Chapter 21
When they had dropped Jacob off, with the box for Rick, Maisie told Willow that they would be getting the keys to the new home at the end of the next week and thanked her for suggesting it. There would be a housewarming on Easter Saturday afternoon. When they stopped at Willow’s they helped carry the last boxes in.
When she was alone, Willow phoned the rest of the band to let them know that there were discs to pick up. Then she called Geoff to let him know. He asked for the address and told her that Jim would come and pick them up in a couple of hours.
She left his box on the kitchen table but kept the bag containing the memory cards and the USB with the original audio, adding them to the ones that she had taken from the Hiker’s box. That left the other band with the discs and a USB holding the digital version of the DVD. Her Shaun had a zipped compartment for girly trinkets, and she put these, and the ones from the Summer Rose sessions, in there for safety.
She added the recording unit to the growing collection in the spare room, along with the remaining items in her band’s box, just leaving two DVDs out to look at when her parents came home. A pair of the CDs was put in with her collection in her bedroom, to join the Carpenters one that she had to pay for.
She was preparing the dinner when Jim and Geoff arrived, driven by Jim’s mother. She gave them a drink and showed them their box.
“This has the ten audio CDs, the ten DVDs, and two USB sticks. One for the audio and the other with the show, as post-produced by Xavier. They are yours to do what you want with. We have already given Peter a set of ours, along with another set for Marcus. If you sign with them, I suggest that you do the same. These discs are not protected, so make sure that you don’t hand them around. Wait for the purchased ones to go on sale. The other thing is the DVD does not have any titles or credits. It will be up to whoever is adding them to your website to add those. Our last album was done by Peter’s office.”
“What do we owe you, Willow. This must have been an expensive operation.”
“Nothing, Geoff. Xavier and the others have been fully paid, and will get some more from Rick, who can afford it. I’m doing this as thanks for letting me play with you at that first concert. You may have thought that I saved the day, but that one performance saved my life and allowed me to go to a new school with many showing acceptance of the new girl. Without that show, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“It will be interesting to see if we do get a show together, the school has been the biggest audience that we’ve played to.”
“The quicker you get these properly on-line, the quicker you’ll start earning money, and the more audience you’ll attract. Watch the show and pick out the one you want as a single. Rick will be doing the same. If all of us are in the charts, the show will be another awesome experience.”
They took the box and left. Willow went back to the kitchen to prepare the dinner. She was still slicing and dicing when the front doorbell chimed, and she found Brent and Herb, with Herb’s father, at the front door. She let them in, sat them at the table with drinks and went upstairs to get four sets of discs. They chatted about the sessions and what may come of them, and the boys both gave her a hug, before leaving with their discs in plastic bags that Willow took from a drawer.
When her parents arrived, she had nearly got the dinner ready to go, just needing to start cooking. After dinner, they tidied up and sat in front of the TV to watch both finished shows for the first time.
Wendy had a box of tissues beside her, fully prepared for what she had been told would need them. She had seen Willow sing these songs solo, but it didn’t prepare her for the extra emotion that Herb’s guitar playing added. There was a pile of soggy tissues beside her when the DVD ended. Willow had been amazed at how it had been produced, with overall band shots and close-ups that made it look very professional. Her father said nothing, trying to look manly and blowing his nose to wipe his eyes.
The Other Side show brought a different response, with him putting his arm around his wife and pulling her to him. When Willow ejected the disc, he stood and hugged her.
“When you were spending close to five thousand to set up those sessions, on top of the seven and a half that the equipment cost, I had the feeling that you might be going over the top. What I’ve just see has shown me that it was worth every penny. The other two bands are getting copies of their shows as well?”
“Yes Dad. All delivered. It’s up to them to do what they want with them. I haven’t even looked at their discs, it’s not my place.”
She grinned.
“But I do have the original memory sticks of the videos and a USB with the original audio put aside. I paid for the sessions, so I thought that I should be the custodian of the raw material. I do have a copy of the production software, so could, if I wanted, put together a DVD myself.”
He laughed and hugged her again.
“What about your sessions?”
“Same thing, I retained the raw material and Peter has a copy of the CD and one of the DVD. I’ve held back the USB with the digital file for when he says that he’s putting it on-line.”
He laughed and said that he was getting ready for bed. Wendy told Willow not to stay up too late and that she would see her for breakfast.
“So, Mum. Kansas may be the new Purple?”
“I think so, dear. I’ll let you know if the American version is any different to the British one, tomorrow.”
