An unexpected little gig

After having the summer ball put on hold until October I had been all set just to work on grade 4 pieces but the chance of a little background entertainment suddenly came up. The Palace Band aim to play at a couple of summer events each year and every two years plays for the Queen's Park Area Resident's Association's Open Gardens and Studios day. Many local gardens are available to look around and artists open their doors allowing visitors to admire their work. For as long as I can remember Palace Band have played on the bandstand as part of the main park entertainment then several of the chamber groups that are formed from within the band go into two of the gardens to provide music for the visitors. Usually we like to provide four groups, two in each of the gardens that request music but of the current ensembles only one was available to play this year. Knowing how much the music in the gardens is appreciated I didn't want to leave a gap so I wrote to the organisers explaining the problem and asking if they would mind having an amatuer harpist rather than a wind ensemble as in previous years. The reply came back quickly: "Yes please!" so I hastily got my music back out and brushed up on what I thought should be enough pieces.

On a suprisingly sunny Sunday for June I dropped the harp off then went and had lunch with Caroline (if you've read all the other blogs you'll know Caroline almost as well as me) who lives in the area then we headed off to the bandstand in Queen's Park for the Palace Band's main performance. The band have worked really hard over the past few months and our performance of Purcell, Albeniz, Bizet and Warlock went down well with the crowd.

Palace Band on the Queen's Park bandstand

After a quick stop for ice cream Caroline and I headed to the garden of local resident Martin. Palace Band chamber groups have been playing in Martin's wonderful garden for as long as I can remember so it was great to see him again. I set up out of the way by the kitchen door, had a quick tune up and picked an easy grade 2 tune to start.

It didn't go quite as I expected, with a few odd slips here and there, but as I moved through a few more pieces it felt easier and I settled down. If something went well I added a repeat and if something wasn't going well I slowed down as musically as possible, got through the hard bit then gradually moved it on back to tempo. These allargando (broadning) passages also helped lengthen my programme. My set lasted for 30 minutes although this did include at lest 5 minutes on a children's hands-on presentation when a couple of inquisitive youngsters came over.

Back into teacher mode

When confidence had built up, and when visitors had gone down I went through Eriskay Love Lilt, my most demanding piece. I really enjoyed playing this in th open air especially when surrounded by all the greenery! There are two places that I still need to sort out ready for the exam but otherwise it was good to get a performance of it done. During my break Martin suggested moving me further into the middle of the garden so my second set (the same as the first, only with different wrong notes) was much nearer the pond.

Both Martin and Caroline said how well the harp sound carried across the garden and Martin booked me for the next event in 2014. I said I'd know a few more tunes by then. Martin also let slip that he has a flute and was thinking of playing it again. I suggested he try out Palace Band so maybe we will have a new member in the coming months! Many thanks to Caroline for taking the photos and to Martin for allowing me to play!

A lesson and a recording session

If things had gone to plan I would have spent this blog reminiscing about my gig at the ball last night but as it happened I stayed in and watched the telly as the ball got postponed to October. I knew this a while ago but hadn't got round to updating the blog. I'd practised hard learning various pieces but knowing it was to be in October came as a bit of a relief as it gives me more time to prepare. So it's more focus on the grade 4 pieces now. I had a lesson with Rohan who is now making more suggestions about technique including finger and hand position. She has mentioned this before but it is now much more specific and she is able to show how my current technique sounds and what a change in fingers will sound like. It's subtle but I'm noticing it. There was a lot to take in so I scribbled a few points down in my notebook and have been thinking about them since. She liked what I was doing so far though.

After I had played Rohan and I recorded a couple of pieces for clarinet and harp that I will use at some stage for mine and Chris's wedding ceremony. The Prelude from Victorian Kitchen Garden is a favourite of both of us and we have performed it before so had a quick rehearsal then went for a take. After two attempts at the introductions featuring a couple of rare squeaks from me we nailed it. One of my early clarinet pieces was the Entr'Acte from Carmen, for flute and harp in the original but arranged for clarinet and piano and on the grade 3 clarinet list. This transfers well for harp so after a qick practise we got that one recorded too. That will please my Mum as that was one of her favourites in my first year or two of playing the clarinet.

I have a lot coming up over the next few weeks but hope to find time to get a recording or two done of my grade 4 pieces. While it is expected that grade 4 is harder than grades 1 to 3, it is like the stepping stones are further apart and so a lot more mental effort and technical competence is needed going from 3 to 4, than from 2 to 3.

I also need a new top F string so I will have to practise my knot-tying again. I'd best set aside a good hour for that task!

Harp Festival, Woking 27 to 29 July

As festival fever hits the nation my own thoughts turn to another festival that catches my attention, a harp festival organised by the Clarsach Society London and South-East branch. It is taking place during the weekend of 27th to 29th July in Woking and will feature concerts, workshops, talks, a harp exhibition, sales of music and harp-related items, opportunities for private lessons and come and try sessions. The International Harp Ensemble will give an opening concert on the Friday night and then Saturday and Sunday will be packed full of various workshops and presentations given by Danielle Perret, Nancy Hurrell, Robin Ward. I am particularly interested in Nicholas Lynch-Aird's presentation on the Theory of a self-tuning harp and will be curious to see if this theory could be applied to other instruments like, say, the clarinet...

Accomodation is available and it promises to be an exciting weekend.

More details are here: http://harpfest2012.wordpress.com/festival-programme/