Chapter 11

They spent two hours working with the music. They didn’t have the numbers that the piece was written for but made do with a pruned down orchestra. There was enough percussion players to fill out that section, but the strings were thinned out a bit. There was a full complement of brass players, and Willow wondered if there was an evening brass band.

All the members of this orchestra had played for some time, and all could read from the sheet music. They had to stop and start as mistakes were made, but gradually worked towards a better sound. Willow was able to play her clarinet part first time but had to repeat it several times as they restarted. She listened to Alec on the flute and was impressed.

They had a break at the one-hour mark, with everyone getting their water bottles and some heading for the toilets. Willow saw Mister Bamborough looking at some notes and went over to him.

“Excuse me sir, can I have a minute of your time?”

“Of course, Willow. What’s on your mind?”

“It’s about Gina Summer, sir. I know that there isn’t much for her to do with the celesta. Is there a chance that there’s something else we can do on the piano to let her shine?”

“Is there something you know that I don’t. Last year she showed that she was a very competent pianist, but lacked the spark that made her different.”

“I heard her play an etude on our piano at home. Then, we both played piano in the village club for a Saturday evening sing-along. I was able to let her play the pipe organ in our church, and she has realised that she can entertain. Give her a chance, please. I think that you’ll find that she has found that spark.”

“I’ll take that on board, Willow. Your clarinet playing is very good, by the way. I think that young Alec has been trying to impress you. He’s been brighter, today, than I’ve heard him before.”

At the end of the second hour, Mister Bamborough called a halt and said that they had done very well, then spoke to Gina.

“Miss Summer. I know that the Ravel doesn’t have a lot for you to do. I’m trying to think of another piece for our concert. Can you play me something on the piano, please?”

Gina was shocked to be asked and went to the piano. She thought about the etudes that she knew and chose the flashiest one in her repertoire. As she played, the rest of the orchestra listened to the pianist that she hadn’t exhibited last year. Willow was thinking ‘good girl’ and smiled. She saw Mister Bamborough raise one eyebrow. When Gina finished, the rest of the orchestra clapped.

“Thank you, Miss Summer. That gives me an idea for the main section of our part of the concert. I think that we’ll start studying the ‘Greig Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus 16’. The quicker we get the Ravel perfected, the quicker we can move on to that, but it will give Miss Summer some time to learn it. Do you have access to a piano at home, Gina?”

“Willow has an upright at her house that she has offered to me to play, if I need it, sir.”

“Is that all right, Miss Rose?”

“It is sir, it belonged to my grandfather, but it was tuned on the weekend.”

“Right. That’s the end of the session, thank you all for your work. Gina and Willow, come with me and I’ll get you a copy of the music.”

Willow packed her clarinet away, and picked up both cases, following Gina out. They were given two copies of the music and put them in their bags. Then went out the front of the school to find Maisie reading a magazine. Gina got in the front and Willow got in the back with her cases. On the way home, Gina was full of the news that she had been chosen to be out front of the orchestra at the end of the year, as a solo pianist. Willow saw Maisie look in the mirror at her and wink.

When Willow went in, her mother was reheating her dinner in the microwave. Willow took her cases upstairs and quickly changed into a nightie and her gown. The dinner wasn’t too bad, she thought, and liveable for one night a week. When Wendy took away the plate and put some ice cream in front of her, she asked if today was different.

“It was, Mum. We had a service for the second years and the priest that Edie said was a nice lad didn’t strike me as very nice at all. He knew his stuff but was almost arrogant in his delivery. Then we had the orchestra. We’re doing the Ravel ‘Bolero’ for the end of year concert and will also see if we can master the ‘Grieg Piano’. Gina, as our pianist, will be the soloist, so expect her to spend a lot of time here on our piano.”

“How much did you have in that, young lady?”

“Who, me? She was asked to play something, and she picked the most difficult etude that Chopin composed, and nailed it, with panache. Or is that grenache?”

“A little something left over from Saturday evening, I expect.”

“Could be, Mum. See, nothing to do with me.”

“Yeah, right. Get yourself cleansed and into bed. I’ll clear up. Goodnight, dear.”

Willow held her two friends close to her as she tried to sleep. Was she a busy body? Why was she trying to help Gina? Why was everybody so damn friendly. Why was being Willow so different from being William? Why did she enjoy playing next to Alec so much? The memory of Alec playing the flute during the ‘Bolero’ was in her mind as she finally drifted off to sleep.

