Back in the great white office

After a hectic month i've finally made it back to Méribel and that fattening goose that was mentioned in my last blog has been well and truly devoured.

For a trumpet player the month of December is known as the month of D major, as the repertoire that we get asked to perform that month is invariably all Christmasy music in that key. Indeed, i didn't play a single note that wasn't in D major for the whole month and infact, only played the music of three composers, Bach, Handel and Telemann. However, you can never get tired of playing pieces such as Bach's Christmas Oratorio, or that other great advent favourite, Handel's Messiah. But as is often said, the easy bit is playing the concerts, the hard bit is getting to the place where you've got to play the concerts. 

                                         A well-deserved pint of the black stuff after a Messiah in Galway

December saw me travelling all over Europe performing in D major as well as fitting in a few days skiing with Martin at the beginning of the month, as we both completed the revalidation of our professional ski instructor licences. The great thing about each concert during the month was that i was with some of my best friends and enjoyed some really fun times. As most trumpet players tend to be great foodies as well, many of these fun times centered around great food and drink. Our festive meals culminated in the final little mini-tour that we made to Budapest. I spent three days in this great city with two great epicurian colleagues, Simon Munday and Ross Brown. Ross had done his homework and we managed to eat and drink like kings thanks to his research. I really couldn't believe how good the cuisine is in Budapest and Hungarian wines were an absolute revelation.

      Simon and Ross get their noses into some Hungarian Cabernet Franc, a grape that has found its home in Hungary

It was back from Budapest on the morning of the 21st of December and straight into the car for the journey down to Méribel, with a stop-over that night in Vitry-le-Francois in the Champagne region. I made it into Méribel the following evening just in time to play the trumpet in the first of three carol-singing events that the Méribel Choir had organised. That was followed by two more events on Chrismas eve, the first an open-air sing-along (that made it onto the French television news) and the second one, a more sedate service in the chapel in Mussillon. Christmas Day highlights were a lunchtime picnic hosted by my friends Paul and Diane Gow from Prestige Services, held in the bread oven in Méribel Village (complete with table linen, fairy lights and an unbelievable array of fresh seafood) and dinner at my wonderful friends, Nick and Debbie Barton's apartment. 

                                                      Christmas Day picnic in the bread oven

We're now in the run-up to the New Year festivities and i'm properly settled back into life in the mountains. We've had two major snowfalls since I got here and the conditions are excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing all my regular clients again and anticipating the fresh experiences that lie ahead this season. Oh, i love it! Michael.