It was mentioned several months back that we could possibly manage to perform some form of simple string item for the concert. At the time there were sounds of interest from janexxx, suepea and pinkoi at it was sounding a bit like a potential quartet. Since then nothing has happened - probably due to my lack of organisation...

Are people still interested? If there were more people we could have a larger ensemble - either one-to-a-part or maybe with some strategic doubling? The best I can offer is viola approx grade 3-4.

Any ideas?

W

Willobie

I'd be interested in playing in some sort of string ensemble with you. I can play either violin or viola, but I prefer playing my viola. I am working for my diploma on viola, but on violin I'm about grade 6.

Thanks! That would be great although post-grade 8 viola might be a bit advanced - I think we'd have to be working at a rather lower level. I'll add you to my (so far, very small) list so we can see who's available...

W

I would offer to play cello but I'd need to be lent one as I can't bring mine on the plane without booking it a seat!

I would be interested in playing my cello - with the emphasis on simple as I'm involved in several other items which all need practice!

Its looking good...I think we might have enough for the Mendelssohn op 20!!!


But maybe that is a little tooooo ambitious! ( I do have the music though, in the pile that says "Music I can't play.....yet!")

We could do a simplish quartet and double up on the parts.



Unless we did one of the Mozart quintets which has fiendishly tricky 2nd viola parts for Wolfie himself to play!

I think it might be better to try the pile that says "Music I found quite easy to sight-read"! I agree with Suepea that rehearsal time might be rather limited so it would need to be quite straight-forward. So far I think we have;
purple viola (grade 6 violin/mega-good viola)
janexxx (grade 5 violin)
suepea (grade 2-3 cello)
Willobie (grade 3-4 viola)

(a-p-f (cello? - no instrument)
katyjay???
pinkoi???
Any others?

I could go to the library on Thursday - not sure that I'd have time to arrange something...
W

Well, I've got a violin and a viola and got up to about Grade 7 on each of them - but that was going on 20 years ago now . I haven't played the viola since then, but I generally pull out the violin and play a VERY little when we do strings-and-winds at the Ascot course, so I could probably manage an easyish part. Let me know whether to bring it or not, because I wouldn't want to bring it all that way (on public transport) as well as my clarinet, and then not use it!

We certainly have a quartet then.....plus some parts possibly doubled if the (???) decide to take part.

I have access to some "Music I found easy to sight-read" with some easy Elgar pieces and the Wesley quartets which I could ask a friend if I could borrow. (I have actually got loads of quartet music (all Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Brahms etc etc))

I'd better get my application sent!

While I'm up for anything I can manage, I'd have to have something (1) pretty simple and (2) rather soon so that I can work it out! If there's anything that fits those criteria, I'm interested.

And yes please, application forms at your earliest convenience, especially if you need to be accompanied!

Cheers


katyjay

I'm up for this, my sightreading is probably around Grade 3 standard.......I'd be happy to play anything, but something Baroque would be lovely

That would be great! I can't promise about the repertoire - depends who else we get...

The list is growing! Yippee! We now have;
purple viola (grade 6 violin/mega-good viola)
janexxx (grade 5 violin)
suepea (grade 2-3 cello)
Willobie (grade 3-4 viola)
katyjay (grade 1 violin)
pinkoi (cello?)
oboebunny (grade 4 violin)
Lady Moonlight (grade 7 violin
jo.clarinet (grade 7 violin/viola)?

(a-p-f (cello? - no instrument)

This has the making of a great ensemble - I'm really looking forward to it!

W

willobie, if I'm in, can it be on violin please rather than viola? Quite apart from the fact that I haven't played the viola in such a long time, I've just remembered that the case is in a precarious state and is now only held together by one rather inadequate clip. I'm not taking that on public transport!

And no way can I play Grade 7 stuff either (well, certainly not without practising!). If you have something in mind, bring it to Recorder Orchestra on Saturday so that I can have a look!

This is starting to feel like a small string orchestra now......Elgar serenade anyone????

Just doing some sorting here....how does this sound so far

1st violins
Lady M
jo.clarinet

2nd Violins
Janexxx
KatyJay
oboebunny

Violas
Purple Viola
Willobie

Celli
Suepea
Pinkoi
APF (if we can manage to loan a cello!)

That's pretty much what I was thinking... Could be subject to negotiations...

Much as I love the Elgar, I think it might have to wait until next time

W

Yes that sounds great do count me in!

Katyjay... ill get the form in the post today things have/are abit fraught with me at the moment..

pinkoi
xxx

No, no *holds head in hands* I CAN'T be a first, I must be a second - I can't even remember how to shift properly!! Jane, put yourself or oboebunny in the firsts instead!!

Sounds wonderful.

Only one query at this stage - I own a total of two music stands. I can probably borrow another one, two if I'm lucky.

