John Adams –Short Ride In A Fast Machine.

I must admit to being slightly nervous about posting this cursed track.

Short Ride In A Fast Machine had originally been scheduled to be played at the Last Night of the Proms in September 1997. However, it was swiftly pulled after Diana Princess of Wales had her own short ride in a fast machine – you might have heard about it at the time.

On the 30th August, after an evening living large at The Ritz, she and her millionaire playboy boyfriend were driven through Paris in their Mercedes at twice the speed limit by a drunken chauffer without wearing a seatbelt when, surprisingly, they had a fatal accident. She was like a candle in the wind, you know.

In another move that showed her reckless disregard for her own life earlier in 1997 she had apparently been in talks with Kevin Costner about appearing in The Bodyguard 2. The latest name put forward for the Diana role is Jessica Simpson. And why not?

Not ones to be deterred by just one international tragedy, the Proms nabobs rescheduled the performance for the Last Night of the Proms on 15th September 2001 (you’re way ahead of me). Of course, the ‘tragic events of 9/11’^TM meant it had to be pulled again.

On the highly scientific principle of ‘third time’s a charm’ the piece was again scheduled to appear in the Proms in 2004. However, to ensure that any collateral damage was restricted to perma-grinning, cocaine fuelled children’s TV presenters, it was to be part of the Blue Peter Proms. Luckily, Richard Bacon and Konnie Huq made it to the performance unscathed and the curse was lifted - I hope.

Drive safely kids.



John Adams – Short Ride In A Fast Machine

Buy the score if you happen to have two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, an English horn, four clarinets, three bassoons, and contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, two synthesizers, timpani, high wood block, snare drum, crotales, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, pedal bass drum, large bass drum, sizzle cymbal, tambourine, large tam-tam, medium wood block, triangle and xylophone hanging around that you want to make good use of.