Chapter 16

On Saturday morning, Willow was up and over at the church early. She got the service details from the Reverend and went up to the organ to work through the hymns. After that, she went to the club, where Malcolm was polishing glasses.

“Big night, tonight, Willow. Fully booked with a waiting list. Quite a few that have booked full tables.”

“That’s great, Malcolm. We love playing to a full house, especially when they dance. It’s as if we’re the puppet masters, and they’re on the end of our strings. Has Dad had a word to you about booking other bands?”

“He mentioned it, but a lot come to see you.”

“We won’t be around for ever, and the earliest you get them used to seeing other bands, the easier it will be for us. Over the summer, we may be off somewhere else on a Saturday night. Talk to Peter when he comes in and see if he has other dance bands. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll be using the back room, and there’ll be another band from school. They have been playing for a while and do blues, sixties pop, and will be playing new material here.”

“I’ll pop in and see them. What time?”

“In the morning from ten. They get a couple of hours and then we take over for the rest of the day.”

She went home and rested until noon. Then, she set the video recorder, and the family went to the club for lunch and to set up for the afternoon practise. Gina arrived with Maisie, and then Jacob arrived with Racheal, carrying what looked like a new guitar case. The band members started pulling out the equipment and the others started setting up the tables for the evening. When the whole band was there, they had a snack that Malcolm had organised and went up on the stage to sort themselves out.

They worked as the full band, with the wind section, including the winds jamming with the Carpenters and the few Journey songs that were now being played by the full band. Willow told them that if they couldn’t follow, to just stand and sing, or, at least, sway with the beat. Jacob was playing a new guitar, a Guild Troubadour with pick-up as standard.

“What happened to the new Martin, Jacob?”

“I tried several, Willow, but this one sat so well on me and sounds great.”

They worked until nearly five, and then rested, eating the supplied dinner and then getting out of the way in the store area as the customers came in, talking about the past week and the exams.

When they heard the noise in the dining room quieten as the meals started coming out, they went up on the stage and started playing quiet ‘eating’ music. After about half an hour, they started to up the tempo and moved to dancing music. Willow had to smile as she saw the reporters and their companions look up from their plates and take in the band playing to them.

As she looked around the room, she saw one table with some of her choir, sitting with Tom and his partner. She was surprised to see tables with both the Hikers and the Gees, with Rick and Racheal sitting with the Epstein parents and another elderly couple.

She was also surprised to see Wendy and Maisie sitting with the Baron, Marie, Cassie and Terry, plus Rupert and a blonde who looked like a model. They got a cheer when they started with a small set of Carpenters numbers, then did some easy pop, and then ended the evening with a trio of new numbers from Journey, followed by some more slow dance songs. Close to eleven, Willow spoke.

“Thank you all for coming along tonight, I hope that you enjoyed your time in the Stoneleigh Community Club. We’re the Blue Coat School Dance Band, and any resemblance to Summer Rose is purely your imagination. And we’ve only just begun.”

They played that song, which Brent had told them was in the national top ten that day. When they finished, they all stood and bowed to the applause.

There were a lot of people wanting to talk to them after that, with Willow having to ask for a few minutes so they could have a comfort break. By the time they came back, there were a few empty tables, so the band commandeered a couple while Ashley organised soft drinks for them all. Most of the band were on one table, with Willow, Gina, Brent and Jacob on one to themselves, which gave those who wanted a chat to be able to sit with them.

The two reporters just wanted to tell them that the show had totally changed the way that future reporting would take. Although the TV show had been transmitted, the magazine article still had to be written, and would be revised. Willow said that she hadn’t seen the show because she had been in the club at the time but would look at it later.

The Baron and his party just stopped to say hello and congratulate the band before heading to the hotel in Coventry where they were staying. They said that they would be in the Cathedral on Sunday morning, so Willow told them that Gina would be on the organ.

Tom came over with his wife.

“I asked my daughter if she wanted to come with us, but she declared that she wouldn’t be seen dead in an old fogies dance. I took some pictures on my phone, and she’ll be livid when she sees them. She’s a big fan of Summer Rose.”

Willow delved into her bag.

“Here, give her this as a consolation. It’s one of our pendants.”

Tom got his wife to take the box, taking a picture of it being handed over. After that, there were a few of the normal diners who told them that they had just enjoyed a wonderful evening. The room cleared and Racheal came over with Rick and the rest of the Hikers.

