For me, a change of strings (viola).

That's about it.

Well, there's no denying it - that's a musical activity!

Outdoor play with incidental music to do today. 30 degrees - I'll need the suntan lotion!

Oooh I really should do some flute practice - residential starts on Tuesday and my poor flute has been a bit abandoned with my piano exam being yesterday

Hoping to go up to the organ this afternoon. Apart from that, practicing fugues on the piano...

Have done most of it: playing flute in the monthly Family Eucharist at church. I've also played some piano scales (Ab major/G# minor staccato in 8ves, 3rds and 6ths, and legato 3rds C major, Bb major and chromatic).

I'll undoubtably play some Shostakovich later (P+F in A), as I can't get enough of it at the moment. Thanks to whoever it was who put it on the Grade 8 syllabus.

A concert - Smetana's Vltava, Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture (this is brilliant) and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (this is even more brilliant) plus a couple of strings-only pieces that I'm not in. I'm really looking forward to it, apart from the bit about nearly dying in Vltava, wonderful piece though it is, because of the sheer amount of repetitive mid-high playing I have to do towards the end. And after the concert, my Horn is being loaded into the van for tour in Barcelona. Yay!

Ooh, I'm going music shopping to, in Reading. It's the only place that's relatively nearby that I haven't tried! I'm trying to get a certain piece, and it's proving harder than I first thought...

I'm going to the viola leaver's house for a pool party. Well, he plays the viola - it's quite musical

Choral evensong.

Need to work out what is cool enough to be comfortable under a black cassock!

Flute practice. I'm taking grade 3 in November.

Practising Grade 8 Recorder pieces which could also be audition pieces, plus I should really get my bassoon out and start on my part for Oklahoma!

Which pieces are you playing, IL?

I had hoped to give my horn a bit of a rest after having my Grade 8 on Friday, but I've got a concert this evening with Luton Youth Wind Ensemble (attractively nicknamed LYWE) and Lutonality (the chamber and most senior string group in Luton). Everyone else has a rest for half of the concert! So unfair - why do I play both horn and strings...?

Excellent name!


Yes, indeed, perhaps the gods were angry the day you were born...?

Erm...

A - Herberle or Sammartini Concertos (1st movement each, descant)
B - Bowen Sonatina (2nd movement, treble) or Winters Reflections (2nd movement, tenor)
C - Telemann Fantasia No.6 in F minor or No.8 in G minor (complete, treble)

I did some singing in church this morning. Someone also gave me a maraca to play!

Um, that's it.

Had grade 4 violin exam - went okish!

Practice, practice, and practice! don't tell anyone, but I haven't touched seriously my violin since two weeks ago...

Oh dear - we won't tell anyone!

Good to know my secret is safe

(little typo...)

Yeah - won't say a word to anyone! Lips are sealed!

Does going to a garden party with friends from the orchestra count. If not I'd better do some practice.

*goes off to practice*

About to take a look at some new music! Anyone know Gerald Finzi 5 bagatelles for clarinet and piano or Mendelssohn Bartholdy Sonata in Eflat major?

Playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No 13 in C major - really love it!

This evening's activites consist of trying out some new grade 5 pieces!

Well done you!

So exciting, learning all these new pieces! Scales look sooo frightening though. In your signature you say you're working towards grade 5 - is that with Trinity or the AB?

AB, will probably take it next term (if I can pull myself away from here and do some practice)

Scales on the violin are (relatively) easy if you think of them as finger patterns in different positions. It doesn't work with G as you have to start on an open string, but for all the rest if you put the first finger down on the tonic, and then follow the same finger pattern you have only 3 to remember; major, minor and chromatic. At grade five you still choose harmonic or melodic minor so you only need to know one of them.

Yeah. With Trinity you have to do melodic minors at grade 4. They were all harmonic up until then. It's just practice I think, as with all the grades. So are you definite for next term, or still undecided?

Me! All five bagatelles are really good pieces. If you're approaching grade 6, I guess you'll be looking primarily at the first two bagatelles (Prelude/Romance). Being brief, the Prelude is primarily quick, with a slightly slower section in the middle. The Romance is a glorious slower movement - that and the Fughetta (bagatelle no.5, currently on the grade 8 syllabus) are my favourites, but they're all good!

Pre tour music course and tour tomorrow!

Well, I spent most of today in Essex singing into a microphone for a music publishing venture I'm involved in *excited*

This evening I went to Him Indoors' church choir concert. High spot - a 13 year-old singing 'Let the Bright Seraphim' like an angel...low spot - chap singing a song from Les Mis a quarter-tone flat throughout .

Today I'm playing the organ at a funeral.

As this thread was started yesterday, I played for a Family service and took a choir practice for aforementioned funeral.

practicing Beethoven's Sonata in Eb...

Reading the ABRSM forums...

I've just had my last piano lesson until September. I'll have to see if I can learn the Shostakovich Fugue by then.

Doing some more work on scales and arps - always seems like loads and loads of them to do!
And some grade pieces --- one of them I tried yesterday, sped the metronome up just a little, made it more difficult to play the semiquavers (I'd got used to them at MY speed ) but overall it sounded a lot better!

Off to see to the semiquavers!

Hope the funeral goes as well as these events can.

Today I am practicing for Summer School.

Today I will mostly be reading the forums and playing for a "Jesus Christ Superstar" rehearsal

Truly I am deluding myself....

Technically I am supposed to be practising for Summer School.

As a matter of fact I am feeding an imaginary tortoise perched on Car Expert's head in CISD.

That's bound to earn me lots of brownie points with the Tutors, isn't it!

Amber
x

Sussex Singers run by Lena Phillips.

Look at it this way. By playing beautifully you will be supporting the mourners in this painful but important part of their grieving process. It can't take the sadness away, but it's good if they can look back and think that the funeral service went as well as it could. And your playing is an integral part of that.



Amber
x

I'm sorting out my MP3 player today - deleted all the music on it - and am now attempting to chose music to put back on.

I forgot to ask Jon - how did you get on in Music for Youth??

Didn't win, didn't loose (as far as i know) compettition was quite good - but we only practice once every 3 weeks - and the winning band had a weeks course running up to the competition and they are all lower and upper sixth age and above, and the runners up practice twice a week for two hours - so considering the competition we did really well, had a dodgy section with the timps and drum kit being out of time but it went really well, and we got some very good comments

That's good! I'm feeling quite bitter towards the band that won our category. For a start, there were about 99 gazillion saxophones and one trombone, whereas our band had the full complement of 6 saxes, 4 trombones, 5 trumpets and all the rest. And we were the only group with vocalists, AND we played really well, AND the conductor of the group that won went and sat down in the audience for the whole of their second piece?!?!

Dreadful, safety in numbers should be taken into account - alothough they could get complaints if they mark down for poor intrumentation - as that isn't very encouraging - although there's always the option to say "more of{trumpets, Trombones}" rather than "get rid of half yer sax's".

No rehearsal today, just lots of Practice. I'm working on the 20th Century half of my Concert Programme today, and might get some time to look at the Purcell. Oh and I think I might be teaching!

Weddings and Funerals R Us. Just an idea for a new business card.

I should be painting my studio but it is too wet a day and I will not be able to leave the windows open for it to dry. I have given two lessons and have done some practice too, sung to my horses whilst feeding them, and am just about to begin arranging some recorder music for the next concerts. I wish that the sun was shining!

Practice session at Suepea's this morning ready for Woodford.

Prom this evening - about to start the epic journey into London......