Nooooobody Knoooooows...

both the saxes are spending the night away from home tonight. The alto's already been away for one night, and it was joined today by the tenor. The reason? Can't be bothered carrying both of them in at once tomorrow - especially as I'm going to try to get in as early as I can (expedited by the possibility of an invasion of carpet fitters anytime between 8 & 11am). I'm taking in the music tomorrow - then I'll bring one of the saxes home in the evening, and the other the next day.

I managed to get TWO slots of practise done in the church at SPRAS today - very nice indeed! Took the tenor up at lunchtime, so it could have a chance to run free in the rolling plains of acoustic open-ness and we spent a happy hour up there doing a mixture of scales, long notes, pieces, tootling around and exercises. Luvly.
I was the last one left in the building at the end of the day (Janet was doing the Prom Praise at the Royal Albert Hall slot at prayer gathering. Still tickets left, if you're interested!) - so I couldn't not take advantage of the lack of people to disturb - went up to the church (played a little bit at the top of the stairs too, truth be told. I like the window thingy there. Don't tell anyone though - I think playing saxophone on landings where the only light is spilling from the room next to it and the street-lamps outside might be illegal or something! ;) ) and did another hour before wending my way northward and homeward.

I was quite pleased with one or two of my attempts upon "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and the impro-solos in that one. I know what the shape I have in my head for it is, without having an iron-set line of specific notes that I fall into from memory. Also found that "Down By the Riverside" fits into it quite nicely, thematically, progressively, narratively, melodically and harmonically.

That's me off until tomorrow then - Sophie's coming to SPRAS for 1 rather than for 2 as she's very kindly agreed to play piano for the lunchtime service there which runs from 1.05-1.30 every week there. It's only one song, but it makes such a difference to the small, faithful congregation to have a strong piano lead to sing with.

We're so privilaged at All Souls to have such a wide range of expertise in, and in contact with, the congregation - I suppose that comes with being a large church really. It's so hard not to take to for granted or to grumble about the little things that one doesn't like...
when I was a student, someone gave our SWOT group (Study the Word Of Truth - yeah, it's contrived, but noone's yet come up with better. We lobbied for Prayer And New Testament Study groups as a replacement title, but Tom Parsons, the Student Coordinator [oh, one of the pictures'll give you an idea of the church at SPRAS on that link - the one on the right of the banner-montage, next to Tom Rout, current Student Worker!] at the time, didn't go for it...) a very good piece of advice;

If you find a perfect church...

...don't join it. You'll spoil it!

many a true word said in jest!