“That was wonderful, I think that you’re going to be booked for our reception. It will be in one of the ballrooms in the city. Rick was suitably impressed with your total package.”

“Yes, I was. You have just shown me and my band what entertainment really is. We’ve been staying with what we like, but there must be a lot that we can do well but aren’t totally keen on. I’m told that you’re in here on Tuesday and Wednesday. Can we join in? There are a few new songs that we’ve written and would like to see what our peers think of them. I found out that G-Force will be here as well. It could be a fun day.”

“The object of the two days is to get some material recorded, Rick. We will have two cameramen and a sound guy with enough equipment to put together a DVD for you to show others. That’s what we will be doing. We have this room for all day, so you should arrive before ten. What’s set up on the stage now will be still there, so have a look and see if there’s anything else you want to bring. Tuesday will be try-out day, and Wednesday will be for making the recordings. You’re welcome to join in.”

After they had gone, taking Jacob with them, Geoff and the rest of the Gees sat down.

“Willow Rose. When you played the organ for us last summer, it was as if an angel had dropped out of the sky to save us. Here you are now, with a full band of second years, showing us that we’ve been knocking our heads against a wall since then. You’ve moved forward while we’ve remained, stubbornly static with our pop and blues. Grant has several new songs that we want to try that could pull us out of the rut. It would be really good with an audience of two bands with charting songs watching us.”

“We’re not going to be here to judge, Geoff. We’re here to do some work ourselves.”

“We know, but, after talking to Rick tonight, I know that he’s in the same boat as we are. Honestly, I’m not sure if you haven’t established your own rut with the easy-listening music.”

“You’ll see where we’re heading next week. What you see on the stage is what we will be using. We won’t have the wind section, so it will just be the seven of us that are signed with Peter. Bring along anything else that you want. The two Yamahas will be here for Jim to use. I will add one piece of advice. See if you can get Zara to sing in front of the band. That will put you behind her but could put you all in the charts.”

“She has sung with us when we had practise. I’ll try to get her to come along to see what being in a good band can be like. We’ll see you at ten on Tuesday.”

Finally, the room cleared, the wind section all collected their envelopes, joined their parents, who had been at a table together, and left. The rest of the band drifted off with their families. Willow and Gina sat with their drinks.

“That was interesting, friend.”

“It was, Gina. Our sessions here will be interesting. It will be good to see where the other groups are.”

“Two groups that you’ve played in, Willow. You’re the one who have brought them together with us. The day I saw you play the Purple with Geoff; I was in awe. Now I’m sitting beside you, my very best friend and mentor, hearing you offer advice to guys a lot older than us. It’s strange, but seems right, somehow.”

“What is right is that I’m ready for bed. We’ll make sure that everything on stage is turned off, and I’m heading home.”

They stood and hugged, then checked the stage before Gina went with Maisie and Willow went home with her mother.

Before she left, she asked Malcolm about getting into the club on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I’ll be here, lass. It will be interesting to hear what sounds like a Battle of the Bands play-off. I’ve paid the extras, and will pay Peter fifteen hundred for your time, tonight. That was a cracking show. The TV reporter told me that I was a lucky man as he ordered a round of drinks for his table. One of his companions used to be on the screen but is now the head of the news at the station.”

Mother and daughter strolled home, with Willow starting to flake as they went. She cleansed and changed to her nightie, dived into bed and was asleep before saying goodnight to her furry friends.

Sunday morning, she was awake and dressed for breakfast and the church, feeling good. The family walked there as the bells started. The Reverend greeted them.

“Cracking show last night, Willow. You may not have noticed us in the crowd, but Mister Bamborough and his wife sat with us. He didn’t want to impose, but he was mightily impressed with the show. He said that he knew that the band was good after the dance at the school but had moved on since then. He had a laugh when you announced the name. He was, I think, considering that it would be nice to put a show on in one of the big halls in Coventry.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see. There’s a term and a half before we get to the summer holidays, and there still is the concert in the Cathedral to get through.”

She went to the organ, got ready, and started playing the welcoming music. As she played, she thought about how the week will pan out. She was getting excited about having the three bands in one place, swapping ideas and trying new things. She hoped that the recording of the news show was a good one and would look at it this afternoon.

The service went as usual, and she went over to join the others in the club. Although it was now the end of March, there was still a nip in the air and the hot drink was welcome. Ashley put the big screen on, and at ten-thirty, they watched it as Gina played the Cathedral. Willow was surprised when her mother put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to snuggle.

