Autumn is coming

'tis getting cooler in Gaborone.... after spending the summer on my balcony, wearing little more than (boxer) shorts, soon I'll have to throw on a Tshirt at night. Shocking!

Meanwhile, the Gaborone Musical Society's concert (together with Sedibeng Choir and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra) is coming on, the weekend after Easter or so. The first full orchestra I will have heard in Botswana since I got here last June. Ok, so our choir's contribution is only 4 minutes for the Beethoven choral fantasy, and maybe another four minutes if we do the Faure as well (Cantique for Jean Racine, bit of a cheesy piece, but that's Faure for you).

Have to say that our conductor, David Slater, or Mr Music of Gaborone is fantastic. It may be a year or two since his teenage years, but he is able to control both our somewhat older crew (not many of whom may remember their 40th birthday or even be looking forward to it), patiently coaxing the best out of us, as well as, at the last rehearsal, the very much younger Sedibeng Choir - a fantastic youthful collection of singers - he can relate to everyone and anyone, of whatever age group. Once he gets us to appreciate dynamics there will be no holding us back... He must have been a wonderful music teacher in his younger years. What would we do without him?