Chapter 10

Willow rested on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Ashley had gone out to look at garages and sheds. Wendy expected that he would end up with a shed to replace the ‘crate castle’ as the house already had a large garage, big enough for both cars. The crates had been delivered with the truck going alongside the house and craning the crate sides over the fence.

She sat with her mother having lunch, tidied up and went into the city. They parked at the Cathedral and went in. As far as it went, for Willow it was all too familiar. The hymns were as she had already been advised, and the Evensong content was as the list. She went up to the organ, turned it on and set it up, then warmed her fingers with some Bach before playing each hymn in full. It was gratifying to hear some singing. Then, she worked through the Evensong list in full, with a lot more singing of the popular songs, and the choir singing with the choral pieces.

It was all very straight-forward, and she had done all she wanted to do in under the two hours. She went back down and the two of them left the Cathedral to go into the shopping area, where they window-shopped but took nothing home.

“You seem a bit preoccupied.”

“I feel that I’ve been here and done that already. I don’t want to appear jaded, but after six months playing hymns, it’s become background to my other music. I’m not knocking it; it has become the pathway to my other things, but I’m feeling a bit tired and flat. Gina felt the same yesterday. I don’t think it’s the fault of the church music, just that we’re in bubble of inactivity until the album gets taken around.”

“You’re afraid that nobody will play it, aren’t you?”

“You’re right. I don’t know what I’ll do if it bombs. I may be the only one in the band that thinks that way. I have this feeling that there’s something coming.”

“Could it be fear of the operation?”

“Could be. I’ve never considered having my manhood removed, it was just a part of me that worked as needed. It has to happen, because it’s something that could kill me if I get blood poisoning.”

“We’ll be there for you, darling. You aren’t alone anymore.”

“I know, Mum. I also have a lot of friends. I just don’t know how I’ll explain this.”

“Just say that it’s a consequence of the earlier problem. That something came back. It is the truth, and that helps.”

They had dinner after Ashley came in from measuring the back garden. He had decided that a garage wasn’t feasible, seeing that he would have to use the neighbours land as access. It would take the ‘crate castle’ to be emptied and removed, then a concrete floor laid and allowed to set, They would lose what little of the vegetable patch that remained after the crates had arrived. As far as Willow was concerned, they could lose a lot of stuff that had ended up out there for the reason that it had reached its use-by date.

Wendy took Willow in on Sunday morning, as Ashley was going to be in the club. They picked up Jacob on the way. The Cathedral was almost full when they went in, and there were several pictures taken as they walked in. The reason became apparent when they passed a notice board with a sign stating that the organist that played on the smash hit, ‘Love and Marriage’ would supply the music today.

That had the effect of breaking Willow’s funk. Out of sight of the public, she had to start laughing and sit down, while Jacob went and got her some water.

“You really have to hand it to the Bishop! There’s me and Gina thinking that playing here is the pinnacle for any organist, and he uses a four-minute YouTube video to pull in the punters!”

The service was as expected, and Willow played as expected. After she had played the Bishop out of the church, she sneaked in a few bars of the ‘Wedding March’ with more than a few cheers. When she came down, she was inundated by autograph hunters and younger fans asking questions.

When she had signed everything and was able to escape to the Chapter House, the Bishop was there with a big smile and a huge hug.

“Willow, Willow, Willow. You just had to round out a perfect service with the perfect snippet of classics. I’m pretty sure that more than ten percent of the congregation have never been in a church before. Your friend Bruce suggested the advert. Being in the media, he knows how to press buttons. He’s over there if you want to slap anyone around.”

“It’s perfectly all right, sir. It took me out of a funk that I’ve been in since we recorded our album on Thursday. You won’t be able to pull the same trick with Gina.”

“That depends on how many radio stations are playing your album, doesn’t it?”

They were both laughing when Wendy and Jacob came in, having to negotiate the small crowd and the security man.

“You two look happy.”

“We are, Wendy. Good morning, Jacob. No lightning or lumps of stone today?”

Jacob had to grin.

“Just the mob outside, sir. I would have been worried if someone had supplied a pile of rocks.”

The Bishop laughed.

