What snippet of music is buzzing around in your head this morning?  Most Friday mornings I find that something from the previous evening’s rehearsal has taken over  my musical subconscious during the night and stays with me until the following Thursday.

Today it’s the bass jazz rhythm in Prende la vela. “Prende la vela, mi negra, mi negra” is bouncing around and I find myself humming it at all sorts of unlikely moments.  I hope I am getting those off-beat stresses in the right spot!  I have just been standing in a queue at the shops and the lady in front of me turned round and asked me if I was humming.  I had not realised it, but indeed I had been.  And she must have wondered what it was!

Last week, unusually, I was caught by something we had not even sung.  It was the running bass octaves played in the left hand of the piano accompaniment during the Credo of the Schubert Mass. (Look at page 25 of the score).  Incidentally, I always marvel at the way Bethany plays them so fluently – they are absolutely unrelenting.

Mind you, today’s subconscious music may not last that long.  Tonight is The Dream of Gerontius at the Conservatorium.  As it one of my favourite works, and as I do not hear it that often, it would not be surprising if one or more of Elgar’s grand melodies were to take over my subconscious completely.

Until next Thursday, that is.