And Now For the Science Bit....

So, Robin is still in the air, en route from Singapore. By the time he gets home tonight, he will have been away for 3 weeks and 12 1/2 hours. He will have been to six different countries, three times in the UK, and twice to Singapore. Ten different cities and travelled a total of 26,120 miles of which 5,954 were nautical.
He has been to Europe, The Americas and Asia.
Ohh, and whilst doing all this has performed five concerts.
I lost track of the time changes weeks ago.
As it can take 72 hours to adjust to a new time zone, Robin's serotonin levels, must be all over the place.
The higher the level, the more likely you are to sleep, which, judging by the messages I've been having, seems to be the case.

The up side, however, is that robin has visited some fantastic places and seen many beautiful and interesting things.
He loved Cochin, and I enjoyed listening to some exotic wildlife in the background, as we talked on the 'phone.
And, of course, he is doing a job that he loves, playing the guitar.
I think he'll need a lie in tomorrow though.....

Meanwhile, here at home, if you like Elgar, there's a great article in 'The Daily Telegraph', written by Michael Kennedy, the author of, 'The Life of Elgar'.
It marks the start of 'Elgar Week', as part of the composer's 150th birthday celebrations which culminate on June 2nd.

Singapore for Robin - Da Vinci Code Cracking for Me

Robin has now arrived in Singapore and is settling into his room on Crystal Symphony. His first, of two concerts, isn't for a few days, which is excellent news, as I'm sure he needs a few days to recover from the journey.
You would think he would lay down and relax for a while, but no, when I spoke to him he was repairing a nail.
Before he left America, Robin e mailed me a new piece he has composed called, 'A Passage to New York'.
Sight reading isn't really my thing, and despite Robin assuring me I would be fine with it, I feel some work is required.

Not as much as Thomas and Stuart Mitchell though.
They were intrigued by the markings on the arches of a chapel of a church featured in 'The Da Vinci Code'. Using their musical knowledge they have unlocked the notes of a piece of music that has been hidden for centuries. It's an interesting story by Richard Alleyne which you can read here.
I look forward to hearing it and many congratulations to them for their perseverance.

Meanwhile, I must get back to my own code cracking. I'm keen to hear this new piece of Robin's, especially as it's dedicated to me.
At least I have the luxury of playing through it on Robin's Miguel Rodriguez guitar. He has the 'Churchdoor' with him, but his other concert guitar is here with me.
If you happen to be in Singapore, on Crystal Symphony, don't tell him that I'm torturing his music on his precious guitar....

Borat, Kennedy, Ronnie Scot's, and Robin Hill is off to Singapore...

For those of you who are 'Borat' film fans, you will know that it was Sacha Baron Cohen's brother Erran, who composed the score. Due to the controversy surrounding the film, he was surprised to get a 'phone call from Marat Bisengaliev, the Kazakh violin virtuoso and conductor.
The result is a new composition for symphony orchestra called, 'Zere', which will be premiered at St.James's Church, Piccadilly, London, on Friday.
Bisengaliev will play violin and conduct the Turan Alem Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra. For a full report read Adam Sweeting's article in The Daily Telegraph.

Nigel Kennedy has also had a glowing report from Ivan Hewett, for a performance at Ronnie Scott's, where he combined jazz with Bartok and a bit of blues thrown in. Read more here.

Meanwhile, Robin is oblivious to all of this.
Having flown overnight from Miami to Heathrow, he then immediately boarded a flight to Singapore. Another 12 and a half hours...Ouch.
It's tough at the top.