Chapter 10
They decided that the timpani, trumpets and French Horns should be in front of the big window, then the violins, of which there were nine firsts and nine seconds, angled at forty-five degrees so they could see the conductor. The leader was placed close to where the rostrum would be, and they set out three lines of three, side by side, and then another three lines of three, staggered to the others.
One keyboard and stool were in front of the seconds, and the other was put next to the cellos. The nine violas went in front of that, with the bassoon, which left a good space left in the middle for the soloists, with a walkway for access, with space to spare.
Gina sketched the layout on a notebook to double check that they had enough room, then they closed up the back door. They knew that it would take a while to set all the microphones needed. Where they could, they set out the stands and booms that they already had. Gina pointed out that the two keyboards would need small amps on the day. Willow made a note to get them from the music store and get them delivered to her mother’s workplace to bring home. They would only need to be about twenty watts to produce a full sound.
They left a few extra chairs in a corner, and then went out into what used to be the workshop. It had better lighting and floor than the pallet rack area, as well as some heating. They set up all the tables and the remaining chairs for the breaks.
Back in the rest area, they put a kettle on and made another list of what supplies would be needed on Wednesday. Willow opened the fridge and found the remaining ice creams. They sat with the ice creams and cups of tea. Willow had a thought.
“There used to be a big bin outside that was emptied once a week. It was usually filled with opened cartons. We need a couple more small rubbish bins and a big bag of bin liners for inside. I’ll get a big bin for outside that can take everything and get emptied on order.”
Before they went home, they walked around the corner to the shop, buying a load of things that they thought they would need. Luckily, the store had some plastic kitchen tidies, so they bought three and a roll of bags. They stocked the cupboards and fridge, put one bin in the control room and two in the rest area, used the toilets and shut everything up to go back to Stoneleigh.
That evening, Willow went on a contractor’s supply site, and ordered a large bin, with a lid, that could be emptied by one of those trucks with a fork-lift that took the bin over the cab. She paid for it to be delivered in the week, and sent a copy of the order to Wilhelm, also telling him that the school orchestra would be recording on Wednesday, arriving a bit after nine, and to please have the doors of the big shed open for parking. She also ordered two Fender MD20 mini amps from the music store and asked for them to be delivered to Wendy’s workplace ASAP marked attention W Rose, paying with her debit card.
Monday was just the two of them going in, and the day was fairly normal, except for Jacob sitting with the other boys for lunch again. There was a lot of talk about the show, and how great it was. Willow could see that the table where the Vines sat had plenty of visitors. That evening, she had an email from the agent, telling her that the vendors had agreed to a million and three-quarters. Also, that the leased apartments would be left furnished, as it would be an unwanted expense to clear them, seeing that all the furnishings had been written off. He would need the responsible person to sign the papers for WR Holdings, so that the title could be transferred. Willow asked him if he could come to their home in Stoneleigh with the keys and that her father would sign.
He came to see them on Tuesday evening, with Ashley signing the paperwork and Willow transferring one and three-quarters of a million to the agent’s trust account while he was there. He left a bunch of keys with labels. After he had gone, Ashley asked the question that was on his mind.
“What have you bought this time, my daughter, and why on your own?”
“It’s a building in London, Dad, near the University. It has a restaurant at street level with a long lease, two apartments that had been sold with a hundred-year lease, and another two apartments that had been leased to a company but are now vacant and fully furnished. Malcolm has booked the Gees for Saturday evening, and it’s Gina’s turn in the church on Sunday. It may be nice for us to go to London on Saturday and stay overnight if there’s bedding left behind. It will be a base for us there, and home for me if I go to the University of London. It can be resold if we don’t need it.”
“That transfer has just about wiped out your company account.”
“It’s almost time for another statement, Dad. The week in Europe wasn’t anything to do with a charity. We took over thirty-eight million in ticket sales. I don’t think the company account will be low for very much longer.”
He looked hard at her.
“Surely you’re joking?”
“No joke, Dad. There will be a lot of expenses and the profit will be split seventeen ways, but that, added to our record sales, should be enough to build up the bank balance.”
On Wednesday, she had her violin and two mini amps when the coach arrived. Her bag had all the keys to the property. Max put the amps in the storage and helped her in.
“Big day, today.?”
“Sure is, Max. It’s going to be a first for the studio, that’s for certain.”
They picked up Gina and then went to the school. The rest of the band members had been picked up by another coach, along with Xavier and his two helpers. The truck was being loaded with the larger instrument cases, and the timpani’s. There was a big stack of music stands to go in, as well as the four stools for the bass players. The rostrum had been dismantled for transport. There was also four, big, cool boxes, with notes on. Willow looked, to see that they held two different types of sandwich, and two held cakes.
