Chapter 14

At Monday lunch, the first person that Willow saw was Vivienne, who came over and hugged her.

“Thank you so much for your comments and ideas, Willow. You’re right, as usual. I’d been scared at putting myself forward and kept the song simple. I see why you thought it unresolved. I’ll work on it between now and the practise at the club. I’m honoured that you think it worthy of an album.”

“But it is, Vivienne. Most concept albums have a simple premise and describe the journey from one place to another. Your story just has a lot more points of view, so the song that you sent could be the penultimate track, with the previous ones setting the five individual scenes, if you include the fair maiden. The final track could be the lovers finding that they are just that. All you need to do is to think that you’re each character and write a song to fit. The first track could be the setting of the trials, with the maiden as the prize. It could be set in any era, not the magical royal one from Mozart, but something up to date, like having a love child of Elon Musk being the one on the auction block.”

The next to talk to her was Geoff and Zara, who still hadn’t been officially advised that they would be on the tour. Willow wondered if Peter was having to negotiate with the school because of the important exams. Miss Russell sent the orchestra a note to say that the Tuesday session would be a bit longer, as they were going to play everything that they had mastered in case it was required when they were at Abbey Road.

When they were going home, Sebastian was told about that arrangement. That evening, Willow did some exercises on her clarinet and made sure that it was ready to be taken in the morning.

On Tuesday, on the way to school, Gina told Willow that she was going with her mother to visit Madame Francesca on Wednesday evening, so wouldn’t be at the choir practise. At lunch, they confirmed that all the band, and Xavier, were going to be at the club on Thursday, and that their parents were happy to just sit and watch the music being created. The orchestra session was as long as expected, with them doing everything they had learned except the Beethoven ‘Choral’ and the ‘Organ Symphony’. Willow was asked to practise the ‘Seven Variations’ at home, as well as the ‘Toccata and Fugue’ she had played at the first Cathedral Concert. Before they were sent home, Miss Russell came in.

“Boys and girls, there is a slight change of plans for the weekend. Because of the number of items you will be recording, we will be arriving at the studio first thing after breakfast. The hotel booking has been extended to Friday and Saturday and you will be picked up at the school at seven, Friday evening. Saturday night, you’re all going to the theatre to see ‘Wicked’.”

There were cheers and a lot of chatter as the room emptied. As Willow and Gina were heading for the door, Miss Russell beckoned them over.

“I will tell you that it has been the income from your school concerts that have allowed this to happen. The money from your website sales have been a great addition to the bottom line. Thank you and the band.”

The vehicle was waiting at the door when they got out. They took Brent home first and then headed for Stoneleigh. Jacob gave Willow a kiss when he arrived at the farm, and Rick came out to the vehicle door.

“Good news. We have paid the in-laws the whole amount for the farmhouse and a sum that will cover two years of land rent while we learn how to farm. We’ll have a bit of a party soon, but I believe that you’re in London for the next two weekends so it will be after that.”

When Willow arrived home, her parents were already there. They prepared dinner and Willow went to the locker in the garage to get the recording equipment ready for Thursday evening. She checked her emails and saw that there were several replies with extra tracks of her new songs, so she worked her magic with the laptop and mixing program to come up with a composite of each one.

Wednesday was a lot quieter. Gina didn’t know what they were going to see Madame Francesca about, and Vivienne said that she was still looking at the new songs. That evening, Willow played the organ for the choir and was getting more impressed with how they were coming on. Tom’s book had been the difference, so she asked him she could have one and carried it home afterwards for future reading.

On Thursday morning, Gina had a big smile on her face.

“Found out what the secrecy was about. Mum had been taking pictures of the band, and checking labels when she could. Tomorrow evening, Frankie the Ham will be at the club with her two assistants. With Mum, they’ll be measuring all of us for stage outfits. They’ll be ready before we go on tour, four different sets, so we can always have a clean outfit. Frankie has done a deal with Peter to be paid a set amount each show we use them, as well as having our photos in her shop.”

“That’s great! I only hope that they’re a bit more modest than the ones her assistant gave us before.”

“I saw some of the designs. She’ll bring a dozen copies of the sketches to look at before they make them. She wants us to tick the ones we like, and she’ll put together the collection then.”

At lunch, there was a lot of chatter among the orchestra members about the recording session. It was all new to everyone, even the band, as they considered that the session they had done in Birmingham was a bit like playing in a soundproof loungeroom. PE saw them doing exercises and working on parallel bars to get some upper body training.

