Queens Hall, Edinburgh
This week I'm abandoning my principles and being a professional musician, playing in the SCO to earn some money. It's difficult to say what the difference is in my head between this week and last, but I'm sure I'll start to enjoy it once we get going, as Giovanni Antonini is a very interesting musician. In last night's rehearsal for next Sunday's chamber concert, when he picked up the recorder it was a bit like having Chris in the room, in terms of the way music and breath flowed out of him. Except that playing the recorder is a bit of a handicap if you want to make music. But then I can talk, I'm playing the harpsichord this week, an instrument that only goes 'pling'. I think rehearsals will be good, and there will be things to learn.

But, on the evidence of this morning, being a professional musician sucks. I got up early after a late night, my parents very kindly came over to our place to put the kids to school so that I could get to Edinburgh on time, and then when I got here the rehearsal started with the Haydn symphony. Which I'm not in. So after busting a gut to get here, I'm to spend the next two hours just sitting in the Queens Hall café - writing a grumpy diary entry. Industrial music making: you can shove it. I'll redeem the morning by listening to some session tapes from Nenthorn.

later
The day got worse, as the in-car meeting I was supposed to have on the way back to Glasgow failed to materialise as well, and I ended up getting the train after all. But later on I got a message from that well-known anagram Petroc Trelawny saying he was going to play some Kellie on In Tune just before the opera on Radio 3 tonight - which he did, just when the listening figures are at their highest. Great!