Back in Somerset, eventually (M3 closed, I’ll take the M4, closed, ok, back to the M3 diversion and then onto the A303, closed) after what seems like an eternity in London, and it’s been great to have a day of fully focused writing and honing. O God Of Earth And Altar is now done, dusted and off to the printers and other projects have moved on as well. There has been yet more interesting news about the state of my London house, but I shall just have to roll with it, as they say.
I have spent the early part of the afternoon responding to emails about Flyht which looks likely to be performed in Exeter in June. This is a great piece of news on many levels. As the central section of the work is in Old English it is difficult for choirs to take it on, but Exeter College, who commissioned the work, were very keen for it to travel, so that box has been ticked. Better still, the Old English section is itself taken from the Exeter Book which is housed in the archives of Exeter Cathedral, so there is a wonderful inevitability about this performance. Add in that the Director of Music at Exeter is Andrew Millington, who was Assistant at Gloucester when I was there as a very young boy, and all the details seem to be perfectly in place. I’ll confirm more details as and when I have them, but I am already hugely excited about this performance.
I wrote the other day about experiencing calm for the first time in a while, but I am now realising that there is going to be just a touch of turbulence before I get there. News about the London house aside, there are still a couple of pressing projects I need to get done (maybe even this afternoon) before the cloud breaks and we soar above, so I need to keep facing forwards.
For some reason I always work better in Somerset. It may well be something purely practical, such as being able to work on desktop rather than laptop, but I suspect that it may also be something emotional. Tonight there will be a restorative visit to the local hostelry with some friends, and then the knowledge that, whatever the buffeting and whatever the weather, the work forecast is clear through to the weekend.
Nicholas O'Neill 