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2 Clarinet & Saxophone Winter 2013

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Winter 2013 Clarinet & Saxophone 3

Editor: Richard Edwards Clarinet & Saxophone, Fron, Llansadwrn, LL59 5SLTel. 01248 811285, [email protected]

Editorial Team: Philip Bee, Janet Eggleden, GrahamHoneywood, Kenneth Morris, Susan Moss, StephanieReeve, William Upton

Membership: Andrew Smith, Tel: 08456 440187 [email protected]

Printed by WO Jones, Llangefni, Ynys Môn, LL77 7JA

Advertising: Clarinet & Saxophone, Fron, Llansadwrn, Menai Bridge, LL59 5SL Tel. 01248 811285, [email protected]

Copy Dates: January 15, April 15, July 15, October 15

© All copyrights reserved 2013 • ISSN 0260 390X Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarilyreflect those of the Editor or the Editorial Board.

IN THIS ISSUE

The Official Publication of the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain Winter 2013 Volume 38 Number 4

Regulars42 Reviews

42 cD44 Music

46 Diary Details of concerts, courses and play days52 Readers’ Letters52 Classifieds52 Notice of AGM53 Library Booking Application Form54 Editor’s Notes richard edwards54 Guidelines for Contributors55 New Members55 Clarinet & Saxophone Society Details52 Index of Advertisers

Features4 News7 Clarinet & Saxophone Society Recital David campbell and caroline Jaya-ratnam

perform after the Society’s aGM at the Manoukian Music centre, WestminsterSchool Sunday 5th January, 5pm. you are invited

8 Bernard Parris at 90 interviewed by Stephanie reeve 10 What is it about the Selmer Mark VI? Kenneth Morris and Steve crow reflect12 Musician’s Dystonia: A Silent Plague tim redpath in conversation

with William Upton18 Ryo Noda’s Improvisation Performance directions discovered, ellie Parker20 Peter Ripper a musical life, William Upton25 Aurélie Tropez Well known in france and deserving of an audience here, John

robert Brown26 Special Delivery Luca Luciano discusses his transcription of eddie Daniel’s clarinet

solo30 Caroline Franklyn’s New Year Quiz Prize for the winner32 Julian Marc Stringle Kenneth Morris’s pen portrait34 ABRSM Clarinet Grade 4 your guide to the new syllabus, Stephanie reeve38 Where Can I Play? Huntingdon, Slinfold, new Malden, Bingley, Machynlleth40 Celebrating 25 Years of the Colchester Single Reed Festival full details of the gala

concert and play day, charles Hine56 Who Are Our Readers? New Series John Davenport interviewed by Stephanie reeve

8 32 48

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Park Lane Group continue to provide aprominent platform for outstanding youngmusicians and performances of specialinterest. now in its 58th year, theirdistinguished young artist scheme willstage 40 events in six different venuesacross London throughout 2013/14. Lastspring, a rigorous audition process whittledover 140 soloists and ensembles down to thefinal 16, and amongst those are the youngartists taking part in the January new yearSeries at London’s Southbank centre.

two young soloists, saxophonist anthonyBrown and clarinettist Max Welford willperform with their respective duo partners,Leo nicholson and Katherine tinker, in theweek beginning 6th January, whichpromises to be an imaginative andstimulating series of masterclasses andhigh quality performances. Both anthonyand Max will be performing works by thelate richard rodney Bennett, and thepremières of new commissions by Grahamross and Shiva feshareki, funded by PLG.these specially written works have been afeature of PLG’s work for over half acentury, and continue to this day to fuelnew soloist/ensemble-composerrelationships.

Both of these promising performers havealready attained great success as soloists.Max has performed at many prestigiousvenues throughout the UK and abroad,including new york’s Lincoln center, and isa member of the award winningMarylebone Wind Quintet. anthony’scompetition success has included firstprize in the Haverhill Sinfonia Soloistcompetition and the Bromsgroveinternational young Musician’s Platform,and he has also been accepted into otherprestigious young artist schemes for2013/14.

audiences attending the PLG concerts

can also look forward to performancesfrom Ensemble Matisse, featuringclarinettist Rozenn le Trionnaire. as agraduate of the conservatoire de Paris(crr), the Paris Boulogne-Billancourthigher arts education centre, La SorbonneUniversity and the royal academy ofMusic, London, rozenn is a keen exponentof contemporary music whose career isgaining recognition on both sides of thechannel. the Cataleya Wind Quintet willperform works by Ligeti and Berio andpremiere a work by Vykintas Baltakas.amongst the masterclass series runningalongside the evening concerts, theJacquin Trio make a return to PLG to workwith composer nicola Lefanu. they can beheard at the Southbank centre, London:

tuesday 7th January 2014, 7:45pm - MaxWelford (clarinet) Katherine tinker (piano)

Wednesday 8th January 2014, 6:15pm -Jacquin trio, nicola Lefanu (masterclass)thursday 9th January 2014, 7:45pm -anthony Brown (saxophone) Leo nicholson(piano)

friday 10th January 2014, 7:45pm -cataleya Wind Quintet �


NewsPARK LANE GROUP YOUNGARTIST NEW YEAR SERIES

anthony Brown rozenn le trionnaire

British saxophonist, alastair Penman, hasbeen selected alongside five other soloistsand two groups to receive an inauguralaward from the city Music foundation, anew charity established to supportmusicians at the start of their professionalcareers.

for each city Music foundation artist aprogramme will be arranged that consistsof a series of concerts, mentorship fromexperienced performers and industryexperts, plus marketing, and Pr support.in this first year, over 50 nominations werereceived from conservatoires, artsorganisations and venues from across theUK. these were assessed by a panelconsisting of artists and experts fromacross the music industry and reduced to ashort list of 20 who were invited to auditionand interview.

the 2013 award winners are saxophonistalastair Penman, cellist Mikhail nemtsov,recorder player Miriam nerval, violinistMari Poll, harpist claire iselin, pianist

cordelia Williams, folk bandBridie Jackson and thearbour, and alternative-folkgroup tir eolas.

as well as being provided withan umbrella of support from thecMf, alastair has received a financialaward in excess of £7,000 that will enablehim to record a debut album and give a

concert tour later next year. alastair’smain musical focus is on contemporarysaxophone repertoire, particularly thoseworks involving the fusion of saxophoneand electronics. to encourage moreactivity in this area alastair is planning tocommission a number of new works and ishosting a saxophone compositioncompetition, launched in november 2013.the competition will feature a substantialcash prize and the winning composition

will be recorded on alastair’s debutalbum later next year. for full

details visitwww.alastairpenman.co.uk/competition.

for more information aboutthe city Music foundation visit

www.citymusicfoundation.organd for more information about

alastair and to see forthcomingconcert dates visitwww.alastairpenman.co.uk. �

CITY MUSIC FOUNDATION INAUGURAL AWARDS alastair Penman


the first clarinets have been made at thecambridge Woodwind Workshops atStapleford Granary, cambridge. Under theguidance of Daniel Bangham, canadianclarinettist Simon aldrich made his ownclassical clarinet based on a five-keyedmodel by Simiot (c.1805). at the end of thetwo week course Simon played his newinstrument in an informal concert at theStapleford Granary recital Hall and talkedabout his experiences of making andplaying the instrument. after improvisingaround some themes of Mozart, Simoncommented that playing a clarinet such asthis gave a better understanding of whatcomposers such as Mozart were writing for.More closely related to the recorder thanthe modern day clarinet it was clear whycomposers were drawn to it as aninstrument and the vocal quality of thesound was projected beautifully with verylittle effort across the hall. Simon iscurrently principal clarinet of orchestreMétropolitain de Montréal and hasappeared with many orchestras acrosscanada, the United States, europe,australia and Japan. He teaches at McGillUniversity.

also attending the course as anapprentice technician was adam fedor, alanguage graduate and clarinettistoriginally from Poland. Having taken partin another of Daniel’s workshop courses,

the Barrel experiment, adam worked forthree months learning skills necessary forinstrument manufacture and alsoproduced his own clarinet. He hopes tobecome a clarinet maker after completingfurther training. now based in Melbourne,adam said: “Daniel was very supportiveand generous with his knowledge and he

inspired me into making clarinets inaustralia.” for information on the clarinetmaking courses visitwww.cambridgewoodwindmakers.org. �

MARGARETCELEBRATESMargaret archibald celebrates her 65th birthday with a concert at7.30pm on 3rd february 2014 at the Musicians’ church, St. Sepulchre-without-newgate (on the junction of Giltspur Street and HolbornViaduct). Her programme is performed with friends Julia Desbruslaison cello and pianist John flinders and includes Brahms trio in aminor, op. 114.

the evening features two clarinet premières. nick Planas iscurrently working on a suite for basset clarinet and piano in tribute tohis father ted, called simply To My Father, that has been 20 years inthe planning. nick has offered Margaret the opportunity to feature anextract which she will perform on the very same basset clarinet, nowher own, that was the first instrument made by Selmer in discussionwith ted Planas, after he made his pioneering basset instrument foralan Hacker.

Michael omer, film and tV composer and a long-standing friendand colleague of Margaret’s, is writing a new work for clarinet andpiano especially for the occasion, inspired by themes of re-growth andre-birth, and in particular by a lithograph picturing a gnarled olivetree that has endured all kinds of weather and survived, it is called YouCould Hear the Olive Trees Groan...

www.st-sepulchre.org.uk/concerts.html � Margaret archibald

CAMBRIDGE CLARINETSDaniel Banghamand Simonaldrich with thenewly made five-keyed clarinet


NewsyoUr LiBrary –BiGGer anD BetterLoans are increasing and the library continuesto expand. During the last few months we havereceived a large collection of music fromisobel Godsell, whose late husband ted was aclarinettist, saxophonist and teacher incroydon and South London and a clarinet andSaxophone Society member for many years.ted’s collection includes clarinet andsaxophone ensembles, clarinet choir and windchamber music. Music from this collectionwill have the suffix tG and we are verygrateful to isobel for donating ted’scollection.

flautist caroline franklyn has donated alarge amount of wind chamber music to thelibrary including many wind quintets and wehave received roger tempest’s altoSaxophone concerto and several worksfeaturing the clarinet by frank Bayford.

