Audition

This mornings post brought the usual seasonal selection of Christmas cards and bills, along with one large A4 envelope addressed to all of us. This letter was from the BRIT school, a while back my daughter applied for the sixth form there, we were told that we would hear from them by the beginning of April. We had steeled ourselves to a long wait, so I was very pleased when I opened the letter to find that my daughter has an audition and interview next month.

There could be a lot of pressure on her over this, she has an audition piece to prepare, and another to learn for a theory test. They also want a letter explaining how she is preparing, sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure it will be worth it. I can't imagine her being happy unless she is singing and playing, one way or another I am sure she will be involved in the music business.

There is also the added attraction the school is a lot closer than her current school, Selhurst is within walking distance whereas her current school is the best part of an hour's journey each way. It would be really nice if she could not have to do that journey anymore. Many (many) years a ago I attended the Selhurst Grammar school (for Boys) the BRIT School has taken over the buildings of the Selhurst Grammar School (for Girls) next door. If she does get in I truly hope that she will be a lot happier there than I was next door.

Somehow it sort of puts my evenings work into some kind of perspective, I will be conducting the local Brass Band in an outside "singalong" of Christmas songs, still it should be fun and they are providing "Bambi burgers" and mulled wine

Concert

Did I mention that I was playing a concert last night? Although I did have one or two problems relating to concentration I think it went pretty well. It was very nice of the conductor to come up and congratulate me afterwards, altough I may have had the biggest toy I was a very small part of a quite a big band, all of us working for a good performance.

We played a very entertaining programme, but one that was technically very difficult as well, this meant that the band and the audience were all on the edge of their seats with excitement for much of the time. Most of the second half was taken up with an arrangement of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana all 16 movements of it, in many ways this was one of the hardest peaces we have yet performed, a few years ago we looked at it and decided that we were only capable of playing a couple of the movements, now we have performed the whole thing to a high standard at the main Fairfield Concert hall.

The biggest toy

This is also an occasion when the ladies in the band like to dress up in their glam rags, well most of them anyway. Many variations on the theme of the Little Black Dress were in evidence along with some quite cute shoes. This generaly adds to the fun of teh occassion, but I did try to concentrate on playing the music.. Of course there are always one or two who just won't play the glam game, my friend S in one of them, just wearing plain black trousers and a shirt blouse, she did go as far as to buy some "Girly" shoes specially for the occasion.

That is quite an old photo if me, dating back a couple of years to my more hirsute days, the beard is now just a memory, but I thin I may grow my hair a bit longer again.......

CSB Strike Gold

Last Sunday the Croydon Symphonic Band, played at the Colchester round of the National Wind Band Festival.   Despite an absolutely horrible journey (for me because of my bad back, for others because a lorry shed it's load of Christmas Trees on the A12) we all arrived i decent time, had a run through ad then hit the stage.
The consensus of opinion in the Band is that we played as well as we could have, and quite possibly as well as we have.   I am glad to be able to say that the adjudicators seem to have agreed and given us a Gold Award.    couple of years ago BASWE introduced an extra, higher, standard of a Platinum award, and now it is only Platinum award winners who get an automatic invitation to the finals, gold award winners have to wait.   Given the standard of our performance we are hopeful of an invitation to the finals, which we are especially keen to be at this year, since they will be help at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Well we followed that with a fund raising concert lat night (Saturday) for Ifield Church.   As well as the program we played at the festival we added a few repertoire numbers including my favourite show selection - Les Miserables.   I get a tremendous kick out of playing with this band, I have been with them for well over 30 years now, and I think that overall we are better now than at any time in the past.   However we are short on numbers in the heavy brass, a shortage that is about to become critical as our first trombone is leaving due to a change in his work.   In consequence I don't know what part I will be playing when we start up again after Christmas, at various times this term I have played Bass, Bass Trombone, First Trombone and Euphonium.   The only one of these I would not be happy commit to would First Trombone.   I am not a tenor player, I never have been and never will be I just can't play up there.

