Glinka at 300mph

We did a concert last night to a clubby audience, and it was more successful than anyone had hoped. People who had never seen an orchestra before, watched and enjoyed, and with a bit of luck and sponsorship, we'll be able to do it again soon.

Trafigura have taken out an injunction to prevent the BBC showing this film. Pass it on, they can't injunct the world can they?

Oh God, what a day.

Yesterday, was rotten. We did an outdoor concert and it poured with bloody rain non-stop. The roof was leaking right onto me, and my trousers are coming apart, luckily in a place that's not visible when I sit down.

It baffles me why 2500-3000 people will turn up and sit on the ground in the pouring rain for about £25 a go, when if you build them a concert hall, with proper walls and a roof, comfy seats and give them a well rehearsed concert that doesn't involve queuing for 45 minutes to get out of the car park at about £18 a go, they won't come.

Basically, I think British people don't like comfort or convenience. We like the idea that we are eccentric, and will put up with things that others wouldn't, but we don't have to, we just want to so we have something to moan about.

New conductor's first day.

It's Kiril Karabits' first day as our principal conductor and he seemed a bit shy and nervous until he started conducting, and then he was just great.
Unlike Marin, he can describe how he wants something to sound, and then conduct it too. We're doing Shostakovich's 11th symphony and I can imagine how it could really be a very boring first movement if it wasn't done right, but this is going to sound really good.
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Really not what I was expecting.

This one made me honk with laughter, as it was the opposite of what I was expecting to happen. Hahahahahaha!

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