Goodbye soggy fields!

In just over three days from now I'll be airborne and heading for the sunshine of South Australia. It's a damp and chilly time in the UK at the moment - I am glad to be escaping for a bit. I think my bones are looking forward to it too - the rain is making them go rusty. It feels like that some days. Tickets are selling well for my show on the Adelaide Fringe and I've also been invited to give a concert for one of the assisted living places out there - similar to the work I do here for Music in Hospitals and I'm looking forward to it. Those concerts are  heart-warming occasions, I find, Music  brings people alive in ways that stir their memories and arouse their nostalgia and emotion. I've had some wonderful conversations with audience members after  performing at such venues. It can be very moving.

And talking of odd venues, I did a concert in a bank two days ago. Katy, who organised it, took this picture for me, seeing as I liked their building, It's their Bridgewater branch. So thank you, Katy. It was a little bit surreal. I think Nat West are trying to tell us something. Is it: 'this is a nice bank, please come here and leave your money with us - have a cup cake and listen to this man playing classical guitar while you queue'.

I am sorry I couldn't oblige, customers who asked me if I could play something by Adele or Ed Sheerhan. But then a lady came in who asked me if I could play anything by Bach. Phew! And when I'd finished playing Prelude to Cello Suite No. 1 she said it had made her day and went off to queue up at the counter. I began playing Moonlight Serenade, thinking that perhapsAdele fans might like vintage Glen Miller. The Bach lady came zooming back utterly delighted because she happened to be a jazz singer and that was one of the favourite songs in her repertoire. So all in all it was fun. And I had cupcakes.