How many Tuba players does it take to change a light bulb? None we can't reach that high.

Bad Back

Just when I am really busy something goes and throws a spanner in the cogs.   Last night I went out to pick up a new(er) van, on my way home I stopped for some shopping which I put on the front seat, reaching across to get something I put my back out.

I have been t the osteopath today to get pummeled and he assures me that I should feel better over the next few days, but I have already had to have one day away from vigorous work, and can't really afford many more.   Add to that how much I have on on the music front and it looks a bit desperate.   Tonight I am meant to be playing trombone and at the moment I'm not even sure I can hold it!   Then tomorrow we have an extra rehearsal with the brass band, and then the mega weekend - think of me and my pain!

Another day another dollar

Funny old game in't it? Today I acquired my new laptop, courtesy of a highly valued customer.    have managed to transfer all my files across and am just beginning to get to grips with it, this does however mean that I have not done much that pays me today!   Still I have managed a fair bit of admin stuff that needs to be done.

This evening we had a CSB rehearsal, I am getting the hang of the Trombone after m long lay off and beginning to remember why I took it up to start with.  We rehearsed the selection we are going to play at the the Colchester region round of the National Wind Band Festival and it is beginning to sound fairly well, still plenty of work to do though.   Musically I am mostly concerned with Sunday's Remembrance Service, we now have a drummer who will be playing so I am greatly relieved to know that we can start the National Anthem with a drum roll.   The congregation expect this, it gives them a chance to stand up and prepare themselves,whereas for eh last few years we have had t play an introduction and that just seems to confuse people.

Practise

I have a few performances coming up, with wind band, brass band and orchestra.   Now as a conductor I am always telling the members of the band that they have to practise, it's simply not enough to rely in the playing we do at rehearsals.   We need to practise so that when we get to the rehearsal we are ready to rehears the piece not practise the instrument.

The trouble is a lot of the time I don't follow my own advise, and now I have been found out big time!   All the time I was playing Tuba I was OK, I could pretty much cope with anything thrown at me, but at both the Orchestra and the Wind Band I will be playing Bass Trombone at the next few performances, and I NEED TO PRACTISE.   If you live near me I apologise but I just have to do it.

The Orchestral job is with the London Charity Orchestra and we are going to be playing lots of "lolly pops" including the Capriccio Italien, Roman Carnival, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, and Dambusters, so it looks as though I could end up with quite a bit to do.

Stuck at home

I've been getting a bit frustrated this week, my daughter has been struck down with the dreaded lirgy, and since my wife can't take time off work I have stayed in with the young one. Having planned a full week out in gardens not only am I getting a bit stir crazy but also I'll be missing the money that I would have been earning.

On a better note (pedal C that's one of my favorite notes) I have been out to a rehearsal with a band I play with occasionally. The Surrey Yeomanry Band http://www.surreyyeomanry.com/ used to be the regimental band, but have now survived the Regiment but quite a few years. Not so long ago this band was struggling both with lack of players, and lack of ability. A new conductor and a few new recruits has transformed the ability and sound of this Band. They are now playing some challenging music, but more impressive to me they have a "sound". The sound they have is in the model of a Guards band with a wall of sound, big warm and mellow. This is not so surprising really since the conductor was trained in the Irish Guards, and quite a few of the players are ex-guards as well.

Just to add to my fun it was a real treat in an amateur band to sit next to a totally competent tuba player, again since the guy in question is currently with the Coldstream Guards again his playing was not a surprise, but finding players of that quality in a local amateur is a treat indeed.

Tonight I will be with my own band, Croydon Symphonic, http://csb.watchfresh.com/content.html This will be the first rehearsal after our last concert, so it will be interesting to see what music we will have out for the next concert which will be in Greenwich Park, then a more formal one in St John's Smith Square.

The photo on the right is from our Christmas concert last year, we played to raise money for a locally based charity Five Talents UK. www.fivetalents.org.uk

If you have been thank you for reading - I will post more tomorow