Both of these collections have been added tothe main database which is available withinthe members’ area of the website. for furtherinformation on these and other collectionsplease contact our librarian Stephanie reeveat [email protected]. a library borrowingapplication form is available on page 54 of thismagazine. �

NEW WOODWINDORCHESTRA RECORDINGconductor Shea Lolin is to record analbum of music for woodwindorchestra, entitled Twisted Skyscape,with soloists from the czechPhilharmonic in January 2014. thisunique project showcases a genrealmost unheard of: an entire albumdevoted to music for woodwindorchestra by contemporary Britishcomposers.

the woodwind orchestra’s tonalpalette is in turn boldly vibrant anddelicately beautiful, excitingly powerfuland hauntingly tender. it will becaptured here, in all its variety,featuring the outstanding playing ofsoloists from the czech Philharmonicand including music by Gary carpenter,christopher Hussey, adam Gorb andPhilip Sparke. the album will bereleased as a cD and as a digitaldownload next March.

this project is ambitious and will notbe possible without a good deal ofpublic support. Some funding has

already been secured, but in order toraise the funds necessary to producethis album, you are invited to pledgemoney in support. a pledge of £12 willbe rewarded with a copy of the albumsent to you ahead of the release date,and you will be providing a vital part ofthe jigsaw which will bring this excitingand vibrant project to fruition. to findout more and consider making apledge, please visit:www.twistedskyscape.com. �

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David Campbell enjoys a varied career as aclarinet soloist, chamber musician andteacher.

at the age of 23 David was appointed asthe clarinettist in Sir Peter MaxwellDavies’s ensemble, the fires of London,and was quickly invited to play withnumerous other ensembles and orchestrasincluding the London Sinfonietta and theLondon Mozart Players.

over recent years David campbell hasdeveloped the solo and chamber musicstrands of his career, performing in overforty countries as a soloist with leadingorchestras and ensembles. His repertoire iswide-ranging but he still champions newworks, many of which have been written forhim.

recent engagements have includedconcerts in france, the USa, china andMexico. Premières over the past few yearshave included concertos, written for him byUSa composers, Peter Lieuwen and charlesfitts.

in June 2010, David gave a series oftelevised masterclasses at the Domaineforget international academy incharlevoix, Quebec which can now beviewed on www.PlaywithaPro.com .

David campbell particularly enjoys thegenre of the clarinet quintet and hasappeared as a guest artist with many finestring quartets including the Bingham,Bridge, Brodsky, copenhagen (Denmark),coull, Danubius (Hungary), Delme,emperor, endellion, fine arts (USa),Maggini, Medici, Solstice and tippett.recently, David toured the UK extensivelywith the prize-winning Sacconi and SolsticeQuartets. clarinet quintets have beenwritten for David campbell by richardBlackford, roger Steptoe, Simon Holt,Gareth churchill, Keith amos, and MichaelStimpson, and a new work will becommissioned from rolf Hind.

as well as numerous broadcasts over thepast thirty years, David has made manycDs including two versions of the Mozartconcerto with the city of London Sinfoniaand royal Philharmonic, two versions ofthe Brahms clarinet Sonatas as well as theMozart and Brahms Quintets, Messiaen’sQuartet for the End of Time, two albums ofmusic by charles camilleri, the Blissclarinet Quintet, Phillip cannon’s Quintet,Logos and works by Martinu, MaxwellDavies and carey Blyton. His recording ofPeter Lieuwen’s River of Crystal Light wasreleased in May 2007 and the followingyear Reflections - clarinet concertos bycarl Davis, Gerald finzi and Graham fitkinwith the aurora orchestra, conducted bynicholas collon. in 2010 a recording of the

Septet by Welsh composer, John Metcalf,was issued to great critical acclaim andrichard Blackford’s Quintet, Full Moon hasrecently been released. a recording ofroger Steptoe’s Quintet is planned for 2014.

David campbell is also passionate aboutmusic education. He is currently Head ofWoodwind at Westminster School and since2002 David has been artistic Director of‘Musicfest’, a combined summer school andfestival in aberystwyth. He also gives aweek of masterclasses at Dartingtoninternational Summer School. in June 2013he stepped down from his position as aVisiting Professor at canterbury christchurch University.David campbell is the UK chair of theinternational clarinet association, and hasrepresented the UK at the internationalclarinet conferences in London, Quebec,Ghent, Lubbock, Paris, ostend, Salt Lakecity, Stockholm, Vancouver and oporto.from 2010 to 2013 he was also chair of theclarinet and Saxophone Society of GreatBritain.

Caroline Jaya –Ratnam read music atcambridge holding an instrumental awardand a choral exhibition. following hermasters degree she wasappointed Junior fellow at theroyal college of Music.

national prize-winningpianist caroline is in demandas an accompanist. televisionappearances have includedaccompanying internationalopera singers Danielle deniese, rolando Villazon(andrew Marr show) and Brynterfel; and itV’s Popstar toOperastar with rolando andKatherine Jenkins.

caroline has performed fivetimes on BBc radio 3’s InTuneand has appeared at the royalalbert Hall in numerousProms as part of the LondonSymphony orchestra and theBBc concert orchestra. She

has given duo recitals at the Wigmore Halland royal festival Hall, andinternationally. She recently performed apiano concerto live on radio 3 from theQueen elizabeth Hall with the BBc concertorchestra.

as a repetiteur (freelance) at englishnational opera, caroline has worked withconductors edward Gardner, richardHickox and artists such as Willard White,John tomlinson and Philip Langridge. Sheis a professor on the staff at the GuildhallSchool of Music and Drama.

More recently caroline has sung hightreble parts for Synergy Vocals in Stevereich’s music in the UK, amsterdam,Dresden, Paris and tokyo - with personalpraise from reich!

David campbell is grateful to Buffet –crampon for their support. He is playing on Buffet Divine clarinets with a Lomaxmouthpiece, rico reserve 3.5 reeds andBG ligature. �


following the Society’s aGM at 4.30pm on Sunday, 5th January 2014,members and friends are welcome to a

Society of Great Britain

RECITAL David Campbell (clarinet) Caroline Jaya-Ratnam (piano)Manoukian Music Centre, Westminster SchoolSunday 5th January 2014 at 5pm

Johannes Brahms Sonata in eb op.120 no.2Charles-Marie Widor Introduction et Rondo, op. 72Richard Rodney Bennett Ballad in Memory of Shirley HornHenri Rabaut Solo de concours, op. 10

David campbell

caroline Jaya –ratnam

Bernard’s interest in music had begun inhis home town of Chatham. His familywere not particularly musical although

his mother played the piano a little. Bernardhad initially wanted to be a drummer andused to have sessions in his parents’ frontroom with a very good pianist. “We couldn’tafford a proper set of drums so I had cases,tins and home-made sticks which I rattledabout.”

The main employment in the area was atChatham Dockyard and Bernard’s father andother family members had worked there. Onleaving school Bernard followed the familytradition and was taken on as an apprenticeelectrician at the docks. Bernard recalls: “Iwas expected to go into the dockyard. I had anapprenticeship which was more than myfather had so it was quite a good thing. ‘You’vegot an apprenticeship, you’re going to be aproper tradesman!’” By chance Bernard foundhimself working opposite another musician.“I went to chat to him and I found out he wasa saxophone player and I said I fancied being adrummer. He said ‘you don’t want to be adrummer taking all that kit about, why don’tyou take up the saxophone?’ So I did and heput me in touch with somebody locally whosold second hand instruments and I boughtmy very first saxophone for £5.” This wasaround 1938 and as there were no teacherslocally Bernard taught himself to play varioustunes and pieces. “After not very long I beganto take little engagements with bands.” Afurther connection led Bernard to a tenorsaxophone player in the local RAF stationband and Bernard was able to take lessonsfrom him. “He used to come to the house andintroduced me to proper technique anddiaphragm breathing and for the first time I

had definite aims. These lessons, althoughirregular, went on for a considerable period.”

Shortly afterwards Bernard took up theclarinet. “As a saxophone player in the band itbecame necessary to play the clarinet so I gotmyself a clarinet and decided that I wouldtake it up properly and have lessons. I madeenquiries at Boosey & Hawkes and wasintroduced to Albert Goossens who was quitea prominent teacher. He lived in London andso I travelled up to London every Sundaymorning through the buzz bombs and the V2rockets bombs as the war was still at itsheight.”

Despite having a promising career in thedocks Bernard made a big decision. “Whenthe war came to an end I decided that Iwanted to leave my day job and become a fulltime musician. And this meant I needed totake up full time study. Albert Goossenstaught at Trinity College so this took me toTrinity on the teacher training course whichwas a two year course during which I obtainedLTCL and AMusTCL diplomas.” After the firstyear Bernard decided not to continue with theteacher training but kept his instrumental

studies going. “I learnt the piano, the clarinetand I took up the violin because I thought Iought to know something about strings so Ihad three instruments. By this time I wasbased in Birmingham working in professionalbands. I used to travel to London frequentlyand managed to compress my lessons atcollege into one day.”

