Bayan time (5)

I'm just in the process of learning Acker Bilk's signature clarinet piece Stranger on the Shore. Pardon the murky tin-bucket sound quality (the microphone on Clare's HP laptop isn't great) and the image reversal that for some reason is the default for the HP video capture software. The intro needs especial work.

General bayan progress: slow but steady. As you can see, I feel much more relaxed than when I recorded the Bluebell Polka - no multiple takes and sigh of relief on getting through the piece - and the Орфей no longer weighs a ton. It's been four months, and the chief ongoing tasks are building up my technical keyboard skill, learning a repertoire (because I don't sight-read well), getting more comfortable with playing in front of people (I've rashly promised to play in some capacity at the Town Fayre in August), and getting familiar with the counter-basses (which my old accordion didn't have).

- Ray