That evening, Ashley helped his daughter carry the recording equipment to the club, where she sat it on a table. When the others arrived, they pulled out all the amps, drums, and keyboards, and set up microphones and the PA. Xavier arrived with Frank, and they set up the recording equipment.

They all had a simple meal, seeing that it was a weekday, with Wendy and some of the other mothers doing the heating of the pies and cooking the chips. They had just finished when Madame Francesca arrived with her assistants and tape measures. As each band member was measured, they went through to the back room. Willow and Gina were the last, and Frankie gave them a big wad of sketches for later on. The three stayed for a while, joining the mothers and fathers to see the process happen before their eyes.

They played ‘Hopelessly Human’ as a warmup and to get the mix right. Then they nodded to Xavier that this was to be a recording and played ‘Dummy Splitter’ for the second time. After that, it took three tries each for the other songs that they had returned the extra tracks for.

After that, Vivienne said that she now had different words for the song that she had sent through, but the tune remained the same. She explained that it was now to be part of a larger work, and that this particular song was to link the five characters towards the beginning of the set. She had written out the full lyrics, with music, and gave one each to Willow and Gina, one to Jacob and one each to Roy, Bryan, and Edward.

“The basis of the set is that a social media baron has a beautiful daughter. That’s you, Willow. Your lines are marked ‘Titania’. The media baron is fed up of men trying to woo her and announces a trial on his site. She would take the hand of the winner of a set of trials. No slaying of dragons here. The first trial is to amass five million followers on his site, and the second is to turn that into hard cash. Five take up the challenge, four men and a woman, who knows, firsthand, that Titania swings both ways.”

Willow played the basic tune on the piano setting. The core group had worked on the original tune, so they played the song, taking care to get the words in the right place. There was a bit of giggling as they worked through it, as the lyrics were a curious mix of Shakespeare and street jargon. It started with Willow singing about how terrible it was for her father to do such a thing, and then each of the entrants sang about how wonderful they were and how happy Titania would be when they are wed, or before, in a couple of cases. Three men were all man, tough and confident. The other man is diffident, and shy. The girl is as hard as nails, and was confident that Titania would submit to her, again.

With the third playing, Xavier recorded it, and there was a lot of smiling faces in the audience, as parents had seen a top band nail a new, and difficult song. After the recorded track, they played it again without the words in front of them, with a bit more freedom to improvise the music.

They stopped there, with Vivienne saying that she would be supplying further songs in the set as they got together again. The band turned everything off and put the equipment away. Xavier downloaded the recordings to his laptop.

Willow asked the parents if they were fully aware of the next two weekends. Those that were in the orchestra would be picked up at the school and driven to London, to be back at the school after five on Sunday afternoon. The band will be leaving Coventry with the security in a coach, and driven to London the following Friday, and likely to be getting back about teatime on the Sunday. They would all be picked up at home and would just need their instruments. Drums, keyboards, and amps would be in the studio. Before she had come to the club, she had read an email from Jill, so passed on the information that had been sent.

“I have been advised that Saturday evening, the band will be guests on the BBC talk show. Not to play, they will show something from our DVD, but we will all need to dress nicely. Madame Francesca, would it be possible to have a set of outfits for us by that Thursday evening? We can have another session like this to try things on.”

“Certainly, Willow. If you all pick an item from the sketches we brought, it’s easy to get one set together.”

They all took a set of sketches and ticked four styles, each, for the fashion house to put together a collection that would work on TV. Xavier took Willow aside as they collected up the cables and told her that he was going be included in with the orchestra trip, as a helper, as well as an opportunity from the school to study a professional recording studio. Willow told him that she would see if he could be added to the band trip as well.

Ashley and Wendy helped carry the recording equipment home. Her parents were quiet, after seeing how the band created music. They had heard ‘Spitter’ before, but what they had heard tonight was a lot more effective. At home, they packed the stuff in the cupboard and had a hot drink before bed. Willow packed a small case before she went to bed, putting in some casual items and a nice dress for the theatre. She also had her clarinet and a cosmetic case which would have her teeth cleaning items added tomorrow.

