Harmonious meeting

Less than a week ago I was asking myself, what is a harmonium?

I've been getting into Divine Singing and chanting in the Indian tradition (very calming as well as invigorating, if that makes any sense) so had come across references to this instrument, as well as to the tamboura, or drone. From my research I had decided that it was a ' pump organ', a sort of portable keyboard with a set of bellows behind it. The keyboard is played with one hand, while the other hand works the bellows.

Today I had a scary amount of things to do, culminating in prepping for a card stall tomorrow and performing at a poetry gig tonight at 8pm. While I was in town buying stamps etc, I was seized by a desire to buy junk food in Poundland. Instead I took myself out of the store, doing a bit of Indian singing to myself, and stopped to seal up and stamp an envelope in front of the now-defunct We Buy Gold store. Imagine my surprise when I glanced at the window and came face to face with a real-life harmonium! In Stroud the vacant store fronts are filled with displays advertising local societies, crafts or events.This one was promoting the Stroud festival.of Sacred Music in July. There will be a warm up concert in a weeks' time. Good timing!

Last year I wasn't interested in the festival, but this year it might just float my boat. Funny how things find us!

The poetry gig went well and I made some new friends. The museum pavilion in the 'secret garden' I'd a superb venue, and the acoustics work well. My poetry is now published in a pamphlet, shared with two other poets. There are four pamphlets in the series so far. We even have an ISBN for each booklet, which means it can be ordered online or via a bookseller. There's posh!