concerts and on their radio programmes. Thanks folks!
Highlight of the week....Barn owls. I saw two flying low over the road when I was driving a country lane near here at night. They were magnificent. I then went on a Barn Owl Walk (sounds like a country dance!) at the week-end. This was at an RSPB reserve. The guide was very knowledgeable and we not only saw barn owls, but marsh harriers and egrets, rooks, crows and jackdaws in abundance and heard but never saw some reed dwelling birds. Magic!
Take Care,
Peter
Saturday, January 14, 2012 9:05:12 PM
What a lovely week! Two excellent folk sessions, a lovely walk beside the river and......my son found out what was wrong with the cable and now everything is running fine.
For those who might not know, a folk session is when like-minded singers and musicians gather in a like-minded pub and have a shared evening of folk music. Usually these pubs are off the beaten track and the sessions only advertised by word of mouth. The two sessions I attended this week were special for different reasons. There was good music from a hurdy-gurdy, a clarinet, mouth organs and melodeons and good songs were sung ranging from a 16th century broadside ballad, through solid English traditional songs with very singable choruses to songs by modern day song writers. The harmonies raised the roof! No-one tried to turn either session into an ego trip or a contest and a good time was had by all.
Our local paper publishes a walk every week-end. These give step-by-step directions for following in the footsteps of the newspaper contributor (providing you can remember which way is 'left'!) The walk we followed this week led us through farmland and woods, right down to the river's edge and back through farmland to the start. There wasn't much in the way of shipping on the river as it was low tide, but this was more than made up for by the sightings of the river and sea-birds on the river's edge. The lack of shipping didn't stop there being the odd snatch of nautical ditty as we came in view of the river! The walk said the views would be stunning...and they were.
.....saw a drift of crocuses out as well!
Sunday, January 8, 2012 10:02:07 PM
What do you put in the first post of a blog? Hard to know. It is an interesting way of communicating what is going on...that's true.
So...what is going on?
The new cable my son bought me to get my turntable to talk to my stereo isn't working yet!
However, that's a little trite.
2011 was a good year for me folk-wise. My new CD, "Many Thousand Miles Behind Us" received some amazing radio plays from New Zealand, via the US of A to Bury St. Edmunds! I was included in a CD of local Norfolk singers and also on the set of CDs to mark the 15 years that the web-site "Mudcat" (www.Mudcat.org) has been in operation.
The inclusion on the Mudcat "This is Us" CD Set also provided my first 'proper' outing on You Tube. There was already a small, but inaudible clip on there that Peter Trimming put up, but that doesn't really count! (Because it is inaudible and I wasn't aware it was there until I stumbled across it!)
There is a little story attached to the song on featured on You Tube. 'Chickens in the Garden' comes from a Glasgow Broadsheet. I performed the song at a recent local Harvest Supper and it went well. The next morning I opened my front door to find a box of eggs on the doorstep! Wonderful!
Best news of the day? We have two snowdrops in the back garden!
Best wishes,
Peter
My Opera
