*** Grand Gathering - July 10th, 2010 ***


This event is now booked for Saturday, July the 10th,
12-4pm @ Waterloo, Central London at the 1901 Arts Club.

Please confirm attendance... Some have registered interest already.

As always, this is primarily targetted at nervous performers who would like the opportunity to play in front of a supportive audience. These events are very relaxed and informal, with no set-in-stone running order (think of it as a bit of a social gathering at someone's house that just happens to have a lovely Steinway C!) - this isn't a concert so if it all gets too much, you can get up and walk away without judgement

Update: Due to demand, I've fitted a few extras in, so it would help if people could keep their programmes down to 12 mins or less. Some will only be playing one or two short pieces so hopefully the event won't over-run into valuable drinking time! Those of a particularly nervous disposition are welcome to use up their time in the 20 min interval...

To keep things simple, I'd like to just do the same as before and split the cost between all attendants equally. Estimated cost is 10 pounds each including tea/coffee/biscuits etc

NB: There will be no waiting for people taking toilet breaks like last time, as it costs too much time! Please use the upstairs loo or wait by the wall if possible to avoid distracting whoever is playing at the time.

(bold = confirmed)
Total time available minus interval = 220 mins.

Piano
andante_in_c
Benjy
DaisyChain
eldatom
Hotair
JoMook
KatyJay
Mini Mo
MTG
Panthera
pianophrase
Solari

[b]Other (and accompanied)
Barry-Clari
LooneyTunes - tentatively attending?

I would like to come please.

Piano or something else?

I'm in. And I'm limiting myself to 10 minutes too.

Are we continuing with the fine tradition of retiring to the bar after 4pm, going for a meal at 5:30pm, and then returning to the (a?) bar after dinner?

Add my name to the list if there's any room left.

I reckon so... Doom Bar it is!

You could play really fast to fit it all in!



Hope so. I think I am going to stay in a B&B or premier inn this time! If anyone can recommend anywhere nearby and reasonably priced that would be good. (staggering distance )

Piano.

Yes Please!!!

Now I just have to decide whether to come for a day trip or make a longer break of it....



That'll be 15 pieces for me then cos all mine last under a minute

I think you can safely re-allocate some of my time!


Looking forward to seeing everybody, and thanks for organising this Solari



[goes off to work on Trudging to get it up to davidmackay's standard ]

Is it OK for people to just to come along? Being a complete beginner, I wouldn't want to impose my grade 1 level to others!

I think I'll be around the 10 minute mark by then as I'll have exhausted most new repertoire and don't fancy learning another 15 mins of music just for the event (but you never know...)!

I was toying with changing slots to 10 mins but then that means you could have over 20 people there, which I'm not sure people would be comfortable with, so that's a no go



You'd be welcome to come and play, in fact this is the whole point of the event, and we'd like to see some new faces If you're only going to play for a few minutes you might want to split the slot with someone else in the same boat? Plenty of others have played their Grade 1 pieces at previous events.

We're not allowing people in just to watch/listen, however, in order to keep the numbers down and to make it less intimidating...

Count me in please!

Yes please...

Thanks, Sol, for organising

No probs....

Hum, what to learn for this time round!

Yes please Solari, count me in

The million pieces on your to-do list?

Me too please.

Yep count me in please. Hopefully by July I should have something nice to play. It is in my diary.

Maybe I should consider staying over night and then I could come along to the Doom Bar and really let down my hair lol.

ET

Yes please. looks like I'll be booking a B & B too

I'd like to come along. 10 mins will be ample!

PatC

Good point..

Quite a lot of semi-learnt stuff to choose from, now you put it that way!

Sounds like there might be quite a few of us that want to stay over. I'll look into accommodation when I get a chance and report back.

Don't let Skyers turn it into a PJ party!

Can't envisage a problem date wise with 10th July : but I won't need anything like 10 minutes. Or even 5 minutes. Which makes me think, with a lot of other 'proper' pianists potentially wanting to come (and the run-up to 10th is fairly well filled for me) that perhaps it's better that my slot this time round should go to someone more worthy (i.e. more pianistic) than me... It's certainly highly unlikely that I'll have anything really prepared...

Don't worry, you'll get an invite if we have one



Thanks Mini-mo - that would be a big help!