“You may not have the faith, young man, but the knowledge of the stories is inside you, waiting to sustain you in your hour of need. Now, Willow, you’ll be back at half past three, please. There is a reporter from the Church News who wants to talk to you and take a few pictures before you start playing. He will do the same with Gina, next week, and then write an article that will be in that esteemed publication before the May concert.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

He hugged her and Wendy, shook Jacob’s hand and they left the Chapter House and headed into the city. Jacob took the role of the man in the group and opened doors, pulled out chairs, and was generally gentlemanly. They had a leisurely lunch, window-shopped and were back at the Cathedral at the time nominated. The reporter was very kind and only asked general questions about her school, her likes and dislikes. She had to describe how she ended up as the organist on a viral video and she dropped hints about Summer Rose and the May concert.

He took pictures of her in front of the altar, and one with Jacob standing beside her. The last was of her sitting at the organ. By that time, it was very close to Evensong, and she prepared herself to start playing as he went back down to ground level. There was a good crowd, and she started on the hour, with a lot of singing. To her, this was what she was here for, the entertainment. When the choir was singing, she heard about five times as many voices as she could see, their previous visit obviously being continued with the Cathedrals’ own multipliers.

When she had finished and tidied up, she met the Dean at the bottom of the stairs who told her that it had been a good day. She had to agree. Wendy took the teenagers to the Steakhouse, where Ashley had secured a table. They had a good dinner and then went to the farm, where they were required to have a cup of tea and explain what had happened during the day. When they left, Jacob gave Willow a hug and a kiss without any embarrassment.

That night, when Willow went to bed, she cuddled her plush friends and was smiling as she went to sleep. It had been a very good day, in the end.

Monday was back to school. Willow had her shoulder bag and the various business cards bundled with elastic bands. At the lunch break, she went over to the table where Herb, Roy and Victor were sitting.

“Hi, guys. I want to tell you a little story. Last Thursday, Gina, Jacob, Brent, and I spent some hours in a recording studio in Birmingham to record the entire set of Carpenters songs that we played at the dinner dance. We asked the guys there about adding others to the four of us to do other things. I spoke about our unfinished project.”

“You told them about the Kansas set?”

“I did, Herb. Now, they’re interested but not convinced. The thing is that if we record it, we will be acting outside the school. The result will be a digital offering on our Summer Rose website. If you guys want to take it further, I have some business cards that I can give you.”

“What does it cost us?”

“Nothing except your time and talent. Our manager charges five percent until we come of age, or when we will be able to tour, and his cut goes to fifteen percent. Our promoter will cover the cost of recording and only split with us once the costs are met.”

“The band will be Summer Rose?”

“That’s right. Gina and I picked the name when it was just the two of us.”

“If you give us the cards, it’s up to us to get in touch. They won’t hound us?”

“Correct. Now, do you want the cards and talk about it. No pressure on our side but we would be happy to have you all on stage when we go live.”

“If we aren’t performing on stage, how will we make any money?”

“Have you heard that single by Rick Sacks and the Hikers?”

“You bet, it’s great.”

“That single went on the website on a Saturday evening. By Sunday evening it had been viewed close to a million times, and a week ago it hit two million views.”

“Views don’t make money.”

“No, but there was a link to let you buy the six-track album for a pound a piece.”

“We all got that. So what?”

“So, seventy percent of people viewing bought the album. I’ll leave you to work out the maths.”

She pulled out the business cards and gave each one a set.

“Wait! How do you know all this detail?”

“Did you see who overdubbed the organ tracks?”

She stood and left them before they could pick their chins up from the tabletop. She went over to where the four Gees and Jim were sitting.

“Hello, Gee Men. How are you all.”

“Good, Willow. We were watching you talk to Blue Two. The way that they’re huddled, I guess that you lit a fire under them.”

“Exactly, Geoff. It’s like the fire I’ve come over to you to light. Are you guys still determined to finish school before you tour?”

“That was the plan. The Head isn’t keen to see us give away a good education.”

“How about getting your name out there without touring?”

“How do we do that?”

“By having a website and selling your music online. You can do what Rick Saxon has done with the Hikers. I’ve got some business cards for a manager and a promoter who will be willing to take you into a recording studio.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Only that it would be nice if Blue One opened a show with Blue Two in the second half. Actually, not Blue Two, we’re Summer Rose and we’ve signed with these guys. We recorded our Carpenters tracks last week and the result should be on the web in a week or two.”

“If we take the cards, it’s up to us to make contact?”

“Correct. One of the guys that I have a card for was talking to the Head a week after our Purple show. She threw him out but never told us that there were people interested. The other promoter is a good guy and will be putting our orchestra into a studio to record a classics album. That will be a school project; if you make the move, it will be your own project.”

