All I Want for Christmas...

So after the seeing my daughters superbly atmospheric nativity play performed in the wonderful York Minster, I have started to feel more than a little festive.  So I have begun to decorate the house, dig out all my Christmas music and I've written myself a cheeky little Christmas list.  Here goes:

1. A Boyfriend.

OK  - so as a married woman this sounds rather drastic.  But due to the increasing number of times hubby's away, I am getting desperate.  Week before last it was the Middle East, this week it's Washington and New York. And I'm not enjoying being a single parent, being 'man-less' and being stuck in night after night unable to go to any gigs.  Now I had a good chat with a friend about this and she had a very wise idea.  Have an imaginary affair.  Perfect.  So I'm currently dating my perfect man.  He's a cross between an adoring, unassuming, slightly geekish (yet with superhero capabilities) Tobey Maguire (as Spiderman), impeccable country estate owning Matthew Crawley(Downton Abbey) and super crooner Josh Groban. My boyfriend is fab.  I love this game.  I recommend it.  (I'ts OK Santa - you're not needed for this one!)

2.  Red Cowboy Boots.

I have recently been much inspired by the glamorous, quirky and fun Lindi Ortega.  I love her image and the fact that she always wears red cowboy boots.  I've always liked a bit of country music ever since seeing the Loretta Lynn biopic 'Coalminer's Daughter'.  It's always been a bit of a dream of mine to drive a mustang through the American country with my best girlfriend to the soundtrack of the classics.  Check out Lindis' fun song 'All I Want For Christmas is a Cowboy'  http://vimeo.com/53981653



3.  (a)  The nits TO GO AWAY!  Surely this isn't too much to ask.  It seems that my eldest daughter just keeps catching them over and over again.  They keep going round her classmates like wild fire.  And it's the way they strut with such casual ownership across her conker coloured locks. Now I'm practically Buddhist in the way I treat animals and all living creatures. I never kill anything.  In  fact I'll bend over backwards to save spiders, flies, slugs, wood lice, everything.  But you would not believe the satisfaction I got from squeezing one of those little suckers between my too long fingernails.  Die you varment - die!

 (b)  Sponsorship by Hedrin. It would save me a fortune!



4.  A Grand Piano.



So with the exception of perhaps number 4, I don't think it's too much  to ask, do you?  It's funny because I happen to have a copy of a letter I wrote to Santa when I was a nipper.

Oh dear.  I was so sweet and undemanding.  What's happened to me?


Anyways, the Key Largo Ladies have been practising hard for all the upcoming Christmas gigs and we're having tremendous fun.  After all, at Yuletide I am perfectly entitled to play my glockenspiel.  And I think my beautiful Moeck recorder will be making an appearance at some gigs too - so watch out people!

We've added the quirky 'Wanna be Loved by You' to our setlist and this includes Rachel playing the banjolele, me on the glockenspiel (wahey!) and Catherine will be doing her very own version of Marilyn Monroe on vocals.  Classic.

Now every year at this time I buy a Christmas song or album that sums up my mood of the time.  I mean, seriously, I can't listen to Slade or Wizzard or Wham or any of those songs ever again.  Last year I was mellow and folky and purchased Kate Rusby's 'While Mortals Sleep' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAPcxw2I8kg 

This year I am feeling rather ethereal and twinkly and magical.  I can recommend Paper Aeroplane's version of 'Bleak Midwinter'  http://www.paperaeroplanesmusic.com/  and I also purchased Fredricka Stahl's version of 'Twinkle Twinkle'.  So as the festive season really takes it hold, I surrender wholeheartedly to its charms.  And just so you know, I don't really want anything for Christmas. I am so rich already. And I am not talking materialistically.

Merry Christmas everyone.  May it bring you all you wish for and help you appreciate all you already have.

So turn the Christmas tree lights on, pour a sherry, throw some logs on the fire and listen to this     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exmRODBzHyw





                                                                          xxxxx

Glitter in the Air

This is a blog of two halves.


A lament.  And a celebration.


