Iâve been keeping a close eye on the weather forecast. Yesterday it looked promising for an outdoor firework spectacular of a concert in Bicesterâs Garth Park. That was yesterday. Today it has been decidedly more damp. Wet even. Today, it rains; it is raining; and the prognosis is not good.
I have my hair cut and then return home to settle into cleaning my house. It is a good job too, as the estate agents call to say that the Mr S of Jay Close is booked into seeing my house. This is could news, as Mrs S saw the house earlier in the week, and so they must be seriously considering (the possibility of) buying mine if she is sending him along.
I have some lunch and then head off to my afternoon rehearsal â joining up with my comrades of Abingdon and Bicester Concert Bands. The massed army of 14 flutes join our two oboes and collection of clarinets on staging erected to the front of the bandstand â this makes us the only oneâs left in full openness o the elements with the audience having a choice of âmess tentsâ erected around the edge of the park like a roman camp. We top and tail the pieces before going âsilentâ for the 4.30 wedding in The Garth.
In the time between rehearsal and concert, the rain comes down again, and when Emma arrives with Grannie, it is with some reluctance that we head off to sit in a wet park for the evening.
The rain clears though, and the sky, laden with clouds even brightens a little. Flags adorn the audience and the bandstand â the concert is glorious success â even during the second half when the rain comes down it does not dampen the audiencesâ spirits. The firework finale, to Handel and Dam Busterâs is both dramatic and spectacular.
