Day 1 - Arriving

This first day has mostly been about travelling.  The flight was on time (well, pretty much) and I had a great view of the Rhine from Bingen to Mainz as we came in to land.  Werner was waiting for me as I walked out of the arrivals gate.  We drove around to Terminal 1 and I grabbed a sandwich and a coffee while we chatted and waited for John Potter's plane to land and for him to get through the arrivals process.   It was not long before we were on the road away from Frankfurt airport and heading towards Saulheim.

Actually, we went first to Werner's house at Udenheim, where we met Marie and were treated to coffee and cake.  Then Werner drove me to Saulheim and I checked in to my hotel.  Practicalities over (like getting in, getting on to the wi-fi and a getting-your-bearings kind of walk around the centre of the town), I made my way to the Sangehalle in Bahnhofstrasse in perfect time to meet Werner and John and, very soon after, the members of Ensemble Nobiles.

After a meal together, we set ourselves up in the main hall, where Nobiles sang a few pieces - one by Tallis and others by composers of the same era.  John, Werner and I commented on how they had performed - John especially, as - let's face it - he's the expert!


A pleasant hour after was spent with a glass of wine and general chat, during which my friends in Nobiles gave me, Werner and John each a copy of their new CD, which includes the "Jauchzet dem Herrn" which I composed for them earlier this year.   I look forward to listening to it in a minute...