BRUSSELS (31st October 2009)

"A slightly bleary-eyed Synergy contingent stepped off the Eurostar in Brussels on a sunny Thursday morning in October. As Heather, Rachel, Amy and I arrived at our hotel we were faced with what looked like a building site. We soon realised this was the current look of Brussels in the midst of improvements to their transport system, and I am pleased to report it did not affect our rest time!

After lunch and a shower we headed to Ictus headquarters on the other side of town where we were greeted with free tea and cake (always a winning start to any rehearsal!). A fairly relaxed rehearsal followed, setting us up well for our day off. This saw Rachel single-handedly keeping the Belgian economy afloat as she purchased a lifetime supply of trousers at the flea market. Heather and I enjoyed the chocolate shops where we managed a good quantity of free samples, largely by visiting a particularly generous vendor a number of times. The Grand Place proved a good coffee stop and looked stunning in the autumn sunlight.

Amy and Rachel

As we got to the double concert day, a simultaneous performance in London taking place with our 'Synergy London' representatives, a lengthy afternoon soundcheck awaited us in Brussels. This pleased Mrs Weston greatly as she revelled in the momentary but dulcet tones of our vocal quartet, followed by a brief full rehearsal before the show.

With Ictus dressed for the concert as if for a party in someone's home, Synergy were dressed to impress in our trademark glamorous sparkly tops and trousers! We had a reasonable British fan base in the audience totalling six. I've yet to be involved in a Music for Eighteen that isn't a triumph and this was certainly no exception! Elaborate lighting enhanced some tremendous music making and the crowd was, as always, elated. After a good half a dozen returns to the stage as the audience showed their appreciation it was off for a late dinner, relieving our pockets of even more Euros.

Heather showing Miguel how it's done

A musician friend forming part of our entourage has been a fan of Music for Eighteen for years but had never heard a live performance until Brussels. She couldn't contain her excitement afterwards, declaring 'That piece live is amazing. One of the best concerts I've ever heard.' I have to agree I am yet to tire of this piece. As visual as it is musically thrilling, there is certainly never a dull moment. Here's to many more performances at home and abroad! "

Jenny