Thursday, 12 March 2015
More from GOAT
I have managed a couple of practise sessions this week (2 March), on Monday I
managed half an hour going through exam pieces and Pat's accompaniments.
This session was for my long suffering husband Chris although he
excused himself to the garage so he wouldn't have to suffer too much
that evening!
Tuesday's practise was dedicated to my Dad. While he has his preferences when listening to music he will actually listen with an open mind to any genre. This session was yet another reflective one deciding on where I am at and what I still need to do. Playing through basically! As quite a few of my recent sessions have been like this I realise this is not really progress so I have written down some questions that I have, mainly to do with technique. I saw Rohan at school yesterday and we have provisionally booked a lesson so I will make sure I bombard her with my queries when we do manage to meet up.
One highlight from this week was playing Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams, over an hour of music for two vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra. I was on E flat clarinet for this one (the little one) and didn't have to work too hard. When I did play it was high, loud and with the piccolo so just added to the overall effect. It was made all the more enjoyable as we performed it in King's College Chapel. I don't play there very often so when I do it is a great experience. The waves crash all around for a few movements but at the end of the final movement, itself 30 minutes long, the violins and cellos get quieter and quieter alternating notes high and low, almost like a ship disappearing over the horizon and you not quite being able to tell when it has gone. The cellos finish with a long drawn bow and the piece ends when the last cellist's bow can go no further. No one knew when the piece had finished and we sat there. After an age conductor Stephen Cleobury did a gentle sigh and brought his baton down. This is usually the cue for the audience to relax and applaud but it was such a magic moment they stayed silent! It is always difficult to tell how long that sort of silence goes on for but it must have been a good 45 seconds before Stephen moved again, more exaggerated and someone did start the clapping!
More from Goat!
Living outside of the city walls means that we don't get the local paper around here so I missed this last week:
This is a lovely picture of clarinet and sax player, and good friend and colleague Sally giving it all she's got on the trumpet! The journalist was not one to let the truth get in the way of a good story so there are some inaccuracies but I like the way he has written "the winners were Brassed Off, who were hilarious - they won the people's hearts...possibly for the wrong reasons!" That could so have been one of the wind or strings saying that!
(Thanks to Cath for buying the paper, and Kirsty for sharing!)
There is now a clip available on Youtube from the concert. This is the end of the Finale. I like that the audience looks excited but that might be because they know they can nearly go home!
https://youtu.be/dAfIGFd8D4g
The total amount raised is around £25,000 although this will continue to creep up. There is news of photos as well and one of my future practise sessions will be for Celia George who spent the whole concert day photographing everyone. Twice! I now have my photos and will post them in a later blog.
Tuesday's practise was dedicated to my Dad. While he has his preferences when listening to music he will actually listen with an open mind to any genre. This session was yet another reflective one deciding on where I am at and what I still need to do. Playing through basically! As quite a few of my recent sessions have been like this I realise this is not really progress so I have written down some questions that I have, mainly to do with technique. I saw Rohan at school yesterday and we have provisionally booked a lesson so I will make sure I bombard her with my queries when we do manage to meet up.
One highlight from this week was playing Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams, over an hour of music for two vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra. I was on E flat clarinet for this one (the little one) and didn't have to work too hard. When I did play it was high, loud and with the piccolo so just added to the overall effect. It was made all the more enjoyable as we performed it in King's College Chapel. I don't play there very often so when I do it is a great experience. The waves crash all around for a few movements but at the end of the final movement, itself 30 minutes long, the violins and cellos get quieter and quieter alternating notes high and low, almost like a ship disappearing over the horizon and you not quite being able to tell when it has gone. The cellos finish with a long drawn bow and the piece ends when the last cellist's bow can go no further. No one knew when the piece had finished and we sat there. After an age conductor Stephen Cleobury did a gentle sigh and brought his baton down. This is usually the cue for the audience to relax and applaud but it was such a magic moment they stayed silent! It is always difficult to tell how long that sort of silence goes on for but it must have been a good 45 seconds before Stephen moved again, more exaggerated and someone did start the clapping!
More from Goat!
Living outside of the city walls means that we don't get the local paper around here so I missed this last week:
(Thanks to Cath for buying the paper, and Kirsty for sharing!)
There is now a clip available on Youtube from the concert. This is the end of the Finale. I like that the audience looks excited but that might be because they know they can nearly go home!
https://youtu.be/dAfIGFd8D4g
The total amount raised is around £25,000 although this will continue to creep up. There is news of photos as well and one of my future practise sessions will be for Celia George who spent the whole concert day photographing everyone. Twice! I now have my photos and will post them in a later blog.
Monday, 9 March 2015
Pat's Grade 1 Violin exam!
I have a little catching up from the week or so and will post those blogs shortly but today was the day that fellow GOATee Pat did her grade 1 violin exam. I was at the same school as GOAT organiser and herder Thanea this morning and mentioned that I was leaving early that day to accompany Pat. She immediately delved into her purse and thrust a donation in my hand to give to Pat for her MSF total asking me to wish her all the best! We know of at least four others from Cambridge Wind Band who are taking grade 1 on their new instruments and Pat is the first of the CWB to take the exam.
