It always seems to rain when I go to Glasgow but since it was raining here on Saturday I was no worse off.  I went over to attend the concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and an afternoon concert by the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Here they are in the beautifully appointed but somewhat unimaginatively named New Auditorium of the Royal Concert Hall.

It was an excellent hour and a bit.  These people are amazing players showing, as Tommy said, that the future is bright.

I had rather too many hours to spare before going to the City Halls and since wandering around in the rain didn't sound like fun I lingered in a music shop for a while, visited three branches of WH Smith, bought a book and used it to space out a very tasty meal of tiger prawns in a yummy sauce followed by sea-bass on spicy lentils.

That still left a little time on my hands but as crossed town I came across this disintegrating queue of disconsolate punters who had been too late to profit from the free food distribution that had emptied the white lorry.

Now the food being given away was boxes of doughnuts so I suspect this was a publicity stunt rather than famine relief or a food bank.  It could have been modern art I suppose given what I've recently seen at Tramway and what I came across next as I passed the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, known as GOMA to its friends (of whom I count myself one).

These neon signs are part of Real Life Scotland which is extensively and persuasively explained here.  Someone could usefully write up the Turner entries in the same comprehensible manner.    

The concert when I got to it was brilliant, one of the best SNJO gigs I've been to.  It was wholly dedicated to the Glenn Miller catalogue.  The band all looked as though they had been dressed by the same tailor as Miller, handkerchiefs peeking out of breast pockets and sleeked down hair.  They didn't throw their instruments in the air as you can see the originals do in this Youtube clip but they did pop up and down and perform synchronised moves in the manner of the time. They had also recruited some young singers from the Conservatoire to play the part of the Modernaires which they did with aplomb.

The music and the playing was wonderful.

I have to say the same about the SCO concert I went to this afternoon.  It was totally different music of course and a totally different set up.  This was chamber music; a string sextet and some clarinet and piano trios.  All music that was new to me and which I really enjoyed.  Here's one of the beautiful trios courtesy of Youtube.