“Your friend is there because of your faith in her. When I first met her, she was a timid little mouse. Now, there she is playing in the Cathedral. I don’t know how many will be watching the stream, but there will be followers anywhere in the world. It’s almost scary to think about.”

“It’s not scary, Mum. It’s wonderful. That sort of exposure will give her offers to play anywhere after school. It sets her up for life if she wants.”

“You too. I’m going to call that woman that my boss knows. It’s high time you were exposed to fashion and proper make-up in a photo shoot. With you and Gina having been on the TV, I’m sure that she’ll jump at the chance to give you both a screen test.”

“We can watch that interview this afternoon, as long as I set the recorder properly. Malcolm told me that the head of the news division was on a table with the reporter last night. And Brent told us that ‘Only Just Begun’ was in the national top ten, based on radio plays. Peter should be tearing his hair out thinking of ways to get us on to a stage.”

“Suggest what the Reverend told us. Get him to put on big dinner dances with the band as the evening’s entertainment. He could co-ordinate with the school to split the organisation and some of the profit.”

“You’re a genius, Mum. Can you start to think about a couple of album covers for us, please.”

“What are you thinking of?”

“One will be for the Kansas CD. I think that we should have me and Jacob, and Gina and Brent, out front on that yellow brick road, with the others clearly seen behind us. The title can be, ‘It’s not Kansas anymore, it’s the Other Side of Summer Rose’. What do you think?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ve taken pictures of all of you while you were playing, so I can get the faces right. What’s the other one?”

“That one will be ‘Journey into Womanhood’. You’ve heard me do the whole album when I was on the piano a couple of weeks ago. We’ll be playing it as a soft-rock set with the whole band. I haven’t got a picture in my mind yet. The whole set are my own compositions. We did play a few from the album last night, near the end.”

When the feed from the Cathedral finished, most of the crowd went home. Malcolm insisted that the Roses stayed for lunch. He sat with them at the table.

“That show, last night, was brilliant. As brilliant as our takings lately. This year, the club has pulled out of the COVID slump and is more popular than before, with a lot of diners who don’t live in the village. We’re nearly at the stage where we can do some renovations, especially in the conveniences area.”

Willow thought a bit and then looked at her father.

“Dad, we need to draw some money from my account to pay for the tech guys in the week. Can you please get me fifteen hundred, in cash, as we promised them five hundred each. While you’re about it, can you get another thousand so I can pay Malcolm for hire of the back room for the two days. I know it’s been offered free, and I appreciate that, but it’s turned into more than we had planned. We will have Rick and the Hikers with us, as well as the G-Force. Malcolm said that it will be like a Battle of the Bands last night, and that has made me realise that two of those bands are in the charts. We can afford to pay our way.”

“Did I just hear you right? You said two in the charts.”

“Rick has been to the top with ‘Love and Marriage’, and Brent told me that “Only Just Begun’ is in the top ten on radio exposure. It will be interesting to see my statement from Peter.”

“With you on both of them! That’s crazy! My daughter a pop star and just sitting here after playing organ for the church service.”

“I told Jacob that when you play with a group, like an orchestra, there are no stars, just some individuals doing a bit more at the time. That’s how I feel about Summer Rose. As you saw last night, almost everyone is out front with the vocals at some time or another. Anyway, the video didn’t have an organ in it, and they’ve got an extra member to play one.”

“But it was you on the audio, sweetheart, the sound that made it work. It was you that allowed the Hikers to earn more than a million pounds.”

“Don’t lay it on with a trowel, Dad. I’m still me, your child. Still a child, Dad, with some more years at school to get through. Anyway, thank you for the lunch, Malcolm. I think I need to have a look at that interview that aired last night while we were here.”

Wendy and Willow went home and changed into casual outfits. They sat in front of the TV and went to the start of the recording. It came on and showed the end of the national weather news, then the opening credits of the local news. There was an item about one of the aged care homes and poor nutrition. Then they saw the reporter, as he opened the item with, “Today, I’m sitting in the dining room of the Stoneleigh Community Club. With me are Willow Rose, Gina Summer, and Jacob Epstein, three members of the quartet, Summer Rose, who have that successful album, ‘Coventry Carpentry’.”

The interview gave them all equal time, with a fair bit of editing, and interrupted by snippets of the live performance at the school. Willow thought that it was as good as they could give time for. It was followed by the interview with Margaret and her friends after a short ad break. With this one the reporter had thought about the continuity with it being second.