After leaving college in 1952 Bernardcontinued to take clarinet lessons andobtained FTCL and LRAM performancediplomas. Albert Goossens had been a verygood teacher and Bernard was then led to oneof the most prominent players at that time,Jack Brymer. Bernard had continued to playthe saxophone and realising dance bandswere usually short of tenor players he boughta tenor saxophone and eventually specialisedin that. The list of bands includes RonnieHancox, Vincent Ladbrook and others andBernard played regularly in Birmingham andthe Midlands while also doing tours to coastaltowns. “I’ve had jobs all the time. I can’tremember all the details of when and wherebut I can remember a long term engagementat Hastings during the freezing winter of 1946.


continuing the series lookingback on the long and variedcareers of players StephanieReeve caught up with BernardParris to learn about his movefrom working in a dockyard toplaying in jazz bands and fromcollege study to involvementwith the Musicians’ Union andassociation of Woodwindteachers. Bernard celebrated his90th birthday earlier in the yearso on a sunny day towards theend of the summer i foundmyself on a quiet country lanejust outside the Suffolk seasidetown of Southwold where i metBernard and his wife Janet toreflect on Bernard’s life in music.

BERNARDPARRIS AT 90


I had regular long term engagements as wellas spells when I hadn’t got a full time job. Ithen used to come back home and play withlocal bands and could always rely on one ortwo bands to give me gigs. At that time I wasdoing my studying as well.”

Bernard’s teaching career has seen him as aprofessor at Trinity College of Music, bothjunior and senior colleges, and clarinet andsaxophone teacher at schools including StFelix and Roedean and for Kent Music School.“While I was at Trinity I enjoyed teaching thejunior exhibitioners. These were selectedtalented children who came on Saturdays. Iwas a member of the team led by GladysPuttick. William Lovelock and Gladys Puttickwere the big names at that time. DrGreenhouse Allt was the principal, laterfollowed by Myers Foggin.”

Bernard joined the Musicians’ Union earlyon in his career and became part-timesecretary of the Medway branch. Invited byTom Barton to apply for the position ofCentral London Branch secretary, Bernard didnot want to give up his professional playingwork which would have been a requirement ofthe job. He therefore turned it down. Howeverwhen the job came up again Bernard appliedand was appointed secretary in 1971. This wasaround the time of the BBC strikes and he wasin charge of the strike fund which gave grantsto musicians. He also led the salarynegotiations for the London Opera Housesand the West End Theatre musicians. Bernardremained in this job right up until retirementhaving been there for 17 years.

Another of Bernard’s long standinginvolvements was with the Association ofWind Teachers, later renamed Association ofWoodwind Teachers, of which he becamechairman following Mary Chandler, ex-principal oboe of the CBSO. “When Maryretired she handed over to me two thingswhich were run by what became BenslowMusic Trust and of which I was also chairmanat one time. One was the AWT who rancourses for various aspects of wind teachingincluding a course on woodwind repairswhich was run by Daniel Bangham. The otherwas the playing weekends where weassembled about 30 or so amateur players.”These courses enabled participants to play insmall ensembles but also to come together toform a large ensemble. The courses ran twicea year and in order to keep a balanced group,players were invited to apply. “From those weselected hopefully a balanced group so thatwe could make up about six wind quintets.The problem was always to get enoughbassoons and horns. We had plenty of flutesand loads of clarinets. Oboes were a bit scarceso instead of an oboe we often had a secondflute. Angela Fussell and Michael Axtelltutored on the playing courses and were bothwonderful.”

While Bernard had an incredibly active andvaried career throughout his life he continuedto study. He had gained his diplomas whilst atTrinity but had often thought about doing adegree. “One day at an MU meeting of somekind I got chatting to Malcolm Barry whotaught at Goldsmith’s College and I said ‘oh, Ifancy doing a degree at some time’, he said‘well why not!’ Lo and behold a few days later I

had a communication saying would you like tocome to Goldsmiths to do a degree. So I had aformal interview and signed on to do the firstyear”. This was in 1976. Bernard had to takesome time off during the second year due tothe BBC strike and when he returned thesyllabus had changed so he had to go back toyear one. The end of the course also standsout in Bernard’s memory as he had to dash toLondon to get his final thesis handed in withjust hours to spare before going off to ameeting in London. One of his tutors therehad been Janet Ritterman who had given goodguidance throughout.

What might interest clarinet players mostlythough is his Masters degree which hecompleted in the early 1990s. This looked atBritish clarinet playing from 1940 to thepresent day and centred on what was theEnglish style, the effects of recordings anddevelopments of instruments and otherfactors. Bernard interviewed Roger Heaton,Alan Hacker, John McCaw and Jack Brymer.He met Geoffrey Acton, a clarinettist who hadworked for Boosey & Hawkes and who haddesigned the last series of 1010s. FollowingJanet Ritterman’s input on Bernard’s firstdegree he requested her again as supervisorand describes her as ‘wonderful’ in guidinghim through the final stages.

Our talk turned to instruments andBernard’s own instrument history is perhapsvery straightforward. As a clarinettist heplayed on 1010s for a long while beforeswitching to Leblanc. “As a saxophonist I’vehad the same Selmer Mark VI tenor for all my

playing life. And I also acquired a Mark VI altoat some stage, but I was always a tenor player.”His mouthpiece was a metal Link. “Otto Linkwas my favourite. I acquired a 6* Otto Link atquite an early stage and I kept it because Iloved it. There was nothing like it.” Forstraighter playing Bernard used an ebonitemouthpiece but this was not as frequentlyused. “On the alto I always had an eboniteSelmer mouthpiece which I used all the time.”

After such a career Bernard could not stopthat easily and continued to teach for KentMusic School and play with the City ofRochester Orchestra, the East Anglian SingleReed Choir, directed by Angela Fussell, andwith Noah’s Ark Wind Quintet until he finallyretired eight years ago. He is now enjoying lifewith Janet in Southwold and Janet joined usduring our chat. As a clarinettist herself sheshares many of Bernard’s memories, recallingin particular detail some of the more amusingstories. Bernard kept in close contact with JackBrymer and they were very good friends.Attending a concert in Surrey Bernard andJanet went to see Jack beforehand to say hello.They left the Green Room a few minutesbefore Jack was due to go on. The Green Roomwas under the stage and to get back to theauditorium they had to climb some stairs andenter at the front of the hall which was alsothe entry for the performers. Bernard led theway but owing to the similarity betweenhimself and Jack, at least from the eyebrowsup, the audience applauded! Once theyrealised it was not Jack they settled back downand finally Jack did emerge to perform.

There were more tales as we talked aboutplayers and places and it was clear that theyhave both had many immensely satisfying andenjoyable times. Now that Bernard and Janetare fully retired from playing and teachingthey have very kindly donated their extensivewoodwind library to the Clarinet &Saxophone Society library. We hope to collectand catalogue this over the next few monthswhich will enable members to enjoy thevaried works collected over a fascinatinglifetime in music. As members of the Clarinetand Saxophone Society Bernard and Janetkeep up to date with the single reed world andwe thank them for their donation which willcontinue to be used for many years to come.�

BERNARDPARRIS AT 90

Once they realisedit was not Jackthey settled backdown and finallyJack did appear toperform


Kenneth Morris in discussion withsaxophone engineer Steve Crow

KM: Well Steve, where shall we start?

SC: this is one of my favourite instrumentsand in the right hands (and chops) andgiven a bit of tLc over their now quite longlife they are a very fine instrumentindeed.

KM: i detect some hidden ‘buts’ here –can this be anything to do with theextraordinary prices being asked forwhat could be a near 60 year-old horn?

SC: they are seemingly expensive, butconsidering they have the perfectcombination of excellent keywork, agreat sound and were hand crafted, youare paying for quality. computer-aideddesign did not appear until well afterthe ‘last’ Mark Vi alto and tenor left thefactory around 1973. can we please returnto this ‘last’ business in a minute becauseother Mark Vis (sopranino, soprano,baritone and bass) were being made rightup to the appearance of the Super action80s. computer-aided manufacture ofsaxophone components came along muchlater still in the mid 1990s.

KM: So what’s all this caD/caM business todo with Selmer horns made from 1954-73?

SC: nothing, Selmer hand-made

something like 150,000 pieces usingmandrels and tone-hole formingtechniques not much different fromadolphe Sax’s, and also made many designadjustments/improvements more or less

as they went along. i’ve noted morethan 45 body/key-work changes tothe altos and tenors alone in the

course of 20 years servicing MarkVis.

KM: if you include export versuseuropean engraving differences,original lacquering and plating

variations plus the odd low a models,along with the cumulative effect of

good and bad servicing work i’mbeginning to think that there is nosuch thing as a ‘standard’ excellentprice-worthy example of a Mark Viout there in the market.

SC: not quite true. you know the oldaphorism, “Beauty lies in the eye of thebeholder”? i firmly believe that saxophonevalue lies in the ear of the player. i onceheard two professional players try out thesame sax. one claimed that the instrumentwas well out of tune the other stated itdelivered the finest intonation he had everexperienced.

KM: So apart from stating the obvious “no-one should buy a horn without trying it

ALL SIZES

• bell tip has no bends/badly executedrepair to inner wire (a very difficultrepair).

• tone hole heights have not worn down tobody level.

• there is a complete absence of crookcracking or crook repair.

• pearls/pearl holders are not too worn.• key-work barrels/tubing are not badly

worn or have been crudely repaired• for signs of bad re-laquering.• that the main body tube is straight.

ON SOPRANOS

• shorter bell models can have tuningproblems.

• early models don’t have a half-c cover toflatten the middle c#.

• always difficult to play quietly in themiddle register e and f

• some are sharp at palm keys (ventadjustment can correct this).

• all models have no front f.

ON ALTOS

• early models with short bells can besharp at the bottom, middle models withlong bells could be flat at the bottom,late models (with a medium bell) aregood at the bottom.

• most models tend to have a sharp middlee/f.

ON TENORS

• tuning of early models good, middle arevery good and late still good but allmodels tend to be sharp at middle e/f.

