Blowing my own trumpet...well...euphonium!

I am blessed!

No...seriously, I am...and what's more...I know it and appreciate it!

It's been a while since the last blog...I've been a bit 'down' with the depression, busy at times but not at others and, this week I've spent 'home alone' with 2 sons at their mum's for a few days and the other on a church youth holiday in Belgium.

Last week was dominated by the recording of another CD...and I'm amazed how 'blasé' that must come across; so I've taken stock of such physical achievements - and hence the profession of my 'blessedness' apparent above! This blog piece is NOT intended as a piece of shameless self-promotion or big-headedness - merely a reflection of how blessed I really consider myself to have been in this life!

I'm no household name...but I've had opportunities I know a lot of other people would love to have had! I have been playing concerts as a euphonium soloist since I was 12...back in 1974 (which, honestly, doesn't feel as long ago as it clearly is!). If I had a pound for every time I've played 'Song of the Brother', 'Ransomed', 'La Belle Americaine', 'Euphony' and 'The Better World' I guess I'd have a healthy savings account balance today! I gave up counting at 125 towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales...and can add more in France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Norway and at least 5 cities in California to the list!

I held the record high mark for the Associated Board Grade 8 examination when I passed it, aged 15, back in 1978...I was told at music college that had I been as proficient on a more 'fashionable' instrument I could have made a career of it: suffice to say that 3 decades later I have never made one penny from blowing my euphonium!!! I have had compliments a-plenty, featured solos on two CDs and a review of my playing in a very highly-regarded online publication which resulted from a guest performance I made with a band a few years ago.

( http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/concerts/con202.asp?l=uk )

Last week's CD was the latest (and I reckon it will be best so far) by Portsmouth Citadel Band. Recorded in four sessions over three days in Warsash Church it will be titled 'Deep Harmony' and features music by composers as varied as Ravel (Bolero), Gullidge (The Fount) and Peter Graham (The Last Amen). It will also mark a considerable step-up in quality by the band in terms of playing, reflecting their recent improvements under the baton and leadership of my good friend John Hanchett.

It should have been enough if I'd only played the euphonium...

...But I have also been able to perform in many other ways: I have sung for as long as I can remember - I made my stage debut in the musical 'Take Over Bid' when aged just 5 and a couple of years later remember being made aware that, in singing the hymn 'Now I Belong to Jesus' in a church service, I had raised a few smiles in the congregation by innocently claiming to have once been 'lost in sin's degradation'. (I was not such an evil child, I promise!)

After college I travelled Britain and Europe with the rock band 'Blood & Fire'. I was NOT as proficient on the electric guitar but I think I did an adequate job there, also featuring as a singer, trombonist and part-time additional keyboardist on their first two albums (then only released on cassette but now on CD!) Since then my 'rock' career went through 'Cross Purposes' and prog-rock band 'The Big Picture'...the latter band has still not officially split but it is 5 years since our last gig...it is a problem when the guitarist lives in Leeds, the drummer in Norfolk, our bassist is in the RAF - even if Alvin and I are only 25 miles or so apart in Haslemere and Portsmouth!

Yet I've done plenty of singing on my own, written 286 songs (to date) and have had my own solo CD of Christmas songs on sale for the last 7 or 8 years. In fact, I've been singing ever since childhood and featured as a vocal soloist on three more CDs that I know are listened to all around the world - those made by Portsmouth Citadel's Songsters. Although I have not sung on the last few PCS CDs I have been the main pianist/accompanist on two of the last three (including 'Take My Life' released earlier this year: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-My-Life-Let-Be/dp/B001WO9QOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256831625&sr=1-1 )

So...I AM BLESSED! Not just in terms of the talents God gave me but to have been able to offer those gifts back to Him in so many varied ways! It's been a heck of a life to experience ( I managed to fit in over 20 years music teaching in secondary schools) and I've loved every minute of the performing opportunities God has given me...and I hope it continues for many years to come!


I hope it doesn't go too far on my part to add a little even to the thespian theme I hinted at above too. That I've been able to sing and appear in 2 movies (one in the lead role!) and on stage, TV and radio has been a great added bonus! I've played on Ruth Rendell's 'Inspector Wexford', TV Drama 'The Blind Date' (starring Zara Turner) and, of course sung outside the Queen Vic in 'Eastenders'! On stage I've played Herr Schultz in 'Cabaret', Frank Strang in 'Equus', Mr Bumble in 'Oliver!', Henry VIII in 'Kings & Queens', Peter in 'The Witness', Father Christmas in 'Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (for which I also wrote the incidental music) and several more...I even have my own page and video clip on IMDb ( http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm2218461/ )

Enough,then, for now...that's all about me, your 'proffsky' (show-offsky!)...and, as you will have seen - I am blessed!