No posts in two months and then two in a day. I've just re-read some of my early posts, and I think I better tidy a few loose ends up.

I'm delighted that the Habs have made the post-season. It's looked like they would for the last couple of weeks, especially when they were winning games. For a while, I thought that they may be unlucky and end up meeting the Ottawa Senators in the first round, but we'll meet the Carolina Hurricanes instead. I've every confidence that the Habs will win, albeit in 7 games.

Speaking of form, I'm pleased with the form that United have shown in recent weeks, even if they couldn't beat Sunderland on Good Friday. They've started to show some of the character of former teams, and with a couple of good signings during the summer, I'm sure we will be challenging for the Premiership next season. I can't see Ruud Van Nistelrooy leaving Old Trafford in the summer. He's a class act, and I think we will only be successful with 4 strikers in the squad. With Solskjaer coming back from injury and Rossi in the wings, I think we have more than enough class up front, although who would turn down a fit Ronaldo from Real Madrid. Personally, I'd like to see us sign a couple of midfielders. I like Riquelme, who's with Villarreal at the moment, Nolan (Bolton) and Makelele and Joe Cole (Chelsea). I'm only hoping that Sir Alex Ferguson shows some of his flare in the transfer market and that we don't end up going after dross (like Djemba-Djemba or Kleberson). I'd love to be at the Roy Keane testimonial, but sadly, it's the week before the Senior Cup and I'll be at band almost every night that week, so I think I'll spend my night off with Sarah and George rather than 70,000 people at Old Trafford.

What has been disappointing is the Yankee's start to the season. To be 7-7 after 14 games, having lost series' to Oakland, Los Angeles and Minnesota is not how a lot of Bombers fans had envisaged it, I'm sure, especially with Damon arriving in Centrefield. He's only hitting 0.293.
I'm sure things will improve, but we need to at least make the AL Championship final this year.

On a banding note, since the concert in Wigan, I played a concert with the Northern All Stars at the Sage Theatre in Gateshead. What a concert that was. There was a very receptive audience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The highlights for me had to be Joe Cook's solo (Czardas) and Gregson's "The Age of Kings". I've been asked to be a member of the band again next year, and provisionally I've said yes, as long as EYMS don't have a concert on that night. EYMS have also played two concerts; one at the New Albermarle Centre in Hull where I thought we played well, apart from a few small slips, and one at Wakefield Cathederal, where we played well, even if the band sounded a little tired. Our next concert isn't until the 27th May when we are playing at the Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe. We also have a CD recording coming up (even though our last CD isn't out yet!) and I'm playing at the Whit Friday marches with Haiwaiian Brass.

I'm also working on some more arrangements. I gave Jim Davies (our MD) a few scores to look at and hopefully one or two will make it into the EYMS concert programme. One of my arrangements (a version of Noel Rawsthorne's wonderful Hornpipe Humoresque) was played last October by the band. Some of the other pieces include "Ben Hur's Chariot Race" (Paull), "Prelude" (JS Bach), "Three Little Maids" (Sullivan) (this is a bass trio) "Deus in Adetoreum" (Monteverdi) and "El Diablo" (Cezar). Fingers crossed eh!