Here are the finalised lists for the Recorder Ensemble and the Grand Finale Ensemble for next month's concert.
If you find that you are not playing the instrument (or, for recorders, size of instrument) that you requested on the form, there is a valid reason for the change. To give just one example, pinkoi requested tenor recorder, but since there aren't so many advanced recorder players and the tenor part is relatively easy, I've put her on descant, as that part will be a bit more challenging and interesting for her. Likewise, the beginners who have requested descant will mostly be playing tenor (on borrowed instruments), since the tenor part is fairly simple and would suit them better than the available descant parts.
If anyone is hugely unhappy with this, please PM me, or post here, and I'll try to sort something out. However, most people have got what they asked for!

RECORDER ENSEMBLE

Descant 1 : barry-clari, pinkoi

Descant 2 : nicki-flute, fluteandbassoon

Treble 1 : Katyjay, sarah-flute

Treble 2 : Andy-piano-flute, oboebunny

Tenor : meerkat, sbhoa, AnotherPianist

Bass : andante-in-c, willobie


GRAND FINALE ENSEMBLE

Part 1 : andante-in-c (sopranino recorder)

Part 2 : Andy-piano-flute (flute), Katyjay (violin), AnotherPianist (descant recorder)

Part 3 : nicki-flute (flute), YetAnotherPianist (violin)

Part 4 : Jonscott14 (trumpet)

Part 5 : barry-clari, Oddball (clarinets)

Part 6 : sarah-flute, willobie (violas), oboebunny (oboe)

Part 7 : pinkoi (cello)

Part 8 : meerkat (cello), fluteandbassoon (bassoon)

Part 9 : CarExpert, Amber, sbhoa (percussion)


In part 4, I've put Jonscott14 on his own as I'm sure the trumpet will carry well enough on that part ! In part 6, I've added oboebunny to the violas - hopefully the oboe will give a little more 'edge' to that part's sound and it will balance better with the clarinets (with whom they are in tandem)!

Hi Jo,

I'm ever so sorry to mess things up - but I can't play treble! I can only play tenor and descant

Toni

Sorry to have scared you, Toni - I did know that you only play C instruments! Don't worry, the part I've given you is playable on tenor, a bit high in one or two places, but you could always put those notes down an octave if necessary. There shouldn't be any problems with it.

Oh, that's fine then Thanks Jo!

Sounds fine to me!

I'll bring a treble as well as a descant on the day, just in case it's needed.

Now I need to do a bit of recorder practice!.........

That seems ok to me Jo, thanks

That's fine by me. I'll have to practise swapping between bass and sopranino though - rather an extreme change.

Well, I've re-jigged the choir again. I think this is how it will work:

Soprano 1
Amber
Pinkoi
Sbhoa
AnotherPianist
Oboebunny

Alto 1
Andy-Piano-Flute
Willobie
FluteandBassoon
Nicki-Flute

Soprano 2
Sarah-Flute
Andante-in-C

Tenor
Barry-Clari
Oddball

Alto 2
JoClarinet
Meerkat

Bass
YetAnotherPianist


Soprano 2 doubles the Tenor line at the octave, and Alto 2 doubles the Bass line. This is the same mix as the "Katyjay Chorus" recording - which was one of the reasons I recorded it.

Thanks to those who volunteered/caved in under pressure and agreed to sing something different.

If you want a copy of the music to practise beforehand please let me know. It's a Finale .mus file, or I can try to put it into a word document.

Cheers

Katyjay

I'd forgotten all about that. Can no-one else sing bass?

I'd love a look at the Finale file, thanks .

YAP you might be in luck... - KJ, last time the tenor part was quite high for me - could you send me a copy of both the Tenor and Bass parts? In preferably something other than .mus??

This is if it won't unbalance the parts too much.

Chars

Have you been programming in C again?

Hehe! Nah.. C is just plain confusing.

I'd love a copy of the music please Katyjay, if it's not too much hassle to get it into a Word doc.

KJ, can I have a .mus file sent to me please?

....and I'd like a copy (as a Word doc if possible) please, as long as it's not too much of a problem to get it converted.

Eeeo, seems a bit scary now. Seems ok to me. I'll try my best, but I can't promise anything special.

...and me- a word doc if possible please

*ahem* ever felt your topic has been hijacked?

Still, at least it must mean that people are generally happy with what they're doing, so that can't be bad!

Jo - would it be possible to see a copy of the recorder part before the day please - it would be 1 less thing to worry about...

