Later this afternoon, I’m due to provide some music for a tree decoration and lighting event St Clement’s is putting on (event from 3:30pm at the St Clement’s Centre on Cross Street in East Oxford; music from 4:30pm). It is a new event, aimed to provide something seasonal and festive for the local community and I’m going to be leading a few ‘light the blue touch paper’ carols (ie. start singing and they should just take off).

I had planned to take my ukulele but I’m thinking I might make my debut public performance on bouzouki instead. I’m cheating a bit by tuning the strings to the same GCEA pattern as I’m used on the uke (although without the reentrant step down from a high G to a low C) so I can use the uke chords I’m familiar with. However, the bouzouki is louder, has a richer solo sound with the paired strings and the instrument as a whole just looks a little less usual than a ukulele.

Should be fun!