This one has to be in, I am sure that I am not the only one who think of this as the pinnacle of romantic music, a piece with every emotion laid bare, this really is a piece that leaves you emotionally drowned, as it covers every aspect to the human state.
in four movements with 1/ adagio; 2/Allegro moderato, and 3/ Maestoso in the key of C this is the great Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. I have played this with a number of orchestras, some better than others, lets be honest,,, some great and some rubbish - over the years. Since first playing this with the Croydon Youth Philharmonic (CYPO) to a recent performance with All Souls Orchestra at the Albert hall, it is always fresh, it is always exciting.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Disk number one
Holst suite in Eb, first this is simply a great piece of music, better still it is a wind band original. When I started playing this was one of very few original wind band pieces we played, and in my opinion the best. Yes the Vaughn William Folk Song Suite and the Holst second suite are very, very good, this is my favorite. I am sure that I am only partly influenced by the minor fact that it starts with a bass solo.
Not long after I started playing the Tuba my teacher very sensibly realised that I needed to be playing with other people, so git me into the Croydon Schools Wind Orchestra, as it was then known. I was not really a good enough player but at that time there very few pupils in Croydon learning the Tuba so I was in. At the end of my first term with the Band there was the Croydon Schools Music Festival, at the Fairfield Hall http://www.fairfield.co.uk/ This is a purpose built concert hall in central Croydon, which seats 2000 people, that night it was full. The first item was to be from the Band, I was sat on the back row on the Conductors left side, right at the edge of the platform, and yes that first item was the suite in Eb. So my first playing performance was to a hall full with an audience of 2,000, sat right at the front of the stage, and started with a solo!
Having got through that it is not surprising that pre performance nerves are not debilitating for me, sure I get nervous, but it just builds me up, anyway that's why the Holst First Suite has a very special place in my affections. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5nTxePv7kQ&feature=related
Not long after I started playing the Tuba my teacher very sensibly realised that I needed to be playing with other people, so git me into the Croydon Schools Wind Orchestra, as it was then known. I was not really a good enough player but at that time there very few pupils in Croydon learning the Tuba so I was in. At the end of my first term with the Band there was the Croydon Schools Music Festival, at the Fairfield Hall http://www.fairfield.co.uk/ This is a purpose built concert hall in central Croydon, which seats 2000 people, that night it was full. The first item was to be from the Band, I was sat on the back row on the Conductors left side, right at the edge of the platform, and yes that first item was the suite in Eb. So my first playing performance was to a hall full with an audience of 2,000, sat right at the front of the stage, and started with a solo!
Having got through that it is not surprising that pre performance nerves are not debilitating for me, sure I get nervous, but it just builds me up, anyway that's why the Holst First Suite has a very special place in my affections. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5nTxePv7kQ&feature=related
Monday, 13 June 2011
Desert Island Disks
If you are not familiar with Desert Island disks, it is a radio show where the interviewer invites a guest to select 8 pieces of music that they would take on a desert Island if they were to be marooned. Three books are also aloud, the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare and one free choice, one luxury item is also allowed. This last must not be something that could be used as a survival tool or to communicate to seek rescue, so mobile phones and the like are out. Over the years I have often played Desert Island disks with friends, usually far too late and far too relaxed to make a lot of since. Over the last few weeks the BBC have been asking us, the great unwashed British public to suggest our Desert Island Disks, and on Saturday they broadcast a special programme with the top tracks.
It was quite interesting to listen to, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr and note how English the selection was, this is the top eight
1. Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending
2. Sir Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations
3. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No 9 in D minor 'Choral'
4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
6. Sir Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor
7. George Frideric Handel - Messiah
8. Gustav Holst - The Planets
In my humble opinion it is only the Beethoven that does not have definite Englishness about it, this would not be my selection, although I do like all theses pieces (with the exception of the Queen which I have always found to be excessively pretentious and total nonsense)
Unless anything more interesting rears it’s head I intend to share my 8 disks over the next few days, they will be in no sort of order or preference just the order that I think of them, I am sure I will leave out some I should include and therefore include some that I will regret, but then that’s part of the fun, I would have chosen a different eight last year, and will choose a different eight next year.
