I'm starting to think about the Leeds Concert on 2nd January, and particularly at this stage what ensembles we'll have. This is how it was left last time we talked about it...

Choir (dir Music Guru) - all singers welcome
Fiddle - Celeste (dir), bob1purpleviolin, nova
?Folk band - Celeste (voice), acoustic guitar (???), Flossie (flute), nova (fiddle)
Oboe - amber_piano, emsoboe, keriboe
Sax - Appassionata? (dir?), emsoboe, Music Stand, Nicia-clarinet-flute, saxophile

Definite or Probable
amber_piano
Babybird2
bob1purpleviolin
Celeste
Chris H
DaisyChain
emsoboe
emsoboe's friend
false harmonic
Flossie
gedall40
kerioboe
Lucky045
Music Stand
mwl1
Nicia-Clarinet-Flute
nova
oldnotes
saxophile
skylark

plus one or two other definites/probables who haven't posted


Possible
Appassionata
Lemontree
Solari

If everybody could please post or email (PM if you haven't got my email address) their current intentions, that would be very helpful!

Are there any recorder players who want to get together and sort something out between you?


If you haven't performed at a concert before, it's very informal and the audience only consists of fellow performers and their friends/family, so it's very supportive. It will last all day with rehearsals in the morning and the concert in the afternoon. Then those who aren't travelling back straight away go for a meal

New forum friends are very welcome and if you've got any queries, please email or PM me



(info about Players for Pleasure is at www.forumforum.org.uk/playersforpleasure)

Hi Skylark,

Please could you clarify whether it's the 2nd January as per your post above or the 10th January as per the thread title. Thanks.

Ah! I meant Jan 2010 - the actual date is Saturday 2nd


As far as slots are concerned, as mentioned in a previous thread I'll try and accommodate everybody in, say, four* appearances on stage and more if possible but please don't hold me to that. And if anybody's not happy with their allocation in the end, I'll refund your performers fee (£14). The length of the slot to be beween 3 - 3.5 mins or less.

* 4 in total - any mix of one or two solos, duets, ensembles, accompanying. If anybody wants to combine two solo slots and perform a longer piece, that's fine

Ooops. I hadn't thought of that - I'd just spotted that they were both weekend dates and got confused. My brain is still firmly in 2009.

Probably no bad thing

Phew!1 Nearly thought we weren't going to be able to come after looking forward to it. Glad it's the 2nd

I'm definitely still on for this. Happy to do:

- sax ensemble
- solo [erm - well, maybe "happy" isn't the right word, but willing to give it a go anyway ]
- choir

Looking forward to it already!

I'm planning on attending

Definitely wanting to play my clarinet:

Solo piece/pieces

Maybe an ensemble/duet piece if possible

Do I air off my tenor sax??

Make a piano debut too????

yes.

You already have loads of experience of performing on your other instruments, so it would make sense to do something on piano with it being a nice friendly, informal event rather than a proper concert.

What a shame I'll have to miss this one

Have fun everybody!

Aw, that's a shame Pathera.

Skyers... Miss Ross?

We really need an acoustic guitar for the folk group - any offers? I'll have a look through music soon and get in touch with those who have expressed an interest. If anyone else is interested (we can double parts, or I'll add easier ones if necessary to accomodate everyone) can you send me a PM? Ta!

I am already working on our New Year arrangements, and it looks as if we are going to be in North Yorkshire for it. So all being well, I can make a day trip (maybe even Mrs Gerald will come to meet you all, you never know!) to Leeds on the 2nd.

In which case I am up for a flute ensemble as it looks as if we may have enough players to form one, as well as do a solo spot. Also happy to accompany on piano, and play in any multiple-hands works . I personally really enjoy a finale where we all play and the singers all sing together. Perhaps Music Guru could be persuaded to do something again next year.

I'm going to have to make some hard descions about what not to play. Even if I don't do a solo or anything, I already have at least five things from ensembles (choir, folk group, flute, strings and clari - and maybe recorder) and Nova had offered to do a violin duet with me (I think it was Nova anyway).

Can I play in some ensembles in the morning but not in the concert?

Yes it was me - but I am also having to think about what to do. What about leaving our duet until next time, (unless there is a spare slot!) as you have a lot to fit in? Or as you say, have a run through in the morning but not perform it? I'm open to suggestions.
N

I'm sorry I won't be coming to this one , but I hope you all have a great time..in fact I'm sure you will!

Skyers..thanks for your call. I have to go out again soon, but I'll ring you back this evening. x

I would love to try and make the Leeds do, for obvious reasons. However we probably will not know till nearly Christmas (were always at the last minute deciding) when we are going to the in-laws in Suffolk, ie for Christmas or New Year.

