Meeting the ambassador/spinsterhood

I love my job - you never know what's going to happen when you wake up in the morning.

We were doing a normal days' rehearsal yesterday (11 till 5, or until the tendonitis sets in), and I was vaguely aware that we had agreed to go to the Portuguese embassy afterwards, to check out the acoustics/space for a concert we are giving there in a few weeks. Natalia now seems to be a celebrity over there now thanks to our CD!

The doorbell went at 5 and we peered out the window to find this waiting for us....































With the number plate '10 Port' and a driver wearing a cap!
Everyone was staring inside the car to see who we were, and I had ro resist doing the royal wave.
Apparently the Ambassador has been listening to our CD whilst driving around Portugal and his favourite track is 'Singin in the Rain'!

I got the driver to drop me off afterwards on the Strand. I am going to be the solo violinist in 'Fiddler on the Roof' at the Savoy Theatre for 2 weeks in June, and wanted to sit-in and follow the part.

Its a really long show - and had to rush home because was due in Pinewood studios at 9 the next morning. I had a drama when my taxi crashed into another car, but still got there on time, if without breakfast. We were recording the music for 'Grease is the Word' and also some tracks for 'Britain's Got Talent' (has it? where?)

Then 5 hours of reheasing Elgar's string quartet with the girls and then off to teach a little boy who lives round the corner from me. His parents have installed these immense cast iron security gates and I have to throw my whole bodyweight onto them to enter, after having first explained who I am through the speaker system to the nanny who doesn't speak English.

Yet again, our quartet are playing on 2 TV Channels at once tomorrow (Saturday). Bryony and I are playing on 'Joseph - Any Dream Will Do' on BBC1, whilst Jenny and Natalia are in the ITV studios recording 'Grease is the Word'. Then on Sunday, I am playing with Leona from X-Factor, who is singing with Il Divo.

My washing pile is threatening to take over my flat. How am I expected to do the two jobs of doing the PR for the quartet and playing in it AND do my laundry??? No wonder a younger member of my family (who shall remain nameless) called me a spinster the other day - I spend every second of every day either looking at 3 other girls, or my computer screen!!!!!!!!

PS Look out for us on Classic FM TV - they are about to start showing our DVD of 'What a Wonderful World!