Now that the Leicester concert is fast approaching, I've been looking through my music to find something suitable for the recorder ensemble (and the Grand Finale, but I don't need to talk about that here).

I've found an easyish ensemble piece, which I think will sound good, that I'd like to do - and I may possibly add another if we get on VERY well with the first in our allotted practice-time.

BUT I have just been sent the current list of those intending to take part in the group.......
Could I please say - for the benefit of those who haven't yet sent their forms in, but are intending to take part - that it is NOT AT ALL helpful to me as the organiser of this particular group if people say on their forms that they just play the recorder 'for fun', because that gives me absolutely no indication at all of what a person can do - it could mean someone who can only play six notes, or someone who is at Diploma standard but just hasn't bothered with exams!

The piece I'm intending to do has two descant parts, two treble parts, tenor and bass - so if we can't get a bass player (none have signed up yet) we can't do that piece and I'll have to find something else....
If you know that you are definitely coming but haven't sent your form in to Katyjay yet, I'm sure she'd be delighted to receive it as soon as possible!! And it would be great if you could post here as to what recorders you can bring and play on the day.....

I haven't sent my form in yet, because I was busy negotiating with my husband (whose birthday it is) to see if I could go or not. However, I now know that I will definitely be coming, so I can play bass if necessary (and you know what sort of standard I am). Hope this helps a bit.

Sorry..... Wouldn't have a clue of approximate grade but know notes from middle C up to G compound 5th higher.
I also have a treble I can bring.

Ooohhh... more cake??!!!

I'll accept one on his behalf, but I don't think I'll be able to persuade him to come in person.

I'm trying to work on him gently to take up the flute again. He's scarcely played since he passed Grade 1 (with a very creditable 128) two years ago. I've told him he can play at the next Adult Learners' concert.

Oh he must...the "flute" family needs males!!

I'm not sure I trust him with the rest of the 'flute' family. Gives me a few ideas for his Forum name though.

If I did manage there (heaven knows how) I would play treble. Just that because I haven't done exams on recorder I've no measure of what grade I would be. I can play the Telemann D minor I did for grade 6 flute (grade 8 recorder) quite well, but I'm not saying playing one grade 8 piece makes you grade 8. I would guess between grade 6 and 8, but that's still pretty vague.

I'm more concerned how to get between Edinburgh and Leicester on one Saturday, which could prevent me coming at all.

Excellent - so we can do my chosen piece! I now have enough people to cover all the parts, as long as we can provide tenors for some of the descant-only people to use instead. I've got two I can bring if necessary.

sbhoa - thanks, that gives me a much better idea of where to put you. Btw, did you mean you can play the treble too, or just that you could bring one?

As discussed, I will probably put myself down provisionally in which case I could manage bass (I hope!). If I need to pull out I'll let you know straight away.
(That doesn't really help you very much, does it?)

W

I gave in my form to Katyjay on Saturday. I could play descant or treble (I can bring a treble)- probably both at vaguely similar standards - & I managed the recorder piece OK last september. Could probably manage more than that if I saw it in advance

I can bring two tenors if we need them. Only one can play bottom C# though, if that's needed.

I can bring one... Bought it with money I had for my 21st birthday but never really got round to doing enough with it to cope with the fingerings (I tend to find the starting note and then sort of transpose in my head if that makes sense).

As the piece doesn't require very many recorder players, I'll drop out, as I am relatively rubbish, unless you desperately need me

Bet I'm more rubbish than you....

You haven't heard me attempting to play treble recorder, Jane will verify for me

Nicki

I've heard you play the descant and you are competent at it. I haven't heard you play the treble, but if you are concerned, play the descant in the work. Don't drop out, pleeeeeease!

Ok, ok. But I am sure there are more adequate players than me.

That's enough of this defeatist talk. You've both got two months to de-rubbish yourselves.

*goes off to clean the cobwebs out of the recorder*

Hmm, we'll see

Treble is my best, can also bring up to 2 spare trebles and a bass, though the bass can't do low C#

Did grade 1 and got 131...! Better at pieces & sight-reading than at scales. Can play from bottom F up to about the D an octave and some above that. Could probably manage a couple of higher notes as long as I had the chance to practice them beforehand...

See, my rubbishness is not needed!

No, but your descant-playing is.

We need all the rubbish players we can get..... it's about taking part.
You can play the first note in every bar if you like.

