I'm on my way to King's Cross to catch the 8 o'clock train to Newcastle. Nathan is meeting me at the station to wave me off. I'm sort of relieved to be heading back up north as it will place me in something of a bubble for the next week, and I need a distraction from this miserable business with the symphony.
We finished mixing Metro The Musical at 2pm today. It's by no means perfect, but I reckon it's as good as it could be under the circumstances; specifically that we've created a piece of music which is performed entirely by a single community. There are obviously one or two moments when things sound a little bit off but only one or two. Many of the singers and musicians involved in this piece are as good as any professional, and the enthusiasm everyone involved has shown for the project will make the film utterly compelling.
After finishing in the studio, I walked from Limehouse to Shoreditch, feeling a bit like I was heading to a funeral. Word had finally come through that A Symphony for England had been blocked, somewhere in the darkened corridors of the BBC. It goes without saying that we're all completely gutted.
There is still a chance that A Symphony for Britain could take its place, but we're back to the drawing board and it feels awful. I feel like the child who'd finally been given a toy he'd longed for, only to be forced to take it back to the shop because someone said it was too dangerous to play with. They might as well have told me at the same time that Santa Claus didn't exist!
The meeting went as well as could be expected. We tried to look on the bright side, dusted ourselves down, and set our minds to finding alternatives. But there's a tangible sense of time ticking by. Who's to say someone even higher up at the BBC won't take against the idea of A Symphony for Britain? Sometimes it takes the voices of doom rather too long to make themselves known!
350 years ago, and Pepys was a happy man. Not only did Lord Sandwich approve and sign off all his recent accounts, but he also gave him a bill for 60l. Pepys was made up and immediately went to the theatre to celebrate. He saw "The Virgin Martyr" 'a good play, but too sober for the company.
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So sorry to hear that, Ben. I have this strange belief that if we will something enough, it will happen. Whether it is just because we focus on it so much more and therefore make it happen or it's down to some greater cosmic plan, I haven't got a clue. But don't give up. Loads of love to you and Nathan. Debs. x
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