Dear Forumites,

We finally have a new date and venue! Hooray
Sunday 12th September 2010. Time 12pm-3.30pm at St. Christophers School in Letchworth

The idea of this event is mainly for adults who are nervous or haven't really had the opportunity to play in front of other people before, plus also to hear some more experienced players and teachers. No spectators just players please.

The event is to be very informal. I am hoping to have a half hour slot for people who are particularly nervous or have either not performed in front of others before, to have a go, whilst everyone is eating and and no-one is really paying attention. Because this practice time is very short it will be allocated for the more nervous only. You are welcome to play any piece in any state of progression, whether it is polished or in progress. It is not about how well you perform your piece but just having the courage to get up and do it!

We do not need to know what you are playing before hand but on the day just before you play your piece in the performance slot please say what your piece is!

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Venue Website: http://www.stchris.co.uk/home/location.php

Please contact me for a campus map.

General plan

12 – 12.30pm Arrive, eat and have refreshments in first half hour whilst people can have a go on the piano.
12.30 – 3.30pm I have allocated a total of 10 minutes per person for their ‘performance time’. This can be taken in one go or broken up. I have also allowed 20mins time wastage.

We have a few people coming from quite a distance so thought it a good idea to supply a small buffet, rather than eat out after. This has to be vegetarian due to the School’s policy. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Costs are as follows:
Food, tea and coffee £137 approx
Venue hire £35
Total £172 approx

I am going to propose asking for £12 each payable by cheque or bank transfer because we are now supplying food (which will cover unexpected costs or non payers.) On the day if everyone turns up I will refund the excess.

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In the first instance could you please confirm that you still wish to attend. Once I have received your payment, your place will be secure.
Payment deadline to be 12th August.
Please PM me for payment details.

If anyone has any severe allergies please let me know so we can inform the caterers.

I am interested in this Mini mo, but not sure what the travel route would be for Letchworth, from London? If anyone can meet me for example at London Bridge and the date works in then definitely up for it.

ET

First Capital Connect runs trains to Letchworth from Kings Cross.

Hope this helps.

Thanks that does help, so the question now is would anyone else be going from St Pancreas?

If there is no-one else suitable going, and it's a date I can do, I'll accompany you from London Bridge, but I wouldn't want to get in the way of anyone who's keener than I am on piano (clarinet, saxophone, flute, recorders, voice and 'cello all have a higher priority in barry-clari land than piano!).

I'm going to hang on to give full availability until after the Proms programme comes out (which is this Thursday, so not long to wait).

Same place, Mini_mo?



It's very tempting - I'm not doing anything mid-August but I have to fit my holidays in with someone else, so I'll have to check and get back to you

Thanks for organising this

Yes the venue would be at Howgills.

I'm interested in principle, but not sure about dates yet. If it is September, can you make it early in the month so it's not too near to the St Albans date?

What sort of piano do they have there?

Anne

I think the only date that's likely to work for me, without pushing me into exhaustion mode, is 25th September, but that'd be a bit close to OctaviaPiano's St. Albans event, so I think I'll have to pass on your day, Mini_mo. Hope it goes well, and you get 10 willing souls to come along.

I'm interested,

August: 20th-29th is Chetham's and many people may be at that.

September: 18th is Cardiff playday.

October: 2nd is St Alban's playday I think?

Hello all,

I finally have a confirmed date and venue for the Letchworth Playday. Please read the top of the thread.

Good luck with it Mini_mo, I've just put it on the forum calendar.

It's in my diary, Mini_mo

Thanks Barry, Hopefully you wont have to change it yet again!

I'm in.

Although I'll now need to think of something other than those lamb kebabs I was going to bring.

I'd like to come too please.

Shame, Lamb kebabs are a match made in heaven with darjeeling



And it will be lovely to have you too! I've put you on the list.

Looks like I can do this - will confirm 100% tomorrow

let me know and I can put you on the list!

I'd be interested but going via St Pancras my earliest arrival at Letchworth Garden City is 11:44 with a 4 hour journey - or 10:43 by starting out at 23:44 and a 6 hour wait at East Midlands Parkway

If anyone is passing through Luton and could offer a lift from Luton station at 10:40, 11:15 or 11:38 (or other local station between Bedford and London) then I'd come along. A lift back to Letchworth Garden City would be fine as if it's going to finish by 15:00 I'd go into London for a few hours afterwards.

