A Bus to Banff and a Plate of Poutine

I'm almost at the end of my Canadian adventure here in Calgary and I couldn't feel more refreshed, inspired and energised ahead of my return home. I feel lucky to have spent this week exploring, composing, cello-playing and taking some time out to enjoy the little things - it has been a bit like a much-needed retreat!

I enjoyed a fantastically fun jam with Nancy on Tuesday night - it was great to create together. We were working on a new song of Nancy's; figuring out the structure, exploring some different chords etc. I love being privy to the songwriting process, so it was great fun and Nancy has a corker of a song!

On Wednesday I decided to take a long walk and explore the super hip district of Kensington, where I found some lovely independent shops selling art supplies, vintage clothes, handmade gifts, second-hand books and retro records - all the best things! It was soon approaching lunchtime and like a shining beacon, 'The Big Cheese Poutinerie' revealed itself to me on the other side of the road 😜
Earlier in my trip, Justine had told me about the wonders of poutine and how it is one of those "must experience" things whilst I'm here in Calgary. Never one to turn down cheese, I definitely didn't have trouble deciding where to go for lunch! Poutine, in its most traditional form, is chi,,ps/cooked potatoes covered in gravy and cheese curds. I remember discovering the wonders of cheesy chips back in my first year of college (probably at about 3am in Babylon on Oxford Road!) and I've always enjoyed IKEA's gravy chips, so poutine was sure to be a winner! It was pretty delish, if a little stodgy by the time I'd reached halfway - but totally worth trying! Whilst we're on food (rare that we're not!), I have to mention the biggest, most impressively varied selection of marshmallows that were on offer at the supermarket in Kensington - WOW! There were tiny ones, pink ones, blue ones, HUGE ones, made-for-cooking ones, mixed coloured ones, stripy ones, even HUGER (yes, not a word) ones... I almost took a picture, the selection was that impressive, but I was already acutely aware that I was exuding too much over-excitement at being a Brit in a Canadian supermarket and didn't want to completely give in to the stereotype by whacking out my polaroid! Foreign supermarkets are some of my favourite places to explore - I'm definitely my Father's daughter in that respect, eh Dad!?
ANYWAY, Wednesday was super hot - I think it reached a sweltering 31 degrees, so I took a slow amble back to the flat for an evening of yoga and cello playing/composing.

Thursday was adventure day! I decided to take a trip back to my happy place - beautiful Banff. I got up at 5am to get to the Greyhound station in time (commitment!), where an exceptionally chirpy Greyhound guard greeted us all with high-fives and one-liners. I was loving this guy's style, but I think his quick wit and wide smile were a bit much for some of the passengers at this time in the morning..! The journey to Banff was almost more beautiful than the place itself - totally stunning when we were approaching the mountains. We passed through Canmore first, which looked different without the hustle and bustle of festival tents, musicians galore and the hundreds of volunteers at Folk Fest. I really love Canmore, as it feels quite untouched compared to the touristy main streets of Banff.

I arrived in Banff at about 9am and decided to go straight to my happy place! There is a bridge over the Bow River, which I found on my residency last year, and the views are magical. It felt very different to be there in the heat of Summer this time: the river was flowing fast and the water was an incredible aqua/teal colour and lined with towering green pine trees.

 The last time I'd seen it, the river was frozen-over and just beginning to trickle back to life, and the mountains were knee-deep in snow! I spotted a sign for the Bow Falls, so followed the trail for a while to find some awesome rapids/falls, sloping down into another stunning spot. The natural sounds of this place are amazing. I spent a while just drinking it all in before heading up towards the Banff Centre for a visit. The place had such a different feel about it because of the change in season... but luckily, little else had changed: there was still an elk just casually chilling out by the practise huts; it was as if he'd never left! I found my old Hut No.6, which was like visiting an old and loyal friend (!) and then popped into the music building to see what was happening. I heard some really cool sounds wafting out of the practise rooms - there was a jazz residency happening at the time. I love the buzzing atmosphere of the Banff Centre - it feels like there are always exciting creations happening behind every door and such interesting people wandering the corridors. I even smelt the tempting aroma of a Vistas lunch... oh so good! I reluctantly tore myself away and spent the afternoon pootling round the shops, enjoying lunch back down by the river, before embarking on a hilariously failed attempt at a moose selfie with a polaroid camera... a funny/embarrassing tale! On the bus back, I enjoyed a childish chuckle after spotting the sign for Lake Minnewanka (anyone else find that funny!?) and marvelled at the incredible Rocky Mountains for the last time.

Friday was a day for working, yoga, recording my own music and chilling and Saturday saw a trip up to the top of the Calgary Tower! I went early to beat the crowds (nailed it!) and it was really cool to see the city from up there. It used to be the tallest building in the city, but as is often the case, a few years later someone else decided to build a taller and slightly uglier one just a few streets away! I really gained a sense of the layout of the city and it struck me how spread out and spacious everything is here. It looks very different to your average UK city where everything has been crammed in and squished together. There was a beautiful view of the distant Rockies and a cool ariel view of the Bow river too. I sheepishly edged over to the viewing platform with the clear glass floor, for a queasy glance down at the road beneath... had to be done. After some more exploring in town, I came home to try my hand at making some Dutch/Canadian pancakes, which were so epic that I was done eating for rest the day! Phew.

