Cue '70's disco soul backing group...

"Can't stop the music!" (Random...)

Thanks to everyone for lovely comments yesterday. I didn't realise I'd made 300.
"Such fun!"

Despite Mary's incredulous, "Why are you practising today?" after our late return last night, and a free weekend; the answer is I've a bitch of a piece to get through on Monday for a student's concerto prize and don't want to look a complete fraud with a hall full of students not quite managing to play the 2nd horn part to Strauss Horn concerto 2.
I take my hat off to the student in question, 'cos he's got a 45min rehearsal before having to perform it in it's entirety later that morning. I can't even get to the bottom of the first page before being completely lipped!!! It's very, very tiring to play.
How well he manages remains to be seen of course, but to even attempt it is mightily impressive or astonishingly naive...

Anyway another reason for blipping this piece is it suddenly reminded me of my own student days, and taking part in a competition and being asked by a local newspaper who my favourite composer was.
I said Richard Strauss, mainly cos I couldn't think of anyone else off the top of my head, but actually he, beyond any other composer I've come across writes so brilliantly for the horn (his father was a horn player who I think gave the first performance of Seigfried's horn call, which he hated!), which makes it so satisfying to play, when it works.

Let's hope I still think this by Monday evening... ;)