I haven't really..... As part of the band and the church singing group ...yes! Solo... NOpe!

Not performed solo since school apart from a small outing earlier this year with Oldnotes in York and yes there are plans afoot for later in the year but I still get nervous.

If I do play piano it will have to be something easy so I don't fall to pieces.....

I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Looking forward to meeting you too





I think I'll have met you before Leeds at the York recital but I'm looking forward to hearing you as well





Thanks Panthera We'll miss you too but enjoy your New Year!




Ooops! Just copied and pasted without reading Duly amended!




Are you sure you dare risk it




Yes MusicGuru is coming again to direct the choir and we'll have a singing finale




Ta! Sorry you're not coming but I might take you up on your offer to partake in another way Enjoy your break and catch up again soon





It would be great if you could come and join us fsm! Will keep my fingers crossed





This format of giving people 4 slots initially is a new one, to try and make sure everybody gets a broadly equal share of performing opportunities within the time available (unless we have a 4 hour concert ). Once I see how it's panning out, hopefully I'll be able to offer more slots. I'll try and get the forms organised for November so that people have still got some time to work on another piece or another ensemble if there's time


PS I had to remove half the emoticons - it wouldn't let me post

I think that's a really good idea, except that if accompanying is included in the 4 there might be a mathematical difficulty...depending on how many accompanists there are etc.
N

Great - but I would rather play my flute in the finale than sing.....

What, the 4 slots or the 4 hour concert?



Yes the finale will be both choir and instrumental You know I aim to please, Gerald

4 hours of course, with an extended interval perhaps for a runaround. Musical chairs perhaps?
N

We could do an instrumental version of musical chairs (minus the chairs) instead. Move carefully around the room until the music stops and then try to play the instrument you end up next to. A bran tub with the name of the instrument you have to try and play might be safer though.

Sounds good fun, if a little unhygenic for the wind instruments!

Now Nova and Flossie, we wouldn't want to give Mrs G a bad impression of these events if she comes, would we?

The concert we went to on Saturday at RNCM was a piece where the Orchestra finished playing and then one by one they got up and left. Only the Clarinet and Oboe should have been left. Only the Orchestra didn't get up and leave they just put their instruments down. I think your idea would have been more entertaining

Not sure I want Emsoboe adopting any more instruments so I'm not sure about her having to play the one beside her

Love it - don't tempt me




I've been at concerts where they've done that, usually when they've done a few encores and they're trying to give the audience the hint that they've had enough

I was thinking this out too. If someone is accompanying another/number of other persons's solo slot they could rapidly use up the 4 slots so maybe they should hav priority over any extra slots for a solo/duet piece that is their choice. I have every faith you'll divvy things up fairly though Skylark. I guess I was thinking about Oldnotes here - Say he accompanies me for 1 or 2 solos that'd be 2 of his slots gone already - wasn't entirely sure that'd be fair...

It's very difficult being fair to everybody who comes...

Some pianists get more requests than others to accompany (all sorts of reasons - they're more frequent posters, they're known in real life, they've accompanied a lot in the past, they're at a higher level etc etc) which can lead to some pianists feeling under pressure whilst others don't get opportunities at all.

Pianists are different from other instrumentalists because they don't get the opportunities to play with others in ensembles. If some pianists were only to perform one or two solos and weren't asked to do any accompanying, they would only be on stage twice, whereas some other pianists might be on stage 6 or 8 times if they've been asked to do a lot of accompanying.

In the past, I've allocated accompanists myself to ensure a relatively even spread, but rather than go down this route, I'm happy for people to ask pianists themselves, whilst at the same time trying to still ensure an even spread.

In addition, as far as orchestral instrumentalists are concerned, many of the people who come regularly naturally want to play with others who they've met or played with before, but that can mean that newcomers may feel left out and at a disadvantage because they don't know anybody, particularly if they've not posted, as some haven't.

I always try to make sure that everybody (a) gets several slots; (b) gets broadly similar opportunities; and ( c) gets home before midnight This is a new way of trying to achieve that end - it may work, it may not, but I won't know until I try it!

Hope this helps And as I mentioned, depending on how many come in the end, I might be able to allocate more slots anyway. Another option is to put a cap of how many come, but I would rather not do this.

And just to finish off with a big thank-you to those pianists who offer to accompany - it's much appreciated

Just to acknowledge the above reply Skylark thanks for explaining.
You've not got an easy job but I appreciate all your intentions and am sure you'll do the best you can by everybody.

