Well good morning all! Seriously back to practice now after a terrific Summer and an few easy weeks. The new Simon Holt concerto is on the music stand, the metronome is cranked down to 11 and the slow work is in painful progress. Amazing new piece! Ambitious, cheeky, intense, powerful. A unique addition to our repertoire, which I intend to play often. Everyone also please check out his amazing violin concerto "Witness to a Snow Miracle", it is completely stunning. Similarly, very chuffed with the reaction to my new ONYX disc, which got its first (5 star) review the other day as disc of the week in the Daily Telegraph, and a great time at the Proms this season with the superb BBC Scottish Symphony who played awesomely on August 16th. Otherwise, kitchen activities abound, including our annual wine-tasting event(THE hot Summer ticket) and a terrific new cocktail creation, based on Sloe gin and freshly squeezed fruit juices. As the new term starts, best wishes too to all my students at the RAM and the Conservatoire in the Hague - looking forward to another year of grafting, and grinning!! Best, Colin.