If you're desperate, I can send you your part if you PM me your address. It's an easy part - I don't think you'll have any problems with it!
But bear in mind that everyone will have access to their music for both ensembles as soon as I arrive at the venue (and I think I'll be there almost as soon as we're allowed in!), so there will be ample time for everyone to have a look at their parts and to run them through before our rehearsal.

I'll be ok without copies.. Have sung 'As Torrents' before and I trust Jo's word that the tenor recorder part is not difficult.

Could I have copies of any music that's available, too, please? Pref word format / pdf.

THanks

Jane

I'd love to see a copy, KJ, and I think a .mus file would be fine.

Just in case anyone hasn't realised - FinaleNotepad is available as a free download so if word files don't work out then maybe that would be a possible alternative!

Jo: if it's at all possible to see copies of the music beforehand... I have a foggy brain at the moment with my CFS playing up and having a butchers at the music beforehand would be a great help

It's going to get very expensive for me if loads of people want the music beforehand

Jo, don't know about others but I'm more than happy to get music by email and print it out myself.

Jo, if you don't have a scanner, I've just emailed you about arranging a copy of the accompaniment for the Clarinet piece you're playing at Leicester - if you pop a copy of the other score in the envelope, I could scan and email for you if you like .

We only have an ancient scanner which takes about half-an-hour to scan one page, and even then the quality is not good - and I don't have access to anyone else's, so I can't do them by email, unfortunately!

Thanks, YAP, I've already got a copy of my accompaniment ready for you.
The other stuff isn't in score for the players, it's pages and pages of parts (I had to write out several different extra parts to accommodate the Bb instruments and violas too). I really don't see why people aren't happy just to have it on the day - that IS the norm for playing days and such-like, after all, and it's not as if the music is difficult!

At Woodford, we got both groups from total chaos to something pretty creditable in three-quarters-of-an-hour each. As far as I remember, only one person had asked for the music in advance - and her reaction on receiving it was along the lines of 'oh great, it's easy!'

Jo, I can't speak for anyone else, but I was asking "if possible", and have good reason - like I said, my CFS isn't good at the moment and sight-reading two different things on two different instruments on a day when I'm also singing and playing yet another instrument - well I expect I could manage but I'd rather not if possible. I rarely have any opportunity to sight-read things in ensembles these days and it's certainly easier if one gets regular practice. "It's the norm" is fine, but I don't have an ensemble for it to be "the norm" in at the moment.

If it isn't possible, then fine, but I wouldn't ask on a whim. If it's possible to just have one, then the recorder ensemble music would be my preference as my recorder gets played less. If neither is possible then never mind.

ps: till people asked, I didn't *know* it wasn't a computer file...

OK, OK

If anyone needs copies of the ensemble pieces before the day itself, will they please PM me their address - preferably sooner rather than later, as I'm going away in just over a week's time.

Oddball, I'm quite happy to do the tenor line on my own if you would rather do bass!

And I'd be ok swapping to tenor, if needed. (prefer alto 2, but don't mind!)

Don't go, meerkat!!! I don't want to be the only one on Alto2

I'm still more than happy to try singing tenor on my own meerkat, so by all means keep Jo company on alto 2!

While I'm here, Jo, I'm quite happy to sight read the recorder part/grand ensemble part on the day!

So let's see if I understand this correctly:
1.Nothing doubles alto 1-
2. If I read the other choir thread correctly Willobie claims to sing very quietly& Nicki & Ceri are unconfident singers. Now I know all of us will be fine when we get started on the piece but seeing the music in advance has become essential I think or we could all get lost en-masse

I quite enjoy singing (haven't sung in a choir for ages!), I just haven't got the sort of voice most people would pay money to hear!

I enjoy singing too.As to whether people would pay to hear I doubt it, but on the other hand I keep being asked to sing in different choirs. I can only deduce that they'll have anyone who's prepared to sing alto

Andrea, looks like it'll be a solo line for alto 1 hehe, ie you!

I'll try my best and sing as loud as is bearable for you

Too right you're going to sing loudly...

Meerkat, Alto 2 is specially for you, I definitely need you to do it.

All, I've finally managed to get the music into word. I'll send out copies as people have requested tomorrow.

Cheers

Katyjay

Hmmm! Actually I don't think I'll mind too much, but just have never sung in a choir from music!

Many thanks Katyjay!

I got the music, thanks Katyjay

Just printed off the choir part you sent Katyjay, many thanks again. I'm looking forward to resurrecting my singing 'skills' (such as they are......!)

Katyjay - the bassline is much more comfortable for me. Thanks!

Thanks for the music Katyjay - it looks good