It was quite interesting to listen to, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr and note how English the selection was, this is the top eight
1. Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending
2. Sir Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations
3. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No 9 in D minor 'Choral'
4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
6. Sir Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor
7. George Frideric Handel - Messiah
8. Gustav Holst - The Planets
In my humble opinion it is only the Beethoven that does not have definite Englishness about it, this would not be my selection, although I do like all theses pieces (with the exception of the Queen which I have always found to be excessively pretentious and total nonsense)
Unless anything more interesting rears it’s head I intend to share my 8 disks over the next few days, they will be in no sort of order or preference just the order that I think of them, I am sure I will leave out some I should include and therefore include some that I will regret, but then that’s part of the fun, I would have chosen a different eight last year, and will choose a different eight next year.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Canadian Grand Prix
I had planned a post about Desert Island Disks, but have just watched the Canadian Grand Prix. BBC report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9511066.stm
As something of a Jenson Button fan I have to say that I got very excited and enjoyed the race enourmously. For those pf us who follow F1 it was good to see a race with over taking, a few incidents, close racing with drivers realy trying. I have always liked Button's style, but today he exceeded even his fans expectations, I think at one time or another he held every position in the race. At one point he was 21st and carved through the field to win. At the end he was so much faster than anyone else that it almost looked suspicous. After the race Sebastian Vettle said how he lead every lap except the last bit of the last lap, sorry Seb but that's the bit that matters. Some will say that it was Vettle's error on the last lap that allowed Button to win, I would say that it was Button's speed and pressure that forced Vettle into the error.
I say well done Jenson, great race, great win.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Nothing in Particular
Well life carries on, I see that I have not mentioned much about gardens for a while, I have not lost interest in gardens, indeed since I spend at least five days a week gardening it would be difficult to. I think it is more that as I am at it every day it just doesn't seem so special. But now is the time I love most, putting out the bedding, yesterday I spent the afternoon planting up containers for one customer, this felt a bit like a guilty joy since there is so much in that garden that needs doing, having the fun of planting up the pots seemed a bit like cheating. Still the customer is happy and I can go back next week and tackle some of the other jobs.
Another garden I will be working on next week has just about all the problem weeds there are, with ground elder, bind weed, and mare's tail you would think that was enough, but no someone has planted ferns which are out of control, and worst of all, bamboo! Now bamboo is a lovely plant, with interesting colour in the canes, translucent screening, and most of all I love the sound of it rustling in the wind, however it is just too invasive for suburban gardens. Bamboo should never be planted in any garden where the size is measured in anything smaller than acres. I will try to make a point of taking my camera out this week and getting some photos to show you what I spend my days doing.
Another garden I will be working on next week has just about all the problem weeds there are, with ground elder, bind weed, and mare's tail you would think that was enough, but no someone has planted ferns which are out of control, and worst of all, bamboo! Now bamboo is a lovely plant, with interesting colour in the canes, translucent screening, and most of all I love the sound of it rustling in the wind, however it is just too invasive for suburban gardens. Bamboo should never be planted in any garden where the size is measured in anything smaller than acres. I will try to make a point of taking my camera out this week and getting some photos to show you what I spend my days doing.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Monday musings
Nice rehearsal last night, but we are at a funny stage, we have had a very hectic time with lots of jobs in a short time, and now we have nothing in the diary till November. I am hopeful that a couple of jobs will come in over the summer, but we need something closer to be working towards. We are thinking of another formal concert in the early autumn but it is difficult to get a date that works.
On a different note I am thinking of starting a gallery of "Tuba pornography" - no nothing sinister just pictures of instruments so if any of you (Alec) have an interesting or unusual instrument I can feature it would be great to get some pictures, let everyone know that there is life outside of Besson!
Here's a start, this is a most unusual instrument, a little Miraphone Eb 4 rotor with recording bell. I bought this a few years ago with high hopes, it had a very focused sound quite like an F tuba, and would have been good for solos, unfortunately it just needed too much work doing (and therefore too much money spending) for the small amount I would have used it. I quite liked it but when I used it at band and orchestra conductors weren't quite so happy. Whoever has it now I hope it is used and enjoyed.
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