ON BARITONES

• long bell models from the 1960s tend tohave tuning difficulties.

• medium bell models from the later yearsare better in tune.

• the low c# can be problematic. • some 1974 – 1986 models can be stamped

Mk Vii on the front of the bell but weremade with Mk Vi tooling.

MYTHS

• five digit serial numbered and/oreuropean assembled examples arebest. all Mark Vis were made infrance, whether they were finallyassembled/engraved/lacquered inParis or the USa makes no difference.• Post 1965 examples are made from adifferent quality brass resulting in aless good timbre. certainly manyplayers hear a different sound whenthey play different vintages of Mark Vi- but it’s all in the ear of the listener.• Many suffer from poor intonation –only a minority exhibited this trait ex-factory – most cases of bad tuningresult from poor set up/regulation orphysical damage (rectifiable under agood engineer).

Steve’s PANEL A BEFORE PURCHASING, CHECK

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SELMER MARK VI?KennethMorris


out”, where does this take us? What pearlsof wisdom can we impart to our readers?

SC: i’m happy to provide a condition checklist for a prospective purchaser to usewhen viewing/testing out a Mark Vi horn.it’s important to realise that just a few‘conditions’ are at the extreme ends ofrepair-ability and that if these areidentified it would be unwise to make apurchase without the advice of a reallycompetent/experienced engineer. SEEPANEL A.

KM: and i’m willing to put down somesalient background facts gleaned fromMark Vi owners and various websites(some of which are listed). SEE PANEL B.

SC: can i now return to the matter of serialnumbers higher than 220xxx (1974onwards)?

KM: certainly, i personally own a low aSelmer baritone sax numbered 287xxxwhich from Selmer’s own charts appearsto be a late Mk Vii.

SC: no, Ken! it’s a Mark Vi because Selmernever made any Mk Vii sopraninos,sopranos, baritones or basses: up to andpossibly a little beyond the introduction ofSuper 80 altos/tenors these four sizes weremade with Mk Vi tooling.

KM: that’s good news, it must be worth asmall fortune!

SC: not necessarily! Don’t forget the lawsof supply and demand, plus all the‘condition’ qualifications in my panel. Wellheeled “pro’s/semi-pro’s” are a bit in theminority these days.

KM: are there any value yardsticks forMark Vis?

SC: now we are entering tricky territoryhere. Just as a rough guide any Mark Vialto and tenor will usually be worth morethan the current new Selmer equivalentmodel (ref. 54 - market, not recommendedretail) price if it comes with an exceptionalprovenance i.e. it was once owned by avery famous artist or in the hands/chopsof the potential purchaser it has ‘thatunique sound’ he/she is looking for. By farthe majority of Mark Vi’s value isdetermined by condition (both playingwise and cosmetic appearance) whichgoverns the amount of remedial workneeded to get the instrument into fullworking order.

KM: So they are never cheap. Maybe thepotential purchaser should look at othermakes?

SC: Possibly. a number of my Mark Viowning clients have chosen to supplement

their horn family with a conn 12M or newWonder (replete with my conversion workwhich is designed to make the instruments‘feel’ more like a Selmer!). Withoutexception these professionals havechanged purely to get the sound thevintage conn emits. across the atlanticKing Super 20s are favoured as a jazz hornwhile both in the US and europe SelmerSeries 3, Buffet S1 and BuffetSuperDynaction are valued for classicaland small ensemble work.

KM: oK, let’s sum up. Selmer, over theperiod of Mark Vi production, perfectedhorn design so as to make the instrumentan almost ‘gold standard’ regardless of themusic genre involved. if you are luckyenough to own one treat it like a valuablehorse; keep it clean and lubricated, stableit securely (hard case, not a gig bag) andgive it an annual Mot using a servicestation staffed with someone with a soundknowledge of the breed.

Kenneth Morris has owned saxophones ofall sizes and many makes since 1946. SteveCrow has been repairing and overhaulingsaxophones for 20 years specialising inSelmer Mark Vi models for most of thattime. �

Kenneth’s PANEL B TRUTHS

• almost all current Selmer competitors have copied the laterMark Vi keywork topography, this makes it clear it has the bestergonomics so far. additionally Mark Vis are rugged, have goodsound projection and are not ‘strident’.• the Mark Vi is the instrument of choice for very manyprofessional players but this does not mean that a beginner orstudent ‘in funds’ will get the best results from his/her investmentin a Mark Vi, such players should not ignore quite excellent new orsecond-hand student and intermediate grade instrumentsavailable for very reasonable prices.• if you have a Mark Vi to sell and a professional player isinterested in purchasing it, be prepared to organise an extendedloan/trial period. a genuine buyer will be happy to arrangecomprehensive insurance whilst the instrument is in theirpossession.• Like all makes of saxophone Mark Vis need proper set-up/regulation (more accurately re-set-ups/re-regulations).ensure that your chosen saxophone engineer is experienced indealing with the brand.• Unlike many brands of vintage horns, spares for Mark Vis (andfor that matter, Mark Viis as well) are fairly easily available.• the best guide to vintage Selmer serial numbers/year ofmanufacture can be found athttp://vintagesaxontheweb.net/SelmerSerial_no.html. otheruseful sites include: www.shwoodwind.co.uk ,http://en.wikipedia.org/wki/Selmer_Mark_Vi andwww.saxpics.com/model/14/Selmer-Mark-Vi.html.

MARK VI CUSTOMISING POSSIBILITIES

Professional players and serious amateurs should be awarethat customised set-ups of most Mark Vi instruments can bediscussed with and implemented by an experienced engineere.g.:

• spring tensions• key heights• left hand table key set-up• palm key risers• octave key mechanism adjustment/alteration• matching set-ups of alto and tenor

Steve CrowSaxophone Specialist

0113 440 09870789 900 1099

[email protected]

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SELMER MARK VI?


We all know the story of DjangoRheinhart, whose meteoric career as a banjo-guitarist seemed prematurely over when hewas badly injured in a fire in his gypsycaravan. Reinhardt suffered crippling injuriesto the fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand.Despite doctors’ warnings that he wouldnever perform again Reinhardt took up theguitar and devised a unique playing stylewith which he emerged as the most reveredjazz guitarist of all time.

Tim Redpath’s encounter with career-threatening adversity lacks some of the morecolourful elements of Reinhardt’s tale. Hegrew up in the South of England in a house

that wasn’t ravaged by fire, cut his teeth inyouth music festivals rather than gloomy balsmusette of working class Paris, and he wasn’tstruck by injury until his mid-40s, by whichtime he was already a well establishedorchestral and chamber musician.Nevertheless, his cautionary tale has a greatdeal to say about musical society in Britain.

Musicians are notoriously bad at lookingafter their health. Their instruments aretypically in better working shape than theirbodies, which sometimes isn’t saying much,and they’re often more attuned to the needsof their car than their own wellbeing. “If yourcar hesitates once on the way to a gig, you

worry about whether you’re going to getthere”, Tim tells me. “If it happens twice youtake it to a garage first thing the next day. Butas a musician you just put up with all theaches and pains we associate with theprofession, never considering that some ofthese might be the warning signs ofsomething more serious.”

For the last four years Tim has beendealing with dystonia, a neurologicalcondition of which there is limitedunderstanding and strictly speaking no cure,which makes his story of recoveryremarkable. Dystonia is a clinical syndromein which involuntary muscle contractionsproduce twisting and repetitive movementsor contorted postures; it can affect the wholebody, half of the body, or specific musclegroups.

Mercifully, dystonia is rare, affecting only0.000127% of the population. Rare, that is,until you look at professional musicians, of

MUSICIAN’S DYSTONIA A SILENT PLAGUE

tim redpath in conversation with William Upton

Imagine rising to the summit of your profession, and then having it all taken awayby a condition that appears to have no cure. Once one of this country’s topsoprano saxophonists, Tim Redpath found himself sitting at the back of concerts

in which he would once have been starring. Having myself suffered from a neckproblem that briefly threatened my career, I approached Tim with huge sympathy,and found myself inspired by a story which has a remarkable and happy ending.

Trifarious


whom two out of every 100 are likely to sufferfrom a particularly cruel sub-form of thecondition called focal task specific dystonia –otherwise known as musician’s dystonia.‘Focal’ means that it affects only one part ofthe body, and ‘task specific’ means it onlymanifests when performing a particular task– playing an instrument.

Scientists remain unsure about the cause ofmusician’s dystonia, and until recently it wasoften misdiagnosed as a psychologicalmalaise, an analysis no doubt encouraged bythe stereotype of the highly-strung classicalmusician. Today we understand that there areat least two genes linked to a predispositionto the condition, and the intense physicaldemands of being a musician can trigger thissusceptibility.

When one learns an instrument to a highlevel, the brain adapts, streamlining the way itprocesses stimuli from, and controlsmovement in, the parts of the body mostintimately involved in performance. Inmusician’s dystonia, these adaptations go toofar, distorting the brain’s map of the body andleading to abnormal sensorimotor processingin performance situations, causing muscles towork against one another. For pianists at theirinstrument this can manifest in aninvoluntary and uncontrollable curling of thefingers, while guitarists and percussionistscan be left unable to hold their plectrums andsticks. Phil Todd, who I interviewed in 2011,was left unable to lift his right-hand fourthand fifth fingers from the keys of his flutedespite having full use of his hand in day-to-day life; in his case, regular Botox injectionswere used to weaken the offending musclesufficiently for him to continue performing.

