Last night

Hmmm. Not our finest hour last night. Probably not mine, either.

I'm only putting virtual pen to paper now because I was, perhaps, a little harsh at times, and feel now that I need to let you know it was all just "in the heat of the moment".

I'm hoping that you understand why I sometimes have to sound off a bit. You know I don't like to. I enjoy what we do too much and, anyway, I'm basically a nice bloke (well, I think I am, anyway). I know how good we can be. I had big plans for last night's rehearsal, aware that I really wanted, needed, to get through some six, seven, maybe even eight, items to improve your familiarity with them as early as possible before our gala concert. It wasn't even as though most of you had not seen them before. But, instead, I found myself hammering over things we really should have moved on from by now. Simple phrases (Firsts, you know what I'm referring to), so simple yet seemingly impossible!

The point was made that Farnham Methodist is not our favourite rehearsal venue, and we're not at our best when we rehearse there. It's perfectly correct, of course. But I do make allowances for it. But in any case, one thing that I was particularly pleased about (yes, I was pleased about something!) was the turn-out - nice to see nearly all (if not all, actually) the seats taken. Well done, and thanks. The trouble is, that should have made things better, not worse!

So, what am I saying? I'm merely asking that you please do a bit of homework. Look at the things I asked you to look at (especially 142 Younger Than Springtime, 326 The Wind Beneath My Wings, and anything else where there are passages you are unsure about) before next week so we can hit the ground running. Don't forget that concentration, attention to detail and watching the conductor collectively serve to provide better performances, not just in concert, but in rehearsal as well, inevitably raising the enjoyment factor and making learning less of a chore. Make use of our Noteworthy library. This is not a suggestion, it's a demand. A lot of work goes into creating it for you, and it is helpful. You know what you need to look at, and look out for Saturday week's programme so you can have it all ready for Monday, along with our Princes Hall music. We need to raise our game (not the bar!); we've gone off the boil a bit. You know we're much better than we're sounding at the moment and I know you can step up.

Clean slate next week - come on, boys! Let's work hard, play hard, and have lots of fun while we learn!