Clutter

I took the day off from the documentary project today and worked solidly on Brass. It made sense to do so. Nathan was doing a day at the Shaftesbury Theatre and the time had firmly arrived for me to make in roads into the two numbers from the show I've opted to totally re-write. I've been putting this day off for weeks now. The idea of starting again on two whole songs, whilst the other twenty are almost entirely done and dusted is just sickening. 

Still, sometimes you have to light your candle and bravely step out into the darkness, and today that's exactly what I did. I didn't get incredibly far, but I blocked out the overture sequence from one of the two songs and almost finished the first draft of the other, which meant I felt quite upbeat when I stopped working this evening.

I was working from home, which meant I could do some much-needed washing. The bedroom floor was covered in clutter, which is an indication of quite how busy we've been of late. I found a pair of linen shorts under a suit. The last time I wore them was in Los Angeles. As I picked them up and stuffed them in the washing machine, I wondered what would be going on in my life when I pull them out of my chest of drawers next summer. The likelihood of my needing them again this year is sadly next to zero. It's tragic to think that summer is over, and even worse to realise that it sort of vanished into a haze of rain and wind. I like my summers to end with a few weeks of that glorious treacle-coloured sunlight that you only get at the end of August; the one which creates dusty, long, rather burnt-looking shadows, perfect for picking blackberries in!

Still, as is always the case with September, I'm feeling very optimistic and creative at the moment. I think the sensation must go back to school days. The Christmas term was always the most exciting one. It was all about new beginnings, no exams on the near horizon, and learning music for Christmas concerts and school plays. Ever since leaving education I've traditionally done my best work in Autumn.