The morning of her third day at this school saw Willow leap out of bed and head for the toilet. It wasn’t so much the bladder driving her as the thought of another day in classes that she enjoyed, with students she liked, and teachers who knew how to teach. When they picked up Gina, she jumped in the back seat with a smile.

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“Mum’s taking me into Coventry on Saturday to look at keyboards. Do you want to come along?”

“That’ll be great. I’ll have to go to the church on Friday to check the hymn list, then.”

“Mum said that we can get a good one that I can use to play the piano on, though it won’t have the full keys. That way I can get some organ music and learn, as well.”

“I’ll help you get the right things so that you can link your phone and play along to the actual music. It really helps to get the feel for it, rather than being a load of notes.”

At the school, they were arm in arm as they walked in. The receptionist saw them and called them over.

“Gina, I’ve been told to give you this key. It’s for a bigger locker over near Willow’s. Clear your old one and give me that key.”

They went to Gina’s locker and Willow helped carry her things to the music area, where they found the bigger locker. Gina filled it with her things.

“I wonder why I’ve been given this?”

“It’s because you’re now considered to be a soloist, which means that you’ll need space to hang your special outfit before a show. As a pianist, you didn’t need the space, as I expect that you just brought the long skirt with you on the day. Welcome to the artiste’s area, my friend.”

The day was pretty much a carbon copy of the days before, and Willow was starting to get used to the tempo of the new school, as well as the feeling of safety that was starting to make her feel good.

On the way home, it was arranged that Gina would come and try playing the Greig on the upright. Willow told her that she would find a performance that she could play along to. She knew that she could play the MP3 file through a small speaker, and start the track from the beginning of the orchestra, after the piano intro.

Gina arrived with her mother as Willow was clearing the table. Wendy told her to get the things she needed, so she went up to her room, with Gina, and carried down the small speaker and the MP3 player. They set the speaker behind Gina as she sat at the piano, and Willow found the first part of the Grieg, playing the piano intro and then stopping the playback.

Gina warmed her fingers with an etude, then said that she was ready. Willow made a noise like a timpani roll and then Gina played the intro piano, then Willow started the player, bringing in the orchestra. Gina had the music in front of her and waited until she had to play again. When the piano part played, it sounded like an echo, as she followed the music. Having the orchestra behind her helped her keep the timing right. She did make a few mistakes but caught herself and carried on.

The first movement runs for nearly thirteen minutes, and the three adults were standing by the door as she played, keeping quiet. When she finished, her mother came in and put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.

“When we get that keyboard, we’ll make sure that it’s the best that we can afford, my clever girl. We’ll get a unit that does what Willow has set up, as well. I’ve never heard you play so well.”

“That’s because I’ve never been asked to be the soloist, Mum.”

Willow set the player back to the beginning of the first movement, then they repeated the movement, starting with the timpani. Gina played the movement twice more, with it getting better every time and her not having to look at the sheet music so much. They decided that this was enough for one night. After hugs all round, Gina and her mother went home, and Willow packed up the speaker and took it back to her room.

She went back downstairs and sat with her parents, each with a cup of hot chocolate.

“Gina is a good pianist, isn’t she, Willow?”

“She is, Mum. She now has that little something that makes her more than a good pianist. I’m looking forward to being in the orchestra when she plays it for the first time. We have to get the other two movements into her mind, and then she needs to remember the whole concerto.”

“Don’t you think that you should be playing it?”

“Not really. If asked, I can give it a go, but it will boost her career to be out in front. I’ll be getting my time in the spotlight on the organ. They think that it should be my main instrument. If we do the ‘Organ Symphony’, there’s a lot of time when the organ and piano are carrying the piece. If we can get Gina up to speed with the organ, it will give me some Sundays off in the church. I’ll need to go there tomorrow evening to find out what hymns we’re doing this weekend.”

“Do you mind if I come with you on Saturday, love? I spoke to Maisie, and she said it was all right. The one that you’ve had for a few years needs upgrading if you’re going to play a lot more in the public. If we get you one with a full set of keys, you’ll be able to work on your school stuff at home, as well as just needing the sheet music for the keyboard parts of the hymns.”

“That would be wonderful, Mum. But those are a couple of thousand pounds, or more!”

