Yesterday was our last full day in Chicoutimi. The orchestra had two student matinee concerts during the day, and I think they went really well. We had an actor playing the role of Mozart and two violin soloists. The music was pretty varied – a bit of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Haydn’s Farewell Symphony, an excerpt from the Four Seasons, and even a Canadian fiddle piece. It’s always fun watching the little kids come up on stage to play their recorders with the orchestra.The one thing you can count on with touring is that things never go as planned. For example, our guest Concertmaster for the student matinee got stuck in Montreal on Sunday night (Air Canada messed up her connection). She called as I was enjoying a dinner with some friends to say she wouldn’t be able to make the concert the next morning.Luckily we have another guest Concertmaster doing the main tour concerts, so Nelson (our Personnel Manager) talked to her and she graciously agreed to fill in. She even learned the big fiddle solo and nailed it during the concert. Luck seems to play a big part in solving tour problems…Today is the longest day on tour. Our buses leave in about an hour for Québec, then there’s a short rehearsal and an evening concert, followed by a reception. I’m already stressed out about whether the rooms will be ready at the Hilton when we arrive this afternoon. There’s nothing like having dozens of tired musicians sitting in a lobby waiting for you to get their room key…