A friend of mine chatting just now on MSN has told me that his car was broken into last night in Manchester at a gig.  Among the things taken like sunglasses, cds and odds and ends out of the boot  - would you believe they took his child's car seat?   Whatever else they took they could have left the child's seat!

I daren't put on here what I think of them because Mary would be really shocked... ( but I'm sure you all know and also what I'd like to do with them if I got hold of them )

Gee, thanks MJ. That's very heartening.

<rushes to composing desk to double check>

I'm afraid that's exactly what people have been hoodwinked into, strina....

(Just looking into the possibility of making the trek to Inverness for next Tuesday, btw - no promises, since it will involve an overnight stay and some logistical juggling, but I'm on the case,)

I've just seen some of the repeat of this as I was idling away a wet Saturday. It is unbelievable. There was someone called Josh Groban on, nothing even remotely classical or even crossover about him. I just don't understand, and if I were one of the serious real musicians given an award - there are some - I would refuse it on a matter of principle. What worries me most is that people ignorant of real music (and that's a lot of people in this country) may actually think this is the real thing. Just change the name, call it something else.

Ah right.  It was the Manchester Academy and if I hadn't already been booked somewhere else - I'd have gone with him.  I love heavy rock.

Horrible, isn't it??  I wonder why the category of "easy listening" has fallen by the wayside, because that's what (for the most part) these awards seemed to be about.  Colin Davis looked a bit embarrassed to be there, and made a brief and dignified speech, but I do wish he had done a Michael Moore and let rip about the whole thing.

My friend who was playing in the orchestra says he was paid a (relatively) huge fee for that gig.  Unfortunately it's in b*ll*cks like this that the money and publicity are to be found, so no one's willing to slag it off publicly for fear of forfeiting a possible share of the pie.  All the doom and gloom and talk of the demise of "classical music" has created an atmosphere of cowardice and desperate grabbing at whatever's going while it still lasts.  No one seems willing to stick out their neck and say what they think.  No one thinks they can afford integrity and honesty.  So depressing.

I would have loved to have been there too!  Why does everything I really like all come on at the same time?