“You have just seen an interview with the members of Summer Rose. When I arrived to interview them, I walked in on a choir session, with some ladies from the Stoneleigh village being taught by Willow Rose”. There was a short clip of Willow at the keyboard with the choir in front of her, singing. When it came back to him, he smiled.

“The opera lovers of you may have recognised three of the faces in that choir, all were at the top of their game before they retired, and all now rejoicing in the opportunity to sing again.”

He turned his eyes away from the camera and asked Margaret about her time since she last walked a stage. The interview followed her time in hospital and then drew in her friends, who were living in the village and were able to organise a cottage for her, getting it wheelchair friendly before she moved in. The three all said that finding out about the singing group was like a shining beacon in their lives, telling him that it was Margaret’s first time.

“I don’t have to ask you if you enjoyed it, Margaret. I thank you for talking to me and we will finish this segment of local news with your wonderful voice, accompanied by Willow Rose in a role that most would have never considered her in.”

They watched the entire performance of Margaret singing the Air from the Messiah, with cuts to Willow working hard on the keyboard. When the next show started, mother and daughter were still sitting on the couch, clinging to each other and bawling their eyes out.

When they had composed themselves, Wendy went to the recorder and ejected the disc.

“That one is for the collection. I wonder what others thought of it.”

Willow pulled her phone out of her bag and turned it on, her eyes widening as message after message scrolled on her screen. She went to the bottom of the list and started looking at them. Most were from schoolfriend fans of Summer Rose, most being supportive, and a few telling her that she had sold out to ‘the establishment’. She deleted as she went, stopping when she came to one from the Head, timed at seven the previous evening, telling her that she was a student from heaven, and that she was needed in her office first thing on the first day back.

There was one from Tom.

‘Good things come in threes. One was a great evening, two was the look on Sally’s face when we showed her the picture of you presenting the pendant. She only takes it off to shower. Three was looking at my recording of last night’s news service. Wish I had been there at the time but glad I’m part of taking those voices forward.’

She texted him back.

‘If you come early this week, we will be making a DVD. If Sally still at school, bring her along. G-Force and the Hikers from ten in the morning, SR in the afternoon, the choir in the evening. Will have the gear to film them if wanted.’

There were more from fans, then one from Peter.

‘Watched interviews last night, well done you. Latest statement sent to your emails today. Please organise an account that I can pay you regular amounts.’

She got the bank account number for the trust account and emailed him back with the number and the request for a thousand a week, based on her expectation that this would be a small amount of the income. She asked Wendy if it was all right before she sent it.

After several more fan messages, there was one from Marcus Waddington.

‘Just seen great interview. Album selling well and I need you somewhere on stage.’

She answered that one.

‘Been suggested that we do dinner dances as Blue Coat School Dance Band. Did four-hour show last night as eleven-piece. School will allow this if you talk to them and involve them. Mister Bamborough at show last night, so talk to him first.’

As she looked at, and deleted more messages, the times approached the actual time. The last one had come in at one, just before she had turned on her phone. She had to laugh when she read it. Wendy wanted to know what was funny, so she passed the phone over. Wendy read the message aloud.

“That man! Just called me at home. Now wants us to perform Messiah in Cathedral for Xmas.”

Willow was sitting on the couch, almost crying from laughing. When she was able to speak, she smiled.

“I wondered about hearing Margaret in the Cathedral when she sang for us but considered it to be too big for our orchestra. I wonder if the Head will take it on or reject it. If we do it, there will be a lot of kudos for the school, but it will take most of the full term to get it right.”

“When did you hear it?”

“I must have been nine or ten. It was on the TV one day during the Christmas holidays. Dad was at work, and you were off shopping or something. It went for nearly three hours, and I was captivated, only rushing off for a pee in the breaks. It isn’t an easy piece by any means. The violins were what pulled me in, it’s mesmerising and uplifting at the same time.”

“You’ll just have to see what others do. If it’s decided to be performed, I suppose that you’ll have intensive practise from the first week in September.”

“Not just me, Mum. To do it right, it needs about thirty in the choir. The school has ten or so, the Cathedral had ten or so, and we have Tom working with seventeen of you at the club.”

“You have to be joking! Me in a choir in the Cathedral! That’s ludicrous.”

“Wait and see, Mum, just wait and see.”

Marianne Gregory © 2025