Head space

I spent the day editing with Penny and my new friend (and astrological twin, Hazel.) It’s been a lot of fun, but I could feel the panic rising in my bones. I kept picking up my phone and staring at my diary for the coming week, wondering how on earth I’m going to fit everything in. I know for a fact that I'm going to forget to do something rather major very soon. Take tomorrow, for example: I’m up at 7am to do a press junket to launch the BBC North East and Cumbria project, and then off to Willsden, Highgate and King’s Cross for a day’s filming for The Space. There’s a morning in the studio on Thursday, followed by a wedding in Portsmouth, followed by two days of final mixing, followed by a baptism, another day of editing, and then, finally, I’m off to Italy...

Unless I find myself having to fly out later because something goes wrong... Everything is very finely balanced at the moment. I'm literally only able to take each day as it comes, but I find myself losing objectivity hand over fist. Producer Paul sent me a second version of the Agnus Dei today, which I felt, for the first time, was a slight step in the wrong direction. But my ears are knackered having edited with headphones all day today... What I need is space... which I’ll, of course, get in Italy... But by the time I return from Italy, will it be too late to have another pass at the polishing the Requiem recording? Poor Paul. He’s been hammering away at this blessed piece for 2 solid months. He must want to kill me! It’ll be worth it. I know it. This has the potential to be the most amazing recording. One last push... Then maybe some head space!

350 years ago, Pepys spent the day, eating venison pasties and talking about trees in the Forest of Dean.