“That’s as far as Maisie is prepared to go to further Gina’s playing. If she gets one that’s the same, you’ll be able to help each other with the music, as well as learn more pub songs. I’m sure that the two of you will be asked to play on other Saturday evenings.”

Willow looked at her parents.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a drain on the finances.”

Ashley grinned.

“We’re being canny, my daughter. When you’re famous, you’ll be able to look after us in our old age. It’s a drop in the ocean if you start playing professionally. You could play classics, or you could play pop music. If the way you played Purple was anything to go by, all you need to do is find the right band to be in. I’m already looking forward to being in the audience for the school concerts. If you play the Cathedral for more than one performance, expect us to turn up for all of them.”

“What if we get an evening at the Proms?”

“Then, we’ll have to book a room in London, won’t we?”

Thursday was now the new normal for Willow, until they got to the last lesson, which was PE. Willow went to her locker and got the PE outfit to change into before going to the gym. The teacher lined them up.

“Welcome, girls, to the new term. Today, we will have two netball games going, those of you that have played last year can sort yourselves out. The ones left over can make up any shortfall in the teams or will be doing other things. As usual, we will rotate team members as the term progresses”

Willow found herself added to a team with Gina and Dianne. Never playing netball before, she was given a goalkeeper top and told to try and stop the attacking team without knocking anyone over. She watched as her team got to the other end and then emulated the goalkeeper of the other team when the ball came her way. It was a position where she didn’t have to run up and down the court and suited her current medical condition.

Luckily, the showers had small stalls so she could slide in with her groin covered and then come out with the towel wrapped around her. She was glad that she had already changed that skirt in front of Gina, as the experience of being in a room full of teenage girls getting dressed was something she had never considered that would be part of her life.

Back in the uniform, and with some make-up, she was hugged by a few of her team and then went out to find her mother, with Gina beside her.

“Where did you play netball before?”

“That was the first time. I didn’t get picked in my last school.”

“But you were so good in blocking the attacks. I think that the teacher was taking notes.”

“As long as I don’t have to run around a lot, I’ll be happy.”

Friday was a now normal day at school. Willow had more friends now than she had ever had before. The lessons weren’t far away from her previous studies, there wasn’t the bullying, yet, and some of the other girls had started to talk to her about ‘out if school’ activities. That evening, she went to the church and found the Reverend to see what hymns were set for Sunday. He told her the numbers and she found the sheet music.

There was enough time to have a run through of the hymns and left the sheet music on the organ for Sunday morning. The Reverend asked her how her first week of school was, and she told him that it had been very good. She asked if he would let Gina work with her on the organ, and he thought it was a good idea.

On Saturday morning, Willow and her mother were ready when Maisie and Gina arrived to pick them up in her hatch. They went into Coventry and further on to a store that sold organs. When they had parked and walked in, they started looking at what was available. The store looked a little run down, and the man that came out to see them was looking a bit wizened and bent.

“Can I help you ladies?”

“We’re looking for two keyboards. Both need to be able to use as a piano and an organ. Single keyboard, and outputs for headphones, amp. Input for second keyboard an advantage.”

“Two, you say. There has to be a story there?”

“Willow, here, played organ with a band at the school concert and had a write-up in the Observer. Gina is starting to learn organ, but is an accomplished piano player, and will be a soloist in a concert next year. We don’t have room for a full-size piano in the cottage, but Willow has an upright at her home, and has just started as the resident organist in Stoneleigh Village church.”

“Do you have a budget? Or, more importantly, can you pay, in full, today?”

“We’re looking for something good, not cheap.”

“All right. I think that we have something for you here. This is a Yamaha YC88. It has everything you want, including eighty-eight keys, and is able to be a pure piano, organ, or synthesiser. Why don’t you try it out and then we can talk turkey.”

Willow went first. She tried keys with different settings. The piano sound was almost the same as a baby grand. She played some Chopin, then switched to organ and played some Bach. With a grin, she did a little bit of Purple before letting Gina sit at the instrument.

Gina had been watching carefully, and set it to piano, playing the etude that she had played Tuesday evening. Then she played a couple of the hymns on the organ setting, before going back to the piano to play a couple of the drinking songs she had learned. Maisie looked on.

“What do you think, sweetheart?”

“This is fantastic, Mum. It will fit into the cottage, and I can perfect my playing at home. If we learn some more songs for the club, I can try them out on the upright to get the right sound. I think it will allow me to shine.”

