I listened to it on BBC4 TV, but here is the audio link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2007/rams/prom31.ram

Deborah,
I haven't played for three years, having similarly given up post university plus three or four years. I limped on playing in the odd Gilbert and Sullivan pit orchestra or thrown together choral society orchestra and I even earned a good bit of pocket money but since having children it ground to a halt altogether.
I have now bravely contacted the Bristol Club Orchestra and am down to play first oboe at their first rehearsal in September as their usual players can't make it! I'm terrified, have zero control over the instrument and am practicing like mad. It does come back very slowly but tell him to start with the scales and holding long notes - it's amazing how much I'd forgotten and I really did need to go back to basics for a while.
I felt very sad to have lost such a wonderful skill. I passed Grade VIII with two marks off distinction when I was twelve! I look back and weep at a lost opportunity... I'm 31 now!
Tell him good luck with the face pain. Katy

Hi there Katycor
I'm sure that you'll be fine..just go for it, I hope that you don't have to play anything that's too long and sustained.
I started playing again about 18 months ago, and have been having monthly lessons for the last six months, and I've been amazed at how much came back fairly quickly. I just need to work at my stamina, and my confidence, but overall my playing is far better than before.

My stamina's still not great...but it's getting better...slowly.

I am sure I saw it while I was in America...



I've just come back from a 2 and a half week holiday...



I just thought, 'Wow, yes!' and stuck my radio aerial out of the window to find radio 4

What does everyone think of this mini-oboe thingymajiggy?

Going to Howarths next week I will have a look and let you know what I thought...

Very exciting am ordering my new Oboes and Cor Anglais..

regards

Andrew

Andrew- how exciting!!
What are you getting, are you going for the Loree instruments that you talked about in a previous thread??
I'd love to hear about the mini oboes as well.

May I have a little bit of advice from all of you oboists out there. I'm playing a study that is taking me up to a top F sharp. I can get the F to speak, but when it comes to the F sharp, I can do it moving up from the F, but I can't make it speak otherwise. Do I need to start biting the reed...but that goes completely against everything I've been taught and I'd be nervous of damaging the reed. Any advice would be really welcome.

This is a place we must visit. I thought my Daughter's on loan Buffet was wooden, the nice people at Howarths have told me it's plastic inside. Now I know why her tone seems to be lacking progress. One of the problems with this type of instrument is that they are thin sound wise in the higher notes. Well now I have the answer I've got to do something about it.

Anyone got a spare couple of grand?

Howarths said that the guy who is running this project is on holiday until Monday 20th.

We are all very keen to hear how this is going! Can someone let the forum know what is happening so that we don't inundate him!!

Hi Itchy, yes it is rather exciting I have been waiting a very long time...I am ordering a pair of Loree Royal 125 Oboes and a Cor Anglais Royal which should take about three months to arrive...but hey knowing the French it will probably take a little longer...never mind there's a whole heap of things I need to get, gougers profilers and some new reed knives, mine are in dire need of replacing I will also replace much of my now very dog eared music which is in pretty poor shape. I haven't had a good spend up in a very long time so I feel it's long overdue.

As for the top F sharp, from what I can gather you are ok running up to the note but not starting on the note...is that correct? If so, what I would suggest you try is soemthing my old teacher called " Sharp articulation" almost spitting the note out hitting the reed frimly with the tongue to get it to sound. Support is vital and that punch must come from the Diaphragm, drawing the stomach muscles in as if you were trying to be as thin as possible...once you find you are able to spit the note out you can start to refine it, using less of the spitting action and more support... allow the note to be overblown and refine it with the lip but don't bite down, firm the muscles up in the embochure and let the tone sing, keep your throat relaxed allowing the air to flow freely...don't be shy BLOW, the note may well sound a bit harsh in fact its highly likely it will but you can refine it in time..Quiet entries are always going to be harder but you will get there...