On Friday, there was more excitement among the orchestra, and Willow went to see the nurse at lunch for her third injection. She was asked if she had noticed any changes and could only say that she wasn’t feeling as tired as she used to be. That afternoon, they were let out a little earlier, and the security detail was outside to take them home. At home, she stripped off and had a shower, then dressed in her better underwear, vowing to go shopping for more when she could. In a soft skirt and a good blouse, with just a cardigan if it got cool, she loaded her bag in Ashley’s car, and they went off to pick up Gina and Jacob, and then went to the school.

The trip to London was boisterous, with Willow and Gina asked to sing some of their songs and the rest joining in. Seeing that eight of the Summer Rose were on the coach, it sounded pretty good. They all fitted into the one coach, just. A truck had gone ahead with the larger instruments, such as cellos and double bass’s, as well as the pair of Yamahas and the Martin guitars. Reg was following, with Miss Russell and Mister Bamborough.

At the hotel, it was too late to do anything but go to the rooms that they had been allocated. Gina, Willow, Vivienne and Nancy were in a two-room suite, and the four other band members shared a similar room further along the corridor. Jacob and Brent suggested that they swap rooms, but the other girls weren’t agreeing. Nancy said that if the other two guys had been Herb and Roy, they may have thought about it.

The next morning, they all gathered in the dining room for breakfast, then freshened up to get on the bus to head for the studio. It took about twenty minutes and Sebastian pulled into a driveway with a security guard at the double gate. The truck was already in the carpark area. They all got out with their bags and smaller instruments. They were gathered by the front door of what looked like a large house. They were told to stay quiet as the security man opened the gates again to let the coach back out, with Reg and Howard stopping the traffic to give him room.

The other instruments had already been taken out of the truck and it left with the coach. Miss Russell announced that their things would be safe in the studio overnight, and they would load up before they go home. Jill came out with a big bunch of lanyards, which she handed out by name. When she got to Willow and Gina, she smiled and told them that she was looking forward to next week, and for the band members to bring theirs the next week. After many selfies in front of the building, with the iconic name over the main door, they were led through the house, past offices and small studios, until they arrived at the main studio, where Harold Withers was waiting for them.

When they walked in, there was a short period where the door was blocked, as the first ones through it had to stop and take in the sight before them. The place was huge! It must be at least two floors high, with almost more floor space than the school hall. There were some seats in front of a rostrum, with music stands. They explored the rest of the studio as the cellos, double base’s and the Yamahas were set up. The studio already had a grand piano, an old church organ, a two-tier organ and a keyboard. Mister Withers called out for everyone to come and take their seats for the ‘Carnival of the Animals’. They were more widely spaced than usual, with a microphone each and a set of headphones for every player. It took a while for each player to play something to have the microphones adjusted and the mix set. Finally, they were ready. Mister Bamborough took to the podium, putting on his headphones. Mister Withers left the studio floor with Xavier following him. The space went quiet, and a voice came through the headphones.

“Please ensure that nobody has their mobile phone on, even set to silent, then play the first movement through so we can adjust the mix. There will be a red light come on when we’re actually recording, so no talking while it’s on”

They played the first movement and Willow could hear the sound as if she was listening to a CD, with slight variations in the mix as they moved along. At the end, the voice came back.

“Now recording, please play the entire piece. If there are any problems, we can repeat it as many times as it takes. Light coming on, now!”

Mister Bamborough raised his baton, and they were recording the ‘Carnival of The Animals’ in the main studio at Abbey Road! There was no need for a second take, and they moved around to play ‘Bolero’ with Willow taking her place with her clarinet, next to Vivienne on the flute, Alec not permitted the trip by his mother.

They then completed the trio of short pieces with ‘Danse Macabre’. They had a lunch break with small groups given a tour through the rest of the complex. Xavier came over to Willow while she was eating a sandwich and was almost beside himself.

“Behind that big window is heaven on earth. One bank of sliders is forty-eight wide, and there’s a second set. Harold told me that the second set is used when they have vocalists. I watched them as they set the mix, and I learned a lot.”

When it was time for Willow to go for a tour, her group was the eight band members plus Xavier and Reg. Jill was the guide for them. She took them through to other studios, pointing out a smaller one that they would use the following week, as well as some time in a post-production suite which almost had Xavier drooling. The tour finished at the shop, where they had a few minutes to look around before going back for the afternoon session.

That started with Jacob playing the Rodrigo concerto. To Willow, it sounded perfect through the headphones, but the operator wanted it played again. Jacob made the Martin sing and Willow’s heart swelled with pride for him.

After that there was a bit of a break while the grand piano was positioned, and Gina was tested for the mix. Gina was in her element, the months of playing the organ and entertaining made for a lively and spirited performance.