On Sunday, I spontaneously spent the morning playing Bach! It was something I hadn't had the chance to do for a long while and it was a beautiful feeling that had me buzzing for the rest of the day. There is always something new to hear and to experiment with - I don't think I'll ever tire of just sitting and meandering my way through my favourite Suites. I also rediscovered some of my old frenemies: double-stop scales (sorry neighbours!) and generally gave my cello hands a good workout. After some more recording, I decided to get some fresh air to catch the last al fresco performance of As You Like It, which is part of the awesome Shakespeare by the Bow series here in Calgary. I luuuurve outdoor theatre/outdoor art in general, so this was a real treat. It was performed on Prince's Island Park, just across the river, and people gathered with friends and picnics for a sunset performance - it was fantastic! I walked home to the view of a beautiful sunset over the river and a magical moon from the balcony.

I'm excited to have my pal JV back for some final kitchen jams and then our last gig at Mikey's tomorrow night - can't quite believe I only have 2 sleeps left here.

Big love,
Pol x

P.S. Some of the footbridges in Calgary WOBBLE! It properly shook me up (pardon the pun) the first time I experienced it... thought I was having a 'funny turn' or something! It sure makes for a pretty turbulent Sunday evening stroll!

Put up a Parking Lot

Another week has flown by and much of it has been spent immersed in headphones, recording tunes!

Monday morning gave me the opportunity to explore one of the local neighbourhoods: Inglewood. I feel like Inglewood is Calgary's equivalent to Manchester's Northern Quarter, with a hint of London's trendy Shoreditch. On the surface, Inglewood didn't strike me as somewhere I could explore for hours on end, but there were so many hidden gems to discover that I'm pretty sure I'll be heading back again before I leave! I think one of my favourite finds was a second hand book store, which was hidden in the basement of an old building, behind doors with bars and a shabby shop sign outside. It was like a treasure trove inside! I loved that they had world maps plastered all over the walls and a pretty epic, retro CD collection, as well as books old and new on just about every subject imaginable. I also tasted some beautiful coffee in Inglewood, and explored a colourful shop selling beautifully woven rugs and cushions. After an amble through Inglewood, it was back to the flat for some gym time and then the start of the recording process with Justine (with a couple of kitchen jams thrown in, of course!) We also made it out to Mikey's jam night again, which proved to be an entertaining night of varying levels of jamming success - you live and learn, eh!?

Tuesday was a day for admin, sweating in the gym (it's a hate/love thing that Gym and I have got going on..!) and a top-notch evening of tasty tacos (move over Nigella, JV is in town) and the jammiest of jams in the parking lot underneath the flat. I met the super cool Ben Longman, who is a fellow Brit and a singer/songwriter who moved to Canada a few years ago. It was great to meet Ben and to chat about his new Canadian/musician lifestyle here and we were soon joined by Brady, which prompted a fresh rendition of the Talking Heads tune: This Must Be The Place. We took the jam down into the parking lot, which made for some seriously boomy, Bach-worthy acoustics! Willie filmed the whole shebang on his GoPro, so we're excited to see & hear the results! So great to make music and hang out with such lovely people.

Wednesday rapidly turned into an epic one. Justine and I spent some more time on the Songs for Jo recording in the morning, and had various experiments with tech and set-up, eventually deciding on a simple interface/logic situation. We had a proper little homemade studio going on by the end of the day! In the afternoon, we headed to one of the coolest studios I think I'll ever see! This was set up in a garage/big garden shed, belonging to Curtis who I'd met at the Canmore Folk Festival. Curtis is also a musician, and has created an amazing space called The Speakeasy Garage, which houses private house concerts and rents itself out as a studio space for musicians too. This man has some serious style - it was pretty magical inside, which makes for the perfect environment to get creative. Justine took me along to meet the rest of her band, The Griffins, who write and record their own soul/country music, and on Wednesday they were all set up to record an EP. Little did they know that a few beers, a taco salad, 12 hours and 8 tracks later, they would have recorded almost an entire album! It was really cool to be there to hear and see their recording process and to chill out to some of their tunes - I loved their style and vibe. During the break I whacked out some cello and we recorded a cover of Dolly Parton's 9-5, which was a bit too much fun, and Justine and I recorded a couple of other tunes whilst we were there. Curtis' space has completely inspired me and has also highlighted to me just how important certain aspects of the recording environment are. I hope to go back one day.

Wednesday's recording session soon turned into Thursday, as we finished at about 2am, so we had a slightly slower start on Thurs morning. We still had to be up and at it though, as JV and I had a gig right in the centre of Calgary on Stephen Ave. This was a lunchtime shindig and was set on a trailer, which I discovered is set up almost all year-round for lunchtime gigs/live music - a great idea! Justine and I had about 50 mins of music to play to a mixture of tourists, passing visitors and city workers on their lunch breaks. I really enjoyed this gig - it was great to be outside and right in the midst of the city bustle - very different from Canmore, but pretty cool all the same!

Friday was chilled (this is now reading a bit like a Craig David song... ) with a walk by the river and a new organic food market discovery for me (bloomin' beautiful blueberries!)
Some cello happened, as did some admin (there's always admin!) and then JV and I had our full evening gig at Gravity Café back in Inglewood. We had such a blast at this gig, with 2x40 minute sets filled with a mixture of our favourite covers and lots of originals. I also whacked out some Julie-o on the cello and we took a couple of requests from the very friendly, banterous audience! The evening had a very relaxed, friendly, happy vibe and I met some more wonderful people afterwards.

