Today we've been rehearsing again for tomorrow's recording in Kellie Castle.  A slightly less blessed state of unprepared-ness prevails, but nothing worth losing hair about. The day began with me taking Paul his harmonium back, and we stood on his doorstep talking about how they came up with the string arrangement for the Blue Nile's A Walk Across the Rooftops. 

Yesterday turned out to be a bit of an adventure - we arrived at Crichton to find Tony Kime walking up the road, having failed to get in to the church.  As it turned out, our booking, despite being made at least twice, had never made it into the diary, and although we eventually found a key to the place, not only was it not heated, but the electricity supply was actually disconnected for the day.  Once I'd found this out, I trudged up the path to the church thinking 'OK, so David's come over from Canada, Alison's flown in from Lyon, Katherine's come up from London, and we don't have any way to make this record.  Now what do we do?'.  We thought about likely options, and eventually after a couple of abortive phone calls, Tony suggested we head over to his school (he's bought an old village school and is renovating it).  We agreed to pay his builders off for the day, they cleared us a space and helped us in with the instruments, Katherine heated the soup on the calor gas stove, and by 3.30pm we were recording.  Fantastic. 

We started playing Mackintosh tunes with a beautiful view over the fields and the sun shining on the music.  We ended with a melodica overdub at 11pm working by moonlight (and the three tiny 20W halogen lamps I'd taken with me), turning on the builders' noisy but powerful heater between takes to stop us freezing up.  It went well too, the spirit of adventure adding a certain something.  Got home at 1.30am.  

So the energy level today was a bit under par (from me anyway), not helped by the Earl of Kellie insisting on writing tunes in both E and E flat major. Early start tomorrow - Kellie Castle is 90 miles away - so I'm off to bed.  Had an enigmatic phone message from the Edinburgh International Festival today: 'We've had an idea, for which we need, er, you'.  What can they mean ?