After thoroughly enjoying yesterdays Northwest Adult learners concert and reading a post about regular get-togethers:
Janexxx

I was wondering if anyone else is interested in something similar?

Hopefully sbhoa and I will sort something out for duet practice (flute/piano). Really looking forward to that.

Anyone else nearby? I'm only a beginner, but you can use this thread to post a request for someone of a level you'd be interested in. Just say what you play, what area you're in and what sort of group of people/instruments at what levels.

Lets see what we can arrange

Well Manchester is a bit far for me on a regular basis, but I would be very interested in occasional events. We could maybe circulate some music beforehand for the appropriate ensemble to alleviate the shock of having to sight read.

That's really exciting!!

We could make a day of it at someone's house from time to time...
Who is good at sorting out some music?

I have quite a bit of music but is for string ensembles mainly, some with piano.

We could try the library??

Very exciting!!

All my music is flute alone or flute & piano. It's fairly simple stuff too, I've only been learning since march.

As for day get togethers......... OH has WAB competitions some weekends so that would leave my house free for use. Next weekend is August 19th, but maybe that's too soon? Only snag is I don't have a piano, only a 61 key yamaha keyboard portable (with grand piano sound and touch sensitive keys).

I don't think I could get to any sort of regular event, but the occasional one-off might be do-able. If there's any ensemble slot for violin (music not too difficult, distributed in advance) or viola (music positively easy, distributed in advance!) I might ask my ever loving wife for a day permit!

Just a thought which I would have to check out, but my wife has access to a tall building in George Street, Manchester China Town (near the arch). The top two floors have just been painted but are standing bare (including no carpets) at the moment and have some big, bright empty rooms. They should be available for at least a few months. There are basic kitchen and toilet facilities. The first floor is a mess at the moment but is likely to be let to a piano teacher - however I think she teaches at weekends. We were down there over the weekend. I mention it as a possible weekend rehearsal space in the town centre near to food, although the car parking is expensive.

I'm not proposing anything definite here - I'm just registering a tentative interest and what instruments I play/ other thoughts, in the hope that others do so and one sees what might be possible.

I do like your idea, Snuglivixen, because I tend to feel more comfortable playing in an ensemble than as a soloist. However it remains to be seen what's available in terms of interested instruments! Perhaps we need a musical "Mr. T" from the A-Team to cobble together a collection of improbable musicians into something really useful (as opposed to a machine that fires cabbages at baddies).

Flute and violin music can be more or less interchangable, we can double up some parts.

If we got some chamber-y music we could all just pick something that was in the right clef for our instrument maybe?? Would that work ?? as long as we got enough bass-y things like cellos, bassoon etc

I can't do 19th will be on my hols....but hey lets keep trying.

So far no one has mentioned playing a transposing instrument which makes things a little easier I think.
At school we used to just play from vocal scores in 4 parts. No transposing parts to fit, just play whatever line is at the right pitch for your instrument.

I have loads of music for string quartets, I might have some piano quartets, quintets too. We could do the same with these.

watch out Simon Rattle!

Could always just let piano do the bass line.

Hmmmm I don't get it??

Suzy creamcheese is getting a bass guitar!!

sorry, Janexxx!

I was just enjoying the laid back inexactitude of it all - the positive vibe that doesn't demand

2 Floten
2 Hoboen
2 Clarinetten in B
2 Fagotte
2 Horner in Es
2 Horner in B
2 Trompeten in D
Pauken in G.D

Violine 1
Violine 2
Bratsche
Violoncello
Contrabass

but says "get some of them bass-y things in and we'll be OK.

It's the kind of spirit that brought our boys back from Dunkirk!

Mr T sounds like the one needed here. Never realised how complicated it could get. I'm only a beginner musically so way out of my depth here. It's a very exciting idea though!!!!



It was just a thought, I figured it would be to close though. If have a different venue I make myself available any weekend.

This could be great fun We just need to find that "Mr T" to work out the musical logistics for us Makes you wonder how orchestral composers manage with so many instruments to think about?