Saturday was a rare opportunity for me to sit and write/experiment with/record some more of my own music, which was super fun. I also went for a walk into the city centre to have a mooch around, and it wasn't long before I was hopelessly lost amoungst the huge office buildings, which I quickly realised all look pretty similar (I'm really not a city gal!) Luckily, I soon ambled my way back to the river, where I found a beautiful riverside spot to sit and ponder, relax and dip my toes. I love the contrast in this city... one minute you're lost in a concrete jungle and the next you're paddling amoungst trees, squirrels and hares! ALL of the variety.

Sunday and Monday have been spent in the headphones, creating more tracks for the CD, which is pretty much there now. We have a healthy mix of covers and originals, all themed with JV's niece and sister in mind. I find recording to be such a challenge and I'm looking forward to getting a lot better at it, the more I do it! I love live performance, improvisation and creating music on the spot that might not be heard/played in the same way afterwards. I find that aspect of cello playing freeing and refreshing, so it's been a challenge to have to make some decisions before I play, and to be happy knowing that these decisions are set in stone once recorded. It's such a different skill/art to live performing, and is something I want to improve at, for sure!

On an unrelated, foodie note: we went for some delicious sushi last night in Kensington, which is another trendy district of town, after a cycle ride to the evening Church service. The river here in the evening is something else - so peaceful, calm and totally beautiful. My two flat tyres slightly distracted from the feeling of calm and serenity, though... they're all pumped up and ready to rock and roll again after some TLC today, and I'm totally loving my rediscovery of exercise. These glutes were made for cycling... 
For my final week I'll be going it alone, as Justine will fly out to take care of her super cute niece, so I have a trip to Banff planned, as well as some city adventures, more music making, plenty of river time, oodles of cello playing and hopefully a trip up to the top of the Calgary Tower!

Missing loved ones, but feeling very lucky to be soaking up this exciting environment.

Pol x

P.s. Another word from the JV/PV book of mis-translation: Dungarees. Here, they're overalls!

Rolling on the River

Another week of Calgary living and I'm feeling very much at home here.
It's been a busy week - every day's an adventure with JV!

Before I forget, some words to add to the list of words that tickled us: knackered, knickers, smashed it - these are apparently all British bangers! The Canadians also have a beautiful word for corriander: cilantro... news to me!

We've spent a few of our daytimes chilling here in the Calgary condo - the weather's been HOT and so dry, so taking things a littler slower has been the perfect pace of living. We went to another jam night on Wednesday, this time at the old Mikey's, which is a pub with oodles of character and so many stories etched on the walls! You can feel the love for live music in the air, so it felt really exciting to be there and to play. Justine and I played a few songs, including our new-found Kings of Leon cover and we later jammed with some of the boys from Rotary Park - super fun! We ended the night with a comedy game of doubles snooker. My teammate was the highly inebriated Bret, who was passionate about teamwork and was a little put-out by my lack of game-playing tactics I think! When I mentioned I was from Manchester however, he softened and we bonded over some Northern England trivia... but then I potted the 8-ball. Whoops!

On Thursday I discovered even more beauty in the city on a walk along the river. I walked over to Prince's Island Park and took in the gorgeous sunshine and friendly vibes. It's such an active city, with hundreds of workers jogging along the river in their lunch hours and cyclists everywhere at all hours. Pretty inspiring! It feels like everyone really appreciates the beautiful scenery and the pure air here, so spending time outdoors is really valued - I love that! JV and I found a shared love for Ab Fab, so decided to spend the evening watching the film... all of the British humour!

We got even more DOWN with nature on Friday, with a cycle ride to a gorgeous spot beside the river, where we took a swim and had a sunbathe - it was pure bliss! The mountain water is crystal clear and feels so kind on the skin, and after a sweaty, very fast-paced cycle ride (I'm blaming that on Justine's Dutch roots!) a dip in the river was so very welcome. Friday evening was a chance for me to reconnect with another of the musicians I met whilst at the Banff Centre last year: singer/songwriter Nancy Laberge. I played with Nancy and two other wonderful musicians, Mark and Natasha, as an accompanist at their songwriting circle in Gravity Café on Friday night. Another case of not knowing the songs beforehand, so a real test for my ears - scary but satisfying stuff! I really enjoy Nancy's music - she has a cracking sense of humour and a real skill for writing lyrics. I also met lots of Nancy's friends and felt very welcomed - it was a night full of smiles and great music :)