Willow put the DVDs in with the family collection and went to cleanse and get ready for bed. There were no creaking springs, but she thought that there may have been some low moaning from the master bedroom.
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At about the same time, Peter was sitting in his own lounge with his wife, having just watched both shows.
“What did you think, darling?”
“No thought needed, my husband. That band is gold, and that girl is the diamond. The Journey one will go world-wide, treated properly. I suggest that you bypass the local stations and take the CD and DVD directly to the national broadcasters and one of the major distributors. The other one is chalk and cheese. I would hold that back for a while until the time is right. Didn’t you say something about a show that one of your contacts is putting together with a heavy-metal band? Blastmasters or some such name. That set would open the show nicely.”
“You always say the right thing, my love. You should be in the office with me.”
“I couldn’t put up with sweaty rockers. Love. This band is something a lot different. This band has class which can develop into lasting success. I know that this was, as you said, a recording made in a pub, but it just doesn’t look like that. It looks like it was made in a studio by professionals. You’re not pulling my leg when you told me that the band are all thirteen and the techs fifteen, are you?”
“Honest God’s truth, darling. I’ve even had several discussions with their teachers. I’m waiting to talk to the other two bands. One is mainly in the same year as the techs, and the other already had a viral on-line hit but I’m told it has improved out of sight since then. They have signed with us, but we haven’t organised anything yet. When I get some likely dates, I’ll start working with Marcus to put some performances together.”
He went to his home office to send an email to Marcus, who had some more contacts in London than he had.
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On Saturday morning, the Rose family went into Birmingham to look at outfits. Willow told them that she would fund the make-over, which allowed them to look in better places than they had been able to shop in before. Ashley came away with two suits, one a charcoal grey, and the other a dark three-piece that would look good on a prime minister. Wendy and Willow tried on many dresses while Ashley went off to put his bags in the car and then sit in the nearby café to wait for them.
Wendy ended up with an emerald-green cocktail dress for Thursday, and a light pink one with frills and ruffles for the following Sunday. Willow needed one in apricot, or similar, for Thursday and ended up with a knee-length dress with big sleeves and decorative stitching. For the Sunday, she bought one similar to her mother’s, but slightly darker. It gave her freedom of movement for playing but was distinctive enough to be a stage outfit. They met up with Ashley and went for lunch, then drove into Coventry for her practise session in the Cathedral.
When they had parked and walked into the Cathedral, Tom saw them and came over. He was introduced to Ashley.
“Welcome to the Cathedral, Ashley. What you find, today, is a place of joy for me. My daughter has agreed to join the choir. I’ll be training her, and she will be going to see a breathing specialist. It’s all because she came along to see your daughter on Wednesday.”
“So, the spell of the rose has worked again! I’m losing count of the number of teenagers that my daughter has lifted out of their depths of darkness into the spotlight of entertaining.”
“Sit yourself down somewhere. I’m acting Dean this weekend, so I’ll take Willow up to the organ and show her the music we’ll be listening to on Sunday.”
As he led Willow to the stairs, he spoke to her.
“I had a long talk with my wife on Wednesday evening. It wasn’t heated, but it was serious. I told her that she had to allow Sally some leeway in the kitchen and not criticize her. She didn’t know that she was doing wrong but has followed my advice since. Sally is helping her more and taking on a lot of the simpler tasks. She’ll be singing with the others today. It’s the first time that she’s been here in the choir and is quite excited. I deliberately chose hymns and songs that would allow her some opportunity to impress, but not taxing her lungs until she gets extra training.”
“I’m happy for the two of you. I think that she’ll surprise both you and your wife.”
“My wife will be here tomorrow to hear for herself. It may prove that Sally can be someone outstanding.”
Willow went up to the organ and looked at the music. She saw that they were all easier pieces and decided that Tom was a thoughtful and loving father. She turned on and got comfortable, then started with the Bach to warm up her fingers. When she started on the hymns, there was some singing. When she got into the Evensong set, there was more singing, and she could pick out a new voice that soared above the others. At times, she could hear her mother, now happy to use more of her voice.
Back in the car and going home, Wendy turned to her.
“I can’t believe that Sally had never sung in a choir before. She was good on Wednesday, but her voice was something else today.”
“So was yours, Mum. I could pick you out from where I was sitting.”
“Your father nudged me to quieten down, but I ignored him.”
“Quite right. You have a voice that deserves to be heard,”
“I thought that she was being a bit loud, Willow. There was a guy a little way away from us that kept looking at her.”
“I saw him as I was leaving you. He happens to be Tom’s assistant choir master. Maybe he thinks that Mum should join the Cathedral choir.”