Ho hum!!! She is, but cannot vouch for her talent

Hi Folks

This is no use whatever to any of you, but for 25 years I lived and taught close to Oldham. For 5 of them, I was the music teacher at Hyde 6th form college, so I feel a sort of kindred spirit.

I hope you all magnage to get together and have a great time.

Steve

Well if its a "figured bass" guitar.....we could do some Corelli

Thanks Steve....you could maybe be a technical advisor re our ideas about playing anything so long as it is the right clef? and other such ideas!

I like the idea alot, but live too far south to make this feasible. Husband may or may not be relocated to Manchester at some point in the future, but that's another story altogether...

There are quite a few Southerners around here, and I've met up with a few of them for a fab day of music-making, practicing for jo.clarinet's concert in September. Anyone from the south who wants to do something similar without travelling to Manchester is welcome to contact me to discuss.

The Manchester Camerata Friends Orchestra is really open and friendly - here's a link.

http://www.manchestercamerata.com/educatio...ies.htm#friends

Do come!

Heh - thanks for giving me yet another giggle zoda!


Ditto, minus the husband lol! anyone in the South West? Deborah, I don't recall which bit of the South you are in!

Though I'm hugely lacking in transport...

I think it sounds a great idea. Deborah, if you decide to go ahead, I'd like to be counted in.

Sarah, Deborah's not in the same part of the country as you, unfortunately.

I think the answer is for you to set up a South-West Adult Learners' Concert so that you can start establishing contacts. I'm sure Sbhoa and I can help you with advice, bananas, lists, encouragement etc....

Looks like you have a job there Sarah...

Maybe one day when I get my bleeping health in some kind of order *wry grin*, oh and believe me, if I ever do attempt to set up such a concert, I will be picking your brains!

I had a feeling Deborah was south east not south west... ho hum!

Sarah... I can assure you there'll be a plethora of lists with Katyjay's help. I think sbhoa found them extremely helpful. Katyjay is very supportive.

violincjj..... I'm gonna try to find out more about manchester camerata too, but I'm not so sure they'd accept beginners. See what happens there.

Janexxx.... did I read you said violin can play the same as flute? If that's true I have flute duet music.... we could try? could you PM me your location so I work out if a trip your way would be do-able?

Anyone else with good ideas please post them on here so we can see what's possible or not.

Thanks

That I don't doubt for a second! Sadly it's my own health that would be the let down ho hum.

Well both use treble clef, and I have some music which is for both. In fact Prokofiev wrote a beautiful flute sonata which is more often now played in the violin version. And as long as the violin music does not go below a "c" the flute can play it.

I'll pm you

So how high does a violin go?

I know a flute will go 5 ledger lines above the treble staff, but I can only play 3 above so far. I still find the bottom C a bit of a struggle but it's getting better.

PM'd you back

Thanks

Well a violin will go very high......in Paganini I have seen 7 ledger lines.

But, well me, after 3 ledger lines I lose count!!!

I found a website which says that "a good violinist can easily get more than 2 octaves out of each string"... yikes! so I guess we're talking about E sitting on top of 6 legers and then some more... I would not fancy playing that high though! lol. (then again, I'm not very good...) It does depend largely on the skill of the player... I don't know if anyone knows what the note would be on the E string right at the top of the fingerboard?

The flute and most flautists can reach the C 3 octaves above middle C (sitting on top of 5 leger lines. However, there are fingerings available on my fingerfax chart up to the F# above that (I've never been able to even make the C# above that work but...lol) and apparently it's possible to get the G also, the fingerings are listed on http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/G7.html, but they are "at the very limits of playability" due to the acoustics of the flute. I have a feeling I've read somewhere He Who Shall Not Be Named talking about having great difficulty with top top G, so if the pros find it hard... it's basically the absolute upper limit and very hard to get. (Oh I just found the page... here...)

So I guess the realistic upper limits depend on the players, but I would guess that the average amateur violinist and flautist would be getting into the upper reaches at about the same time, with the flautist having a tiny advantage possibly that the third octave may be the realistic upper limit but isn't THAT hard and most can manage it given practice, whereas the violinist (well, me at any rate) would be working quite hard to produce a nice sound anywhere above that top G for starters. But they should be able to share music - the flautists can probably take the top extremes then the violinists can have anything below C!!!