Saturday was just an adventure from start to finish. WOAH. It all began with an early-morning trip to Canadian Tire, which is a huge store selling anything and everything you could ever need, with the best supply of outdoor activities I've ever seen. Justine and I were on the lookout for some inflatable floating devices, as we had our hearts set on spending our Saturday morning floating down the Bow River. After much deliberation, we settled on two single air beds (not necessarily originally designed for the water...) and some chips/crisps for the ride. Before we could change our minds, we were launching our beds onto the water, amoungst the show-offs with rafts and boats and pros with paddles..! We may have encountered many a strange/concerned look from our fellow river users, but it seems that simple methods are often the most effective, because we were soon whizzing past the boats/paddle-brandishing people and were in danger of a speeding ticket! It was so incredibly relaxing to be on the water and to see Calgary from such a different perspective. We cruised on down the river for about two hours, before rolling ashore to catch an Uber back to our car... which dropped us on the wrong side of the river. For a crazy minute, we considered swimming across the strong current to reach our car, but sanity hit and we found a footbridge instead! We were now on a mission to go and play a set at a wedding in a nearby town called Cochrane... without the address of the venue! Uh-oh. To cut a lengthy story very short, we finally found the address about 15 minutes before we had to be playing, but in true rockstar style we pulled up at the beautiful festival-style wedding reception just in time to play our set, before strutting out again to zoom off to our next jam night, back in Calgary! Madness. It was the most beautiful wedding venue I've seen, in the middle of rolling Cochrane hills and so much open space, and such a cool idea to stage it like a music festival.
Anyway, it was then back to the old Mikey's for a quick jam (not even time to sit down to play this time!) and a bite to eat to round off our crazy day.

Sunday consisted of Justine's beautiful Dutch/Canadian pancakes (oh-so good), 1 visit to Church, 2 recordings, 1 kitchen jam, 45 minutes in the gym, 2 sore backs from floating down the Bow River and a chopping board of homemade pizza. Yes, Sunday!

This week, we are planning on recording a CD for Justine's niece called Songs for Jo, which we are recording ourselves in the flat. We have more jam nights coming up and a full-length gig on Friday night back at Gravity Café, so plenty of music to be made and fun to be had!

Pol x

Fun at the Folk Fest

So before we knew it, Justine and I were back On the Road Again (thanks Willie!) and pulling up at a very muddy Big Valley Jamboree. We were playing on the World Songwriter Stage with four other singer/songwriters, so we each took turns to play a song in front of a very warm and appreciative audience. The other artists on stage were all very different from each other, which was interesting to hear. They evidently found it super interesting to hear my goofy British accent... so I was asked to say my name into the mic, which caused great amusement..! "Polly" does not sound the same in Canada! JV and I have been having plenty of accent banter - our favourite pastime is swapping accents and seeing how long we last before we thoroughly irritate one another! Some of the words that have caused amusement so far include: paprika, oregano, herbs, water bottle, rubbish vs. trash, the never ending crisp/chip debacle.. and then there's the car/motor shop called "Mr Lube"... and "Fas Gas" petrol station... oh it's the simple things sometimes!

We left Big Valley soon after playing and made the journey to a family wedding in Lacombe - and they really know how to 'wedding' out here! Full-on trivia games for the guests and a 'How well do you know your guests?' game for the wedding party, some beautiful food, funny videos and an epic powerpoint all about the bride and groom... and an overwhelming number of guests! We then drove late that night to Canmore, so that we'd be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the 10.30am performance we had the next morning at the Folk Music Festival. We were staying in a ski lodge on the outskirts of Canmore, which is a town right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. It felt like being back in Banff, but somehow Canmore felt even more peaceful and beautiful (and less touristy!)

We woke the next morning to a beautiful balcony view and to the dulcet tones of Mariel rising from her slumber..! So we got in an early morning pyjama rehearsal alongside the super cool Allyson, who's a percussionist from Edmonton. Arriving at the Folk Festival was stunning, as it is literally nestled between the Rocky Mountains. We played on a side stage with possibly the best view-from-stage I've ever experienced... it was quite distracting! The sun was shining and the festival goers were already out in force, so we really had a hoot on stage. We also met one of the awesome festival volunteers called Romeo, who was such a character and very supportive of all the artists. A fellow Brit was on the sound desk, so we bonded over our silly accents and knowledge of UK geography. I stayed on to play some tunes with Erin and Ken, and jammed with another fellow Brit, Martin Kerr.

I spent the afternoon wandering around the festival, meeting some of the artists, taking in some wonderful music and exploring the town of Canmore. It was pretty scorching, so I was chasing the shade a fair bit - spot the Brit! Heard an amazing folk band called Ten Strings & a Goat Skin - give them a listen - it's my new favourite sound! It was foot-tapping, uplifting music with incredible fiddle playing and such creative writing... totally inspiring. That evening, Justine and I had what they call a "tweener" (that word makes me giggle for some reason..!) which is a 3 or 4 minute slot, playing on the main stage while they switch set-ups between acts. It's all very exciting and you don't find out if/when you're playing until shortly before. We had time for just one song, so Justine chose her beautiful tune, These Days. It was very cool to play on the main stage, but it was also a strange slot as the audience were adjusting their seats and going for loo breaks etc, but it felt good all the same! We spent the rest of the evening taking in the main acts - Foy Vance was awesome - he did super creative things with loop pedals, bowing his guitar and singing into his guitar pickup. Very cool, and such a mean moustache and beautiful Irish accent too - he's got it all! Then it was time for the after party at the local golf club, which was a great opportunity to hear Leeroy Stagger's band and have a cheeky boogie.

