Nostalgia and Networking….

The weekend of the 7th/8th of November saw me playing in two very different situations. On the Saturday I travelled to Thame in Oxfordshire, to Lord Williams’ School, which I attended for the first two years of my secondary education from 1974 – 1976. I had been asked to play in a concert celebrating the Schools’ 450th Anniversary – along the way I also got roped into sorting out the sound system for the other performers and singing in an ad hoc chamber choir! Oddly the last time I had sung in a choir was when I was at the school, before my voice broke…..!

Rehearsing with Howard Goodall at LWS in 1975 (I'm the 2nd boy from the right!)

The day started with a real nostalgia trip as I joined a group being given a tour of the school: There were two old schoolmates in the group and we also visited the room which had been my dormitory for two years (now a conference room). It was smaller than I remembered!!

In my old dormitory at LWS!

The concert went well; a fun evening with lots of variety. I even managed to get around the choir pieces (a selection of madrigals and other short pieces conducted by my old head of music, Robin Nelson) fairly well. My violin contributions went down well, and there was the premiere of a choral piece written specially for the occasion by ex-pupil (in the 6th form when I was there) Howard Goodall.

But enough of nostalgia……

On the Sunday I had to get to the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey for 8.30am in order to setup my electric violin and looping gear for the European String Teachers Association annual conference! I gave a short recital to the delegates, and then a 90 minute presentation of a variety of electric violin and looping techniques. The Hall at the school is excellent, and it was a most enjoyable morning. There was a lot of interest in what I was doing, and lots of positive networking, which I hope will lead to some more concerts and demonstrations.

Performing in the Menuhin Hall for the ESTA conference (photo: Geraint Tellem)

I also had a chance to try out some Bridge electric violins (they had a display stand at the conference), and was instantly impressed, in particular with their octave bass violin. I feel that the number of electric violins in my house may soon be increasing! Watch this space….