Like a big boy!

(Instruction to the altos at figure 52 in part 1 of Mahler 8. I forgot to mention it last week but I was very amused to rediscover it this week!)

I had a really, really bad day yesterday. It was just one bad thing after another. I'd been looking forward to it for ages - we had a Pleiades rehearsal planned, arranged two months ago. One of the six singers cancelled a week ago, which was disappointing but not the end of the world, as we only have three songs that are in six parts - most of the rest are in five parts. But then another singer cancelled just as I was about to leave the house for the rehearsal, and that meant we had to cancel the rehearsal entirely (I find it's a huge waste of time to rehearse one-to-a-part things when one of the parts is missing).

After that, the day just got worse and worse. I had a cheque which needed to be paid into the bank yesterday, and I'd been planning to pop in on the way to the station, but by the time I'd contacted all the other singers to let them know the rehearsal was cancelled, the bank had shut. Since I was in a thoroughly bad mood by then anyway, I opened the post (it's NEVER anything good, so I only open it if I'm already fed up) to find: a bank statement, informing me that the next batch of bank charges (caused mainly by the DWP not paying me my benefit on time recently) will be £78. (Jobseeker's Allowance - my only current income - is £65.45 a week.) Also, a letter from Manchester City Council, informing me that they don't want me for a recent job I applied for - I was particularly hopeful about this job, because there were SEVEN POSITIONS available, and I thought I'd be perfect, but apparently not. Still, getting an actual rejection is a step up from no response at all - that's the first time in a year I've heard anything from an application.

I hoped I might be distracted by Twitter, but I had to turn it off because everyone was talking about the leaders' debate, and my interest in politics remains zero. Then I decided I'd better eat something, and realised, as I cooked fish fingers, that they were the last thing left in the house that had any protein in them (unless you count cat food...) and I don't know when I'll be able to get any more food. (I do still have a BIT of food in the house - a few days' worth - but nothing that would constitute a balanced diet.)

Never mind, I thought, I know what'll cheer me up - I'll watch High Noon! I'd recorded it a few days earlier and hadn't watched it yet. So I settled down to watch it... and discovered that it WASN'T THE 1952 VERSION. It was, in fact, a 2009 TV movie called High Noon. *boggle* (And no, it wasn't just me assuming it was the proper version - the Radio Times said it was (and even had it as a featured film of the day), and the Sky+ info button said it was the 1952 version. But it wasn't.)

The irony of it not being the proper version, after all the fuss I made about the SONG not being the proper version, is not lost on me. And today, when I'm in a slightly better mood, I'm actually quite amused by it. But last night I could have MURDERED ITV3. They didn't even apologise!

Anyway, today hasn't been too bad so far, and tomorrow will be exciting because we're all off to Birmingham to rehearse Mahler 8. Alison and I are going by train, because we like to have a chance to wander round places when we have a day out - and also it's much quicker, because the choir coaches never pick up anywhere near us. And we like travelling by train!

Actually, I have some info about our Mahler 8 gigs in Birmingham in September. I only found out a few weeks ago that the conductor will be Andris Nelsons, but I'd assumed that the rest of the personnel is the same. So I was very surprised to discover that the orchestra will be the CBSO rather than the combined might of Manchester's finest. Asking around, it seems that it wasn't just me who didn't know this! Anyway, the concerts are now on the Symphony Hall website, and tickets go on sale on either 3rd June or 7th June, depending on which page of their website is correct.

Talking of Mahler, you'll be aware by now that the rumours were correct and the 2010 Proms season does indeed start (on 16th July) with Mahler 8. The prom to watch out for, though, is on 6th August, a repeat of the programme they're playing in Manchester the day before. And there are of course comments all over the place about the Proms listings, notably from Intermezzo and Classical Iconoclast.

Oh, and this is interesting: Roger Wright's expenses as Proms boss. Includes £1,900 on hospitality "to thank members of the BBC Symphony Chorus for their dedication and hard work after a busy season". *boggle*

Two more cost-related things: Intermezzo brings us news that you now have to pay to audition for the LSO, and the Telegraph looks at the cost to orchestras of volcano-related travel disruption. (Although I must admit I'm getting very fed up of stories such as this one about Liverpool going to Madrid overland, which keep going on about what an uncomfortable journey it must be. As someone who went from Manchester to Valencia by train (which looks about the same distance to me), I want to shout at them "IT WASN'T UNCOMFORTABLE AT ALL!" And I wasn't even in first class. And they flew the last bit anyway! Wimps.)

More volcano photos from the Big Picture are up, by the way, and they're even better than last week's. And Manchester Confidential has some lovely photos of a clear blue vapour-trail-less Manchester sky, taken from the roof of the Shudehill Interchange car park, which it recommends as a great place for free views of the city.

The Guardian has a list of the top 50 arts-related Twitter feeds. Not sure I'd agree with all of these, but it's a good starting point if you're new to Twitter.

Have you seen this advert? Terry Venables singing If I Can Dream. Apparently he had singing lessons specially. What I want to know is whether the other various famous people in the choir were actually singing...

Oh, and while we're on the World Cup, the football fans among you may be interested in a free online World Cup Virtual Sticker Album. Let me know if you sign up - we could do swapsies :-)

Last mention of football for now.... in fact, you should watch this even if you're not a football fan. It's less than a minute long, and it's hilarious. This German goalie also happens to be his team's penalty taker, and in a match between Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke in 2004, he scored a penalty, and while he was celebrating.... well, watch.

This is quite the opposite - not funny at all, in fact one of the most awful stories I've ever heard. Local government officials in California separated an elderly gay couple and sold all their possessions.

The MEN has a feature about the lovely Professor Brian Cox.

It's St George's Day today, but the Guardian thinks we need a new national saint, and it has one in mind.

And, if you want to relax, here's a website that just plays the sound of rain.