Sorry if I haven't described that very well it's very early and I am still fumbling round the kitchen, tripping over the dog...if you need more info...PM me and I will put you in touch with a lecturer in the USA who has an excellent website and has some very well worded explanations on technique and some fantastic pratice modules...

Good luck itchy

Regards

Andrew




The Buffet Green line Oboe is considered a very good student instrument...in fact many makers line their instruments with plastic or a hard rubber I believe to stabalise the bore and stop it from cracking...I think thats why they do it...I could be wrong...

Of course you may consider that it may well being a loan instrument have had a fair bit of playing and yes of course the better the wood quality the more likely it will help with the tone..so when you feel ready I would definitely head to Howarths and talk to them...

I don't know if it's the same for oboe as for clarinet, and I'm only going by what I've read and been told, but the clarinet manufacturer who you met at Leeds, notmusimum, told me that the material used is not as critical to getting a good sound on the clarinet as the shape of the bore is.

Have a look at this article, written by Tom Ridenour who I gather is well-respected in the clarinet industry. It talks about the myth of grenadilla clarinets having a better sound than hard rubber ones. One of the things he says in the article is that a large part of the upper joint bore and the barrel of Rosewood clarinets are usually lined in hard rubber.



If it's the same for the oboe as for the clarinet, you might be spending a lot of money unnecessarily - it's worth asking a few questions first anyway

Skylark raises some very good points... however it is generally accepted theat the more you spend on Oboes the more refined the workmanship will be, the keywork will be better made and stronger and the quality of the wood will have a tighter or more closed grain. Oboes are particularly fickle and difficult instruments to make and notorious for cracking in the top joint ( I'm not sure if this is an issue with Clarinets) but I don't believe that Lining an instrument is overly detrimental to the tone in fact I believe that Howarths do this as well, AmandaL will confirm or correct this point. Loree also make an optional plastic top joint as do Marigaux, in fact Marigaux make an Oboe in Plexiglass which is totally plastic and transparent, apparantly it must make a reasonable sound cos it aint cheap...it looks a bit odd though and the thought of it all steamed up with moisture and your pot noodle is slightly unappealing but different strokes differrent folks.

It all boils down to what one can afford or has pitched ones cap at...never by the Name always buy the instrument...unless you specifically order a pair which I believe is not uncommon for Clarinet players, Buffet are well regarded I gather but I have a soft spot for the Hansons, I have no idea why I guess it maybe the small professional maker that appeals to me, somewhat like the Oboe makers Hiniker or Laubin in the USA.

Actually thats a very interesting point...and an excellent article though how much of it was advertising I am unsure...but that doesn't discredit it...

So seeing as Clarinets seem to be more readily available in hard rubber how many of you here play on Rubber as opposed to Wood, what are your opinions...what's your preference rubber or wood...do you even know what your Clarinet is made out of? is it easy to tell? have you experience of both...which did you as clarinettists prefer?

I am aware that some makers do make a hard rubber oboe, how well it has been recieved I don't know...would you find many advanced players using them...I doubt it purely because the keywork would not be there student level keywork is very pared down, you would I suspect be hard pushed to find a hard rubber Oboe with a full Gillet system, but I could be wrong.

Is it snob value... well thats very likely as well...is that wrong...who can say!

So Rubber or Wood...whats your preference

I have a Rosewood clarinet. And I love it! I didn't try any hard rubber ones, mainly because I didn't know of any that wern't student/intermediate instruments. I still don't. Yes, clarinetists who play in orchestras eventually need 2 clarinets, but I don't know if they nessecerily get the same make or at the same time. I would be interested to see how a rubber clarinet sounds though, all else being equal. I'd probably still play my rosewood one though just because it looks nice!

Rosemary...do I detect a whiff of vanity there How lovely a Rosewood Clarinet...lovely grain and colour I'm sure...

Just a bit I wouldn't play it outside though, so a rubber one could be useful. And for takng on holiday.

