The information and application form for the Forums concert taking place on 23rd September in Woodford Green is now available .

Please note that although it is technically in Essex, the venue is very easily accessible from London - it lies only just outside the edge of London and is fairly close to Woodford tube station on the Central Line.

I have sent the information via email to everyone who performed at the concert last year. Anyone else who is interested should PM me giving their email address, and I will then forward all the documentation to them.

......and before anyone says anything - no, I DON'T want to put it all up on a website!!

Wow - gold stars to StuMac and Andy-piano-flute, whose forms arrived today!

I've had quite a few enquiries from people who haven't been to Forums concerts before, which is great. I hope you'll all be able to come.

Jo, is it OK to sign up and pay, but say what I'm playing at a later date?

Yes, of course - as long as you've decided by about a month before the concert if you need an accompanist, and about two weeks before if your piece is unaccompanied!

OK great

jo, i'd really like to come, but i need to see where my life is up to a bit closer to the time. It's going to be a bit of a busy summer.

The greater the distance you have to travel to take part, maybe the more organised you have to be

OK - hope you can come, as we particularly need the lower instruments for the ensemble - there always seem to be more high and middle range instruments! It would be nice to see you again, too!

I don't know what to do...I don't know whether I'll be able to come until July...but I really want to come and I think I'd know what I'd play, which would be unaccompanied.

I'll be going too - I'll send my form ASAP. Not sure what I'm going to play yet...

Car Expert

Do you think you're going to play the piano again, or are you going to have a go a playing a guitar piece CE?

I'll get the form in soon Jo. I'll play/sing (delete as appropriate!) in all the groups again.

I haven't a clue what I'll play I don't even know yet what I'll play at Stalybridge!

I've got a vague idea of what I'd like to try at Woodford, but really my priority at the moment is to get the jazz piece composed and ready!.......

It will be likely that I'll play a piano piece, but I'll wait and see.

Car Expert

My problem is that I have no idea what will be ready when, and I don't want to overwork/get bored with anything...

I have too many things that are "quite good, nearly ready, but not quite..." and then on the other hand things that might not be ready by then even if I worked really hard.

I only know what I want to play at Woodford as it will be good practice for my Grade 8...

I think I might be brave and do a recorder solo.

Yes, please do

I'm sorry but as usual I won't be able to get there. Wish I could be there though.

Go for it Andante! Would love to hear a recorder solo!

Oooh! That would be excellent!

Oops! Think I'm definitely going to have to be brave now.

It won't be Voice of the Crocodile, however, even if you're desperate to hear it (see recorder music thread if you've no idea what I'm talking about!).

Nicki-flute... I'm also planning on playing one of my Grade 8 pieces in September as it will be good preparation!

Having heard a snippet of it I think I'm probably quite relieved

Any idea what it might be or will you just wait and see?

I'd love to hear you play the Rubbra but I guess that's "old news" for you by now

Well, I've got an idea, but I only got the music last week, so I'll see how it develops.

I don't think I'll risk the Rubbra - it's too tricky to put together with an accompanist on the day, and it's probably a bit long as well.

Oh good

Andante - I wish you did though, because then you'd play Voice of the Crocodile and I'd play Danse de la Chevre, hehe...it's funny to me anyway

We could try playing them simultaneously.

Yes, but then what would it be - the dance of the speaking crocodile-goat?

It's more the singing-crocodile-goat-Australian edition. The composer's an Aussie, and there is more than a smidgeon of digeridoo about the piece.

Perhaps the all-singing, all-dancing, digeridoo-playing crocodile-goat?

I'm just listening to it - it sounds fantastic!!! You must play it
Sounds good to me, maybe YAP could make a smilie for a dancing crocodile goat

I think I'm going to try & be brave enough to play a piano piece.

Any thoughts on a duet yet andante?

Yes, be brave And no more of because you sound beautiful on the piano!

I've PMed you Jo.

I was thinking of doing a piano solo, though I may do that at Stalybridge, and play flute in the grand ensemble. I play clarinet often enough though I would do it if I was lacking performances at that time.

First obstacle is getting there, and what I'm doing work wise at that time is anyone's guess!

I'm sure you'll be fine if you do a piano piece



I'll almost certainly do clari in the grand ensemble Neil if you'd like to do flute. Would be good to see another clari player at Woodford!

I'll get on to it right away.

If enough flautists go we could have a flute choir. What are the chances someone will have an alto or bass flute? Failing that there must be something viable for multiple standard flutes.

Answering your three points Neil.

1) a good idea, but you're going to need to know quite early on how many flautists are going. Judging by Leicester, I'm not sure you'll have enough flutes to make a flute choir, but you never know. Perhaps flute trios/quartets etc are more viable.

2) not sure if anyone will have an alto or bass flute - a question for the flute specialists there I think.

3) I should think there would be a viable piece for several flutes - or you could arrange/compose something for multiple flutes.

I've got a considerable number of flute quartets, which we could double up on if necessary. If people are feeling really adventurous, we could play Ian Clarke's Walk like this. Lots of (simplish) extended techniques - flute 1 is around Grade 6-7 in standard, and flute 4 is supposed to be managable by Grade 2-3 players. I'm not sure we would have time to put it together on the day, though, with all the flautists also being recorder players.

I'll play a bass or an alto

I've played "Walk Like This"

Da da da da da walk like this, yeah!

That sadly is quite a salient point. I'm directing the jazz group, and performing in all the other groups, which leaves me only about 45 minutes to cover any other pieces I'm playing. Much as I'd love to perform in a flute group, I'd have to pass on it for Woodford.

OK, blame Nicki for the design for this one one, she's been at her stash again :

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Is it wearing a bell?

Isn't that the little beardy bit that goats have?

Well, I'll definitely be there.

And I'll be conducting the choir again - Jo's very kindly agreed to let me have another go at waving at people!

Not sure what instruments I'll be bringing along, recorder for definite, voice comes as part of the package, and the fiddle won't take up too much space.

Amber and I are planning to do another duet.....

If I can come, I'll be a naughty choirgirl again

Everyone's talking about all these duet/small group things - but remember there are only six slots available, and three of those have now already been 'booked' (a recorder consort, a clarinet trio and a flute duet). Everyone's being VERY quick off the mark this time! It'll be first come, first served to fill the other three slots, and then any extra requests can only be accommodated if the solo slots don't all get filled - otherwise we're going to end up with a concert that runs on till about 7pm

Perhaps we should hold a workshop/concert one time consisting entirely of small and large group activities, as they are (understandably) so popular - although I think people do like the chance to play/sing solos too. It's just the time factor that's such a problem....... I know that I could hire the Woodford venue for a weekend (not this time round, but another time I'm sure I could, as I have run weekend courses there before), but there'd be the problem and expense of people having to find places to stay overnight, and of course the actual fee would be double. But if we did that we'd have SO much more time to do all the things we want to do!

If there's enough interest I can certainly consider that for next year, but for now, get those forms in if you want to do duets etc!

Jo - what should I do? I want to come but won't know til July...

You know what I'll say - the same as I did last year . Book up anyway, and tell the director that you have a prior engagement on 23rd September. It's only one Saturday out of the whole term!

Awww yeah I can understand that!

Will look forward to whatever you decide to play...

Well the thing is...I don't know who my conductor will be!