Look, you lot:

If I could play in the String Orchestra on Saturday with my limited experience, I'm sure that with your experience you'll be fine in the Recorder Group.

Amen, katyjay!

Nicki, you're a nifty descant player, I've heard you. So there!

K, I'll play

Well I can't remember exactly what I put on the form about recorder but I'll try to write a reasonable description here....

I can play descant and know the notes from the lowest C to the B a compound major seventh above. Primary school trained (and pulled out again for GCSE) so not too great I can probably sightread reasonably since I've got used to it from playing the piano but anything more than two flats or three sharps would be pushing my ability at finding 'black' notes quickly... I don't really have any technique whatsoever though but I should be able to play the notes .

I can only play treble if it's written for a transposing instrument in F or I can see the music beforehand, I've not got around to learning to read fluently yet for it.

If you're wanting people who are good then I don't mind sitting it out; but if you're just wanting people to have a go then I'm willing .

I'll bring a descant and a treble, and would be happy to do tenor if necessary. However, I'm not a great recorder player (I don't play it a lot, and very easily confuse recorder fingerings with the instruments I can play properly!). At a guess, I would say I'm no better than about grade 3 or 4. But hey, it's all about the taking part, is it not?

Barry (clari)

OK - it's looking more satisfactory now. Bearing in mind that there will probably be a few more of us by the time of the concert, at the moment it's looking something like:

Descant 1: Barry-clari, pinkoi
Descant 2: Nicki-flute, fluteandbassoon
Treble 1: Katyjay, Sarah-flute
Treble 2: Andy-piano-flute
Tenor: sbhoa, Another pianist, meerkat (on borrowed instruments)
Bass: andante-in-c, willobie (hopefully!)

I hope I'll be able to have at least two people on each part in the end.

Sounds alright to me I'll just play quietly

Jo, are you not playing?

So what you've got in mind will suit a (very) average grade 3-4ish standard recorder player?
I may not be great at recorder, but, you know, I'm looking forward to resurrecting my rusty recordering skills. I must remember though that I'm not playing a clarinet or a flute!!!!!!!! (so easy to confuse fingerings!)

Barry (clari)

I'll have to make sure I'll be able to play the flute after playing the descant!

That's one good thing about playing treble, so different.

I will need to get back to practising it so I don't make a total plonker of myself....

In a way Sarah yes, but there's a distinct 'essence of clarinet' about some treble fingerings!

Barry (clari)

Rest assured that the piece is pretty easy note-wise, although we'll need to keep it really neat and tidy to get the best effect. If it comes off OK, it should sound really good. It's in C major, except for the middle section which is in F. If we decide to do the other piece too, that's in 2 flats and is a little more demanding in a few places.

I can play descant and alto, but don't play either very well - just at the kind of 'I learned this in primary school' first instrument sort of way. I put this on my form, but realistically would really rather not take part, given that I know so many of you are actually competent players!

I'm not!

Yes, I know, but I know just enough of the clarinet to help me with treble fingerings, and not enough to confuse me

meerkat: competent? me?

C major and F major sounds fine, two flats I'd like to see beforehand...

Thanks Jo! Looking forward to seeing how much I can remember!

Barry (clari)

Nicki - just scrolled back and saw your question - no, I won't be playing because I'll be getting you lot into order! With such a short time for rehearsal a conductor is really vital, I think!

Meerkat - if you're coming, I'm sure you wouldn't find the tenor part too taxing, so I'm going to edit you into the list . We'll have a few tenors available to loan for the day, and everyone will be given their music in the morning, so there'll be time for private practice if necessary.

And I'm not a very good bass player. I still have moments of complete panic when faced with the combination of bass clef and F fingerings.

So do I

It could be interesting :D

Ok... am now officially scared.

Um. My skills are really very very basic.

Can I see music in advance, pretty please?

Perhaps if you ask her very nicely Jo will give you a treble clef part for the bass (one that you play as if it were a treble recorder). Would that help, or just be equally panic-striking in a different way? On the other hand being able to play bass recorder from bass clef is a useful skill, worth developing if you like playing the instrument.

You mean it's your husband's birthday on the day of the Leicester forumsconcert?

Why don't you just provide us with a list of your family birthdays - then we know the dates of the next few concerts!

A nice idea, but it's much more important that I play bass from bass clef, as it's a skill it's essential for me to develop. My disclaimer was more in the nature of a reassurance to the rusty recorder players, that some of the 'experts' in the group would be struggling as well.

That means I can't play quietly