It's all lost in space - mega meh to that!

What a turn out for the books...! Finished the first draft of the full score and converted it to PDF - intending to send it to my local printers - it buggered my system and I lost my whole mailing list in the furore!!! Miserables!! Luckily I had an old version of the list backed up so I have restored about 75% of the addresses - though my classification system (A-B, C-D etc) is all wiped! Feels like a kind of cold wind blowing through my heart - an empty barren desert - where once there was life - a nicely organized mailing list - poof! gone is puff of PDF smoke - meanwhile the full score never arrived at the printers! - so my music is all lost in space as well! Of course I have it all backed up - but the thought of sending all that music and it not arriving at it's destination is extremely disconcerting!

I will face these latest technical challenges in the morning - it's not human to be thinking about these problems past 5.30pm...

Meanwhile on a happier note - singers are coming forward for the audition. Strangely I am rather low on alto voices... hello out there you lovely altos - please get in touch... especially if you can sing high F!

Had a very interesting chat with my old friend and colleague Adrian Lee last night. He is going to take on the role of producer for the recording. He has so many wise and practical things to say about the whole process. As well as which he is really up for taking care of me - as I go through the inevitable ups and downs of organizing 22 musicians, a sound engineer, all the gubbins you need to set up a recording session as well as a full score and parts perfectly prepared. It's a huge task. He said he's there for me at the end of the phone if I need to think something through - or get a second opinion. He's up for making lists keeping the details on the surface - so nothing gets forgotten. Really good plan. I can't tell you how reassuring that feels ..(- whoever it is 'you' are, dear reader...).

Brilliant news is I've booked the Smith Quartet to play as part of the ensemble. They have the right kind of sound that I'm looking for in the string playing. We've also earmarked June 10 and 11 for the recording. 10 will be a rehearsal for the singers and 11 will be with everyone - rehearse/record.

One of Adrians good ideas - he should know with over 15 RSC productions as composer/MD/performer behind him - is to invite the key singers to a days workshop to introduce them to the vocal style I am looking for. Rather than expect them to get that in the rehearsal as well as bash the notes etc. I hope people are prepared to come along for an extra day - that would be well worth it I think.

I wasn't elated as I got the the end of the full score layout - I've gone beyond elation - it's pure drudgery now - damn those PDF files... I should have put them on a CD and walked over to the printers then none of this would have happened! It's demoralising somehow.

I can't quite get my head around the fact I'm doing a Spitz gig in under two weeks. I better had as I need to keep my voice in shape and right now all I can think of is - yes you guessed it - my lost addresses and PDF files - isn't life exciting?!

Weird thing happend this evening - I went on a date with a guy who used to work for my father at Saga Records! First thing he said without even knowing Marcel Rodd was my father was "the man was a genius - he revolutionised the music industry single handed" I kid you not that is what he said! And he himself is still in the arts and was quite qualified to say so. I was simultaneously chuffed and somewhat freaked out! He was 'just a kid' when he worked for my Dad - but he remembered all sorts of things about the factory in Kensal Road and the heat and noise of the printing presses and that he was the one that had to go and get the wages for everyone from the local bank in Harrow Road every friday afternoon. It was quite surreal. And we were a stones throw from this Serphardic Synagogue in Maida Vale that he was convinced would have records of my Roditi family history dating right back. It was like being is a time warp or something.

I drove home just now and got completly lost on the way back.... and I know those streets like the back of my hand...

I loved the Kombat Opera's second offering on Sunday 'Spouse Swap'. Really funny, really excellent comic vocal writing. I really know where he's coming from (Richard Thomas) and feel as if I could do a good job working in that style myself... I bet a lot of composers are thinking that right now... or just dissing it as a clever trick.. I think it's brilliant.

Meh - is the word of the moment - it means so so, and I intend to add it to my vocalulary.

I'm feeling mega meh tonight....
meh
meh
meh....