The next morning was another early start, with a 10:30am performance on another side stage, this time alongside David Unsworth - a great singer and loop pedal artist - and Mariel and Justine. We then had our main performance at the Pub Stage, which is the only place at the festival where the audience can drink, as Canmore is a 'dry festival'. We had wicked 40 minute slot here, playing with Brady and Allyson too. We jammed some blues, played a couple of great covers and Justine's own songs. The audience were awesome and it was such fun to be on stage with the rest of the guys. I wandered back to the main festival site and by this time, there was a storm threatening outside, so the brollies were out and fluorescent macs were on. Before I knew it though, in a spontaneous move, I was back at the pub stage playing some songs with Martin Kerr - another great test for my ears, with pretty much zero prior knowledge of the songs/keys... Quite the adrenaline rush! I then rushed back to the main stage for a quick trailer jam with Erin and Allyson, as we had another tweener to play! We did a couple of beautiful songs by Erin, and I decided to rockstar it up with some standing cello. Rock on.

It was such a treat to be able to take in the whole festival - I heard some incredible music, met so many beautiful artists and I felt so welcomed by such friendly people... and the scenery wasn't too shabby either! I felt like such a lucky ducky to be there. Justine and I rounded off our Canmore experience in style the next morning with a delicious breakfast at Communitea Café (punny!) before hitting the road back to Calgary.

Phew! What a weekend...
Next up, a week of songwriter circles, inflatable rafting and a festival wedding - stay tuned!
Pol x

Jams, Journeys and Jamborees

Time flies here in sunny Calgary!

It only feels like yesterday that I encountered the all-to-familiar funny looks going through Heathrow Airport with my cello, but the adventure started way back on Sunday 30th July, with a last hug from the sis and a sweaty trawl through the London Underground. There were queues galore at Heathrow, so plenty of opportunity for some classic cello comments.. "Is that where you keep your boyfriend?" "Wow, you must have a dead body in there" "I bet you regret your choice of instrument right now..."
But thankfully, none of the above occurred; just a very cute little girl waiting before me in the line, who look up at me and said, "I bet I could fit in there!" We chatted a while, before another lady piped up, "Can you just whip it out now and calm us all down please!? These places are so stressful!" Although tempted, I politely declined and mumbled something about it being early and there being a lack of coffee in my system..! Lady at check-in was very lovely and found it utterly hilarious that I was going to have to swap seats with my cello (she laughed for a good 20 seconds I'm sure) and similarly the Air Canada host who took my cello onto the plane had a good old chuckle when he suggested showing the cello the on-board menu and checking it had enough leg room. I don't know why I sounds so cynical: I have absolutely named my cello Magnus and treat him a little bit like a human sometimes, so I definitely shouldn't mock..! Magnus was perfect company on the long flight - he knows when to stop talking and provides a pretty comfy shoulder to sleep on!

About 9 hours later, Magnus and I had safely arrived in Calgary where we were greeted by the lovely Justine, who I am staying and playing with for the month. Justine and I met at the Banff Centre last year and really hit it off - it's super fun to play music together and feels very natural, so it's great to get another chance to do this. Justine's flat (or "condo"!) is in the heart of Downtown Calgary, with the Bow River running along one side, and is a really fab space with a balcony and even a gym (no excuses now!) We spent the evening with a friend and musician, Brady, cycling along the river and catching the end of the Calgary Folk Festival, which was a great taste of things to come.

The next day was spent meeting the lovely Erin and Ken, doing a spot of shopping and drinking coffee, before we all came back to Justine's with Brady too for an awesome jam (and a pretty epic curry, cooked by domestic goddess JV). These guys are so real and honest in their approach to making music and their songs are sincere and beautiful, so it's refreshing to hear each of their styles. We decided to hit up our first jam night as a newly formed 'band'! Mikey's on 12th is a fairly new place in town, with regular jam nights - this one was hosted by the super cool Rotary Park - jazzy/folky vibes. Great night, cool music, friendly people, but some shocking snooker playing from the Brit in the room!
Also, weird coincidence #1: there was a very cool accordion player (playing Blues!!!) who had just a few weeks ago been in Warrington and Liverpool, UK! Small world and all that... plenty more of where that came from too!

The next couple of days were pretty chilled - I began to explore further down the river and Justine and I made plans for the weekend ahead... which were so complicated that a google document was necessary to map out our movements. Rock AND Roll! It's been wonderful to have the time and space to rekindle my love of yoga out here, so some balcony yoga has been a real treat.
We also visited a great place called Edelweiss, which is a European store and café, heavily influenced by Austrian and Dutch food, with some token British Yorkshire Tea thrown in! It was a lovely place with amazing food. We were actually there on a date (I played a pretty good third wheel!), but that's a story for another time! Afterwards, JV had the genius idea of going for a mani-pedi in preparation for our epic festival weekend ahead. This was my first ever experience of a mani-pedi... I particularly enjoyed the massage chair and found it hard to control facial expressions during the foot massage. That evening saw us volunteering at Calgary's Cowboy Casino, to raise money for the music teaching foundation that Justine works for. Another first for me - in fact the idea of Polly in a Casino seemed kind of hilarious before I went! My role was "Chip Runner" and the shift was from 7pm until 3am! I met some other lovely volunteers and we had PLENTY of time to get to know each other, as my job was to wait in a room until the phone rang and then to do whatever they asked.. it all felt very 'Lord Sugar will see you now'! In reality, the phone probably rang about 6 times in 8 hours, so by the end of the shift, my teammate Joseph and I were fighting over who would pick up the phone next, as we were just so desperate to do something!! It was kind of fascinating to see inside the betting and casino world. There was some serious money being exchanged, which is great for the charity, but also quite alarming! The security guards in this casino were dressed full-on Cowboy with boots, hats and muscles galore... a whole new world!

