Timing and Rhythm

When you’re racing Senior Rotax you need timing and rhythm. Timing to make those hairy overtakes and rhythm to be consistent round the track.

Maybe that’s why Kate is not just great at racing, but she’s great at percussion too. In fact, after last night’s performance on timpani with the Hapax Orchestra, playing Dvořák’s ‘The Water Goblin’ and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, I’d say she’s brilliant at timing and rhythm, absolutely brilliant. From softs to louds, with subtle rolls, and articulation and phrasing that’s seemingly impossible on a set of kettle drums, Kate nailed the performance.

She’s performing again this weekend, but in her trusty Tony Kart. We’re hoping for a good performance too (even though the BBC weather page has lightning symbols for the Sunday weather).

It was a late-night last night. The van was full of timpani drums and percussion when we arrived home in the dark, and we had to empty the van of percussion and fill the van with kart stuff for this weekend’s Round 5 of the Medway Valley Kart Club’s Summer Championship. And I was up early this morning going through the packing tick list to make sure everything was in the van.

I think we’re done. I’m a bit shell-shocked. Kate’s still in bed. I’ve been up for an hour and a half. We have what seems like a million wet tyres in the van and, I think, we’re ready for anything (although I have a strange Water Goblin melody running through my head at the moment).