Yeah two octaves on a string takes you about to the end of the fingerboard, there may be a couple more notes there if you really try, but unless you are really good AND have a really good violin it sounds 'orrible. I think one octave per string is about my limit.

Mind you, it is possible to play off the end of the fingerboard...not that I can do it but I have seen it done at a concert in Lisbon.

There is an ascending passage towards the end of the Britten violin concerto which ends on a high F# which is right at the end of the fingerboard on the top e string. Well when your e string breaks at that point what do you do????

If you're Maxim Vengerov, you don't miss a beat and play it on the A string . He said afterwards he was "playing in the rosin". (But then he meets both the criteria above)

Gor bloimey.

Yes, an octave or less on any string is far more comfortable! 5th position is OK ish but I'd rather be in an orchestra for that, would hate to play it on my own! (esp on the E string...)

Just had a message about a group or club called Noisy Women in the manchester area somewhere. Sounds Ideal, But I can't it anywhere. Anyone heard of it or know where to look? Tried google surfing, yell com, bt directory enquires. What have I missed?

Even the Royal Northern College of Music have never heard of it.

YAY!!!!!

I found it. Should have thought to try the Library website first. It's in Fallowfield, Manchester. Only meets term-time on a Thursday evening so I'll have to wait til September but at least I've something to look forward to

Hey well done

Sounds wonderful

That is quite near to where my parents live.
Won't be on the forum much for a day or so, my ADSL lnie is dodgy so I'm having to use the dial up line .

Awww sbhoa... you'll get forum-withdrawal. only kidding!

Violincjj suggested the Friends of manchester camarata orchestra is good fun and open to anyone. So I sent an e-mail asking what standard they accept. Apparantly they have a few learners taking part already. Now the question is.... how low a level would those learners be? Would it really be feasible for a beginner? The e-mail included next seasons repertoire:

George Butterworths The banks of green willow

and exerts from Brahms 3rd symphony

Does anyone know how low a grade/level would the simplest flute part in these be?

How do I go about finding the orchestral scores?

They may be playing an arrangement that makes it feasible for the beginners to join in: they might write you a simplified flute part or allow you to just play the easier sections. Just speculation, of course, but I'm sure they've thought about it if they have beginners .

Hi Snuglivixen,
I've been part of Friends orchestra for a year now.

We played Beethoven Pastoral last season - the full not edited version

You will get the score at the first rehearsal.

I must admit, I'm about G3 violin and it was quite difficult. I don't think a beginner would cope very well. Thats generally speaking. The pieces are played quite fast too.

As far as I'm aware, they don't write easier pieces. It's the origional score and you play what you can.

Sorry to be negative, just trying to be realistic. You can always have a go though !

Let me know if anyone decides to go in September. I'll look out for you


Fiona

Thanks for the honest answer Fiona. I asked my teacher too, (via e-mail) and she said too hard for me yet. I don't want to miss any possible opportunities, but to try something way too hard for me would dishearten me so I'm really glad for your answer.
I'm definately going to find out more about Noisy Women though. That sounds like it's more for beginners. Which reminds me, I need to phone the number I've been given (forgot all about it after going piccy's watching fantastic 4 )

You most definatley should. It will be a great experience.

Keep the Friends Orchestra in mind for later though. We progress so much in such a little time.

6 - 12months down the line it will be different.

Whereabouts in GrtManch are you ? Obviously PM if you like.
I ask only because I'm in an orchestra local to me which does take less experienced musicians. And yes, our director finds easy parts for them too (and even writes them)

We have literally sat playing just 2 crotchets per bar for 'easy violin' and then it just steps up a little to become more interesting - up to playing the melody which would be quite exposed.

It is a group of about 15 people who meet once a week for fun and we even do concerts to the local community.

We are short of people who play treble clef so the clarinets, flutes recorder and violins tend to get switched around frequently - playing different parts that is, not instruments !

Let me know if you are interested.

Fiona

If I didn't live so far away...

That sounds like a lot of fun!

Awww Sarah is there nothing in your area? I hope there is.

Fiona, yes yes yes I'm interested. Thanks mega! PM'd you