Anyone got any more they can bring with them? (obviously not if you're flying/coming from outer mongolia the far side of London)

Music stands
I can bring a couple (or maybe 3). I'm driving so if I can beg or borrow from friends I could bring more if they would let me / we need them.

1st vs 2nd fiddles
I'm happiest playing 2nd, its what I'm used to (I can only just shift myself and I have minimal vib)....but, well, if the piece was simple enough I would try 1st if pushed.

Repertoire (serious now)
http://www.theviolinsite.com/violin_music.html
This site has free quartet music to download. I've just downloaded the lot to look at, and will have a look at maybe a Haydn or Mozart quartet (we could double/ treble up, 2-3 to a part). I think a slow movement or a minuet would be good to do. I have hankering for Mozart seeing as he would be just turned 250 (on Jan 27th) if he was still alive...seems sort of appropriate. (However the Mozart on the site is fairly late). What does everyone else think? We could all download our parts from this site to practice before the concert.

Also, as we do seem to have the numbers...I could bring my Mendelssohn if there was enough interest to just have a go after the concert (not a performance!) just for the fun of it!!!! But I would INSIST on being violin 4 for this

It sounds like this will be fun, I'm really looking forward to it.

I have a music stand that I can bring with me.

I should be able to bring a music stand, and I *might* be able to manage first violin, if I can see the music beforehand and it doesn't go all the way up the E string in scary high positions!

It sounds wonderful. I'll keep my fingers crossed that someone somewhere as a cello lying around that might be able to get there that day

I'll be bringing a stand anyway, which I can lend to a member of the string ensemble.

Anyone up for the Mozart Clarinet Quintet next time round?

Can't promise but I have a big car and a friend with a cello.....I can but ask!

Thanks for that link - perhaps we could find an easy Mozart movement... In the meantime, I may well have something a little less 'mainstream' up my sleeve that I'd like to have a go at. It would be short and very simple...

W

Yes, I am - but that's not what you wanted to hear!!

I can bring another stand, too.



Very simple sounds marvellous. I'm feeling very down today after a cello lesson yesterday - it seems that over the (four week) Christmas break I have developed Bad Habits. My bow hold, which I thought I had finally cracked, is wrong and the pieces which I have chosen and been practising by myself for grade 2 in March seem to have a lot more problems than I thought. As for changing bow hold for doing arco to pizzicato and back, I just can't do it - and it's in two of the pieces. There are two shifts which are rubbish as well! I'm now wishing I hadn't touched the pieces at all and am having second thoughts about doing the exam. My teacher is very patient and has given me my usual lecture about wanting to run before I can walk, and working very slowly on the new pieces (they sound terrible and unmusical like this, which also frustrates me). Sorry about the moan - had to get it off my chest. I'm sure I'll feel better by the concert.

Suepea, we all have lessons like that (some of us all the time ) It's partly because of the big gap and partly just one of those things.

Next time will be better. And you'll be fine by the exam - it's ages away so there's lots of time to learn everything (as I keep trying to convince myself)

Anyway, the duet you did for us is great, I've started work on it with my teacher and she really likes it too. So I'm looking forward to the concert.

That sounds great. I like playing 1st violin (whenever I get the chance, heheh I tend to play 2nd in all the orchestras I've been in!)

I need to get the form sorted out and sent off. I've had no internet since 16 December and still no printer (cable got lost int he move) so I will get that done ASAP.

I have a music stand I can bring with me.

If you have need of a double bass I could try and persuade my brother to come along with me. The issue will be space of course. 3 people crammed in a Ford Escort with a double bass for 200 miles could be uncomfortable!!!

Will we get a look at the music before the day or will it be a question of "sight read and be brave?" I'd much prefer the former if possible!!! I'm a sight reading coward!

I have a stand or two i could bring...

Alas no spare cello at this stage cuz i am going to be good and not buy another one when i goto stringers in edinburgh next week... oh no!

sometimes i think a drug addiction would be cheaper than a cello one

Katyjay: Forms will be in the post after the weekend as Im at my parents house at the moment and the book with the name of my piece in is at home and i dont wanna spell it wrong...


Pinkoi
xx

That's great, I look forward to receiving it.

Uncomfortable? It sounds impossible! Don't do anything dangerous, we'd prefer you in one piece.



It'd better not be a "sight read and be brave" job! I've only just figured which way up to hold a fiddle and what end of the bow you use - I'm seriously not at the sightread and be brave stage. It's not cowardice, it's incompetence


Yep, know the feeling. And when you cost up song books, piano music, recorder stuff, the violin.....


That's fine. Look forward to receiving it

Thanks Katyjay. Glad you and your teacher like the duet.

Although the music is fairly simple (approx grade1-3), I will happily send copies of parts to people who are worried. PM me to let me know your address.

I have a music stand - and I know how to use it!

