Sax and Violence

If you have been really on the ball you may have noticed that both my last post and this one have been a little late, I have an excuse, and I'm prepared to use it!

Last weekend, as I recounted here I played with the fabulous Croydon Symphonic Band at the finals of the National Concert Band Festival in Manchester.   As I said at the time we all had a great time, well maybe I should be more exact, most of us had a great time.   There was one in our number who had a pretty torrid time, interspersed with awful and brilliant.   One of our star players and most stalwart members is our solo Alto and Soprano Sax player.   While I am a particular friend it is with no bias that I praise his musicianship, and his technical ability on his chosen instruments.   We have come to rely on him, and when his section is featured it is very much his playing that helps to carry us through.

So when he found that he had a stinking cold that weekend crying off was not an option.   A short philosophical consideration showed that it was better to give half the band a cold than to leave it to others to have to play the sax solos. Given that those who would have to play the solos in his absence are members of the medical professions most qualified to keep him going this all seemed sensible.

Having travelled in close proximity to him on the coach all the way to and from Manchester and shared a couple of meals, for the last ten days or so I have also been suffering with a streaming cold, which has now settled into a sore throat and chesty cough.   I have been finding it hard to get to sleep, and when I do I cough myself awake. I am tired, miserable sore and sorry for myself; I am very nearly ready to offer violence in revenge for this cold, but I'm too knackered!   This evenings rehearsal showed that I'm not the only one, several others have been suffering, and wwe all trace out colds back to that weekend.

However I still think my friend made the right decision, even if I have been one of the ones to pay for it, maybe the title shouldn't have been Sax and Violence, but Gold and Cold.