The next day, I met another of Justine's friends - Mariel, who is a really cool singer/songwriter with a hilarious sense of humour! We jammed in the morning in preparation for a performance at the Canmore Folk Festival at the weekend. That evening, we had been given tickets to see the legendary Rodriguez in concert. Sadly, in reality it looked as if he didn't really want to be performing anymore. He is about 87 (I think) and has gone almost completely blind. He also seemed to find it difficult to keep a pulse and sing in tune... sounds super harsh perhaps, but it felt like the audience were there because of his incredible life-story, rather than for his musical/performance abilities. I have to mention his daughter though, who took to the stage for 2 songs with a tambourine in hand.... without a doubt, this was the most flamboyant/hippy/creative/intriguing tambourine playing I think I will ever see again. Almost impossible to describe, but it certainly kept me amused. After Rodriguez, we need cheering up, so we ate MEAT and lots of it.

The next day saw the beginnings of our crazy festival weekend, with a pretty epic drive all the way to Camrose (which for Canadians is just like popping down the road to fetch your milk and bread!) to watch the second legend of the week in concert: Willie Nelson at Big Valley Jamboree! This gig did not disappoint - wow, what a guy. Not that age should really figure, but I think it's quite impressive that at 84, Willie still has a palpable passion for making music on stage - pretty inspiring! He sang lots of the classics, like On the Road Again and Always on my Mind. He had an incredibly weathered guitar and hands that told ten thousand stories, as well as just a very chilled demeanour! Big Valley Jamboree is pretty much as country as it gets - so much country music! Justine and I had to be back there the next day to perform, and as part of a crazy plan, we drove all the way back to Calgary in the early hours to catch some sleep, and then we drove all the way back to BVJ the next day for our own performance... crazy, but a cool way to get to see the country!
Btw, weird coincidence #2: We met some guys in the middle of BVJ who Justine knew, and whilst chatting to one of them, it turned out he had recently spent time with a friend in Bakewell, Peak District.. woah there.

Stay tuned for part 2... things are gonna get folky...
Pol x

Days 3 & 4 of the SOL adventure!

Day 3 was the day for Saaaath Laaandan and brought with it an even wider variety of venues and audiences. We started with something a little different at Lewisham Music Hub with a gig in the break time of the kids’ Saturday morning music school. It was awesome to see so many youngsters with instruments, all eager to listen and get involved, so we invited as many of them as were willing to come and join us all in a grand finale! We had a strong team of cellos and there was an impressive array of trumpets, flutes, violins and percussion too. We moved on to a very different setting and audience, at the Open Estate Gardens at Central Hill. The residents here are facing the horrendous threat of their houses’ demolition by Lambeth Council, so they all gathered together this weekend in their beautifully green communal gardens to unite and fight to save their homes – truly inspiring. There was a fantastically strong, friendly community spirit here, which was evident as soon as we arrived. They fed and watered us, painted our faces, and generally welcomed us with open arms! We played a great mix of rep; one of the residents popped up to conduct W&G, and there were a couple of the most beautiful puppies you’ve ever laid eyes on. This gig felt very powerful, as there was a real sense of purpose and strength amongst the people there, which was pretty amazing to witness.

Also on this day of tour, we had a BBC crew following us all day – ooh la la! The presenter, Simon, also happened to be a cracking saxophonist, so he joined us for a few of the gigs – meanwhile, we were all striving to remain camera-ready throughout the day, just in case the moment for a starring role presented itself… ;)

We moved on for a public performance at North Greenwich Tube Station, which was a crazy one involving half of the orchestra playing up and down the escalators, some epic dancing (also from a male audience member with impressively long locks and colourful clothing – he was loving the vibes, and I was enjoying his enthusiasm!) After this gig, we hopped back on the coach to travel to your evening gig location – the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. I was particularly excited to be back in my old Junior Trinity stomping ground and loved revisiting (from the coach!) the majestic buildings and expanses of green overlooking the river. Such a beautiful place.

By this point of tour, we had all pretty much began re-imagining every playground, car park, mode of transport, covered archway, bandstand etc as a potential gig venue… so when the coach pulled up directly in front of a colourful carousel outside Cutty Sark, we were all itching to whack out our instruments and go for a spin. After some gentle persuasion from our conductor, the lovely carousel owner agreed to let us on with our instruments! Hands down, this was one of the most exhilarating/terrifying/exciting/giddy experiences I’ve had… I was standing in a very fancy dragon boat, along with another cello, a double bass and some mobile timps, and we could see violinists, oboists, saxophonists all anxiously clinging onto their mutli-coloured horses! We played the most adrenaline-fuelled rendition of the Ski Sunday theme that certainly the people of Greenwich had ever heard… And we kept it surprisingly together! This strange sight was attracting a growing crowd, which was perfect for promoting our planned evening gig outside the Cutty Sark… the only challenge at this point was walking in a straight line in order to reach said gig. Btw, if anyone feels they are lacking in a bit of harmless excitement or is in need of 5 minutes of pure fun – locate your nearest carousel (I would recommend perhaps boarding without the company of your euphonium/bass drum/bassoon though!)

