Gosh – where do I begin? So much has been packed into this month that I’m slightly concerned that this blog post will turn into a novel. As I begin to write the post we still have over a week left of this month – I can hardly believe it.
The beginning of June meant rehearsals and four performances of Carousel with NETheatre at the Tempest Anderson Hall in York Museum Gardens. We arrived for the shows after the gardens were closed to the public so it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
I mentioned in my previous blog post that preparing the part for Carousel was a big task. It was all worth it though, as it meant that once rehearsals began, the hard work was done and I could just enjoy the music and play as many of the notes as possible!
Playing for a show means late nights, and in my previous life (before Sophie) that would mean taking the mornings and afternoons to rest as much as possible to be on top form in the evening. This is more challenging with a little one who frequently wakes up for the day shortly after 5am. So yes, I was seriously burning the candle at both ends in a way I haven’t had to do for a long time. Despite my fatigue, I loved playing for these shows so much, the band was so fun and the singers sounded fabulous. By the end of the final show I wanted to do more! So much work for only four shows seemed a shame, but that’s the nature of projects like this. I have the fully marked up part for the future though.
I invited my students to come along to watch Carousel and I’m very pleased to say that several did. Going to see live performances is so important when you are learning an instrument. It reminds us that music is so much more than spending time alone in a practice room. It’s about getting people together, sharing experiences and enriching all of our lives. It’s about connecting with others just as much as it is about building a technical skill and exercising our brains.
This is giving me all sorts of ideas of Warburton Music Studio trips to see operas, the ballet, musicals and concerts together. Students: you have been warned!
other gigs this month
The first wedding I had post-Carousel was also in York’s Museum Gardens – this time I was playing in the beautiful Hospitium:
A couple of days later I drove over to Brigg to play for a Wedding Ceremony and Drinks Reception. Google maps tried to take me through someone’s back garden to get to the church. Nice try google. There was no trespassing on this particular occasion.
I also drove over to The Grand Lodge at Oaklands to play for a Drinks Reception. This venue is quite a drive away but it was so worth it once I was there. I had my own little platform to play from, outside but on proper flooring and with good shelter, level access and easy parking. A harpist’s dream! The wedding itself looked amazing too, the couple had fireworks going off as they arrived from the church, walking over a bridge over a little lake.
in other news…
At the start of this year I pledged to walk a thousand miles in 2025, that’s an average of two-and-a-bit miles per day. It is more challenging than I thought it would be with a toddler who gets restless if she’s been in her pram for too long, but I’m just about sticking to the schedule so far.
It’s great because you start looking for reasons to walk. To give an example, I treated myself to getting my car professionally valeted, and my original plan was to just sit in the nearby cafe and chill or perhaps do some admin during the 90 minutes that it takes. But I knew I needed to get my miles in (Sophie was in nursery), so I got on the local trail and walked to the next village along, got a table at a lovely cafe called But First and had coffee, lunch, and read my book for a while. It was heaven. I feel so fortunate to have moments like this, it is a kind of wealth in itself and I definitely do not take my lifestyle for granted. I feel lucky in so many ways. Nice walks, lunches out, tasty coffee and a good book, what more could you ask for?
father’s day
For Tim’s second Father’s Day we did the same as we did the previous year – had a National Trust outing to Nostell Priory. We had a lovely day in the sunshine, had pizza, walked around.
Sophie’s Baptism
On 22nd June we had little Sophie Baptised at the church where I was baptised, and where I play the organ. Eyebrows were raised when I insisted on playing the organ for the service. My Daddy played the organ for my Christening, so I wanted to play for Sophie’s. We had some sandwiches and cakes in the church afterwards. Family and friends travelled from as far as Bournemouth, Manchester, Hartlepool and Solihull to be there. We are very grateful to have such a warm and supportive network of wonderful people around us.
I’ve been enjoying…
The Merlin Bird App – shoutout to my student Heather for telling me about this. This cute little app uses your phone’s microphone to listen for and identify birds that are nearby. It’s such a great idea and it’s free as well.
The World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle – such a fascinating and thought-provoking read. Highly recommend this book.
The Invisible Doctrine by George Monbiot – another eye-opening read about society, capitalism, and politics. I always enjoy Monbiot’s writing. This was slightly drier than Regenesis but nevertheless – an important book.
next month…
As we move into July, our kitchen is being ripped out and remodelled. Will it be chaos? Almost certainly. Will I be doing the washing up outside with a hosepipe? Definitely. It will all be worth it in the end though and it’s very exciting.
The busiest wedding period of the year is finished. Just four gigs to go until our holiday in August. If you’ve read this far, I salute you – you deserve a medal!
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