Willow went around the crowd, firstly finding Xavier.
“Xavier, here is a keyring with the key to the gate and one that opens the sheds. You may need them now that Mervyn is gone. Did you get the extra mics and stands?”
“Thanks Willow. I wanted to talk to you about keys but that can wait until later in the day. I have the mics, extra leads, stands and booms, as well as ten small mixers with six in and one out.”
“Right. Frank, can you go with the truck and show them the way around to the lane and the back doors. Hopefully, we’ll have time to be there and open up. By the looks of what they have to load, they’ll be behind us.”
“Right-ho Willow. This is going to be interesting.”
It didn’t take long for Willow to check that all the orchestra were present, along with the school choir. The minibus with Margaret and the others from Stoneleigh arrived, followed by another with Tom, Sally and the Cathedral choir. The Head, Miss Russell, and Mister Jamieson were in a car with Mister Bamborough. He led them out with the two minibuses, and the two coaches following. The truck was nearly loaded when they left.
When they arrived at the site, the gates and the sheds were open. Mister Bamborough parked to one side, and the larger, vehicles were taken into the large shed, now just an open space. Wilhelm came out of the office to greet them.
“Good morning, Willow. That big bin arrived. I put it in the side shed. It’s on wheels, so can be rolled out when it’s ready to be emptied. I see that it’s going to be a big day.”
“Hopefully, it will be a successful one. I need to go through and open up the back. I’ll talk to you later.”
She went and put the heaters and lights on in the workshop, then opened up the studio and switched everything on. Going through and leaving all the doors open, she rolled the back screen aside and unlocked the back door, then went to the steel doors, opening them and then the doors to the lane. The truck was just entering the lane and pulled up with the rear next to the doors.
When the guys saw where things had to go, they had a routine which they had used in many places where the orchestra had played. Willow went back to the studio, where the players and singers were finding their places. Mister Bamborough was putting them in their places and smiled when he saw Willow.
“Good layout, Willow. This is cosy, but not cramped. What about the two keyboards?”
“There are two Mini Fenders in the coach, both twenty watt. Xavier has a load of microphones and more booms. I think that, once we had everyone in their seats, we can lay out the mics and start setting the mix. When the rest of the stuff is brought in from the truck, we’ll close up the back.”
She went through the control room, where Xavier was showing the Head the mixing desk, and found Miss Russell in the workshop area, supervising the players with putting coats and bags on the tables. Outside, Max had pulled out the amps, so Willow carried them back to the keyboards. Dave was creating a pile of boxes by the other coach, which the security guys carried through to the studio, going back for the stands and booms.
Willow went back to the carpark and found Wilhelm.
“Thank you for all that you’re doing, Wilhelm. I hope that Rosalie doesn’t miss out on your companionship.”
“She’s in the office. She’s keen to see what you end up doing once the madness has been defeated.”
“It is a bit mad at the moment and will be for a little while. When the school truck comes in, why don’t you lock the gate and bring her in. There’ll be plenty of room in the control room once we get ready for the actual recording. Xavier can pipe the sound to speakers in the rest room, so she can sit in comfort to listen.”
She went back to the studio, where Gina was setting up the two amps and testing the keyboards. The Head had taken in what was being told her, and Xavier was busy, with Dave, laying out the microphones and the various stands and booms. Margaret was parked in her place, with Sally, the tenor, and the bass beside her. The choirs were all sitting quietly, some looking at the songbook, with their clip-on mics and the senders clipped to the waistbands.
The rostrum was erected, and Willow went through to the back, where all the big cases were now in the store. She told the driver how to go around and enter the front area, and he closed up the truck as she was closing and locking the back doors, one set at a time. Once the sliding screen was back in place, she stood and looked at the scene in front of her.
The only movement, now, was Xavier, Frank, and Dave, setting out microphones, helped by the teachers and Tom. She went to Tom.
“Tom, would you like to sit with the songbook and make sure the choir stands at the right time? I can get you a chair and a music stand.”
“That will be good, thank you. I see a spare stand.”
“I put a few chairs in the corner, I’ll go and get you one.”
When he was set, she got him and Mister Bamborough together, and took them to the control room.
“You may have never used these before, but we usually use buds to hear what’s going on. With these in, you will hear the final mix in your ears, as it will be on disc. There are also messages that will come through from Xavier. He will tell you who he wants to hear when we get to setting the mix and will also tell you when he’s ready to record and when the session has ended. I’ll have a pair, myself. When we finish, they get wiped before going back in the box. They are very good, and, if they’re in properly, you won’t hear anything else.”