The Oboe is a loan instrument but it was brand new when she got it. It was the Howarths technician that suggestd they weren't very good. My daughter has had it for 2.5 years so I suspect it's about 3 years old. Maybe age has something to do with the quality?

Thinking about October half term for the journey south.

Hi Berni

If you let Howarths know when you intend to visit them...i.e. make an appointment I am sure they will do all they can to help you. I am fairly certain they only carry the Buffet Green line as a special order but their own Oboes are excellent and they have a whole host of instruments for your daughter to try...

keep us informed

Kindest regards

Andrew

I've replied to this twice but it seems to have disappeared.......Must be the ghost!

We are thinking on the lines of an S20 or if things go really well an S40. If neither of these suit then it might be a second hand instrument but there's no desire to stick with Buffet. I just have to get as much cash together as I can.

I was thinking about maybe renting a better quality Oboe for a couple of months to get her through grade 5. Not sure where to go for that in the North West.

Hi Berni, why not rent from Howarths...they do a three month scheme so that should give you an idea...it can all be done I guess over the phone...

Andrew,
Thanks for the advice. I was practising a little while ago and remembered what you said about using the diaphragm and trying to spit the note out...well it came twice!! a bit of a vestigial squeek, but there nonetheless. I tried to do it again a bit later, but couldn't quite although I could sort of hear the note trying to get out. If I can work out how to PM you, I'll do that a little later for the link.

About Gabriel's oboe, I'm working on it, possibly to play it in an informal concert on Saturday week. Currently I'm finding it almost impossible to keep in time, and it takes a lot control to play those long notes nicely at the end. Otherwise it's not too difficult. Is it only a G5 piece?? There's quite a lot there to work on and it needs a lot of control and stamina! But I'm hoping with another 10 days I can get it sorted out.

Here you go Itchy, the link you may find helpful...


http://www.public.asu.edu/~schuring/main.html


Have a look at his technical pages on how to best make your practice time work hard for you and if you have any questions just e-mail him, he's awfully nice and very helpful...

Kindest regards

Andrew

Definately worth considering!

Depends which instrument I suspect. Also, for flute at least, yes, it isn't technically that difficult (it may well be much more so on oboe!) to play the notes, but it's the kind of piece which needs a lot more to it than just playing the notes

Good luck with your concert itchy1, it's a beautiful piece of music. Let us know how you get on!

I'll let you know how it goes, if it goes............!
It's only an informal concert, and I'm doing a piece "Apres un reve" by Faure. I tentatively offered Gabriel's oboe to fill things out a bit, and because I know people like it, but I won't play it if I can't get it together.

Good luck itchy, the Faure is lovely..."After a Dream"...its a highly sensual song and has many connotations interwoven into it...I studied this piece at length when I started a Bmus course in London which sadly I didnt complete due to touring...I shall always regret it...

Enjoy the concert and have a good time...if you enjoy it the audience will follow suit...take it from an old stage hand..

Regards

Andrew

Hello Andrew
"Apres un Reve" is a lovely piece and I'm really looking forward to playing it with organ accompaniment (or am I accompanying the organ??) I'm finding it to be quite a test of my stamina, but since it was the organist who asked me to play with her, I think that I can negotiate some pauses
I can certainly feel its sensuality, I just hope that I can put some of that into my playing

Enjoy it Itchy, I am sure all will be well...when I said sensual I mean it's all about glowing/bathing in the warmth of love ...the afterglow if you like ...so be careful not to drift off completely into your own world, your reviews would be spectacular but your reputation shot to pieces It actually rather racy when you think about it..and I would never describe oboists as racy...perish the thought...

I am sure the Organ will be just perfect as an accompniament, it has so many voices...

Bon Chance,

Regards

Andrew

Bon Chance from me too!

Hmm, I'm missing my oboe soooooo much. I brough music to silent practice, but it's just not the same. Does anyone know any good exercises for getting back into the swing of things with my obob?