For Tim the symptoms of musician’sdystonia were less visually striking, affectingthe muscles of his embouchure, responsiblefor creating a seal around the mouthpiece andcontrolling the vibration of the reed and theflow of air into the instrument. Tim tells meabout the moment when dystonia put a stopto his career: “I was in the middle of a longrun of performances with Opera North,culminating at Sadlers Wells, when suddenly Ijust couldn’t play; I had to stop at the end ofthe first act because my jaw was clampingshut towards the back of my head, all themuscles forcing me to bite onto themouthpiece which would just slide outbetween my teeth.” The only way Tim made itto the first interval was by putting his tonguebetween his back teeth, his subconsciouspreventing him from biting through it. At thetime this was a shocking blow, andthreatened to end his career in a flash, but inhindsight the early symptoms had beenbothering him for years.

Embouchure dystonia can take manyshapes, resulting in severe lip tremors, loss ofcontrol of the tongue, contortions of the lip,or as in Tim’s case, involuntary jaw closure.

One of its cruellest aspects is its insidiousonset, the early stages of the conditionindistinguishable from the telltale signs thataccompany lack of practice: loss of clarity ofarticulation, an unfocused or out-of-tuneupper register, or a slight twitch attributableto fatigue. When Tim noticed a lack offlexibility and evenness in his vibrato heturned to the practice room to solve whatappeared to be a technical niggle. This wasthe worst thing he could have done, furtherhabituating the condition.

Tim is best known for his work as sopranosaxophonist and founder member of theacclaimed Apollo Saxophone Quartet, formedin 1985 at the Royal Northern College ofMusic. Apollo have always had the air of anensemble with a mission, whether it be theirhighly visual performance style, their drive todevelop a uniquely energised post-minimalistrepertoire, or their ‘us-and-them’ quest tohave the saxophone taken seriously as aclassical instrument. “Through our earlyyears at college”, says Tim, “there was stillthis conservative attitude that you couldn’tmake a living playing the saxophone, andthat’s what drove us – we were young, veryambitious, and wanted to prove theestablishment wrong.”

There have been films made and much inkspilt over the dynamics of top chamberensembles. Most musicians agree that actorsand writers never really come close toevoking the unique combination offriendship, professional rivalry, inspirationalinterplay, and suffocating proximity of whichthe onstage drama too often gives only a hint(Vikram Seth’s An Equal Music is anoteworthy exception); with Apollo theintensity has always there for all to see bothon and off stage. “During the first 10 years outof college, Apollo really was like a marriage interms of the time and effort we were puttinginto it”, says Tim. “There was a great intensityabout that whole period, and through thecompetitions we were winning we were in theunusual position that we had regular well-paid gigs.” Of all the members Tim hadarguably the hardest decision to make incommitting to Apollo. He went to RNCM as aclarinettist, and by the end of his studies he

was already sitting in with the BBCPhilharmonic Orchestra as second clarinet tohis teacher Paul Dintinger on a regular basis,and performing with the Hallé. “That couldeasily have been a career path for me, andwere it not for Apollo I’d probably be sittingin an orchestra right now. But I couldn’t doApollo and have an orchestral job, and withthe exuberance of youth there really wasn’tany question about it.”

Apollo sealed their reputation when theywon the 1992 Tokyo International ChamberMusic Competition, and spent the nextdecade commissioning major works andperforming at festivals. This commitment tothe festival circuit, and the amount of timenew works require to learn, cut them off fromthe more lucrative music society gigs that hadbeen their bread and butter, and Tim wasstarting to understand why they’d been toldyou couldn’t make a living playing thesaxophone alone. “I was having to drivecountless hours each day just to do enoughwork to make ends meet”, he tells me. “I wasdoing a lot of teaching alongside the quartetrehearsals and orchestral work, and of thewhole quartet I was the only one who was outthere playing as much clarinet as saxophone.One moment I would be playing guestprincipal clarinet, or Eb, or bass, or basset,and the next I would find myself in thesaxophone ‘hot seat’ playing works likeShostakovich’s Paradise Moscow (a social-realist opera set in a tower block, replete withmagic singing flowers and crooked officials),which has a virtuosic soprano part.”

It was in 2002 that Tim’s vibrato began tofalter. Vibrato, writ plain, is little more than afluctuation of pitch created by moving the jawup and down, but as a musical device it can bethe difference between the saxophone as apiece of plumbing, and the saxophone assecond only to the human voice in expressivepotential. “I could make the same sound Ialways had done, but day-by-day I lost theability to produce a controlled, uniformvibrato”, Tim recalls. “I still knew whatvibrato was, and what I wanted it to soundlike, and I even started analysing the physicalmovements that make it, but my body justwouldn’t do it.” Anybody who has ever had totake a penalty kick, or had the chance tomake a winning putt, will know what happenswhen you begin to think about things thathave always been second nature, and as suchTim’s problem only got worse. “I could justabout cover it in Apollo, because we werenever a group that used wide French vibrato,and it obviously wasn’t a prerequisite for theclarinet, but it was worrying me, and I wantedto know what was wrong.”

Tim attended a succession of clinicians,with doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors,and vocal coaches all pointing out hisexcessive muscular tension and poor posture,no doubt exacerbated by long hours in the

Musicians areoften moreattuned to theneeds of their carthan their ownwellbeing


car, the weight of clarinets and saxophoneson the arms and neck, and poor lifestyle. Butnone of them could find anything to explainhis embouchure travails. “I was convinced itwas a physical issue, but at this point whenthey couldn’t find anything I was starting tothink ‘Am I going mad?’” he recalls. “I washaving to lift my top teeth off the mouthpieceto compensate for my jaw coming up, so themouthpiece was starting to float around. Thismeant that things were becoming morenoticeable in terms of my general control ofthe soprano, particularly in Apollo.” Apollo’splanned year-long sabbatical of 2007 couldn’thave come at a better time.

Unfortunately musician’s dystonia does notimprove with rest, sufferers can retire fordecades but the symptoms will still manifestwhen they return to play, and despite Tim’sreduced workload, the problems continued toescalate. “A year later, I met up with Apolloand we agreed it was probably better if I leftthe group. At that point Apollo was a year anda half shy of its 25th anniversary. I’ddedicated 23 years of my life to the group, andleaving it wasn’t just a case of losing thatplaying work; Apollo was my musical identity.If it weren’t for Apollo I wouldn’t have beenwhere I was, because you get the respect andthe recognition and the exposure that comeswith the ensemble. When that crutch is goneyou feel very empty.”

Tim’s decision to leave Apollo wasrendered somewhat irrelevant when hissymptoms took a turn for the worse. “Thereal catalyst was a performance of music fromThe Threepenny Opera with the NorthernSinfonia at the Sage in Gateshead. I wasplaying lead alto, and during the rehearsal theconductor kept asking me for wider vibratoand more stylistic flair, but the more I triedthe more my jaw said no. I convinced myself itwould be OK, and I went away and sat in apractice room for the whole three-hour breakprior to the gig, but when nothing improved Ifound myself overwhelmed by a feeling oftotal despair. Then, halfway through the gig itwas like my embouchure had completelygone, and I was hanging on for dear life justto play the melody – forget the vibrato, justget through the gig. A month later I was inSadlers Wells and my career ground to acomplete halt. I couldn’t play.”

Tim now wonders whether there was anelement of hubris nemesis to his dystonia.“While I was freelancing in the build up tothe dystonia I was performing a lot, but therewas little time to practice, let alone take careof myself. Fortunately I’d always been a greatsight-reader, so I thought ‘It’ll be all right, I’lljust go in there and do what I do’. I justwonder if, by pulling my embouchure in allthese different directions with very littlefocused practice on any of the instruments, Iwas asking for trouble.” Added to this pot of

self-destruction was the physical duress ofleading Apollo, waving a soprano aroundwithout a sling (like many tall saxophonists,Tim finds a sling attached to a Selmer MarkVI soprano too restrictive). Whether or notthese were contributing factors, Tim was leftin a situation where he couldn’t put aninstrument near his face without his jawclamping shut, and where even drinking acup of tea or blowing on hot food couldtrigger his symptoms. “The one saving gracewas that I had finally been diagnosed withmusician’s dystonia by a very knowledgeablephysician at the charitable organisationBritish Association for Performance ArtsMedicine (BAPAM), so at least I could put aname to it. But at the time there didn’t appearto be any effective treatment available, orvery much knowledge of the condition, sothat’s where it was left.”

Few people identify with their work somuch as musicians. Whether you call it a job,a vocation, a calling, or a lifestyle, nothingcan prepare you to face forced retirementfrom performing. “When everything groundto a halt I cut the whole musical world off. Ifound it hard to be around another musicianbecause I felt like I’d lost everything thatmade me who I was.” It would have been easyfor Tim to slip into depression, but the drivethat had made him a great performer didn’tvanish with his ability to play an instrument.“Dystonia in musicians has become muchmore publicised within the last few years”,Tim tells me. “However, the support requiredis often overlooked. Behind most musicianswith dystonia, there will doubtless be a wife,partner or close family member who is livingand sharing the experience of despair withthe sufferer. In my case, my wife Rachel(Calaminus), herself a professional freelanceviolinist and violist, has experienced thejourney with me. Without her constantreminders that I ‘will play again’, and hernever-ending positivity, I wonder whether Iwould have got through it without giving in to

sticking my instruments on eBay. It has beenhard for her, she has had to put up with somuch, but it has been worth it.” Rachelsuggested that Tim get away from the musicworld for a while to clear his head. “I’vealways loved restoration work and all things‘practical’. I’d already taken a City and Guildscourse in plumbing a few years earlier, so Idecided to embark on some occupationaltherapy armed with a toolbox and anadjustable spanner! Once the word got out, Iwas working for half the musicians in SouthLondon – there must be at least a dozenbathrooms I’ve installed within this ratherexclusive community.”

