Hi everyone,
My teacher has recommended that i start my own ensemble at school to give me help with conducting and directing. She hasn't suggested what and i came up with the idea of a recorder consort. I have no idea where to start...what music to choose, how many players. I don't think i will be able to find a bass recorder. I also have no experience in directing. If i direct, can i play myself? Any pointers would really be apprecieated!

Karen

I used to belong to a Saturday recorder school and had great fun. A quick search on musicroom came up with these:-

http://www.musicroom.com/Search/gsearch.as...ecorder+consort

We used to play Christmas carols and popular stuff such as Teddy Bear's Picnic as well although that was quite hard from what I remember!

I'm sure you could get away without having a bass if you can't get hold of one for now. Make sure everyone knows their parts well enough separately and then attempt putting things together slowly.

Good luck

I used to run two recorder groups when I was in the sixth form. I had one of near beginners who only played descant (but with two or three parts) and which I usually directed rather than played in and another with rather better players which I played in as well as directed. This had descant, treble and tenor and sometimes, if I played them, either bass or sopranino. Most of the time I played treble.

It is all rather a long time ago and I can no longer really remember what we played. I do remember that I used to go to a music library in another town once a month to chose the music and that once the music teacher took me with her on a day course for teachers running recorder groups. (I can't remember much about that either apart from being very self-conscious because all the other participants were proper adult teachers).

I really enjoyed running these groups - I hope you will too.

I don't think you'll have much of a problem not having a bass - there's music written or arranged now for almost any combination.

We had a small recorder group at school and rarely had more than descants (lots...), trebles, and the occasional tenor - we managed OK. A bass is great but it isn't vital.