Task 46: Learn how to play Year of the Cat riff on the saxophone

So why have I chosen to play the 'year of the cat' riff on the saxophone as my fiftieth task?  Well quite simply because Andrew and I regard year of the cat as our song. We saw Al Stewart singing it for the first time at a concert in 1977 and in a loving gesture I promptly went out and bought the album for Andrew. I even added a personal touch to the front of the album cover - in case you're wondering, it reads (oh dear, this is deeply embarrassing), 'Fur someone paw but purrfect from an intoxicated tabby' – I think the reference to a tabby must have been some kind of in joke between us at the time.

  

However my anxiety levels about this particular task have been creeping up for two reasons:

a)      David H who is an eminent music producer of many years’ standing and knows pretty much everything there is to know about creating music has informed me that the saxophone is a very difficult instrument to play…..in fact he thinks it’s probably the most difficult instrument I could possibly have chosen to play.

b)      Andy T has forwarded on an email from a friend of his who has recently seen Al Stewart in concert and says 'having seen the contortions the sax player went through playing that solo, I wish her luck and your money is safe’. 

With the words of these esteemed gentlemen ringing in my ears I duly attended for my first sax lesson on Wednesday.  My teacher, Sarah Skinner (based in Heathfield) turned out to be an inspirational saxophone guru who in addition to being very relieved that for once she has someone who isn’t asking to play Baker Street, seemed pretty confident that Task 46 is a doable one.  And so to the esteemed gentlemen above, I think the gauntlet is well and truly thrown down!

One of the main aims of my first lesson was to decide whether I wanted to play an alto or tenor sax. I soon discovered that I'd be bearing the full weight of the instrument around my ageing neck, and rapidly concluded that I’d be better off playing the alto sax, which is smaller and lighter than the tenor (although I can assure you it’s not that small or light!) Yesterday I took myself off to the mecca of saxophone stores in the entire world, Sax.co.uk (which as good fortune would have it, is located in Crowborough of all places) to hire myself an alto sax. Here it is on display in the shop (it’s the shiny gold one on the right).  It’s difficult to believe that one day I may actually be able to play that special song on it.

The work now begins and as with my running programme, I shall keep you posted on my progress from time to time.  And I shall wind up this post with Al’s immortal closing lines:

Bur the drumbeat strains of the night remain

In the rhythm of the new-born day

You know sometime you're bound to leave her

But for now you're going to stay

In the year of the cat…….year of the cat........

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