Wendy winked at her as Ashley had the politeness to blush. To round the day out, they stopped at the steakhouse for dinner.
At home, they relaxed. Tonight, they were a family that had things to be thankful for, and things to look forward to. Willow almost dozed off in front of the TV, feeling more rested than she had in days. The die had been cast with the band, and all she could do now was to wait. That woke her up, and she went to her room, looked at a calendar, opened her laptop to email Peter with some preferred dates. The first was the weekend five weeks on, in the first week of May.
She noted that the middle of May was out due to the concert in the Cathedral. The last weekend in May was another possible as it was in the half-year holidays. The last Saturday in June and the second one in July was marked as good. The end of the month was the start of the summer holidays, which lasted through to the second week of September. She sent it to Peter with a ‘cc’ to Marcus. She went down to say goodnight to her parents, who were cuddled on the couch, then went to cleanse and get into bed, wondering if Kansas was twice as potent as Purple. What she didn’t know was that Wendy had put a kitchen towel on the couch, and they were doing something that they hadn’t done since their younger days in Cambridge.
On Sunday, the three of them drove to the Cathedral. Being a lot later than St. Marys, it was an easier morning. At the Cathedral, Willow left her parents and went up to the organ to start playing the Bach as the building filled. She glanced down and saw her parents sitting, with Tom’s assistant next to Wendy and looking like they were discussing something.
She concentrated as she saw the Bishop come in, with Tom, as acting Dean, in full regalia and carrying the cross. From there, the service went as usual, with some very strong singing that still had Sally managing to stand out. When she turned the organ off and went down, Sally was there to give her a hug.
“Thank you, Willow. My life has spun around and I’m helping Mum cook and now I’ve sung with the best choir in the city.”
“Totally deserved, Sally. I could hear you clearly. You have a wonderful voice. Are you coming to the village with your father?”
“You bet! Singing alongside a few of the women that I used to listen to on the cassettes I had was fantastic! It was Margaret telling me how good my soprano was, for an untrained voice, that made me realise that I had been listening to music that was part of what I was. I just put it away in my heart for a few years. I feel liberated!”
The Rose family went into the city for a leisurely lunch. Ashley complained that they could have done their shopping in this break, instead of spending so long in Birmingham. He was told, in no uncertain terms, that three hours in Coventry was nowhere near long enough to choose two outfits.
Back in the Cathedral, the Evensong was full again, and the singing was great. When they were home again, Willow checked her phone, seeing a lot of texts from the other members of the other two bands. All were thanks for the quality of the recordings and the promise to see Peter next week to move forward. There was one from Marcus, thanking her for the dates and the discs. It also asked her if she would be happy to play the Belgrade Theatre on the first date that she had nominated, with extra dates to be added if the interest was there.
She replied that she would be happy with three nights if there was enough ticket sales.
She checked the size of the theatre and noticed that it was only able to seat eight hundred and fifty, so would be less than they had played for at the school. She decided that Marcus could have something up his sleeve.
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Marcus, at that time, was packing a small case with enough clothes for three days. He had made copies of the audio and show discs and had made a few appointments with friends in London. He had some good contacts who would be interested in having new bands on stage. Peter had called him and spoken about the heavy metal show, and Marcus knew the promoter. He would be leaving early Monday morning, certain that he would return with good news.
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On Monday morning, after her parents had gone to work, Willow went for a walk. She went further into the village than normal, happy to be stretching her legs and thinking about things. She cast her mind back to the same time, last year, when she was still William, and wondered about the total changes in her life. Not only the gender thing, but also the personality changes that allowed her to be more proactive. In her mind, she said goodbye to William John, and welcomed Willow Jean as who she was.
Coming back by the church, she noticed a few nice cars parked outside. Intrigued, she peeked into the church to see Cassie and Marie, with Terry and another couple. Chris was talking to the Reverend. Cassie noticed her and came to the door.
“Just the person we need, Willow. We were about to run through a practise of the wedding, seeing where we stand and when we move and all that. You don’t realise just how choreographed a wedding is until you get to do it yourself. Come and meet Terry’s parents, Earl Appleby, and his wife.”
She led Willow into the church, with Marie stopping them for a hug. Willow was introduced as the organist for the wedding. The Earl looked surprised.
“A teenager, playing the organ for a wedding of this stature! What were you thinking, son?”
Terry looked at his mother.
“You know that CD I got for you that you like. The one with all the Carpenters songs on it?”
She nodded.
