February 3rd - Day 291

When I set out on my quest, the rules I set were, as it says at the top, "to experience live music in any form every day for a year. No one experience the same." From that I have not wavered. I also told myself that I couldn't go to the same place more than ten times in the year. It wasn't long before going back even once to the same place felt lazy, so I think I've done pretty well with that. The nearest I've got to ten is Trafalgar Square (eight times - a mix of buskers, plinthers, festivals, parades and a Michael Jackson flash tribute). Venue-wise I've done the National Theatre Foyer four times (thinking about it, might be five) and The Old Nun's Head four times...no, that's five times too (my labels are less reilable than I thought), though that's divided into Easycome Acoustic thrice and jazz downstairs twice. Even The Bedford, which I felt was treading old ground on Monday, only features three times.

The reason I mention this now is because one place that feels like it now features very heavily is Ivydale School. The label says only three times, but it must be twice as much...I'll have a look after posting this. Each occasion has, however, been a different exprience...steel pans at the international evening, choir rehearsal, Nunhead Community Choir performing at the school, the schoolchildren performing at The Albany...couple more I'm sure...and today, children busking. In the main hall a string quintet/sextet, accompanied by Margaret on piano, performed as parents brought their children in to school. In front of them was a see-through plastic bucket and a sign saying "Donations for Haiti please". "It's lovely coming here in the morning," said one of the mums, "Very uplifting". Different children are busking every day this week. It's Oliver's turn tomorrow. He doesn't know yet.

It turns out today was only the fifth to directly feature the school or its children, though it does pop up on other non-featured days, not least the operatic assembly from a couple of weeks back.