A Show I’d Rather Forget

When I was 15 I played My Fair Lady at the Buxton Opera House. The regular trumpet player had deped the week out to a guy called Adam who encapsulated all the negative stereotypes of trumpet players.

He was supremely arrogant (with no reason to be), played ridiculously loud throughout the show and if I remember correctly stank of fags and booze.

I got to the last show and I was feeling really rough (I came down with flu the next day). Adam made his usual ritual of warming up like an idiot. Screaming his lungs out in the pit for a show that rarely goes over the stave. Wether it was out of spite or just chance he would aim his trumpet at the elderly lead violinist during this.

The old chap got up and came over to us and asked very politely:

Is it was absolutely necessary to warm up like that?

Adam replied: “Absolutely Necessary!!” - To which he then aimed his trumpet at him and warmed up more violently than ever.

This must have hot a nerve as he kept on muttering to himself until he packed his trumpet away, tapped me on the shoulder and said “Good Luck” and then left.

Really I should have been bricking it because I had 3 mins before the show was to start, I’d played a Matinee, I was 15 and I’d never played this or any other first part in a show before. But for some reason I was really excited.

I was in this crappy situation BUT it wasn’t my fault! So what ever I played I wouldn’t be blamed. : )

The release of pressure that came with this revelation meant I sight read the part as we went and it was such a laugh. Even when I got to a section that dove tailed between the 1st and 2nd parts (i.e. me and myself) I had no problems : P.

The MD and my friends in the show still laugh about it to this day.