Someone asked me after yesterday’s gig if I get nervous beforehand. Yes, I suppose so, but not immediately before the concert: it’s more spread out over the period of preparation. So yesterday I had 1) fortepiano stress – I always get worried about playing the fortepiano in public, because there are so many variables and so few places to hide that I don’t feel in control of it at all, and I’m just hoping that some music will happen; 2) some very accomplished professional pianists and their students were in the audience – no pressure then; 3) we were playing a load of untested new repertoire; 4) I was using the iPad and AirTurn pedals for the first time; and 5) a really crucial string on the virginals broke with a couple of hours to go. With the help of Allan Wright on the phone and this really helpful webpage I eventually managed to get the string to grip its historically-correct holeless pin, and the pin to grip its hole in the wrestplank. Whew. As for the professional pianists, one of them asked me for lessons afterwards, so that must have gone OK, and I only made one page-turning error.  Perhaps the thing about not playing lots of gigs any more is that I just cram more and more potential stress into the few that I do. It certainly keeps it interesting.

But having a gloriously stress-free venue makes all of the above possible: this was the view from my balcony at Ardkinglas when I got up in the morning.