Harold Withers came over the headphones.

“You’ve all done well today. The repeat of the Rodrigo was due to a technical fault in here. We have time for Willow to record one of her pieces, so, if the rest of you want to have a wander around and check out the shop, your performers lanyard will get you discount. Headphones off, please. You can leave everything as it is.”

Most of the orchestra went off to explore, and Willow was taken to where the keyboards were. Close up, the organ looked like something out of a church. She sat at it and warmed up with some Bach as they technicians set the microphone and mix. She was asked to play the ‘Seven Variations’ when the red light came on. The others in the studio were asked to stay quiet, and the light came on. She played the first movement and then took her hands from the keyboard. The light went out and the voice in the headphones asked her what the matter was.

“It’s crap. I can get a better sound out of the Yamaha or my Nord. This organ sounds like it spent twenty years in a Wesleyan Chapel, being played by miners with big hands.”

There was silence, then Harold Withers laughed.

“I told you guys that she’s a perfectionist. Looks like Plan B is in order. Take the headphones off, Willow, we’ll continue your part of this tomorrow. We have an authentic instrument to play then. You were wrong, that one spent fifty years at a mining village.”

Willow stepped away from the organ. It wasn’t that bad, and had been looked after, but it wasn’t right. Reg came over to her.

“I knew that you wouldn’t be happy with that one. A lot of good musicians would have recorded on that without complaint, but they never had the exposure to proper pipe organs that you have. You go and see if there’s anything in the shop you like. When the coach comes back, we’ll be clearing our things. The studio is happy, the label is happy, and the school will be happy when the album comes out. Plan B is for us all to go to another venue while you do your part, and then you’ll be off home.”

Willow went off to find the others. They were, as expected, browsing in the shop. There was so much to look at. Brent had brought three Pink Floyd tee shirts for the other band members, and a lot of the orchestra had Abbey Road Tee’s. Willow bought a sign which read ‘Abbey Road Studio Two. Do not enter when red light is on’ which she thought she may glue on her bedroom door. Then there was the ‘Inside Abbey Road’ book with lots of photos. There was a Deep Purple ‘Made in Japan’ Abbey Road remix vinyl album which she got for her parents. She wondered if it may lead to having a brother or sister before she left Blue Coat. She finished off with a set of six Abbey Road mugs, just in case they made triplets.

Jill came along and started herding everyone back to the main studio. When they were all accounted for, Mister Bamborough spoke to them.

“The day has been a success and we have finished here, so collect all your bags and small instruments. The truck is coming back and will be going back to the school with all the large things tonight. We are going back to the hotel for dinner, and then we’ll be off to see ‘Wicked’. Tomorrow, after breakfast, take all your things from your rooms as we’ll be checking out when we leave. We will be going to another venue with a better organ for Willow to play, and then will return to Coventry. When we get an approximate arrival, you can call your rides to be ready to pick you up.”

They gathered all their things and took another good look around as they left. It had been a great day and an experience to cherish. Jill told Willow that she would see her in the morning, and was looking forward to the next weekend, when they would be in one of the smaller studios.

“You won’t be bringing the two Yamahas next week. Is there a particular keyboard that you want us to have for you?”

“We played Nord Stage Three’s at a do the other week and they were great. If you get a pair, I’ll pay for them if you send me the invoice, as we may have somewhere to use them in a couple of months. If you get two-tier stands, we both have Nord Electro’s that we can mount on them.’

“OK, I’ll see what I can do. Clive will meet us tomorrow, to talk about the tour. Were you happy with the schedule?”

“It looked good. Enough time to have off unless the shows are sell-outs.”

Sebastian had parked at the kerb, and they all piled on board. As they were leaving, the truck was turning up to collect the bigger things. Miss Russell was staying behind to oversee the loading.

At the hotel, they all freshened up and went to dinner. There was a lot of positive energy in the room. After dinner, they had time to get changed. In their room, the four girls helped each other get dressed. With the money they had been earning, they had all bought good outfits, and looked good when they went down to the reception.

The coach took them to the theatre, and they all had a wonderful evening seeing ‘Wicked’. Willow noticed Mister Bamborough buying a DVD of the show, as well as a very expensive book with all the script, lyrics and music in. She wondered if that would be the next musical that the school would put on. After today, she thought, nothing was impossible.

Marianne Gregory © 2025