Some people might argue that thesaxophone would serve equally well as aurinal as it is, subject to the application ofsolder, but others might find the careerswitch from musician to plumber hard toreconcile. Fortunately Tim has no qualmsabout the humorous side to his story. “I hadto do that as part of the process. I love doingthings, and I just wanted to get everything outof my system.” Of course, this was easier saidthan done when constantly confronted byghosts from his former life. “My lowest pointwas when I’d finished a very long dayworking for an orchestral musician friend,and I was just coming downstairs in myscruffs as he turned up with his felloworchestral clarinettists for a post-gig drink.”Being confronted by his ex-peers shockedTim back into action. “It cleared my head andmade me realise that I had to get back and tryplaying again, whatever it took.”

With the ubiquity of medical advice on theInternet it is now possible to unearthnumerous resources on musician’s dystonia,although as with all Internet dealings oneshould approach most of these with healthyscepticism. For one thing, it does not takelong to realise that there is something of a riftbetween members of the scientificcommunity, who will tell you that strictlyspeaking there is no cure, and the small butsignificant number of musicians who seem tohave recovered from the condition. Reportingon a recent medical conference in New York,James Oestreich observed that classicalguitarist David Leisner, a recovered dystoniasufferer, ‘electrified the proceedings with hischallenge to the [dystonia] researchfoundation’s claim on its website that “thereis no cure for dystonia at this time.’” Tim wasfortunate enough to fall on Joaquin Fabra,another musician who claims to have curedhimself and led many others to a cure; hiswebsite is adorned with ‘before and after’videos of musicians cured of dystonia.“Generous support from both The Musicians’Benevolent Fund and the Royal Society ofMusicians enabled me to spend five days withFabra in Madrid”, Tim tells me. “Most of thattime was spent talking to him about what was

MUSICIAN’S DYSTONIA: A SILENT PLAGUE

from the apolloSaxophone Quartetarchive


going on and the positive mental steps I couldtake. As far as he’s concerned, recovery is athought process – a way of undoing whatyou’ve learnt.” Fabra’s advice is not actuallyfar removed from the advice of manyneurological specialists, although they woulddoubtless consider his labelling of thecondition as ‘psychological’ and ‘emotional’problematic. His advice, however, gave Timthe hope he needed. “I remember the firstthing he said to me was that if I get through itI’d play better than I’d played before.”

Tim returned to the UK inspired to retrainhis dystonic embouchure, but this was easiersaid than done. “There were times when Icould almost catch myself off-guard, put themouthpiece in for a few seconds and justblow with ease, but then my jaw would clampshut. It was like looking at your little fingerand trying to bend it all the way to the back ofyour hand just by strength of will – you can’teven imagine being able to do that. In thesame way, I couldn’t imagine being able toplay without my jaw closing. The first step torecovery was getting over that disbelief.”

Tim tried every embouchure variation hecould, but temporary respite was the best hecould achieve. “It went on like that for twoyears”, he recalls. “I was looking at photos ofother players and trying to copy theirembouchures, but nothing worked and Ibecame completely obsessive over it. Duringmy career I’d had all this information aboutwhat an embouchure was, and now my braincouldn’t process any of it.”

Enter John Harle, a controversial figure inthe saxophone world, responsible for kick-starting the careers of some of Britain’s mostexciting soloists. When Tim and the rest ofApollo were in their final year at RNCM theystarted travelling to London for lessons withHarle, who was then taking the musicalestablishment by storm. “I started thinkingback to those first lessons with John, wherehe told us to forget everything we’d everlearnt”, Tim tells me. “He got us to just putthe mouthpiece in without forming anembouchure and blow as hard as possible.You make this huge, uncontrolled soundwhich looks after itself, and all you have tothink about is moving the fingers. It trainsyou to breathe and blow with a completesense of freedom, and once you can do that

without thinking you gradually step back andinvolve the embouchure and the tongue,building up the muscle to cope with theunprecedented volume of air you’re expelling.I think everybody deals with that process ofstepping back differently, and I began towonder if I’d got it all wrong.” Going back tothe exercises from that formative year was aseminal moment for Tim, who found thatalthough he couldn’t make a nice sound,when he didn’t worry about an embouchurehis jaw didn’t clamp shut. “I’d got into thisvicious cycle of thinking that the clarinet andsaxophone had taken me all that time to learnto play, so they must be really complicated.But they’re not. I’d been trying to make subtleadjustments to my embouchure when what Ineeded was to wipe the slate clean and startfrom scratch.”

The year of 1977 is often regarded as ablemish on pianist Glenn Gould’s otherwiseremarkable career, one in which his excessiveperfectionism led him to hide away from themusic industry. But there is a growing theoryamong neurologists that the arch-hypochondriac was actually suffering frommusician’s dystonia of the right hand. Closescrutiny of his diaries suggests that his year ofsilence was instead bustling with systematicattempts to overcome the worsening

condition. As Frank Wilson writes, ‘with hiscareer at stake and apparently convinced nodoctor could help him, [Gould] turned hisstudio into an experimental laboratory withhis own body as object of enquiry. For thenext year he used his eyes, his exquisitelytuned kinaesthetic sense, and hisimagination, to dismantle and scrutinizevirtually everything in his own posture andmovements that might bear in any way on hisplaying.’ Gould re-emerged to make hisdefining musical statement, his secondrecording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, andTim’s recovery is no less remarkable. “Aftermy epiphany I remember getting somerepertoire out, and just playing it all. I didn’tcare about the sound, and thankfully thefingers weren’t any worse for wear even afterthree years away from playing. I did this everysingle day, with a ridiculously soft reed, andslowly the sound started to develop, and Iwould hit on small things every week. But Icouldn’t get complacent, because each time Ilet myself think about forming anembouchure I’d revert back to what I’d learntto do and the jaw would spasm.” As Tim grewin confidence he realised that he really wasrebuilding an embouchure from scratch.“Everything felt completely alien, becauseevery muscle was in a slightly differentposition to where it was before. I unlearnt 30years of bad habits, and even now I look inthe mirror everyday when I play and think,Yes, this is better than yesterday.”

Perhaps the most remarkable thing aboutTim is that he feels lucky for having beengiven the opportunity to take a step backfrom a job that had lost its joy. “It’s very easyin the music industry to end up having toclaw for air and do stupid things just to breakeven. As musicians we need to keep ourselvesphysically and mentally fit, and not take ourabilities for granted. I never thought: ‘Hangon; something’s not working’, until it was toolate.”

The Apollo Saxophone Quartet has ofcourse moved on to an exciting new period inits history, with Carl Raven and JimFieldhouse joining Rob Buckland and AndyScott. Similarly, Tim is determined to take theApollo spirit into unchartered territory withhis new trio Trifarious. “During the period inwhich I couldn’t play and I was picking

Tim is determinedto take the Apollospirit intouncharteredterritory withTrifarious


Rachel up from concerts, or sitting at the backof the hall, I used to yearn to perform”, Timexplains. “I made myself a promise that whenI got through this we would play musictogether and we would go out and performnew music, including music written by thecomposers I’d worked with closely in thepast.” Tim and Rachel have been joined onpiano by Nadine André and he has made goodhis promise to commission new repertoire,starting with Andy Scott and BarbaraThompson. “Just before the dystonia kicked inI recorded and co-produced a CD for Andy,and we had a deal that he’d write me a piecein return. All the way through this he’s beensaying ‘Just let me know when’, and sureenough when the time came he wrote me afantastic trio called Stride.” Tim was moresheepish about getting back in touch withBarbara Thompson, whose struggles withParkinson’s disease, a condition with stronglinks to dystonia, are well documented, buther response was characteristically warm.“She was just so pleased to see me, and she’dalready written a piece for clarinet and pianocalled Russian Roulette; I just needed topersuade her to add a viola! It’s one of themost ferociously challenging pieces of music

I’ve ever seen, and when she sent me the partI said ‘Barbara, I’m going to play this for youone day’, with more confidence than I felt.”Before long, Barbara had expanded onRussian Roulette, turning it into a 20-minutefour-movement suite. “I have spent andcontinue to spend an awful lot of time withBarbara and her husband Jon (Hiseman).Their constant positivity has been a real tonicfor me, and to now have the chance toperform her music is a great privilege.”

Trifarious have now performed fiveconcerts, and are currently recording analbum for release in spring 2014 to coincidewith a national tour celebrating BarbaraThompson’s 70th birthday year. This willfeature a brand new 35-minute workcommissioned by the group for clarinet/bassclarinet, viola and piano.

Today Tim finally feels that he can see theend of the recovery process, and is enjoyingevery minute of his new lease of life. “It’staken four and a half years to get to this point,and now it’s just a case of continued musclebuilding and refining. I feel that I’m playing at80% of my full potential. I say 80% because Ithink that’s a healthy way to look at it,because recovery from dystonia should never

be taken for granted. It crept up on me beforeso what’s to stop it doing the same thingagain? Fabra was very wise when he told me,‘Never become complacent. Always keeplooking over your shoulder, just to be sure.’”

