Wah-wah

I've started going to the weekly jazz workshop at the Ecole de Musique. Which gives me the chance to play my venerable old semi-acoustic Harmony guitar. It dates from the early 60's and I bought it second-hand from the original owner, a fellow-member of the Lauderdale Guitar Society, in the late 80's. The guitar is nothing special (in fact I have been told that the Bigsby tremolo arm is worth more than the rest of the instrument) but it's fun to play, and it's louder than the lute. Now I have to learn to improvise something convincing when it comes to my turn to do a 'chorus'. This requires instantaneous recall and assembly of a frightening quantity of scale patterns and extended chord shapes. I love a challenge.

Meanwhile, on Sunday Lowri and I played a concert in the Temple de Castres, with recorder player Pierre Hudrisier, of sonatas and trios by Vivaldi, Bach etc. Good for Anglo-French relations, and we were able to rustle up the local Brits to help swell the audience to a respectable 120. Philomena's friends came rushing up to her in great excitement at school this morning, brandishing the local paper which had our pictures in it.

Off to Menorca this weekend to add yet more territory to the Chuckerbutty Ocarina Quartet's gradual conquest of Spain.