Don't worry - I'm used to that sort of reception when I decline something (when you've got kids, you have to develop a thick hide!)
The double booking is a terrible vanity thing, I'm afraid. A friend rang me and asked if I would be interested in helping do some croaking on a proposed CD - and it's not the sort of offer I get every day (If you heard my singing you'd know why), so...
But it's bloody Sod's Law that the two things clash. However, the NEXT UK gathering is a definite must for me.
Meanwhile, if the CD works out, I'll post details.