Tales from my week. 6th — 12th August
Highlights
Most of my week was spent in rehearsals for and at The Proms. What an incredible thing to experience, especially as an amateur musician. I can’t say thank you enough to the lovely folks at Tredegar Band for inviting me. The audience reception was incredible, and it was wonderful to be able to showcase the versatility and incomparable sound of modern brass bands.
Sunday was a rehearsal day in Cardiff. I didn’t have anything to play as the band and orchestra were rehearsing for Prom 30, and the percussion parts were all covered by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales team. I had the privilege of hearing Gavin Higgins’ ‘Concerto Grosso’ come together for the first time (what a piece!) and I had a lovely stroll around sunny Cardiff bay (I’m astonished at my luck this year — eight trips to Wales in 2022 and not a single rain cloud!) before getting the coach to London.
On Monday we stepped into the Royal Albert Hall for the first time. The Proms is a slick operation, from the performer check-in desk to the stage setting to the lighting rigs, and we were ready to rehearse shortly after 10 o’clock. It was at this rehearsal I was asked to do the plate smash at the end of ‘Zeibekikos’, which is a wonderfully dramatic moment, and of course I said yes! We only had one practice plate, but thankfully there was a clear cue so I got it right first time and could save the remaining plates for the performance.
The excitement leading up to Prom 30 that evening was palpable — for most of the band this was their first performance at the Proms, in addition it was also a world premiere of ‘Concerto Grosso’, and the first time an orchestra and brass band have shared the stage at this event. It was an extraordinary concert, and I was particularly touched to see a few children in the audience. Perhaps this will be the moment that inspires them to pick up an instrument, and they couldn’t have picked a better night to attend as nearly every instrument was represented.
Tuesday was the day I was most looking forward to, as while I enjoyed being in the audience the previous evening I dearly wanted to be on the stage! We travelled to rehearsal at BBC’s Maida Vale studios, and you could feel the history in the building. The decor remains retro and we were rehearsing in studio 3, where Bing Crosby made his final recording before his death.
A few hours and a pub dinner later and it was nearly showtime. There was a tight turnaround between the the Ulster Orchestra’s earlier prom and our late-night slot, so it was all hands on deck to prepare the stage. We briefly rehearsed the encore before returning backstage to wait while the audience filed in.
Being on stage is unlike any other feeling. You’re aware of the eyes on you but you can’t see them while the house lights are down; you’re hot from the stage lights and running between instruments; you’re concentrating fiercely so not to make a mistake in a performance you’ve put many hours into preparing; you’re listening intently to the sound of the band and trying to soak up the moment.
And the smash. Woooosh what an adrenaline rush. How many people can say they’ve been given license to break crockery on the Royal Albert Hall stage and live on radio? Maybe just me. Yu-Han, the euphonium soloist, will rightly be remembered for his astonishing performance, but my lasting memory will be the confidence I felt standing on that stage with plates held high above my head waiting for my cue.
Perhaps this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience; I sincerely hope not. It was undoubtedly a special performance and I will treasure the memories and the recordings, but life has a way of surprising me — just when I think I’ve hit my peak something else comes along to surprise me and raise my expectations of what is possible.
Other Nice Things
- Our team at DLUHC have been shortlisted for a couple of awards. There are many other things that motivate me to come to work besides awards (my personal values of genorosity and public service, great relationships with my colleagues, intellectual challenge), but it is nice to be recognised occasionally by the outside world. It transpires we had no pictures of the team together to accompany our nomination, so on Friday we held a 5 minute Teams photo session which was lovely, especially as we included many colleagues who I’ve not seen for a while as they have left for other projects, but who were integral to our success in the early weeks and months.
- I’ve booked my ticket for SDinGov. This will be my first in-person conference since covid and I’m excited to catch up with friends and meet new people.
- I had some good news about my house move this week. There’s lots of paperwork to do and it could still fall through, but I remain hopeful that I’ll be on the property ladder sometime later this year.
Challenges
- Motivation was hard to find as I returned to work on Thursday, as I endeavoured to reset from the enormous adrenaline high. Thankfully my colleagues were very excited on my behalf and I was able to relive the week somewhat through recordings and photos.
- Heatwave #2. I’m fortunate to have spaces in my home where it is cooler, but 30+ degree heat makes any activity more difficult than usual.
The Week Ahead
- From Monday I’ll be back into rehearsals with Flowers, as we prepare for the autumn contest season (British Open in September, National Finals of Great Britain in October, and Brass in Concert in December).
- I’ve got Monday to Wednesday off work to attend a sewing workshop.
- Thursday and Friday will be a chance to reset and refocus. Work has calmed down significantly since our service launch, and I need to catch up with our product managers to work out what our new priorities will be and where I can most usefully contribute.