They took a pair, each and went back to the studio. The Head smiled.
“I don’t know what I expected when I was told about this place. It’s absolutely wonderful. I can see how you made that soundtrack CD so great. What else have you recorded?”
“Xavier worked with the Hikers on their next album. The Gees and Summer Rose recorded in here, with the Gees album to be released along with a DVD of them live in Paris. We recorded two albums; one will be released along with our DVD of a show in Berlin. The other will be released later in the year. That one’s a bit different.”
“How so?”
“It’s an idea from Vivienne. It’s loosely based on the ‘Magic Flute’, set in the digital age. The clown ends up with the girl. I’m not sure how well it will sell, but I’m told that it will receive good reviews from the purists. It looks like they’re almost ready to set the mix. I’ll just check that Wilhelm is coming in and close the doors. You will notice a sudden dampening of external sound when I do. The guys who built this really know their game.”
She went out as Rosalie was coming into the rest room, so went and closed the two doors to the workshop. She went to her own seat, collecting her violin and bow on the way, along with the soft cloth that she would drape against her neck. At her seat, she stood and looked over the orchestra. She oversaw the tuning, while the setting up was happening, to save time. Xavier came to her.
“All set up. We’re running the choir through the receivers in the jack plugs. Each one of the string sections are being fed into the small mixers, two to a section. When you have the buds in, I’ll tell you which section I need to hear.”
Willow stood up again.
“Please listen carefully. We are about to set the mix. I will be wearing buds and will be able to hear what Xavier hears. As I point to each section, please play or else stay quiet. Any discussion will be picked up by these microphones. We will take each movement at a time and can take a break at any time should you need it. We have our conductor, who will also have his buds in, as well as a conductor for the choir.”
She heard Xavier, starting with the double bass. They worked through the different sections, and the different voices of the choir. Lastly, it was the instruments that had their own microphone, the two keyboards, the timpani, bassoon, horns and trumpets, followed by the four soloists. Xavier told them that he was ready, so Willow sat and looked at Mister Bamborough, who was grinning. He called out that they would start with the first movement and Willow heard his voice in her buds. He tapped the baton and guided them into the first part of a long day.
That morning, they worked through the first third, and part of the second third. They stopped for lunch, emptying the cold boxes of the sandwiches and cake, drinking teas and soft drinks, and finishing off all the ice creams. There was a queue for the toilets, so Wilhelm took some out to the other shed and the toilets there. Rosalie helped out with Miss Russell, to make sure nobody went hungry, or were holding on to a full bladder for fear of upsetting anyone or missing anything.
The whole orchestra were keen to get it all good, knowing that there would be a CD that would have them playing an iconic piece, in their private studio, and with the Head present. The Head was really getting involved, talking to individual players and giving out hugs as needed. Willow found herself at one of the tables, with Wilhelm and Rosalie sitting with her. He cleared his throat.
“So, Willow. Can you tell us what’s going on with Jacob?”
“As far as I know, he is now going out with Anita, a sister of Alex, one of the Hikers.”
“Did you have an argument?”
“No. He just went to the band’s going away party and turned up at the ‘Wicked’ performance with her.”
“You’re just letting him go?”
“Yep! I got him out of trouble with his cousins, and I know that he’s doing this without any loss of control. He is the one who has broken it off. He should have been here today, playing a triangle. It was a nominal position but made him part of the orchestra.”
“I have to tell you that he has asked me to organise his pay-out of the two syndicates. I hate to think what he’ll do with the money, but, at least, I can pay it into the account that I’m still the controller of. We have been paying some into his personal account, but he hasn’t had access to the rest.”
“I wondered if he would do this. I suppose that we’ll get an email that he’s dropping out of the band. Peter will have to draw a line under the albums he has played in and only pay him his share of those. It will make that difficult for a good six months.”
“You’ve obviously expected this?”
“From his attitude last week, yes. I was wondering if we had moved the band into a type of music that he isn’t happy with. He was always a folk player first, and we became a heavy rock band on tour. When you see the Berlin DVD, you’ll know what I mean. If we have to stay behind, can you take Gina and me home?”
“Of course. By the time this winds up, it will be our time to leave.”
Xavier came over to them.
“I think it’s time to start them getting back in. Can I have a private word, Willow?”
“If it involves Jacob, his parents and I have probably guessed what you’re going to tell us. Has he booked the studio for non-band use?”
“I don’t know how you read minds, Willow, but yes. He wants studio time on Friday evening, and all-day Saturday.”