Firstly, my builders have - well... left the building.  And excuse the use of the word 'my' but after being on the premises since March I feel I have some kind of ownership over them!  And who knew how much I'd love them.  That's the first shock. The second shock is how amazing the builders actually were.  Now, as a seasoned house renovator, I can honestly say I have never worked with anyone as fabulous.  Genuine Builders and their little band of merry men are quite simply the best.  www.genuinebuilders.co.uk


Father and son team John and Matt manage to combine  friendliness and reliability with a completely laid back and relaxed manner.  And they totally humoured my children's constant hassling.   No small task - believe me!  And how I miss the noise.  The sawing, the endless comings-and-goings of white vans and the dependable builder banter.  Don't even start on the plumbers sunny and gleeful laugh.  How quiet my home now feels.  The silence is almost deafening.

Thank you guys.  I  miss you already.  You've helped me in more ways than you know.





There's the obvious way in which you've helped.  For example, I now have my very own studio.

Watson likes it too!

I can now record, play, write and play music anti-socially loudly in complete freedom. (And thank you Ed Simpson for helping do the technical stuff x)

And the other way in which the builders have helped is by creating a buzz about the place.  (OK - less 'buzz' and more pneumatic drill vibrations) but no matter.  I have become energised, motivated and productive.  Having people around me all working so hard inspired me to do the same.  I stopped looking at the piles of the washing, ironing, cleaning and instead holed myself up in the aforementioned studio.

I have achieved so much more than I usually would have.  I managed to finish filming and editing a video to Catherine's original song 'Differently'; a song about being true to yourself, following your own path and not following the crowd.  After all, conformation is the affirmation of mediocrity.

So there.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCt6IffutcQ&feature=g-upl



I have even written a couple of new songs (that I'm happy with!) and taken on some piano students.  Phew!  And on the gig front, all is going well.  There's a flurry of festive activity coming up, including a most exciting evening at the magical Bedern Hall for which we'll be dressing in twenties style.  And you know me, there's nothing more I love than dressing up and being girlie.  Win.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Feast-of-Christmas.html?soid=1102448208992&aid=iw8hohjBDfY




So it is with a sparkly mood that I conclude this writing.  I am inspired, joyous and twinkly.  I have thrown a fistful of glitter in the air.  And I am dancing in the tiny particles of happiness.

Key Largo Trio: Sun, school and a song

Key Largo Trio: Sun, school and a song: This is officially a fabulous day.  The sun is shining, the kids have gone back to school and I almost have a new kitchen.  But even better ...

Sun, school and a song

This is officially a fabulous day.  The sun is shining, the kids have gone back to school and I almost have a new kitchen.  But even better than ALL those things is the ending of the summer holiday means I now have some time on my hands.  That precious, sacred and most fleeting of things.  So I can now organise myself and do some music-y things.

Incidentally, last week, whilst rummaging round an antiques shop I unbelievably yet most fortuitously found an original piece of music from the 1920s written by my great grandfather, Albert Watson.

After a little bit of research on the good old internet, I managed to find and indeed order four more of his compositions.

My interest being awakened on my family genealogy  I asked my mum what she remembered of him.  She remembered fondly how he would ask her which songs she liked in the charts, and then play them to her.  He could play absolutely anything.

I personally did have the honour of knowing his wife Emily (my great grandmother) who died when I was ten years old.  Indeed, she received royalties from Alberts music (and, rather randomly, baskets of fruit) every Christmas until her death.

Another family member wrote a lovely biography about Albert which can be read here
http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/23rd.htm

His life was eventful to say the least.  He survived the first world war, and being hit by a motorcycle for starters!  Yet the most striking and moving part of his story has to be it's ending.  Albert outlived his eldest son Kenneth and the tragic event completely changed his life.  Here was a man who had lived for and made his living via music.  Yet when Kenneth died, he closed the lid of his piano, locked it and never played a single note again.

It's such a tragic and evocative ending that I immediately felt a song should be written about it.  Even better, how about sampling one of Alberts own songs as part of the new track?  The creative juices are flowing and I thank you Albert, for inspiring me and I am proud to continue and be at least a little part of your legacy.

You are the happy ghost in my room x

Wedding wonders, warm weather and fish tail plaits!

I'm rather shocked to see it's been quite a while since my last blog.  Where does the time go? I shall blame it on the usual things of family life, children and a rather full-on house renovation but even so. I must endeavour to write more.  It was one of my New Year's Resolutions.  (As was Getting Fit and I really think that needs urgent attention after my near heart attack yesterday at having to run a few metres to catch a train!  Oh dear, oh dear.)