Geoff nodded and she handed each one a set of cards, including an extra set for Geoff.

“They’re for Zara if you want her out front.”

Garry stood and gave her a hug before she left them and went back to her table, sitting down to finish her drink.

“Lit a couple of fires, there?”

“I hope so, Jacob. We can only ask and let them decide. By the way, I’ve got a copy of the Kansas album that we spoke about. Alec was the main singer when we did it last, but I think we can spread that between us.”

She gave him the CD and the bit of paper with suggested singers. They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

“Have you got your spark back? You were a bit down on Sunday.”

“I think so, Jacob. It’s the waiting that gets to me. Not having any control of things. I suppose that happens a lot when you’re grown up. As a kid, your world is immediate, but I’m starting to realise that you need to plan ahead. Take the service yesterday. There was no way that I could have foreseen a crowd of autograph hunters when I played for Rick in the church. We’re all going to be in that boat when we get famous. I just don’t know if it will be good or bad.”

“If I’m with you, Willow, it can only be good.”

They were interrupted by Gina.

“Come on, you lovebirds, classes are awaiting our esteemed selves.”

On the way home, Wendy had the radio on, softly, as the teens talked among themselves about their day. Suddenly, she reached over and turned it up as the sound of the Carpenters filled the car. Only, it wasn’t the Carpenters, it was Summer Rose. At the end, the announcer came on.

“That, dear listeners, is the first of many songs from a new double CD, called ‘Coventry Carpentry’, that I’ll be playing. The band is Summer Rose, and they all come from Coventry, so we may have another Specials from this fine city.”

Wendy turned it back down as another song started, with the car filled with whoops. When they arrived at the farm, they all got out and the teens took the opportunity to hug, with Jacob kissing Willow and whispering that he loved her. She replied in the same fashion.

Jacob’s parents were advised that their son was now being heard on the radio, and he turned his laptop on as they were sitting around the kitchen table. He found their new website, that must have gone up over the weekend. There was a video, which showed them in the recording studio playing. There was a link to the digital double album at five pounds each disc.

The video had only been seen fifteen hundred times, but it was early days. He clicked on a merchandise button which brought up pictures of each of them and the poster that was the album cover. The teens gave Wendy a hug and told her she was wonderful. Rosalie and Wilhelm were amazed. They had gone along with it to see their son happy, never thinking that it would come to this.

When they dropped Gina off, they had to go in and show Maisie the website and have another cup of tea. When they arrived home, Wendy and Willow went in and shed their winter coats.

“What happens now, darling?”

“What happens is that I’m in the toilet after two cups of tea and a lot of excitement!”

Willow went up to the toilet. When she turned around to flush, she thought that she saw something black in the water and decided it may have been an insect that had drowned. The dinner was full of laughs and joy, and there was a phone call to her grandparents. When she went to bed, there were two things on her mind. One was the concept that she, and the band, had been on the radio, while the other one made her smile more. It was those three little words that every girl wants to hear. They were the words that Alec, in all his time with her, had never uttered.

……………………………………………..

That evening, the IT specialist in Peter’s office was hunched over a computer. He had been sent a large file which contained the video and audio of Summer Rose in concert. He was replacing the studio clip with the live clip of the same song, thinking that it was much better seeing the interaction of the band on stage. He added the album cover, with a LIVE overwrite and put a link to buy the DVD at fifteen pounds for the download, or twenty for the actual disc.

…………………………………………..

Bruce Miller, having been sent a copy of the concert, was busy writing up his article for the next issue of the Observer. He had known the Specials, had gone to school with some, but had never been this close to an upcoming band before. He was looking forward to the next few months.

…………………………………………..

In her easy chair, the Head was looking at the website, wondering if she had done the right thing by agreeing to the release of the concert video. Whatever happened, the school would gain from its share of the takings, no matter how small, and she still had the complete concert DVD to sell in the school before the term ended. It was a hard job to keep the income coming in to improve the facilities and the equipment. It was the talent of her students that set the Blue Coat apart from run-of-the-mill schools. Without them, she knew, her job wouldn’t be so fulfilling.

…………………………………………

Tuesday morning seemed almost normal. Gina was on the organ for chapel. None of the other students listened to the middle-of-the-road radio stations, so nothing was said. Some thought it odd that Brent had been seen hugging Gina, Willow and Jacob; especially Jacob, but most thought that it was something between the four of them.