“Make sure he knows what you get paid for any non-band, or non-school time. Let me know by email what he got up to. We were just discussing him pulling out of any ownership of this site, so we will let you know when to change the locks.”
They all went back into the studio and settled down, resuming from where they had left off.
For Willow, their version of the Hallelujah Chorus was as good as it gets, with the top note that the sopranos hit enough to raise the hairs on your arms. After another short break, the extra players had their time in the spotlight, with Nancy and the trumpet sounding in the bass air. At the end, when Xavier said that all was good, the door opened, and the Head came in to shake Mister Bamborough’s hand and then hug each of the soloists. There was a distinct sense of satisfaction, tinged with relief that it was over.
Willow stood and called loudly for some quiet.
“Today, we have done well, but we now have to repeat it in under two weeks in the school theatre, then three times in the Cathedral. You have all done an excellent job. There will be a complete performance in the theatre next Wednesday afternoon, after school. With that, I expect that we can repeat today’s effort, in a seamless performance with just two breaks. Take a rest, and our techs will see about giving us CDs of today. They will need to work on the vision to synchronise with the music, so a DVD and proper CD may be a few days.”
She went and collected the buds from Tom and the conductor, taking them into the control room to wipe over and put in their boxes. Xavier saw her.
“Thanks for giving us some time. I’ll bring Frank and Dave with me on Saturday, and we’ll work on producing the DVD. This is as long as three albums, and the linking silence has to be carefully set. We can put together a CD, but it won’t be perfect today. I’ll give the Head, you, Mister Bamborough, Mister Jamieson and Tom one today. The one to go to the manufacturer will be ready next week. I’ll download today to my laptop and work on it at home with the new software.”
“All right, I’ll tell the Head. What’s the vision like?”
“Good, we have multiple views of the whole ensemble, and were able to utilise most of the cameras.”
Wilhelm went out and opened the gate, the drivers went and opened up the vehicles. Slowly, they cleared the studio. The truck was brought to the lane. Willow and Gina opened up the back doors for them to collect the big instruments and the music stands. Willow told Sebastian that they would go back to Stoneleigh with Wilhelm but to get the others home. She saw the Head and told her about the delay in getting a saleable CD. The Head hugged Willow and told her that just getting one would be a true gift. The orchestra and choir went to the coaches, the Cathedral and Village choirs went to their minibuses, with Tom expressing his thanks for the opportunity to be part of this and commenting on the extra dimension that the buds gave.
Wilhelm, Willow, and Gina helped the guys load the truck, and then had a walk through to make sure that nothing was taken that shouldn’t have been. The truck left, and they closed up the back doors, leaving the chairs and keyboards where they were. There was a mass of mics and cables to tidy up. Willow picked up her violin, put it in her case, and got her bag. As they moved towards the exit, they tidied up and filled the small bins, carrying them to the big bin to empty.
Turning off the lights to the studio, then turning of all the switches on the way out, it felt a little bit of an anticlimax. Still, it was another hurdle jumped. Wilhelm had closed the doors of the main shed and locked the office. His car was outside the gate, so they slid the shed door closed, locked it, and closed the gate to lock it before getting in the back seat.
On the way back to Stoneleigh, they spoke a little about Jacob, bringing Gina up to date. After they had dropped Gina at home, Wilhelm was driving to Willow’s house, when he asked the one question that Willow really didn’t want to answer.
“Willow, I really have to ask if Jacob is now sexually active?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Do your parents know?”
“My mother guessed it some time ago. She may not totally agree with it and has told me to be careful. It’s not as if we went at it like rabbits, I think that you could count the total times on one hand. To be honest, I think that he wanted it more than I did, but that’s being a boy.”
“Thank you for your honesty, Willow. We both think that you are an exceptional girl, and that he’s a fool for dropping you. I’m going to make it my business to be on site on Saturday, to meet this new girl. Today has been very interesting. That music and the strength of the words have triggered something in the two of us. I think that we might see if we can find a synagogue. We need to get one for Rebeccah to be named. Perhaps that’s where we went wrong with Jacob, no moral compass.”
They dropped her off at home, and she went up to strip and have a shower. It had been quite a stressful day. Dressed casually, she took the CD that Xavier had given her and wrote the title and date on the cover. Then, she started preparing the dinner, with the cutting and dicing helping her to settle. That evening the family sat in the sitting room and listened to the recording. Except for the odd spacing between the tracks, it sounded pretty good. Her parents didn’t worry about the spacing and thought that it was great.
Marianne Gregory © 2025