“Well, meet Willow Rose. One part of Summer Rose, and the leader of that band. They’re playing the reception for us. It was Gina Summer that played organ yesterday, she’s the same age as Willow and I didn’t hear you complaining about her playing, Dad.”
“I didn’t take much notice of the organist.”
Chris came over and gave Willow a hug.
“I see you’ve been introduced, Willow. Don’t mind the Earl. He’s has a stick up his bum when he meets new people but will have enough to drink at the reception to be friendly.”
The Earl harrumphed, then smiled.
“I’m sorry, Miss Rose. It’s just that I didn’t know who would be playing the organ. What I heard yesterday sounded like a much older person. How much experience have you had with the church organ?”
The Reverend had come over and replied for her.
“Willow was the one who woke this organ up after five years of sleeping. She brought the life back into this church and helped Gina start playing it. They alternate on Sundays, one playing here, and the other playing in the Cathedral. If you were watching the TV on Christmas Eve, you may have seen that big concert at the Cathedral. That was Willow playing the Bach at the beginning. There isn’t anyone else that I’d trust more with a wedding than her.”
“I stand corrected. I’m sorry I doubted you, Willow. Why don’t we get on with this practise?”
Reverend Russell had the pile of music for Willow, with a note telling her what was played and when. She went up to the organ and got it ready, then warmed her fingers with the Bach. In the mirror, she saw Terry and his father stand by the far altar, with the Reverend facing her, Terry’s mother sat in a pew one side, with Marie in a pew on the other. The Reverend gave a nod, and Willow changed to the Bridal March as the Baron walked Cassie up the aisle to join Terry at the altar. Willow faded the music off as the Reverend started the wedding.
He welcomed the congregation in the usual ‘we come together’ way, then stopped for a prayer, followed by a hymn, which they sang in full. Then there was the actual wedding ceremony, with Terry and Cassie reading from cards. After the husband and wife were announced. The couple were led back up the aisle as organ played the usual music. When they disappeared under her, she started the intro to another hymn that had been chosen. The two mothers stood after that, and she played the triumphal music that has the bride and groom, signatures on the paperwork, walk back along the aisle and out to be greeted by confetti. She played the Bach for a short while and went down to where they were standing near the door. The Earl reached out his hand and she shook it.
“Sorry about the start, Willow. Chris has often called me out as a pompous ass, but it’s something that my father pounded into me, with the promise of the birch cane. He was a real stickler for protocol. Even I had to call him sir in private. There was nothing amiss with your playing, and I look forward to Sunday when the church is full.”
“That’s all right, sir. I get the ‘she’s only a little girl’ a lot. Last week I was called ‘formidable’ by our band manager, so it isn’t all bad vibes.”
“So, you are on that album that my wife likes, what’s next for you?”
“We recorded our next album in the club across the road last week. There’s a suggestion that we’ll play the Belgrade in Coventry in a few weeks. In the middle of next month our school orchestra will be back in the Cathedral to play a Saint-Saens concert which will be filmed by the BBC. After that, I need to finish second year at school.”
“Impressive! So how do you know the Leighs?”
“Have you had a look at the plaques and the memorials in the church, sir? Take a few minutes and then ask Chris the same question. I’ve got to go home now. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, and I’ll see you all on Sunday.”
With that, she had some more hugs and walked home, smiling as she went. She sat on the couch and turned her laptop on, seeing some more emails. There was one from Peter, cc’ed to the rest of the band, with a picture of a finger at the top, which made her laugh. It told her that he had booked the Belgrade for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night of the first weekend in May, and that he would be adding the Gees and Hikers on her recommendation. Advertising to happen before Easter, with the headliner based on their Carpenters album success and the Hikers video. He told her that Marcus was in London to sort out TV coverage for one of the commercial channels that had a ‘Band Spot’ show. Then, he had booked the Coventry City Premier Lounge for a dinner dance on the last Saturday night in May, with the full dance band to play. At the end, he said that the ‘Journey’ album would be up on the website on the following week and asked for the digital version. She replied that she was at home and that he could send a courier to pick it up and gave the address.
There was another email from the Head, telling her that the school would be responsible for the bookings for the dinner dance, with invitation going to all of the old scholars and the church hierarchy, at a hundred pounds a seat, meals and drinks included, with the room to be set for two thousand and a good dance floor. It would be on the school website at the beginning of term. At the end was ‘Remember, first thing next Monday!’
There were others from the band, commenting on the sudden rush of bookings and asking about the finger picture. She did a group answer to let them know what she now knew, and that the finger was something between her and the manager, but that they should be able to deduce the reference.
Marianne Gregory © 2025