She turned back to the keyboard and played the opening piano part to the Greig. Willow and Wendy were looking on. Wendy turned to Willow.

“Will one of these be right for you, darling?”

“It would be fantastic, Mum. It’s as good as the one I played with the band. If I get to play any pop gigs, I can take it to the venue. All I would need would be amps supplied.”

“All right. What do you think, Maisie?”

“Depends on the price.”

The man smiled.

“Ladies, I have this one, and another in a box. Normally, they would set you back over three thousand, each. But I’ll do the pair for four thousand. As you can see, I may not be open much longer, so it would be good to clear stock. You will get the usual guarantees. I can take card or cash.”

Both Wendy and Maisie pulled out their cards and did the deal. The girls helped the man find the one in the box and checked that it was untouched. He found the original box for the shop unit, and they packaged it up. He threw in the worn stool and the support frame from the shop with the deal. They needed to drop one seat-back to fit both boxes in the car, with the girls having to be very friendly in the back seat that was left.

It was a quiet ride back to Stoneleigh with the adults hoping that what they had paid would be worth it. The two girls were thinking about playing the new instruments. Willow, in particular, was thinking about experimenting with the synthesiser and hoping that she could recreate the MRI sounds. At Stoneleigh, they stopped at Gina’s home and unloaded the new unit, amp and stool. Willow told her that she would pop around later to make sure that she was set up.

At the Rose residence, Willow and Wendy carried the other unit up to her bedroom, while Maisie went back to see what sort of mess Gina was making with the packaging. Willow and her mother stopped for lunch and talked about what they had done.

“I hope Dad’s all right with what you spent?”

“I told him that we may spend three thousand, so we have come out of it much better than I thought. He’ll be happy when you’re up on a stage.”

“Shall I play some Purple for him?”

“I wouldn’t, love. It may upset the neighbours.”

After they tidied up, Willow went up to her room to see what she needed to do. The old keyboard was taken off its support frame and put into a corner. She took the new unit out of the box and wrestled it onto the frame. After she had plugged it in and tested that it had arrived safely, she looked at the inputs and outputs, with the instruction book, to see what she could add.

It had a headphone jack, and she tested to make sure that it muted the internal speaker. There were jacks for two amps and a MIDI input. She sat for a while, playing around with the settings and reading the instruction manual. She realised that it would take hours to work out all the things that she could do. Taking the headphones off, she switched it off and told her mother she was going to see how Gina was getting on.

For the rest of the afternoon, she and Gina were working through the features of the unit, with Gina getting more excited as she realised how many sounds were now open to her. They experimented with Gina’s CD player, sending it into the input jack and finding out if it played through the headphones, along with the organ output. That way, she could set up and work on the Grieg.

Willow finally was able to leave, with them hugging before she left. Maisie followed her out of the house and hugged her as well.

“Thank you, Willow.”

“For what?”

“For being a good friend to Gina, and for helping her become the good pianist that was hovering on the horizon before you turned up. I’m sure that we’ll have many evenings with her serenading me. I’ll see you, tomorrow, at church. Do you think that the Reverend will let us borrow some of the sheet music?”

“I’m certain he will. He’s thinking about two organists in the Village after years of silence. The Club will be thinking about more sing-along evenings, I expect.”

Willow walked back home to help her mother prepare dinner. Her father had been at work today, some sort of upgrade for the new model. As she strolled, she thought about the deal that they had made at the shop. She expected that the demonstration model that she now had would have been written down, if not written off, so the shop owner really hadn’t lost anything. Still, they both had gig-worthy keyboards. All she needed to do now was to put hers to good use.

That evening, after dinner, her parents sat on her bed as she serenaded them with a range of piano pieces. The keyboard lived up to the hype and really did sound like a grand piano. Then she played them some Bach organ music. Her father wanted her to play the intro to ‘Lazy’ that she had played in the concert, and she did so, extending it with snippets of other Purple songs.

When her parents said goodnight, her mother gave her a hug and a wink, before her father smiled as he left. As she brushed her teeth and cleansed, she heard her parent’s bed springs squeak.

‘One day’, she thought. One day she would be operated on and able to experience the things that the boys at the Bristol school had always spoken about, although, at the moment, that was the last thing on her mind.

Marianne Gregory © 2025