The atmosphere for our Cutty Sark gig amongst both audience and players was fizzing away, so it was sure to be a really fun evening. There was an abundance of energy and life in this concert. There was also a magical moment of calm in the second half when the wind and brass played a beautiful Gabrielli piece whilst an unforgettable sunset created a constantly transforming, beautiful backdrop. It was really special to watch and listen to this scene in the midst of all of the dancing and singing that occurred either side in the concert programme. We celebrated this memorable evening with some lovely sing-songs on the way back to the hostel.

It was surreal to wake up to our last day of the tour on Sunday, and to begin to think about returning to ‘reality’! However, we still had a fantastically full day of gigs ahead of us, which began with a guerrilla performance in the middle of the madness at Columbia Road flower market. This was brief, but epic! Some of the orchestra members again had to use their most polite powers of persuasion with one of the Columbia Road buskers, who allowed us to invade his busking pitch for 5 minutes – legend! It was awesome to be playing amongst London’s hippest of the hip determined to carry on with their Sunday morning plant shopping/coffee run, as well as those who were keen to stop and listen. There were people darting around everywhere, so it was a bit crazy, but totally wonderful, especially in such colourful, vibrant surroundings. We returned to the coach to find a parking fine, but very little could dampen SOL spirits and as the bright yellow ticket beautifully matched our tour t-shirts, tour manager Craig took the opportunity for a parking fine selfie!

We then had a change of energy and focus, as we played at Mary Seacole Nursing Home, which was another emotional, incredible experience. The residents at the home were waiting for our arrival in their beautiful garden, and the staff were very welcoming and appreciative of our music. There was a wonderful gentleman in his chair at the front, who was the most vocal audience member and he was incredibly engaged with what Peter would say and sing, often repeating phrases and singing along to his fave tunes. A beautiful smile lit up his face for the entire visit, which I will never forget! Many of the players found this experience to be very moving, and I think it’s one of the gigs that will stay with us for a while. Afterwards, I spoke to a lady also in the front row who I soon realised was unable to speak. I told her a little about what we’d been up to all week and where we were off to next, and I very quickly realised that this lady was entirely internalising everything I was describing to her, and I felt an extreme sense of frustration for her that she couldn’t respond with words... but we really did have our own conversation, even though I initially felt that I was just talking at her, rather than with. We were communicating just with eye contact and with the feeling that we had just shared in some music together. It’s hard to describe the way in which music can communicate in this way – sometimes when all of the ‘usual’ channels of communication are down, there’s something about music that means this potential difficulty simply doesn’t exist.

It was now time to gather our thoughts and travel onto our lunchtime gig, which was held by the bandstand at Arnold Circus. Some pretty sassy Snoop Dog rapping occurred at this concert, with a super-confident audience member spitting some mean lyrics! There were also some awesome solos from a few of the orchestra members and us celli stumbled upon some fresh dance moves. We were still managing to avoid the rain at this point, but our eyes were very much tuned into all of the weather apps ahead of our next gig in Regent’s Park.

Just as a little aside, one of the unexpected challenges of the SOL tour presented itself in the form of the unknown location or even existence of one’s next toilet opportunity..! Never in one week have I performed so many concerts at full-bladder capacity! I know this is TMI, but I also know that many of my fellow SOL member would agree that this occupied many of our thoughts, much of the time! The Regent’s Park gig was particularly touch and go for me in this regard.. OKAY, enough! We played in and around the bandstand by the water in Regent’s Park, which oozed a relaxed, Sunday afternoon atmosphere. Luckily, the rain held off (and there were no accidents..!) but back on the coach we had a decision to make, as the weather was not looking so good for our final gig in Leicester Square. We decided to bring the start time of our Leicester Square gig forward in order to avoid getting drenched – which turned out to be a very wise decision! There was still time, however, to squeeze in a crowded guerrilla performance in Piccadilly Circus – which was all hustle and bustle, and loads of fun. We also sadly had to wave a fond farewell to our super-friendly, trusty coach driver Ian, who played such a vitally important yet happy and humorous part on our tour. There was definitely lots of love in the air for Ian!

So, our final gig came and went in a flash, but was another wonderful occasion with an enthusiastic audience and plenty of great vibes. It was also sad to think about this gig being the last we would all enjoy together for a while, and it was strange to think that just a week before we hadn't known each other or played music together. It was quite incredible that in the space of just one week we had experienced so much, given and gained such a lot, and shared in so much groovy music and pure joy!

Bring on the SOL tour - take 2...
Pol x

SOL - The Tour (Days 1 and 2)!