At lunch, Brent went over to his friends and gave them a bit of paper with the band website written on it, and then did the same for Geoff and the Gees. The first odd thing happened during the Orchestra. They were back to working with ‘Bolero’ and the Grieg. When they had played the two pieces, Mister Bamborough called for quiet.

“Last night, I looked at a website that the Head had told me about. It had four of this orchestra with a double album for sale. Those four, Willow, Gina, Jacob and Brent, performed a set of Carpenters songs at our dinner dance a couple of weeks ago. I applaud you four and hope that you do well. The school has a part in this, as every download of the concert video will bring us a piece of the income. The full concert DVD will be available next week as a school offering. It will be two discs, discounted, so will be twenty-five pounds each. It does show the skills of the others from this orchestra and is well worth it, especially for those who didn’t attend the wonderful event. That dance band is back at the Stoneleigh Community Club on Saturday evening, and I can tell you that it’s a good place to take your parents, as well as having fun.”

The band were hugged and backslapped as the session ended. Some had been at the school dance, but, for many, it was all something new. On the way home, Jacob remarked that things will now be changing for them. The others were a little bit overwhelmed by the reaction from their school friends.

When Willow was dropped off, she went inside to find her mother on the computer.

“What are you working on, Mum?”

“It’s a part of the graphics program that I’ve never used before. While we were preparing our dinner, I said that it had been a bit haywire in the club for the sing-along. Your father told me that there was a module in the program that they use for the best use of a sheet of steel when cutting a number of shapes. He had the dimensions of the back room of the club. I’ve estimated the space needed for an eight-seat table and chairs and have been working on finding the best fit while leaving space for a dance floor.”

“That looks like a pattern, rather than a table lay-out.”

“Exactly. I’ve found a layout that adds two eight-seaters to the old maximum and still leaves a dance floor. If we get inundated on Saturday evening, we’ll be able to seat two hundred and fifty-six and still have room to dance. That will increase the number that can be catered for at receptions as well. It still leaves plenty of room for people to move around.”

“That’s fantastic, Mum! You and Dad can see how it works tomorrow evening while I work with the village choir. There’s nearly a dozen of them now, and they can tell you what they think before anyone else sees it. From the point of view of someone on the stage, it would be great to have the audience as more of a ‘U’ shape in front of us. The only thing that I can see, right now, is that we will have to re-site the PA speakers, or else the close tables will have one in their ear.”

She had her sandwich and then told her mother about the orchestra session, and the fact that Mister Bamborough had brought up the website. She went and got her laptop and set it up on the kitchen table. When she looked at the website and noted the changes. The picture of the single link was different, so she clicked on it. She called her parents in to have a look.

“That’s nice, dear. They’ve gone from that boring studio clip to the school dance. That’s much nicer.”

“They must have received the permission and the raw video from the school. We were told that the full double DVD will be out next week, at twenty-five pounds each. Just the quartet section on the website is half that price for a download.”

Ashley put his hand on her shoulder.

“That’s because the school doesn’t pay the film crew or the sound guys. The website has to price everything as if you’ve gone into a professional studio to record the video. This is the money that things will cost when you do other recordings.”

“Oh! The real world. Did you notice the viewing number on the video, am I reading it right? I see a hundred and forty thousand.”

“Early days, daughter. If Peter has been canny, he would have sent it out to the people on Rick’s list. It may be a couple of days before an influencer gets to see it. Even that’s a good number if twenty thousand have bought the download at that price. We’ll have to wait until Peter sends us a statement of your earnings before we know for sure.”

On Wednesday, the four of them were the centre of attention. Most of the school had now seen the website and looked at the video. Summer Rose was now a group to be friends with no matter what year you were in. The rest of Blue Two reported that they had been in touch with Peter, with progress to be reported on after the parents had met him and seen the paperwork. The Gees said the same and had spoken to Marcus about recording something. Grant had been writing but never thought that he would have a chance to have anything played.

That evening, Wendy and Ashley moved tables and chairs around while Willow was in the front room with the choir ladies. They repeated the first two songs that they had perfected and worked on another item that Willow had found for them. The choral items from the Evensong was providing good material for this size group. After the session, they all went to the back room to see what the new layout was like.

It was different, and they sat in chairs and walked between settings with the chairs pulled out. Malcolm was there, with a big smile on his face. Saturday would be the big test.

Marianne Gregory © 2025