W

I had a flute lesson like that yesterday . I came away feeling that all the work I had done in the last month had been pointless. Also that I was wasting my teacher's time ... (he is a professional who currently is only teaching me, (& an extremely talented 12y.o). He won't let me pay for lessons. At least if I was paying I might feel more entitled to taking up his time ).
I'm trying to tell myself that there are 2 ways of looking at this:
1. That I am hopeless, not improving & that it's unrealistic to think that as an adult learner I can learn to play really well . Why not give up trying to improve now?
2. Try to fix some of those bad habits, remember some of the bits that I did OK (were there any?), practise "properly" & not be so worried about the whole thing that I end up so tense that I'm incapable of playing
Hope you're feeling a bit more positive today

Aw Sue, I'm sorry you feel that way. I had a very similar experience with my singing this week. I learned all my pieces over the christmas break. I've got a chest infection so can't sing at my best at the moment, but I felt like everything I was doing was wrong, as my teacher just picked it all to pieces (nicely, she's a pleasant person, but I still felt very picked over!). Fortunately, I had the opportunity to chat with her about it yesterday, and she pointed out that the work I'd done was actually really good, and that she's trying to help me polish now - perhaps your cello teacher's doing the same thing. It's perhaps not a criticism of the work you've done so much as it's a hope that you'll manage to do it even better?

I think sometimes teachers underestimate the degree to which adult learners will self-flagellate over critique that they've been given. I know I pick over every little thing. It makes me a better learner, because I take it so seriously, but it can be a bit of a blow to the old ego! (And I'm quite fond of my ego. )

Thanks for the replies, Andy-piano-flute and meerkat.




I am feeling a bit more positive today (though that ###### bow hold change is still eluding me). I think it is, as Katyjay commented, partly the fact that the break has been a long one, with no lessons to correct the faults quickly. You are very lucky not to be charged for lessons - your teacher must consider you very worthwhile to teach if this is so. Option 2 is the one to take, but I know exactly how you feel.



Yes, meerkat, my cello teacher does work along the same lines - she did appreciate the commitment, and how far I had got with the pieces, and also finished the lesson by giving me an own choice piece which she commented I had played really well - good psychology which I use in my own teaching. Her pupils are mostly adults, so she's also very familiar with the self-flagallating bit. She is kind, but very particular and doesn't let you get away with anything, nor does she ever say something which she does not mean. I never come away from a lesson feeling bad about it - that sets in when I next practice!

Well, I got my violin out today - first time since last April! I had a good go on it (and I have the throbbing LH fingers to prove it! ) and managed to play some of my old Grade 5 and 6 exam pieces. Intonation improved as I went along, and I even managed the shifting OK where the fingerings had already been written in, so was quite pleased!

Talking about disappointing lessons, there's nothing worse than having worked really hard on a piece for a couple of weeks, like the A: section Mozart piece I'm learning, thinking "wow thats starting to sound really good!", trotting along to my lesson, launching enthusiastically into the piece with a "see how good I've got" attitude, only to have my teacher stop me after the first bar and remind me I'm holding my violin down/my bow is slanting/my vibrato is all over the shop and I need to start doing basic exercises again/intonation is dodgy and I need to forget playing the piece as a whole and just take it bar by bar - work on getting the bowing in THIS bar right for next week blah blah blah.

It makes you feel like "Will I ever get anywhere"?!?

But it does mean that I will improve and that my teacher wants me to improve. Bad habits are easier to break if nipped in the bud!

This sounds familiar! However, as you say it does mean that you have to address the bad habits - and your teacher cares that you do so.




Well done Jo. This concert is really bringing the rusty string players out of the woodwork, isn't it!

Sorry can someone post me the link to the proposed piece again.. i just ended up on a page with about 17 different bits of mozart on....

What piece is it exactly?

pink
x

I think willobie has something special in mind, actually. We haven't seen it yet!

We hadn't decided!

If people are prepared to indulge me on this one occasion, I do have something in mind which should be accessible to even the least experienced of us. I have parts available which I am happy to post out to people who would like a bit of advanced notice but it really isn't difficult - or terribly serious!

If people would like to have a look at something else as a fallback or to fill any time when we are unemployed, perhaps Janexxx could suggest something...

W

Janexx has been an angel & managed to get the loan of a cello for that day so i can play in the string ensemble . Think I'd better practise playing in tune

Splendid!

Remember folks, if you want to take part, you do need to register as a performer.

Check out the website for details.

Cheers

Katyjay

That's fantastic news! I'm looking forward to it!

Willobie

I'd be very happy to play viola in a string ensemble

(I could play violin, but I imagine violas'll be more needed?!)

I've just realised I need to reinstall my printer before I can print off the forms and can't find the discs! argh! but having decided that unless something drastic happens I WILL come, I'll find a way...!!!

That's great! You can play whichever you would prefer - the numbers are fairly well balanced...

W