I was fortunate to be able to get back through Canada for a visit in recent weeks. It was energising to spend some quality time with family and friends, and of course no visit to Toronto would be complete without a proper record playing session.
The day itself was sunny and comfortably warm. Friday of a long weekend, with a clear schedule, a place downtown ready for the evening, speakers and equipment sorted, and a tight knit crew en route in time for sunset. All set, all ready to go, just needed to get there. Easy train in from the suburbs.
But while the bigger bits of travel had all come off without a hitch, the hardest part of the whole trip, it turned out, was finding my way out of Bloor Station – a task made harder as a result of at least one poor decision on my part. Who knew train stations could be so convoluted?
There is of course a particular satisfaction in escaping from a trap of one’s own making. Happy to see the light indeed.
This is episode 128 of Music For Small Audiences. Recorded live through the evening hours on a warm summer evening, it captures a two and a half hour musical show-and-tell session among good friends with plenty to celebrate.