To Manchester!

Today was the National "Finals" of the Concert Band Festival. It's not exactly finals because it's not a competition, it's a festival. But you have to get invited to attented the Nationals after "competing" in the Regionals. So, erm, yeah. Oh, and if you're wondering what this has to do with me, it's because one of the bands Alison is in was playing there today.

The National Festival was at the Royal Northern College of Music. For those of you who don't know, this is in Manchester. Interesting day to be travelling to Manchester, on account of Old Trafford being the venue for one of the FA Cup Semi-Finals. The competing teams were Arsenal and Sheffield United, and wouldn't you know it, our route to Manchester was the same one as used by the majority of Arsenal fans.

We stopped at Keele Services for a quick tea-break and just as we were leaving two or three coachloads of Gooners arrived. It was difficult to get out of the door. Then just as we got to the car I saw a solitary car with a Sheffield United flag across the back window pulling in. I'm sure their rest stop was an interesting one...

This wasn't the first time I'd been to the RNCM, it turned out. I hadn't given it any thought until we were locating the building, but I had in fact been there six and a half years ago or something. I was visiting a friend in Manchester, Dunk as it happens, and we made arrangements to meet another friend of mine, who I will refer to in here as Helga, because it will annoy her greatly ;-) in the SU at the RNCM. We got happily drunk. Incidentally Helga is now married to her boyfriend of the time.

First thing of the day that amused me was a notice up in the room where we registered. It said something along the lines of "Please do not leave cans or sweets in this room - ANTS ARE OPERATING IN THIS AREA!".

While Alison was taking care of various organisational duties I, as her acting PA, was sat in a corner jotting down writing ideas. This would be for my second novel (LOL!), Predictive Subtext. I think I may have to hold off writing this for a while, since politically it's a bit close to the mark in parts of the embryonic plot. Potentially a ball-breaker, this novel. Of course, it's also potentially a huge pile of steaming elephant turd, but that's by the by.

Somewhere along the line we had lunch, and after lunch when Alison went off to practice, something important happened. I phoned The Guy (who will hence be known as TG) back about the potential work assignment to find out if there was any more news on if a compromise had been reached between him and Boss M on me working up there. And it had. Yay! I will now be doing half a week doing the job I've done the past five and half years, and half a week doing a new job. I love this. I've got a new job - ish - and I didn't even have an interview :-D Okay, so it's only a temporary placement, but it's a start.

*bounce* *bounce* *bounce*

Yes, I'm all excited like a giggly girlie, and it's pathetic. Go figure.

*bounce* *bounce* *bounce*

So you want to know how Alison's band got on? They played really well I thought, a fantastic performance.

Judges didn't agree. There were five bands playing in the "Open Band" category, of which Alison's was one. Three of them, including her band, got a Bronze Award. The other two got Silver. No one got Gold. One of the criticisms Alison's band got (although it was not one they were marked down on) was that the scores they gave to the adjudicators were not as legible as they could be. This may sound like a fair point, but... They were original scores. You can't go photocopying or reproducing music willy-nilly, there are many laws about that. You don't have any control over how legible the scores are, that's down to the publishers. A lot of the other criticisms seemed very shakey too, even to a non-musician like myself. Bah.

And I've just used texting to help Anne win the pub quiz. Go me, I am an accessory to small-time cheating.

And apparently the Angel download failed down to disk-space, because it failed again today. D'oh.