(Based on railway timetable which only runs until Sunday 15th Aug at present)

Yep I can definitely make this

I have just updated the thread.

I would have loved to have come but (a) do not have anything to play at the moment and (b) will be at Kodaly choir. It would have been nice to catch up with Sol and DaisyChain again.

Oh gosh, this is next week!

I'm going to be in the same place as PianoNotes, I'm afraid, hope you got enough people to make this run, Mini_mo

I would have liked to meet you too, PianoNotes, but I'm looking forward to seeing many of the Dyrham crowd again and meeting some new members too

I hope everybody has got some long pieces to play because mine will last about 2 minutes in total

Well if everyone turns up we have 16 people. I only have 1 piece that will last about 2 mins too, unless I play it over and over again

I have sent a group e-mail out to everyone, so hopefully you should all have received it. If anyone needs a lift from Letchworth train station please let me know. PM me for my mobile.

Get practicing everyone!

My piece is also very short so shouldn't take more than 2 minutes unless I add a few repeats here and there...
See you all on Sunday!

I have no clue what to play - lots of stuff in varying stages of completion! I'll try to pull something together (or might just play 1 page of something!)

EDIT: Daisychain - do you want to do that duet again?

Oooh 'eck. i have just practised. It's amazing what 2 weeks in Cornwall can undo.
Bev trundles back to the piano, mumbling and cussing.

It will be good to also meet you, Skylark. Now that I have met some of the others, I am planning to brave it and attend some play dates, maybe starting with the grade 1 ish piano event. I am sure all will go very well for you all on Sunday.

So sorry you cannot make it there this time PianoNotes! I wouldn't worry about what grade you are. I used to fel like you but at those events it really does not matter how well you play. We all try our best and all have fun!! Looking forward to seeing you at a future events!! How is your throat now????

Hi Missy Piano. I hope you have a great time. I am about to go and look for Sol's Baroque Day to see if it is too late for that. Throat not too bad, but am not exactly eating much and it seems to have difficulties with bananas for some strange reason.

Hello fellow Letchers ( )

I'm without email at the moment so if anyone has sent me an email about this event in the last few days, I won't have received it.


Mini_mo, I know you've arranged some food, but is that for after the event - do we need to bring some lunch ourselves? (and ignore the PM I sent - I've now got your mobile number).

Really looking forward to seeing everybody tomorrow



Edit: Just been looking at the campus map - do we go straight to the music room when we arrive?

I only just found out about this event last night at orchestra. It is one of the nearest venues to my home, and I wish I had known about it before as I would love to have come and join you . It's my own fault, I suppose, as I don't often look through all the different threads on this forum.

It sounds a great event and I wish you all a very happy day and good piano-playing. I look forward to reading the reports and hearing how you all got on. Good Luck everybody who is attending.

Aw, what a shame, geddy. Hopefully see you at another event soon

I'm just about to set off - see you all soon, can't wait

Just wanted to say thanks to Mini Mo and Christine for organising this Fantastic!

I was really impressed with everyone's playing

Many thanks to MiniMo and Christine for a very good day. Really enjoyed it.

Everyone was great. Well done all!

What a wonderful day that was. I very much enjoyed all the music, and as soon as I've had something to eat and drink, I'm going to go and try that Hong Kong piece If the non-forum members look in, hope to see you on here soon!

As always it was lovely to meet up with everybody

Many thanks to Mino_mo and Christine for organising today's event - it was perfick!

Thanks Mini-Mo and Christine for arranging the tasty lunch, the comfortable venue, and the lovely music to listen to. Had a great time and look forward to doing it all again soon.
Beverley.

Thanks everyone! I'll put a new thread on the forums events soon with some dates for discussion and if anyone would like to make suggestions for improving the day please shout!

Mini_mo

Thanks mini-mo for organising - it was really enjoyable. I need to brush up on my map-reading skills for next time!

Anne

Gutted to have missed this! Must pay more attention to the forums in future

I'm glad you all had a lovely time.

Moley and Geddy must pay more attention to the events.
Or I shall have to PM them and remind them.

I would have liked to have heard your composition again (and to have recorded it again - the recording I thought I'd made at Dyrham didn't work )

Hopefully next time


Hope to meet you at the next one, PianoNotes


(and geddy too!)

Oh would you? That would be so kind - I will reimburse the postage for the PM .