Anyway, despite my lack of literary communication lots of music-y wonderful things have been happening.  Catherine and I have been filming for our upcoming video to the original song 'Differently'.  This involved quite a lot of dancing around and writing on toes and trawling through some vintage footage, but more of that to come... Now comes the rather more frustrating part of editing and producing.  Not my favourite job.  And that brings me nicely to my next point.

Over the past few weeks we've been working hard to raise our Key Largo Trio profile.  I think we've finally realised how important all the internet networking sites are.  I thought I was doing rather well having a Facebook page.  I even managed to sign up to Google Plus.  Not to mention Twitter - and Blogger.  But it seems that everywhere I turn there are more social networking sites springing up at me rather like that fun arcade game 'Whac-A-Mole'.  You know the one where you must rather viciously hit  poor plastic moles  on the head and bosh them back into their holes, but they keep coming right back at ya? The feeling where you just can't win. That's where I'm at.

So who knew about StumbleUpon?  Reddit?  del.icio.us?  Digg?  Might just dig myself a hole and hide in it till all this computer stuff goes away. How do I keep up without spending my life stuck in front of a computer all day every day?  I mean I do have a trusty iPhone now so these things should be easier in theory.  Guess I'd better spend less time on YouTube learning how to do fishtail plaits, huh?




Anyway, to more fun things. We played at a beautiful wedding yesterday for the lovely Katie and Phill.

The lovely Katie

It was a beautiful day, uncharacteristically hot (Catherine and I are usually shivering in our posh dresses - so it was delightful to be goose bump-free!) and the venue was the elegant Pavilion Hotel in York.  www.yorkpavilionhotel.com  The photography was undertaken by Gareth Buddo www.furmoto.com

The Pavillion Hotel York

We played for three hours and the set list was all modern/pop tunes at the brides request.  We'd learnt some new tunes especially for the event: some Michael Buble and Bryan Adams.  Had wicked fun playing 'It Had Better Be Tonight' a fabulous uptempo Latino number from the aforementioned and much loved Boob.

So I got to spend the afternoon playing great music in a beautiful place with the other wonderful Key Largo Ladies, sharing in someone's most special of days.  Without sounding smug or over sentimental I do genuinely feel that I have the best job in the world.

Me, Rachel and Catherine

                                                                      Priceless x



I guess the hours spent in front of the computer are worth it when this is how we get to earn our living.  So am signing off from Blogger and valiantly plunging into the internet  networking world.  Wish me luck and here I come.  (Hopefully!)

Jimmy, Irving and Albert

In my last blog I got to ruminating about Catherine and I's song writing past.  With a little help from my super duper organised dad, I have managed to get a copy of our first song 'Jimmy' which was an ode to our much loved (also much laughed at - specially in Denmark, but that's a whole different story) Robin Reliant.

'We've got a car that is so daft it doesn't work at all; the petrol cap has gone astray and oil leaks on the floor.  We travel along the winding roads oh yes this much is true.  The snails pass us and shout 'Hello' and then they run back home.  This silly car is called Jimmy - we can't get in or out, as we put it in the garage it whispers to us 'Goodnight' (And we reply) - C U Jimmy C U Jimmy....'

In a recent gig at Space 109 Catherine revisited another old song of ours.  Written about a decade ago

A lovely attentive audience

     'You' was written originally as one of a
     number of songs for a musical we were
     working on (but never quite finished)
     and has a lovely old fashioned Irving
     Berlin-esque feel.

Everyone tucking into the delicious food at Space 109

     And no offense to the kiddie-us, 
     but I think we've come a long 
     way since 'Jimmy'.  Bless.












It was also wonderful to perform at the York Hospice the other week.  The lovely folk there were most happy to see us and seemed to have a fun afternoon listening to our music whilst having their nails done. Nice.


As usual we did a fairly varied set for them - some classical, latin, jazz; but it was a joy to include a piano piece written by Albert Watson, our very own great grandfather.  







We never got to meet Albert, but his skills are legendary in our family. The tune, which obviously was written many a year ago has a beautifully melodic sound reminiscent of a more romantic era and the  mature audience at the hospice absolutely loved it.