Oh shucks, spoiling all our fun Sol!!



Ah Barry, wont be the same without you!!

Yeah but there could very possibly well be a lovely grade 3ish pianist who might like to accompany a fine clarinetist (is there a fluttering eyelash emoticon )

Well, with four 'no replies' yet on Sol's list, and a fifth one I can think of not on that list who's likely to be interested (and all of them much, much more pianistically inclined than me), I think it's a lot fairer to see if they can come first, as if all five can, that'll fill the event.

You're not on the list Sol!!! Assuming you're coming , is that 13 definites including yourself?

Duh, fixed!

13 definites, yes Wow those got confirmed quickly!

14 should in theory be the upper ceiling but maybe we can split slots for those not playing for very long... I'll see.

Can you add me in as well?

Interested if there's any space left.....

If anyone would like a crack at accompanying, I've got a load of songs with relatively straightforward accompaniments.

Sadly Solari I can't make that date - daughter No 2 has a concert that afternoon!! Hope you have a fantastic afternoon and please keep me on the list of potentials for future Grand Gatherings

OK : I've decided. If there's a space where someone will accompany me on something that isn't a piano, I'm happy to do that. But there is going to be no point me doing something on the piano as I'll have done little/no work on the run-up to the event, so if you get enough pianists to fill the day, I'll bow out gracefully.

(Juniper tentatively puts hand up) had a look at some of the grade 3 clarinet that looks managable by then, but forget Finzi!! Lol

OK. I'll bring the blue book to Teddington, and you can point at things

Count me in please!

It's occurred to me (and apologies for the offtopicness) that you're from Cornwall, Juniper. Home of Doom Bar . Have you had a pint of Doom Bar in its home county?

I have indeed. Will be interesting to see how it travels lol!!

(edit) hmm forum event in sunny Cornwall to coincide with a real ale festival.... interesting ..

it will When I finally get to Cornwall (I've never visited before) I'll let you know if I think it tastes any different there!

How long would you be looking at for your pieces, Hotair? I think we're at the upper ceiling now, and I really don't want people being felt like they are not being treated fairly if we run out of time. Perhaps you could split a slot with someone else who isn't playing for long? I may be able to convince the venue into giving us an additional 30 mins or so, but don't count on it!

KatyJay - no problem if you can sort out an accompaniment

I didn't really expect these events to become such a quick "sell-out"

There's plenty of space on the Baroque day, all!

http://www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=40567

No worries, Juniper.

I think we have to close this to any more pianists, I'm afraid. 15 is pushing it a bit. If we can accommodate those who registered interest already (+3) by splitting slots, we will, but it will be very tight. For this reason, I'd suggest that people ensure that they time themselves beforehand and stick within a maximum time of 12-14 mins each for their complete "programme" (sorry, that sounds really formal, but trust me, it won't be on the day! ).

I'm sure some people will require less than their full slot, which should help things a bit. I'm only planning on 10 mins myself

I'll have a word with the venue about getting an extra 30 mins or so, but don't take it as given

hi, am very interested in coming if there are any slots? i wouldnt want very long say 5-7 minutes.

jo

I can stick you on a "standby list" in case someone else can't make it?

I think we really are pushing it at the moment, and we struggled with 14 last time (although we did lose a lot of time through unnecessary breaks).

I can't believe the response for this... I think I will just go ahead and arrange another at an earlier date as I'm sure it'll get filled...

Wow this is getting really popular! (Congrats the organiser.) I'm happy to take a shorter slot or even bow out altogether (can always join just the doom bar part ) as I'm doing Chets in Aug anyway so it's better to give priority to less-experienced players, methinks

Just confirming I can come along. Thanks for organising this.

No worries, see you then

I've warned the venue that we may over-run by 30 mins with our playing, they were fine about this last time.

Considering that a few people will only be playing for a few minutes, I think it'll all work out fine with a 20 minute tea break in the middle



As long as you're playing for 12 mins or less, you'll be fine, no need to bow out A few people might want to play in the interval, you never know!

I'm updating the first post to reflect the numbers.

hi, yes, am happy to be on stand by list. although im a piano teacher i rarely get to perform and would love to play some Einaudi. thanks