I'd be glad to hear them Between a holiday and shattered reeds I havn't had a chance!

Update:



I got new braces now.Rings on all back teeth top and bottom, and traintracks on the bottom(full length) and made the half-length traintracks on the top teeth into full-length ones.


So I couldn't play the Oboe for 2 days after that, and It's better now, but still need 1 or 2 more days to get the bottom teeth perfectly comftorble.


The Albinoni concerto is due to come soon, but I don't know when...
And sheetmusic.co.uk don't have 'ornamental oboes', so I don't know how long I'll have to wait for that. They said they'd dispatch it as soon as it's available.

That sounds painful!!

One of my pupils has a spike brace thing on the back of her front teeth which are meant to stop her from sucking her thumb, She can hardly talk, and when she does her toungue gets shredded! She goes through reeds like there is no tomorrow poor thing.

Eeeeeeek! How do they work!?

I'm not sure, but one of the spikes fell out and it very sharp. Its like having barbed wire glued to her teeth she says! She needs a normal brace, but the orthadontist refused to put one in until she stopped sucking her thumb. So shes had this on for a few months now and is due to have it off in september I think. Doesnt sound very nice!!

If I was supervised by my orthodontist at all times, I'd be in big trouble

Drinking Lemonade is meant to be bad, and I can't resist sweets or other between-meals...

That sounds painful...I was lucky enough to have a removable brace so I was better off, however I still had to get used to the ever changing embouchure...

Now, teeth straight, oboe tone improving!

Do you mean plates that go inside? I had those 'till a few days ago, and it realy works well. Top teeth are straight (that's the purpose of it), but need pushing back with the traintrack brace.



ARG!! I NEED TO PRACTICE MY GRADE 6 PIECES, BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE OF WEBSITES THAT DON'T GIVE CORRECT INFO!!!

And it's not just your teeth that'll suffering the ill-effects of sugar and phosphoric acid. Ever heard the saying, 'A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips'.

Sugar is one of the worst perpetrators for weight gain!

If you must snack, avoid continually eating simple sugars such as sweets and go for some complex carbs instead. Sugar doesn't satisfy the appetite anyway, it supplies a short-term rush of energy to the body and brain, like an addiction, which is why you find yourself continuously tucking into them.

Still missing Ornamental oboes?

Yep

Me too. I had an 'activator' when I was about 10. I only had to wear it at night when I was in bed, and only had to wear it for 6 months. I was very lucky! I couldn't talk with it though and the first few nights it would fall out and I'd have to retreive it from the bottom of the bed in the morning!
My sister had one that she wore all the time but could take it out - it was purple and sparkly, but she put it on the bonfire by mistake one night and all we found was the wire and a bit of guey mess left! She now has fixed train tracks on top and bottom.

Wow! Where did you order it from?! Its been ages! I was amazed by howarths today. I ordered something yesterday afternoon and it came through the door this morning which is pretty good considering it had to travel something like 600 miles!

I ordered it from sheetmusicuk.co.uk, waited ages, and then they said that it's out of stock, and they'll dispatch it as soon as the new stock arrives.

Well that could be ages. I ordered a bassoon reed from Myatts and they said the same thing and months later I phoned up to ask where it was - they hadnt got them in yet they said.

Phone up howarths and see if they have it, if they do, cancel your order with sheetmusicuk.co.uk and order it from Howarths or wherever else that has it. musicroom.com has two versions of it I think so double the chance that they might have it!

Well, it might be better. I'll ask my mum.

Another place to order wind music is from June Emerson in North Yorkshire. They specialise in wind music and have a huge catalogue and quick service. They'll deal on the phone or on their website. I ordered some things and had them really quickly recently.

June Emerson are great suppliers of music...excellent service, quick and efficient...I reccomend them to anyone...

https://www.juneemerson.co.uk/


Regards

Andrew