Monday
The morning started off for most of Training Company as an OC's parade, or
a run through of the preceeding official one. For the lucky ones in the band
for the parade, it was a lay in, can't beat it on a Monday morning.
Most of the morning was spent at St Anne's church in the dockyard rehearsing
for my trumpet recital in the afternoon, luckily they have a really tuneful
piano!?
It was my first recital so I was very nervous, it mostly went well apart from
that I wasn't in tune with the really tuneful piano!
After we finished for the day it was the usual Monday chore of cleaning for
rounds the next day and then for me as an outlier, off home to Gosport.
Tuesday
First thing was spent cleaning the things we had already cleaned the night
before!
Tuesdays are quite a busy day for me as I have two Prof lessons.
My first lesson was with Prof. Douglas the piano professor. The lesson went
well as did my lesson with Mr. Yates the cornet professor.
It is all a bit noisy this week as our cattle shed, I mean concert hall is being
knocked down so that we can have a brand spanking new one built.
Evening rehearsal was spent over at Portsmouth band room due to the nice air
conditioning being put into our current concert hall (by diggers and bulldozers).
Wednesday
0800 on a Wednesday morning can only mean one thing, Parade band. Today's
rehearsal was on a tennis court as our parade ground is a bit lacking in space
due to the demolition. We were restricted to just going up and down the courts.
This rehearsal was mainly for practising the forthcoming parade on Friday.
The rest of the morning was spent warming our hands up and then private practice.
Wednesday afternoons are usually spent doing RT. This week was a little different.
We were to endure more parade band. A march round the camp was in order. Off
we went to do the first half of our march about.
We were halted round by HQ Band Service and had a bit of a stern talking to
by our Drum Major who thought the pace was a bit too quick. He thought we wanted
to get round as quickly as possible so we could thin out early! As if we would
do a thing like that!
The second half was around the right pace.
The rest of the day was our own so most people went to get some precious Z's
in.
Thursday
The event taking place this morning was a bonus for us all, sponsored prayers.
This means there is to be no PT for us, which everyone is sad about. Yet another
Prof lesson today for me with Prof Douglas. Today's lesson is jazz, I enjoy
my jazz lessons as I have never done it before, there is much more freedom in
the music you play, you don't necessarily have to play what's written down.
Evening rehearsal tonight is concert band and everyone is involved which is
good experience for the Term 1's who have just started learning a new instrument.
The rest of the night is spent preparing our full No1's for tomorrows gig and
then off to bed to get some well earned sleep.
Friday
An early start for everyone today, on the coach for 0715 to travel to HMS
Collingwood. We passed the parade ground on the way to the band room on base
and everyone was amazed at the size of it. An hour later we were standing on
it playing for divisions.
The morning wasn't too cold so we were quite thankful for that. Today's divisions
were not too long. We were only stood on parade for around 45 minutes.
When it was over we all got changed and back on the coach to HMS Nelson. We
were given a long lunch by the bandmaster. After that it was back to the cells
for private practice.
Sunday
Work on a Sunday! What is happening? Up at 0800 and having a shave. This isn't
a normal Sunday.
Today we all had to attend the Royal Marines Band Service Memorial Service at
Portsmouth Cathedral.
We had to be at the school for 10:10am in ceremonials. The service began at
1145 but before that we listened to the Portsmouth Orchestra.
The service went well and all credit to Musn McKinnon for an outstanding solo
performance on his violin.
The rest of the day for most people was spent down the other kind of church
i.e. Wetherspoons, and to relax for what was left of the weekend.