                                    We shall endeavour to continue the family tradition.

                                           
Despite my nostalgic mood, I am looking forward too.  I love the journey we have made and I am also excited about all the tunes we are yet to write x

Rehearsals, Rainy Mays and a Robin Reliant!

In all honesty we Key Largo Ladies have been working hard of late.  We've had many a rehearsal in the lead up to a concert at Bedern Hall.  Being a concert we were keen to offer more diversity to the audience and a visually exciting experience as well as an auditory one. Rachel was not altogether 'on board' with the suggestion that we go all 'Bond' and wear short, tight sparkly skirts (she does play a cello after all so understandable!) so we decided that realistically we could diversify our set by throwing in some singing.  After all, Christa Ackroyd (of Look North fame) did say that Catherine 'sang like an angel' after Catherine provided the entertainment at a party she hosted.

We also decided in a reckless moment, that we could play as many instruments as possible, in a 'razzle dazzle' 'em type tradition.  However, I was alarmed and horrified when Catherine suggested I accompany one of her songs on guitar, as I'm not particularly confident on the guitar, and have certainly not played it in public since I was a teenager.    Daunting indeed.

 However, we all decided that we didn't want to perform a load of material we'd played hundreds of times before. After all, where would the artistic growth be in that?

                                                                  



So by the time we actually got to the concert last night we had amassed ourselves quite an impressive array of instruments.  There was of course our trusty trio of flute, cello and piano; and in addition to this we had a banjo, guitar, recorder, melodica and a bass flute.  We also performed a six hand piano piece, requiring me to seriously dust off my piano fingers as I haven't played in quite a while.

The concert was named 'The Sounds of Summer' and it seems that's as close as we got to the summer.  The weather was grey, drizzly and cold and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I was wearing long johns under a graceful floaty dress.  Oh dear.  I think the least said about that the better.  But talking of dresses...

I may be on dangerously 'girly' territory here, but it was a real treat to be able to wear a different outfit.  For weddings and formal occasions we tend to wear smart black dresses, so for this event we were able to sport a 'summer look'.  In fact I was particularly excited when Rachel suggested that at one of the rehearsals we should all take some possible outfits along and decide what we could wear collectively. I envisaged hours spent poring over dresses, trying each others clothes on and then experimenting with different make up ideas.  What really happened was this.  Rachel and Catherine took one look at the clothes, decided upon the first dress they saw and put everything else away again.  Honestly!

                                                      (A mad melodica moment)

It was particularly lovely to perform an original song as part of the programme last night too.  Catherine sang 'Maybe Mine', a song we wrote together almost a decade ago.  In fact it made me reminisce about our songwriting career path. Our first ever collaboration (Catherine was 5 and I was 8) was about a dear beloved family car we affectionately named Jimmy.  Jimmy was quite a character - he was a dark green Robin Reliant!  Since then we've written many many more songs, hopefully better ones too.  Indeed, we are currently working on some new material in the hopes of having a new album by the end of the year.

We all enjoyed performing 'La Vie en Rose' too, made famous by the indomitable Edith Piaf.  Catherine sang this beautifully in French at first and then after a cello and guitar instrumental, sang the last verse in English so we all had a clue what the song was about!

It was a delight to liven things up with a few jigs too.  I specially loved playing my beautiful Moeck recorder (a fortieth birthday treat) as it suited the medieval music and the ancient venue so perfectly.  All that was missing was a hog on a spit and men in tights. Hmmm...just as well really.
http://youtu.be/s6lpskHU7VQ


To conclude, the audience were delightful, the venue was stunning and £600 was raised for Yorkshire Cancer Research.  A successful evening on every level and a big Thank You to all those involved.  I'm so pleased we rose to the challenges we'd set ourselves and we can all feel a little proud of those achievements.

And on a personal note, a big shout out to Catherine and Rachel.  It was, as always, a pleasure and an honour to play with you x

Feeling Good

The Key Largo ladies have been having fun with various solo projects over the past few weeks. And if you were thinking we were only an instrumental group, surprise! We can provide singing too. Not from me I hasten to add. That would not be good for anyone, other than perhaps the hearing impaired! In fact, flashback to the fourteen year old me when my best friend and I used to entertain at old peoples homes. Some loved us. (Honest) Others used to sigh, shout abuse and/or leave the room promptly. Ahem!

