see you there andante!

Some sticks down by the river i know just got divorced, they asked if they can come?



*gets coat*

b-c humour!

A week to get those applications in!

hope it goes well Barry.

my saxes will be with you in spirit I guess...

Nine gone, 15 to go...

I've just been out for a quick drive round to see if I could locate any parking spots for the venue. The results aren't great I'm afraid - parking on the surrounding streets is pretty much all Residents / Business permits only I'm afraid. There is a pay-and-display car park 5 minutes or so walk away and there should be some spaces left before 11am on a Saturday. It costs £1.30 an hour and I think the machines only take coins - so start saving them! If anyone wants directions then PM me.

I'm beginning to reach the conclusion that I'll have to not be lazy and be prepared to negotiate the bus with a couple of saxes and a music stand!

Thanks for doing that TSax

I'll do a couple more checks on the PO Box this week (probably tomorrow and Friday, which allows late applications a bit of time to get here), then that'll give me a chance to find 8-10 pieces that will suit the players we'll have.

Cast list

Clarinet 1: Rosemary7391, barry-clari
Clarinet 2: sbhoa, controller76
Clarinet 3: smd, Halka's daughter
Clarinet 4: katyjay, my pupil

Alto sax: andante_in_c
Tenor sax: TSax

Programme of music will appear here soon, and any last minute attendees will be added to this list.

I'm sure there must be a few more sax players who want to redress the balance here......

Oh, I can play quite loud with my lovely new jazz mouthpiece!

....I still haven't confirmed that I don't have a sax lesson that day, but worst case scenario is I either have to arrive a bit late or leave a bit early.

I bet you can.

I'm guessing that Andante-in-c would appreciate some company though.

2nd Clari......looks like somebody thinks i know how to play it.....

I am sure there have to be others lurking (not something saxophonists often do )
both sax groups look slightly 'sparse'

If I wasn't nervous before...

Now I've seen my name on the Cast List as Clarinet 2.

I am well nervous/excited.

BUT, I am really looking forward to meeting you all there.

Not long now.

Regards, Peter.

Rough timetable for the day:

from 10:45am arrive
11:00am - 12:15pm : play
12:15pm - 1:15pm : eat lunch
1:15pm - 2:15pm : play again
2:15pm - 2:45pm : break
2:45pm - 3:45pm : play again
3:45pm - 4:00pm : clear up
4:00pm onwards : eat (probably pizza )

Don't forget, there are no trains from Charing Cross/Waterloo/London Bridge to Greenwich this Saturday, unfortunately, so if you're coming by train, you'll need to catch the DLR from Bank/Stratford to Greenwich, from where it's about a minute's walk.

Not really my problem..... I'm just following Katyjay.....

Unfortunately some complete incompetence in the arranging of a world challenge trip means that I won't be able to make this, as the training day has been brought forward from 'around November' with very little notice

So, I hope you all have fun, and I'll try and make some other event if I can get the time off work

Sorry we won't be seeing you on Saturday Rosemary - hope you have more success getting to another event.

I've now confirmed I don't have a lesson on the 20th - so I should be there all day

I'm looking forward to next Saturday, although having just come back from holiday my playing seems to have gone downhill Is it possible that my teeth have moved in a week? It just all feels wierd today.

Glad you can come TSax.

Well, having had a look through the library, and looking at the players we have, I've done a programme.

I found some straightforward James Rae sax quartets (12 of them), which by gentle modification, I've adapted for mixed reeds.

There's a flexi-band arrangement of Down By the Riverside which should work fine for single reeds.

Another work called 'Blues Band' (3 pieces) by Terry Cathrine, which I've never tried before, so it should be interesting!

And finally, two original b-c arrangements, one of a minuet by Beethoven, which will be new for this event, and one of 'Fascinating Rhythm' or 'When the Saints Go Marching In', which were last used forum wise at Leeds '08 and Leeds '07 respectively.

Well, I definitely won't be online tonight, and will only be online very briefly tomorrow morning, so I'll take this opportunity to remind those of you coming tomorrow to bring a music stand, and your clari/sax (delete as appropriate), and I hope you all enjoy yourselves when you come to Greenwich tomorrow!

Don't forget : if you're coming by public transport, use the Docklands Light Railway, there's no Southeastern trains running to Greenwich tomorrow!

See you there!

glad you are going TSax, sorry I shan't meet you this time

Think it's me back on forum first!

Would like to thank all of you for coming today, you all played very well, and I know I worked you all hard. You rose to the occasion, thank you.

Your daughter coped very well with being dropped onto 1st clarinet on her own Halka : send on my congratulations!

We'll do a playday or two there next year, keep your eyes open for details, and well done again!

Thank you barri-clari for organising event, it was a super day and a good meal to finish.
Everyone was brilliant, thanks to all, it is so nice to be able to put faces to at least a few of the forum members.
And I agree with barri-clari, Halka's daughter was great moving to 1st Clarinet.

All in all a fantastic day.

Regards, Peter.

Sbhoa and I are safely back to mine. We too thoroughly enjoyed the day (although I still think clarinets are far too complicated).

It was lovely to meet new people, and to see old friends. Thanks to Barry for all his hard work in setting it up and running it.

I'm sure I was the first home - but I've only just logged on.

I'd like to add my thanks to Barry for organising a fun, no pressure, day's playing.

We're only just waking up here in the west.....

My daughter enjoyed her day. Ever the primadonna (!) she was glad of the opportunity to play 1st clarinet, so thank you all for making it possible. I was glad to sit at the back and do my theory workbook without feeling I really should be getting on with the ironing!!

Thanks Barry for organising it all.

Glad you all enjoyed it - makes setting the playdays up all worthwhile. I enjoyed directing you all.

There will be more playdays of varying descriptions next year, not just in Greenwich, but in various locations in the UK. Keep an eye on the 2009 calendar, and don't forget there's still one more playday this year, in Eccles, Greater Manchester on Saturday November 15th, for all orchestral instruments.

Thanks Barri-Clari for organising the event, it was a really good day and you obviously put a lot of effort into organising it which made it a fantastic day.

Well done to everyone who went along, I really liked some of the pieces we played and thought they sounded very good for a sight-reading day. I think the digibells was my favorite.

Hope to see you all again soon.

Apologies for not staying fo rthe meal & chat but I can't eat wheat so pizza is a bit tricky!

Thanks again.

Glad you enjoyed it, hope to see you at another event in 2009

No, I'm not the last home, but I arrived home to find that the Internet was down and not expected to be fixed until Tuesday. Luckily they found that it was at their end, not ours, and it returned this morning.

Anyway, thanks to Barry for organising a great day, even though he broke his promise big time about no bottom Ds. I'm now musing whether to do any more sax playing, or indeed, exams. Possibly Grade 2 some time - I don't have one of those in anything else.

oops

You coped very well with all I threw at you though andante

Just in case anyone who heard my tale of woe on Saturday is even vaguely interested, I now have a new washing machine installed, delivered and working!

wow! that was quick.

that deserves a I think!

I limited my choice to "whatever you can deliver and install next week"!