Hi everyone,

Does anyone play with this group please? I am trying to work up the nerve to ask about joining!

Cheers,

Toni

Isn't DaCapo involved with this?

No, DaCapo's orchestra is in Newbury, and is all instruments rather than just strings. But I believe she knows the person that founded ELLSO.

My viola teacher is one of the tutors at ELLSO.

I went along last year for a 1-day taster morning and thoroughly enjoyed it - I then went on their Summer School and had a great time. I think a few people on here (esp. Onion) have more information. I would recommend the taster session - you get to try a full morning of activities to give you a feel for what level you are at...

Everyone was really friendly - the only reason I didn't join was because I was moving out of London...

W

A colleague of mine lives in that part of London and teaches at ELLSO. Her name is Abigail Dance. She is very friendly and not at all intimidating. I don't think they would employ anyone who was a bully in their teaching manner. Put it this way, I've only ever heard good things about ELLSO, so why not give it a try?

I was in ELLSO a very long time ago - 1987-88 ! Diana Burrell was the conductor/arranger and lived just round the corner from where I was staying. Those Saturday mornings were the best part of the week for me. Not just very friendly, but so well organised!

Steve

Thank you, everyone. I meant to go to ELLSO this morning for a taster session but I had a bad night and had to take painkillers at 4am which knocked me out and I missed my alarm, which was really annoying. However, I had a reply to the email which I sent to them late last night, which says it's fine to go along next week

I understand that they teach people to play but I'm already having lessons from my oboe teacher at the moment - I want to start having oboe lessons again though, so this could work out quite well. I'm wondering if they would mind me playing the cello when I am not able to play the viola, but don't want to come across as being difficult so I'll just get into playing the viola with them for now, and see how it goes. I love playing the cello but obviously haven't been able to jump right into playing fairly advanced pieces as I have with the viola. Now I'm quite confident with the alto clef I am feeling more confident about tackling the bass clef.

It's so strange that I am able to do things on the viola that I can't do well on the violin, like play in positions other than first and third! Maybe all the years of playing to myself has affected my mind in the way I find notes? On the violin, I tended to think "I'm in third position so my first finger is an A" or "I'm in first position so my second finger is an F", which limits me; but on the viola I can never remember what note I'm playing with what finger, and just think of the notes in terms of where they are on the fingerboard....I never think "I'm in 4th position" or whatever, I just aim for the note with whatever finger is most logical to use. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense! Anyway, I have been hopping all over the place for the Vivaldi Sonata that I'm currently working on, and it's really enjoyable

HI Oboebunny!

I've heard of a Vivaldi Sonata for viola bfore. Is it pure viola or transcribed from cello? What are the details of it? I'm interested in getting to know as much viola music as poss.

How do you find playing viola and cello compare? I've always been interested in both, yet not in violin.

I'd love to join ELLSO, but two things put me off - the fact it's a Saturday, when I am teaching, and where they meet - I'm certainly not driving to east London, and the cello isn't the most portable of instruments on public transport, especially if there's a walk of any distance at the end of the journey. I'd especially love to at the moment - having joined the local orchestra, I've found it pretty dire, even more this term than last - at least we were working towards a concert then, so it was more focussed, and more people attended.

The Sonata I'm playing is one of six originally written for cello; I'm working on No. 5 in E minor, RV40. The sheet music is published by the International Music Company, but I've been advised by other viola players here that there are better editions available.

Obviously I've found the viola much easier to pick up than the cello, because I could already play the violin a bit. I'm still struggling to pick up the bass clef and thought I would find the alto clef similarly difficult to learn, but for some reason I've managed to learn the alto clef quite well - it might be because the notes that were on a space in the treble clef are still in a space for the alto clef, and those that were on a line are still on a line. I ordered a clef-reading book from an internet site and by the time it arrived, I didn't need it anymore The Vivaldi I'm playing swaps between treble and alto clef and that gets really confusing but now I am getting familiar with the pieces I'm ready for when it happens.

The cello is also more confusing for someone who already plays the violin because of the way you put your fingers down on the strings; instead of putting 1, 2, and 3 down to play the beginning of a scale, you have to put 1, 3, 4 down (I think).

Suepea, if you ever do end up with your Saturdays free and would like to come to ELLSO, you're welcome to drive over to mine and park your car in our secure carpark and then hop on the bus with me to Mile End - I only live a ten minute bus ride away, and there's always plenty of room on the buses on Saturday morning so you'd have no problem with the cello (I might even have a cello with me myself sometimes!

Thanks OB, I'll look into that one. Are you aware of any recordings of it made on viola? For instance, I have a recording of the Bach Cello suites on viola. I've found several with cello, but none on viola, one cello CD has all 9 sonatas on it! Whew!

What sort of grade are these pieces aimed at?

Sorry - I'm trying to find a recording of these sonatas played on viola too! I'll let you know if I find one. I have two recordings by cellists and they're useful, but a viola recording would be fab.

I've absolutely no idea what grade standard these pieces are either.....I was working for Grade 4 violin last year and they're more difficult than that, but the trickiest thing for me is that they frequently swap between treble and alto clef.

Oooh, right - so sounds like they're G6 and higher! Well, from the syllabus saying that sight reading with treble clef starts at G7, (if I remember correctly, which is by no means sure), that's what I assume anyway.

Thanks for the offer, oboebunny.

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That sums it all up very nicely - I agree with all of it!

W