I parked near the venue, a music shop on the outskirts of Cambridge, just before Pat and husband Martin arrived so we walked in together. Pat was a little concerned as she feels she has good days and bad days and she just couldn't predict which way it was going to go. She asked if I had good and bad days with my clarinet but as I tend to only do things that are well within my technical ability I rarely have a bad day. I have had things go wrong in the past, and have learnt some tough and necessary lessons, but there is a point where many of the basic skills become so automatic and secure that it isn't a problem. Pat knows where to put the bow, how to play her scales, that intonation is important but she was aware that when she plays she is thinking a lot about everything. However she was also aware that she had only been playing for just over six weeks so to be taking the exam was a major achievement. I think her thoughts flitted between the two sides "might have a bad day" v. "six weeks work is pretty good y'know"! Which probably only made it more agonising!!
We were welcomed by the steward, who knew Pat and Martin very well, and we went up to the warm up room and I presented Pat with Thanea's donation. Martin carried the violin, checked the tuning and sorted out the music while Pat filled in the slip for the examiner. As Martin's mannerisms went from 'encouraging parent gently helping' to 'pushy parent ready to take the exam himself' we sent him back into the shop to buy a mute for their granddaughter's violin. He also amused himself by trying out a 1/16th size instrument!
Pat and I ran through the pieces which were pretty good, although the Menuet went a little sharp where Pat has to play a top B so she knew to remember not to stretch too far. The Sandman was fine and Pennsylvania 6-5000 was great with all the right jazzy rhythms in place. We also planned our ending which meant me giving a discrete nod to get the last note in palce. This is not cheating, this is commuication, essential for any musician. The steward came to fetch us and down we went.
We went into the exam room welcomed by the examiner and played through the three peices. On the whole I thought they went well. Menuet was nicely played, I can't actually remember too much about the Sandman as I was focussing on my own part which needed more concentration, and Pennsylvania 6-5000 went well. The last note came in strongly and ended more quickly than we'd rehearsed but we finished together so that was fine! I left the room at this point and afterwards Pat said her scales had gone fine, sight-reading had been suprisingly short and not too bad while the aural was also manageable. Then it was over and we headed next door to the pub for some lunch and further chat.
While Pat and I had a small snack Martin ordered himself the largest curry complete with poppadums and naan bread which made me wonder who perhaps was the most relieved that the exam was over! Pat's thoughts again ran between "feeling a little deflated that perhaps it could have gone better" and "should I do grade 2?" We talked about the violin which as a family heirloom played by Martin's father and grandfather was treasured by them both and Pat had a fondness for it that she hadn't felt when learning the trumpet at the 2011 GOAT. In the end Pat felt more confident about it as time went by and I said I would text her as soon as I had the result. We also decided to meet up soon to do some flute and harp playing so we will have some plans soon.
A big thank you to Pat for allowing me to accompany her and be part of her Violin playing journey! I hope I am part of her grade 2 challenge!!
I parked near the venue, a music shop on the outskirts of Cambridge, just before Pat and husband Martin arrived so we walked in together. Pat was a little concerned as she feels she has good days and bad days and she just couldn't predict which way it was going to go. She asked if I had good and bad days with my clarinet but as I tend to only do things that are well within my technical ability I rarely have a bad day. I have had things go wrong in the past, and have learnt some tough and necessary lessons, but there is a point where many of the basic skills become so automatic and secure that it isn't a problem. Pat knows where to put the bow, how to play her scales, that intonation is important but she was aware that when she plays she is thinking a lot about everything. However she was also aware that she had only been playing for just over six weeks so to be taking the exam was a major achievement. I think her thoughts flitted between the two sides "might have a bad day" v. "six weeks work is pretty good y'know"! Which probably only made it more agonising!!
We were welcomed by the steward, who knew Pat and Martin very well, and we went up to the warm up room and I presented Pat with Thanea's donation. Martin carried the violin, checked the tuning and sorted out the music while Pat filled in the slip for the examiner. As Martin's mannerisms went from 'encouraging parent gently helping' to 'pushy parent ready to take the exam himself' we sent him back into the shop to buy a mute for their granddaughter's violin. He also amused himself by trying out a 1/16th size instrument!
Pat and I ran through the pieces which were pretty good, although the Menuet went a little sharp where Pat has to play a top B so she knew to remember not to stretch too far. The Sandman was fine and Pennsylvania 6-5000 was great with all the right jazzy rhythms in place. We also planned our ending which meant me giving a discrete nod to get the last note in palce. This is not cheating, this is commuication, essential for any musician. The steward came to fetch us and down we went.
We went into the exam room welcomed by the examiner and played through the three peices. On the whole I thought they went well. Menuet was nicely played, I can't actually remember too much about the Sandman as I was focussing on my own part which needed more concentration, and Pennsylvania 6-5000 went well. The last note came in strongly and ended more quickly than we'd rehearsed but we finished together so that was fine! I left the room at this point and afterwards Pat said her scales had gone fine, sight-reading had been suprisingly short and not too bad while the aural was also manageable. Then it was over and we headed next door to the pub for some lunch and further chat.