However, Catherine has a fabulous voice and somehow in her busy schedule finds time to be a member of the York Gospel Choir too. Anyways, so Catherine had a particularly exciting gig this weekend. She played and sang for a party hosted by Christa Ackroyd - yes - that's right, the lady of Look North fame. I think particular fun was had finding Christa's home which is in the moors and pretty much in the middle of nowhere. And of course the weather was foggy, rainy and dark. Fun!

But there was a lovely surprise in store for Catherine, despite having taken her stage piano, there was a beautiful grand piano for her to play. This did raise some transposing issues and perhaps Catherine was a little more soprano than she would have liked , but on the whole it was a delight. Drinks and canopes were plentiful and there was high energy singing from the guests and Christa herself who by all accounts is a great singer.

The requested repertoire, most of which is not on Catherine's play list and had to be learnt or arranged within a couple of days included 'Still' by the Commodores (Christa and her husband's wedding song!) Wonderful Tonight, Love Me Tender and other such romantic tunes.

The evening was rounded off with a selection of songs from the musicals with the party goers providing a rousing chorus.

So we've entered our first foray into the celebrity world. Today Christa Ackroyd, tomorrow...Beyonce!

Rachel meanwhile has been busy gigging with her husband and fellow musician and song writer Dan Webster, not to mention her involvement in orchestral work. She's also about to arrange one of Dan's songs for the Trio for an upcoming concert.

As for me, I've written and recorded a flute part for an original song 'Differently' and am looking forward to hearing a mix of it. I've also managed a long overdue catch up with the lovely Holly Taymar who has very kindly agreed to play some guitar on a song I've written. It's all go. It's all good.

Talking of which, Catherine also managed to record a version of 'Feeling Good' which sounds fabulous and effectively sums up the mood of the moment x

Parking, plumes and polo necks!

I felt I needed to write a little about a beautiful wedding we played at in December.  It was the perfect way to round off the year.  It started a little hairily as the venue was in the centre of historic York and therefore I needed to find my own parking.  Now considering this was the Saturday before Christmas you can imagine the fun I had trying to park!  I was on the verge of abandoning the car in a rather illegal place when I had a flash of inspiration.  (Rare - these days)  I remembered I have friends in the right places.  (Not usually, but in this instance I did!) Luckily my lovely friends let me park on their residents-only-parking street and sacrificed one of their permits to my cause.  Hoorah!

When I arrived, slightly hassled and sweaty (we'll come to that later) I was blown away by the venue's decor. Fake snow had been placed all over the floor and white candles and pine cones were placed in large hurricane lamps.  Blood red roses adorned the tables.  Gorgeous.

Now as predicted the only draw back about this medieval building in the middle of winter is that it was ever so slightly freezing.  But I'd come prepared.  As had the other Key Largo Ladies.  They had on their lovely dresses and evening style cardigans.  I on the other hand was wearing a woolly skirt and a polo neck.  Hey - I feel the cold, OK? Now, whilst this probably conjures up the image of an old lady  (actually I am 40 now, so am getting there - ahem!)  I am hoping that I pulled it off with glamorous accessories; an extremely sparkly scarf, diamante jewellery and fingerless gloves!  O.K maybe not the gloves, but they were gold and metallic.  That counts for something, right?

Anyway, we played lots of lovely specially requested songs for the young couple, including 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight'  'Chasing Cars' and 'Greatest Day',  but the ultimate in wedding gloriousness came after the ceremony as the guests helped themselves to mulled wine and the new Mr and Mrs took a 'turn around the park' in a horse and carriage.  The horses were majestically beautiful.  Black glossy coats, white majestic plumes and 3 coachmen no less.  Amazing.


This has once again provoked an urgent need in me to have a wedding. So I'm thinking that maybe Hubby and I could renew our vows.  It's only 7 more years till our 25th wedding anniversary. Yesss.  How else can I have a horse and carriage? And I want a white velvet gown, vaguely Maid Marian in style. But don't worry, my poor fellow won't be wearing red tights.  Gulp.