I'm self medicating at bedtime this evening with a brace of hot toddies against the pesky cold that has plagued me for the past two weeks.

I've managed to ignore it and get on with whatever but I was sorely tempted not to struggle out across sheets of ice and under driving rain tonight. However the siren call of St Cecilia was too strong to resist.

For tonight was the first meeting of the new session of the Dunedin Wind Band within whose ranks I am determined to blow my horn. I am testing their announced welcome to all ages and abilities. They were in fact very welcoming and didn't seem to mind that for most of the time I didn't play because I was totally lost.

It looks like their system is based on the well known chuck him in at the deep end principle and I was pretty pleased that there were a couple of numbers where I managed to keep afloat for more than the first few bars. We'll see if I can make a better fist of it next week given that I'll have time to try some of the music at home. I say some because there is a lot.

In case enthusiasm wanes and I am tempted to backslide I paid all the dues for the four month session straight away.