Dystonia is something of a silent plagueamong musicians, both in terms of the way itcreeps up on us, and in terms of the lack ofacknowledgement it receives. If as many astwo out of every one hundred musicianssuffer from the condition, thenconservatoires owe it to their students toeducate them about the risks and symptoms,because neurologists and musicians agree onat least one thing: the longer the symptoms goundiagnosed the more difficult it is to retrainand recover. We like to say that musicians are“athletes of the small muscles”, but if we areto take this analogy seriously then we aredecades behind our Olympic counterparts interms of both physical and mental wellbeing.Until we catch up we remain reliant oninspirational anecdotes such as Tim’s to guidecurrent and future sufferers to rehabilitation.

www.timredpath.co.ukwww.trifarious.com �

MUSICIAN’S DYSTONIA: A SILENT PLAGUE

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The score is made up of two parts, theinstruction page and a two page score. Themain issue with the 1974 published edition isthat the translation between the French andEnglish explanations of techniques andsymbols do not translate directly. Somedirections are left out completely, whilstothers suggest a different playing style. TheFrench directions are generally much morespecific than the English, which might be dueto Londeix’s advice. For example, theinstruction, ‘grow hazy tone’ in themanuscript has evolved to become ‘growhazy tone or Flatter’ in the Englishtranslation of the 1972 edition, but the Frenchinstruction is much longer: ‘Souffler surl’extrémité du bec, afin de faire clairemententendre le soufflé en même temps que lanote écrite ou Flattez’, which looselytranslates as ‘blow on the extremity of themouthpiece, in order to clearly hear thebreath at the same time as the written note oruse flutter tongue’. This instruction gives amuch more specific idea of the quality ofsound and the technique of the toneproduction desired. Such phrasing soundslike an instruction from a teacher, rather thana performance, and it is possible that theFrench instructions derive, in fact, fromLondeix. There is also a Japanese translationof the instructions which match the Englishtranslations and seem to be a publisher’saddition rather than part of the originalscore.

Some of the differences between theversions result in a quite different approach.In the 1972 unpublished manuscript, Nodarefers to a ‘moving tone’ and produces awaving line next to this phrase to illustratethe effect. In the published edition theinstructions only refer to vibrato. If theperformer only uses vibrato at this point,then the standard bending of the pitch bypulsating the bottom lip will create the effect.However, if the performer is looking to createa more extreme ‘moving tone’ technique theaddition of the bottom C key alongside theuse of vibrato can create a very differentresult. There are also some instructions in thehandwritten score which do not make it intothe published instruction sheet; however the

techniques do appear in the score. In themanuscript, Noda describes the repeatedgrace notes at the Vivo section as ‘Flushingtones’ and only stipulates that the grace noteshould be a middle C# by the fingering chart.However in the published edition the C# isnotated as a grace note.

There are differences on the actual scoretoo. Some are very minor, such as an addedrest to create a moment of complete silence atthe end of the first phrase, as well as a fewminor pitch changes in the Vivo sectionwhere in the manuscript Noda notatesvariations between chromatic patterns andrepeated notes. The biggest addition to thescore occurs towards the end of the piece.After the shrieking high C# at the end ofthe Vivo section, Noda changes theatmosphere entirely by adding smooth,lyrical lines which allows the performer toshow another side of his playing, culminating

in the bottom Bb. In the 1972 score thishappens over two fairly short phrases andfinishes on the low Bb with a forte dynamic,fermata and with the ‘moving tone’ line.However, in the manuscript this is developed,with Noda creating a rhythmic sequence andtherefore extending the entire piece.

The final part of the phrase ending on alow Bb has the marking rubato and indicatespianissimo dynamic but still includes themoving tone technique at the bottom. Inreference to the moving tone question markfrom before as to whether or not it refers todynamics or whether you should includeextra keys to get a more extreme result, Bbbeing at the very bottom of the altosaxophone range means there is no way toadd keywork to create a more extreme effectso you can only use the vibrato techniquehere.

Improvisation I is a mainstay of thecontemporary saxophonist’s repertoire, yet itis only generally known in its published form.A chance encounter whilst travelling allowedme to consult this manuscript draft and Ihave since approached the work’sperformance with fresh eyes. Study of thetwo sources allows any performance torecreate dialogue that took place betweenNoda and Londeix who were central to thecreation of the work.

Noda, R (1974). Improvisation I pourSaxophone Alto seul. Paris: Alphonse Leduc�

RYO NODA’SIMPROVISATION

ELLIE PARKER

Improvisation I by Ryo Noda has found its way neatly into standard alto saxophone repertoire.It gives saxophonists an introduction to extended techniques and unconventional scoreswithout being too harsh to an audience’s ears. Noda (b.1948) studied in Japan and the USAbefore moving to Conservatoire de Bordeaux to learn from Jean-Marie Londeix. When Nodapublished his collection of three improvisations in 1974 he dedicated them all to Londeix. Thepublication by Alphonse Leduc is the only edition available for purchase, however whilst I wasstudying at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels I was given an unpublished, handwritten scorewhich was sent by Noda to Londeix in 1972.


The interwar period is remembered assomething of a golden age for Britishmusicians, and if the novels of Evelyn Waugh,Anthony Powell, and P. G. Wodehouse are tobe believed, one could hardly set foot inLondon without being bombarded by dancebands, light orchestras, and popular songs.Many musicians played dinner music onstrings before switching over to saxophonesfor the dance, providing a welcome dose ofperspective to those of us who despair athaving to double on flute. Peter’s own fatherwas one such musician, and by the time Peterwas 13 their household boasted five violinsand two saxophones. Happily, he chose toplay the alto, and was soon studying with aWho’s Who of the London music scene. Oneof his first tutors was Leslie Evans, whosename will be familiar to many Clarinet andSaxophone Society members through hisDaily Practice Routines, which remain someof the most highly regarded resources of theirkind. He also took lessons from CharlesChapman, now only vaguely remembered asone of the great saxophone virtuosi of his day,and Michael Krein, who was almost solelyresponsible for establishing the saxophone

quartet in this country. Peter even formed aband with Robin Gardner, whose fatherFreddy, with his distinctive vibrato andmastery of the altissimo register, gave thePeter Yorke Concert Orchestra its evocativesound. With such a wide range of earlyinfluences it is hardly surprising that Peterwent on to make his name as something of asaxophonic lyrebird – capable of reproducingthe sounds of the great players of the first halfof the 20th century.

After a brief career as a conveyancing clerkPeter joined the band of the Scots Guards fora nine-year tour of duty during which hetoured Australasia and the Far East andperformed at Winston Churchill’s funeral – apoignant moment for a young man born atthe onset of World War II. For a musician ofthe period it was preferable to join up as aregular in one of the army bands rather thanto lose three years of one’s career to nationalservice. “I would have liked to study at aconservatoire”, Peter admits, “but this servedthe same function, and at least I got paid!” Hestarted on the inconspicuous third clarinet

chair, unaware that he was about to be thrustinto the limelight as the Band’s altosaxophonist. “That was how I learnt to sight-read”, he remembers somewhat ruefully;suddenly there was no hiding from the band’sformidable Director – a tyrannical lieutenantcolonel with no praise for anyone, and anunlikely soft spot for Jules Massenet, themuch vilified French melodist and championof the classical saxophone. The colonel’sfavourite piece was Scènes alsaciennes, in anarrangement which boasts a rather beautifulmelody for the alto saxophone. “Being in thearmy, he only knew how to shout”, Peterrecalls. “So when we came to my solo and hebarked ‘THAT’S BETTER!’ I knew I’d done allright. I’ve never been scared of a civilianconductor since!”

On demobilisation Peter joined the BertramMills International Circus on baritone andpiccolo, and was then invited to tour with theMichael Krein Saxophone Quartet. “At thattime I’d never played in a quartet, so it reallywas a baptism of fire”, he recalls. “NormanBarker, who was on baritone, picked me up,

WILLIAM UPTON

Back in 1957 when Peter Rippertook his first musical job, hewas paid just three pounds a

week. The music industry haschanged a lot since then (even thewages have improved a little) but thequalities required of a good multi-instrumentalist remain the same, andPeter is showing no sign of tiring ofhis work. I met him at the NationalTheatre where he will soon bedeputising in the on-stage band forLuigi Pirandello’s Liolà – a one-offgig, played from memory. This seemslike a lot of hard work for just oneshow, but is symptomatic of thededication that has made him one ofthe most popular and highly regardedall-rounders of the last 50 years.Above all I was struck by the amountof variety in his career, and couldn’thelp but wonder if he is part of adying breed of musician, born of theunique British music scene of the‘60s and ‘70s.

PETER RIPPER


and the first thing he said to me was: ‘Youknow what you’re doing, lad?’” Sadly, Kreinpassed away six months later, and the onlycommercially available recording of theensemble features Jack Brymer in his place.

In 1967 Peter joined Victor Silvester’sfamous ‘strict tempo’ dance band, whoserepertoire, and the inclusion of a solo violin,brought him back full circle to the popularmusic of the 1930s and ‘40s. Peter toured withSilvester for two years, until he became insuch demand as a session musician that itwas apparent that a life on the road was notfor him. After that, a typical month mightinclude a week with The Four Tops,Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition withthe Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra,deputising in West End shows, and sessionwork with the likes of Elmer Bernstein andJerry Goldsmith (more recently Peter can beheard playing bass saxophone on thesoundtrack to Harry Potter and the Prisonerof Azkaban). He also made his début with theBBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO), thenconducted by contemporary music giantPierre Boulez. “I can’t say I enjoyed the musicmuch, because it was all avant-garde”, herecalls of his time with the BBCSO, “but it wasa good challenge, and an inspiration to workwith Boulez, who was on another plane to usmere mortals. I can remember getting lostduring one rehearsal, and him just singing mypart over the top of this cacophony of sound”– a situation a more introspective musicianmight remember with less fondness.

In 1974 Peter was a member of theorchestra at the Palladium Theatre,accompanying the likes of Cliff Richard, whenhe was offered a job with the BBC RadioOrchestra (BBCRO), a job he accepted despitea considerable drop in pay. By way ofcompensation it offered both the opportunityto gain experience on the bass clarinet, andthe chance to play a bewilderingly wide rangeof styles during the orchestra’s seven weeklyrecording sessions. The line-up of the BBCROhad nine permutations, including what isknown today as the BBC Big Band. I met Petershortly after the announcement of major cutsto the Big Band’s scheduling, a matter onwhich opinion has been divided, with somecritics questioning whether the end of theband’s monopoly really is a blow to the BBC’smusical diversity. “I was very sad to hear thenews”, Peter tells me. “But were the BBC touse a range of other live big bands I wouldapplaud the change. Unfortunately I thinkthey intend to use recorded music, and I

believe strongly that we should keep musiclive. The BBC doesn’t appreciate the livemusic scene at all.” Certainly it is sobering tocompare the staid reaction to these cuts withthe mass uproar that met the Big Band’sproposed disbandment in 1994. “I think that’sdue to the diminished profile of big bandmusic in general”, Peter tells me. “Clare Tealis doing a great job on her show on Radio 2,but audiences are starved of what they wantto hear. The problem is that they don’t knowthey want to hear it, but when they do theylike it.”

