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It is part of the conductor's life to rush about and keep tabs on multiple groups and it would be easy to complain about a schedule like today presented.

It is also a great thing to be involved musically with two excellent groups and so many dedicated and talented people.

NSWO and YWO are two of the best wind orchestras in the country and both groups strive for excellence every time they rehearse or perform.

Today I rehearsed two concert programmes with NSWO in Nottingham and after a swift trip to Halifax I rehearsed YWO in some complex and demanding repertoire then we performed a full programme of music including pieces by Buxton Orr, Percy Granger, Eric Whitacre and Guy Woolfenden.

In those circumstances, the only worry is whether the fatigue factor might prevent me from dealing with a musical issue, should it arise; being alert is a good thing!

As it was the group worked really hard to make a success of the programme and the issues that did arise were quickly rectified.

I feel quite satisfied that I did everything I could for both groups and made sure that no one had to compromise because of the tight schedule.

Well done to all!!