While Pat and I had a small snack Martin ordered himself the largest curry complete with poppadums and naan bread which made me wonder who perhaps was the most relieved that the exam was over! Pat's thoughts again ran between "feeling a little deflated that perhaps it could have gone better" and "should I do grade 2?" We talked about the violin which as a family heirloom played by Martin's father and grandfather was treasured by them both and Pat had a fondness for it that she hadn't felt when learning the trumpet at the 2011 GOAT. In the end Pat felt more confident about it as time went by and I said I would text her as soon as I had the result. We also decided to meet up soon to do some flute and harp playing so we will have some plans soon.
A big thank you to Pat for allowing me to accompany her and be part of her Violin playing journey! I hope I am part of her grade 2 challenge!!
Monday, 2 March 2015
Hapus Dydd Gŵyl Dewi
With a free weekend I was able to get back into practising properly again. Saturday's session was for Pat, who made another donation shortly
after our violin and piano session during half term! Proper warm ups
included some finger exercises I haven't done in a while before working
on the longer studies and then Manha de Carnaval as my main piece. I
practised two of Pat's violin accompaniments on the harp, Handel Minuet
and The Sandman by Brahms. The Sandman is quite tricky as there are a
few quick lever changes but they are getting there and I might be able
to play this for Pat next time I see her!
Look what popped through the post on Saturday morning just in time for St. David's Day!
I have listened to it and it is lovely, a real range of beautiful melodies from folk and classical worlds, themes and Chris Marshall's new piece Bluestone. There is a concert on Thursday 5 March at St. John's Smith Square. Sadly I can't go as I will be rehearsing elsewhere but hopefully Claire will gradually make her way around the country again. I thought things had gone a little quiet over the last year or so but she has been recovering from ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).The album is to raise awareness of this awful condition as well as raise funds for charities which support those receiving treatment, recovering and coping with the condition.
I know from following Claire on the social media site that she has been giving interviews about her latest album and concert tour. On Sunday she was on Classic FM talking about the last few years and what she has been through. I knew ME was a debilitating illness but had assumed it was extreme tiredness and did not realise it is much more than that. To feel so unwell not to be able to get out of bed, nor look after yourself was even worse than I had imagined. Claire said she used music as part of her recovery. Bluestone by Chris, Claire's hsuband, takes its inspiration from the Preseli mountains not far from Claire's home in Pembrokeshire where Chris would drive Claire when she felt well enough to go out. It was a lovely interview and Clarie sounded so bright, very much as I remember her from meeting her a few years ago.
My practise session on Sunday afternoon was for Jess and Rob following a similar pattern to yetsterday but focussing on the Scarlatti instead. I need to set myself a new routine now and try and make the technical improvements needed to master each of the pieces. I think I need a lesson so will get in touch with Rohan and see if she can spare me half an hour over the next few weeks!
On Sunday evening I went to a chamber opera (three singers, clarinet, cello and piano) which was composed by Kate, one of the GOAT clarinettists. She gave me a flyer at the end of the rehearsal last Sunday so I went along on Sunday evening. It was called Porcelain and Pink and based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was very amusing, and well written and performed, a great way to round off the weekend!
Look what popped through the post on Saturday morning just in time for St. David's Day!
 |
| Latest CD from Claire Jones! |
I have listened to it and it is lovely, a real range of beautiful melodies from folk and classical worlds, themes and Chris Marshall's new piece Bluestone. There is a concert on Thursday 5 March at St. John's Smith Square. Sadly I can't go as I will be rehearsing elsewhere but hopefully Claire will gradually make her way around the country again. I thought things had gone a little quiet over the last year or so but she has been recovering from ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).The album is to raise awareness of this awful condition as well as raise funds for charities which support those receiving treatment, recovering and coping with the condition.
I know from following Claire on the social media site that she has been giving interviews about her latest album and concert tour. On Sunday she was on Classic FM talking about the last few years and what she has been through. I knew ME was a debilitating illness but had assumed it was extreme tiredness and did not realise it is much more than that. To feel so unwell not to be able to get out of bed, nor look after yourself was even worse than I had imagined. Claire said she used music as part of her recovery. Bluestone by Chris, Claire's hsuband, takes its inspiration from the Preseli mountains not far from Claire's home in Pembrokeshire where Chris would drive Claire when she felt well enough to go out. It was a lovely interview and Clarie sounded so bright, very much as I remember her from meeting her a few years ago.
My practise session on Sunday afternoon was for Jess and Rob following a similar pattern to yetsterday but focussing on the Scarlatti instead. I need to set myself a new routine now and try and make the technical improvements needed to master each of the pieces. I think I need a lesson so will get in touch with Rohan and see if she can spare me half an hour over the next few weeks!
On Sunday evening I went to a chamber opera (three singers, clarinet, cello and piano) which was composed by Kate, one of the GOAT clarinettists. She gave me a flyer at the end of the rehearsal last Sunday so I went along on Sunday evening. It was called Porcelain and Pink and based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was very amusing, and well written and performed, a great way to round off the weekend!
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