I don't know many people either but would like to do an ensemble piece alongside one/some solos if possible. Anyone interested?

This reminds me a bit of the thread on the difference between piano accompaniment and piano and solo duet. I have much less experience than other pianists at Leeds, but I would be happy to accompany a limited number of soloists, say three in my case, but not have them count towards my appearances on stage. I would regard myself as no more performing than the piano is .

That then would give me the chance to choose 4 "appearances" from flute solo, piano solo, flute duets (maybe more than one), piano duets or trios, and flute ensemble. If somebody asked me to take part in a trio and I was on piano, then I would count that as one of my 4.

Just my thoughts on this, FWIW.

Sorry Gerald, but that would mean that you as a piano-playing orchestral player would have 7 appearances on stage whist a pianist who didn't play orchestral instruments might have only one or two appearances on stage - that's precisely the situation I'm trying to avoid!



... and impossible to please everybody, even though I do my best to try

As I've said before, if I can fit in any further slots after I've got the forms back, then I will, and also as I've said earlier, if anybody isn't happy with their allocation in the end and doesn't want to come after all, I'll refund their fee

(I'll put the form up sometime in November)

Just for the record then, and if there's a bit of a shortage, I would be happy to offer a piano accomp. (so long as I get it fairly soon and it's not horribly difficult!) .
N

No need to be sorry, Skylark, I can live with your decision and you are not going to put me off coming by it! .

What it does mean then is that I will now decide to limit my accompanying to just one person (and that will be Bev if she comes). I was simply trying to help share the accompanying load, if that was needed, without it restricting me on my own preferred choices.

And I think you are very fair (although not perhaps in hair colour )

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to do the oboe ensemble, choir ensemble, oboe solo and piano solo (assuming I can find something to play for piano - my piano practice has been almost non-existant since I stopped lessons, but I'm sure I can find something.)

Really looking forward to it now (slightly less so the piano bit).

Thanks nova and Gerald




Hi amber_piano, glad you're coming again

Kerioboe has confirmed she's coming so is it alright if I leave it to you, kerioboe and emsoboe to liaise between the three of you

I'd like to come and do some flutey stuff

That would be nice



PS. Please post or PM Babybird2 if you'd like to do some flutey stuff with her

Hi Skylark,
I am sorry to say that I won't be able to make this concert.
I hope you all have a lovely time though.
Bev xx

What about your viola?

I could play that too, it would give me an incentive to get it out of its case

I am sorry you won't be able to make it, Bev. That puts me up for grabs for one accompaniment!

I also now have a free slot for a flute duet if you want to risk a third one with me, BB .

Not sure what I want to play yet though. Need to time some pieces.

Hi Flossie! That's OK, will it be flute or another instrument? If flute, I sincerely regret that it won't be the Hindemith Sonata you let me have - I have other things on my mind for the next month.....

Flute.

Might be the slow movement of the Yorke Bowen, or part of the Berkeley sonatina, part of the Matthias sonatina, the first double page of the Doppler Hungarian pastoral fantasy, Saint-Saens Romance or some Debussy. I need to time things and have a look at what the piano parts are like, and it needs to be something I already know reasonably well because I don't have a teacher at the moment.

Are I right that you'll be doing one of your grade 7 pieces as your solo, Gerald? If so, I would be good to know what it is so that I don't start planning to do the same piece as you again.

So you are hoping you will be grabbed then Gerald???

I like slow movements . But I can't say I know any of these pieces.......yet. But I do know quite a bit of Debussy piano pieces.

Errm, Flossie, it's actually Grade 6 I am taking, so I don't think it likely that I will do a Grade 7 piece on January 2nd . I might do one of my Grade 6 pieces, though, and the Vivaldi Flute Concerto would be first choice I think. Or Richard Rodney Bennet's Siesta, or my flute arrangement of Rachmaninov's Vocalise, or a bossa nova that my brother has written...or... So much lovely music to choose from.

I always think that when all hope is gone, all life is gone, don't you, Bev? .

But I thought you were doing Poulenc II for your exam? I was sure that was a grade 7 piece.

There's no way I'm going anywhere near any Vivaldi, so you're quite safe with that. I haven't learnt Summer Music (although it's on my wishlist), and wasn't considering the Rachmanioff as I knew there was a strong chance of someone else doing it.

Sorry you won't be around to keep him out of mischief Bev


I can't decide what clarinet piece to play... I'm enjoying playing Misty at the moment but I've ruled that out because it would send everybody to sleep

So it's a choice between a couple of swing/jazz pieces that I really like playing