Ever had one of these?

You have the choice to play indoors or, because the weather is surprisingly bright for March albeit breezy, outside under a bandstand. You go for the bandstand to try and get passing audience, and hope you can fix your folders onto music stands well enough to withstand the wind. It seems to be going all right.

Then halfway through your set it starts getting really dark, you quickly withdraw from a venture out in front of the stage during a solo when you realise you’re getting rained on, then the heavens open and you play your last couple of numbers to half a dozen brave souls in anoraks sheltering under the nearest awning.

This should be a metaphor, but is actually what happened at The String Project’s gig on Sunday. Credit to all performers, crew and organisers concerned for professionalism, good humour and continuing to deliver the goods through what turned into a full-blown thunderous deluge!