The first day of our SOL tour began with one of our most challenging venues - Heathrow Immigration Detention Centre. I don't think I was alone in feeling a little apprehensive about visiting a place that seemed so unfamiliar and unknown. We were advised beforehand that many of the people staying at these centres were being held for undetermined periods of time, so they could be facing days/weeks/months of anxiety and uncertainty. After we had passed through security, photos, ID, fingerprints etc we were escorted to the sports hall, which was our first concert venue. After feeling a little anxious about our presence there, I soon realised that our role there was pretty simple - to share our love for music in a human, ego-less, genuine way. Maybe that sounds a little airy-fairy, but it was completely evident that playing music in this way will resonate with so many people, no matter their circumstance, age, race, background or existing interest in music... We played the opening movement of Beethoven 7 in the first detention centre at Heathrow, and the people there really listened and engaged with us. The atmosphere in the room during the Beethoven was electric. One man stepped up to the podium to conduct Wallace and Grommit, and another guy rapped an awesome free-style verse in our Snoop Dog arrangement (after some gentle persuasion..!). If I had felt at all unsure of unconvinced of our presence there, by the end of the first gig the penny had definitely dropped for me! After this first visit, we were all much more familiar with the set-up and generally how we all worked and played together, so going into the New Horizon Youth Centre felt great. This venue was a real squish however, so it was just as well (purely for space reasons, guys!) that a few of the orchestra members had split-off to go and play at Queensmill School for autistic children. Their visit sounded really wonderful - they also had an impromptu busk/jam with a lady at the piano in St Pancrass Station! At the youth centre, we had a fantastically enthusiastic audience... almost with a rap or two, but we couldn't quite persuade them to take to the mic. It was another great gig, but also quite a relief to break out into the fresh air afterwards, and to enjoy a refreshing pint/pimms/bevvy at the local pub!

The finale of Day 1 was absolutely EPIC. We had a planned performance outside the entrance to King's Cross Station, but...wait for it... during rush hour! We had a slight delay with music and stands arriving, and as we had already attracted a growing crowd with our sunny yellow t-shirts and army of instrument cases, we decided to perform our two memorised pieces there and then. We very quickly got an idea of the awesome atmosphere of the evening ahead, as passers by were stopping, filming, listening... this later turned into a full-on celebration, with the usually-poker-faced London commuters dancing swing, salsa, free-style...! It was a wicked evening and even the rain didn't deter the crowd, or stop the full-blooded sing along to Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner!


Day 2 of tour was perhaps one of my favourites… although I feel like that's unfair to the other super duper gigs we played and people we met! Actually, I simply can't choose a favourite day... so cancel that! We started in Dalston Library and played a Guerrilla performance in a park in Hackney - this was a cool gig, as a school girl from the audience took to the mic for a verse of Snoop Dog  - and she could RAP! Effortlessly cool. It was also a lovely surprise to bump into a friend and fellow musician at this gig - he just happened to be working at the children's centre next to the park and heard some noise! There was also a lovely chance to sit and chill with some lunch after this gig and the sun even came out for a burst!

Also on Day 2, we played at St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, which was a very moving experience and one of those unforgettable ones. It was a wonderful surprise to see the patients, residents, staff and visitors already excitedly gathered for our arrival in the main waiting area of the hospice; so it was time for another shot at a super-quick set-up. We again played Beethoven 7, followed by a few upbeat, Latin-American numbers and some wonderful songs with our super soloist, Peter. The lump-in-the-throat moment for me was when we finished with Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner, and Peter passed the microphone to several audience members to hear them sing a line or two. It was really special to feel the whole room singing and to see everyone smiling.. really enjoying that moment and losing any inhibition or hyper-awareness of the situation. Pretty cool for a room full of 'strangers' (we definitely left as friends!) After the gig, a few of us chatted with members of the audience. The lady (Lucy) who had conducted this morning's rendition of W&G was buzzing, with a beaming smile, and she told me that she runs a weekly choir there, which sounded like such a valuable part of the residents' time at the hospice - in fact, you could see the residents looking to Lucy throughout the concert for guidance or reassurance.. or just to exchange an excitable smile. Another older gentleman, with the kindest eyes I have ever seen, spoke to a few of us about how happy he felt to see so many lovely young people coming together to share their passion with others, and spreading positivity at such a dark time for many. This was really touching and I felt so lucky to be there with everyone.

The ever-threatening rain was still holding off for our next gig in London Fields (a particular fave of mine). This was another park gig and it pretty much turned into a full-on party. There were kids galore, all desperate for the chance to conduct the orchestra, so they formed an orderly queue before taking to the podium for a few bars of Carmen or Wallace..! There was a particularly lovely little boy who had clearly just finished the best day at school - he had paint, chalk, colouring pens, mud, grass... you name it and it was strewn across his polo shirt (and face!) and this boy danced beautifully to a lot of our music. He looked so free and uninhibited - miss those days!! In this gig, we went for a spontaneous walkabout (even us celli) during one of the pieces in which you'd struggle to sit still (there were plenty of those)! The audience members at this gig were awesome - just so completely into it, which I think really rubbed off on us musicians. Later, we had a wonderful stop-off at a pizza garden in Dalston – any Londoners should go and check it out this Summer. It’s like a calm oasis in the middle of the city, with flowers, bird feeders, blankets and hot water bottles and perrrfect pizza… all of life’s simple pleasures! Our last gig of day 2 was another awesome event and was held in Dalston Square. We decided to start this gig with a pizza-fuelled rendition of Ski Sunday, but with the orchestra interspersed amongst the crowd. It was such a fun way to start the concert and a great ice-breaker for the audience... also, I will never stop loving walking around with a cello and grooving out with other musicians, as well as total ‘strangers’! It feels kind of weird to call anyone we encountered on this tour ‘strangers’, because there really wasn’t ever any ounce of a divide or barrier between those of us playing and those of us who were ‘audience’ or passers-by at the gigs, in fact the line was often completely blurred/non-existent, which is sadly something that cannot often be said about the way we experience concerts and live music…

Stay tuned for days 3&4, featuring escalators, carousels, sunsets, flower markets... the lot!