Shortly after joining the BBCRO, Peter wasinvited to join the London SaxophoneQuartet (LSQ), led by Paul Harvey, which tosome extent inherited the mantle of MichaelKrein’s ensemble. Alongside their work as achamber ensemble, LSQ were a regularfeature in the thriving recording industry ofthe ‘70s and ‘80s, where they were oftenbooked as a section. “That time in the musicbusiness was good, there’s no doubt about it,”Peter tells me. “There was always somewhereto go and someone to book you; you’d look inthe diary and all you’d have written was ‘EMIStudios 10-5’, not who it was with or what itwas, because you just turned up and did itand that was that.” On one memorablesession, Peter was booked to record BernardHerrmann’s original, unused score for AlfredHitchcock’s Torn Curtain. Peter was one offour bass flutes, and when he turned up 15minutes before the first take, he found thatthe other flautists had already ensconcedthemselves on the second, third, and fourthchairs, leaving the exposed first part to him.“The joke was on them, however, becausethey had to grovel around at the bottom ofthe instrument, trying to get low Cs to sound,while I didn’t have anything below an F”, helaughs. Such a culture, in which one had noidea what one might be up against each day inthe studio, demanded the highest standardsof stylistic awareness, sight-reading ability,and general musicianship; arguably,musicians like Peter were victims of theirown success, expected to be equallyproficient in a vast range of styles and on theentire range of flutes, clarinets andsaxophones, a legacy we all have to live up to.

When Peter left the BBCRO in 1979 he wentback to freelancing, and took up a teachingjob at Eton College, where his students haveproved more likely to end up in Parliamentthan the West End. “I say to my boys whenthey start, ‘I’d like you to leave here with agood grade eight and to be able to find yourway around a 12-bar blues and a fewstandards’. But I’m not sure a parent who’sspent all that money on education will wantthem to go into the music industry.” One canonly hope that Peter is sometimes successfulin instilling a love of music into our futureleaders.

Alongside his teaching work, Peter startedtaking on longer runs in West End shows,joining the orchestra for Bob Fosse’s Dancin’.The highlight of that show was a note-for-note rendition of Benny Goodman’slegendary 1938 Carnegie Hall performance ofSing, Sing, Sing, with Peter cast as Goodman.“We had to do it on stage from memory, andthe dancing was completely choreographedto the music”, says Peter, “so there was noroom for error. At the end of the soloGoodman hits a very long top B, and thensqueaks up to a D. Fortunately I got it everytime, and we did 96 shows!” His next showwas Starlight Express. “The fixer came induring one of the first rehearsals and said:‘You know what, this show could run for fiveyears’. It did 17-and-a-half!”

Given Peter’s penchant for variety, 17-and-a-half years might seem a long time tocommit to playing the same music everynight, but in the 1980s restrictions on thenumber of deputies allowed in pit orchestraswere not as strict as today. Understandably,musical directors and fixers want to have thebest possible band every night, and thismeans having as many of your regular playersin the pit as possible. Unfortunately, this canbe frustrating for musicians who need thesecurity of a regular gig, but have otherprojects they want to pursue. “Back then, ifyou wanted to put in a ‘dep’, you just rang thefixer and said ‘I’m not coming in next weekbecause I’ve got such and such to do’, andthey said ‘fine’”, says Peter. “It gave you achance to keep all your plates spinning, andwhen you’re playing the same music weekafter week your playing starts to deteriorate.It’s easy for me to say, because I don’t have amortgage and the kids have flown the nest,but I wouldn’t take a show with therestrictions imposed by fixers today. They’rebad for the incumbent, and bad for the poolof excellent freelancers who need the work.”

The first thing hesaid to me was:“You know whatyou are doing,lad?”

PETER RIPPER


In 1993 Peter was a founder member ofPete Long’s Echoes of Ellington Orchestra,and features prominently on Jubilee Stompfrom their live CD Rockin’ in Ronnie’s, wherehe reels back the years with a charming soloon the awkward C melody saxophone, whichat the time had all but vanished from the jazzlandscape (the instrument is currentlyundergoing a minor revival). Echoes ofEllington prides itself on its stylistic fidelityto the Duke Ellington ensemble of the 1930sand ‘40s, which featured such distinctiveinstrumental voices as Harry Carney, JohnnyHodges, and Cootie Williams. Peter was anobvious choice for such a band, given hischameleon-like ability to mimic such players.“Being a fixer is about finding round pegs forround holes”, he tells me. “Pete Long is one ofmy favourite people to work with because heknows what his musicians can do and hegives them the space in which to do it.”

Finding the right players for the right gig,however, is rarely as black and white as itmight seem, as the members of Saxpak,another of Peter’s ensembles, featuring all thesaxophones from sopranino to bass, willattest. “Quite often a fixer for orchestralworks by the likes Leonard Bernstein andGeorge Gershwin will book a jazzer in thesection, and the classical players will all ask‘Why?’” says Peter. “But it can just give youthat extra vibrancy”. In 1986, Sir Simon Rattleconducted the London Sinfonietta in a

programme that called for seven saxophones,and the musicians were drawn from theworlds of contemporary jazz, the West End,world music, and of course the classicalscene. The resulting sound was so good thatthey formed Saxpak, with a repertoire drawnfrom Ted White’s unusual septetarrangements of classical overtures, jazzstandards, and film music. “We openedHeathrow’s Terminal 5”, he recalls, “andduring the sound check we played TheDambusters Theme. Somebody came runningover with a message telling us we riskedoffending somebody with that tune, so weplayed the theme from 633 Squadroninstead!”

Since 1998 Peter has been involved heavilywith music in his local community, foundingthe remarkably prolific Maidenhead ConcertBand with the help of his daughter (hisbrother, John, is also a professionalsaxophonist, operating in the Malvern area).The group performs a unique repertoire ofarrangements by Alan Gout and Ted White ofSaxpak fame, and Peter is excited by thegroup’s success and individuality, citing hiswork with adult learners as some of his mostsatisfying to date. “We’ve played our ownarrangement of Rhapsody in Blue twice now,”he enthuses, “and when you think aboutGershwin’s original scoring, the strings werecompletely ineffectual, so you might as welldo it with a wind band.” When he gets a

younger student who wants to enter theprofession, he tells them that they have to beable to double, rather than dabble, onclarinet and flute. “Whatever instrumentyou’re playing you must treat it like it’s yourprincipal”, he tells me. “Even if you’re asaxophonist, when you play the flute youhave to approach it like you’re a classicalflautist, or you’re going to stand out.” (Peter’sadvice brings to mind a lesson I had with atutor from Versailles who suggested I doseven hours saxophone practice per day;when I pointed out I also played the clarinethe said, “OK, seven hours on each!”) Peter’sadvice is rather less extreme. “As long asyou’ve got the right set-up on the saxophone,and you do your harmonic series each day,the instrument looks after itself”, he tells me.“The clarinet and the flute, however, aren’t soforgiving!”

As the interview closes, Peter tells me thathe’s going to be running through the musicfor Liolà in his head on the train journeyhome. His tireless dedication brings to mindthe words of the great cellist Pablo Casals,who enjoyed a career spanning over 76 years.“I don’t believe in retirement for anyone inmy type of work”, he wrote. “Not while thespirit remains.” There can be no doubt thateven as Peter approaches his sixth decade asa professional musician there is no chance ofhis enthusiasm for music running out anytime soon. �

WILLIAM UPTON - PETER RIPPER


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Winter 2013 Clarinet & Saxophone 25Winter 2013 Clarinet & Saxophone 25

Ifirst heard of Aurélie Tropez via my friendthe outstanding clarinettist James Evans.James is to be seen in many clips on

YouTube. In several of these he appears in jazzclarinet duets with Tropez, where the twoplayers play superb swing clarinet together. Alink to their performance of I Got Rhythm(complete with a final super C from James) isgiven at the foot of this page. Naturally enough,through James Evans I made contact withAurélie. The following interview was originallyconducted in French, by email. “My husband, Stéphane Gillot, is a

saxophonist. He leads the Red HotReedwarmers (www.reedwarmers.com). I metStéphane during a jazz festival in Burgundy in2003, where he was performing with a band. Iwas there with The Jazzticots, my familyorchestra. Since we had similar feelings aboutmusic, we decided to build a band together.That began the Red Hot Reedwarmers. Little bylittle, something other than music developedbetween us. We became parents in 2010, andgot married last year.”

Now, Tropez lives in suburban Paris, atNoisy-le-Grand. “I began to play the clarinet atthe age of eight, when I lived in a small village.A school of music opened, where the onlyprofessor played the clarinet. Therefore, Iplayed the clarinet!

“As far as I can recall, the first player I heardwas Benny Goodman, but I don’t rememberspecifically. I listened to what my parentslistened to, without asking any questions. Mymusical tastes are divided into two categories.My favourite musicians whom I can listen to onrecord and those who I can hear and see live.

“I am too young to have seen any of the jazzmasters in action. I appreciate them, but onlyknow their playing by proxy from records,which distorts the feeling a little. Naturally,therefore, I find compensation in listening tomembers of my entourage. They have becomereferences for me.” Tropez lists her favouriteclarinettists as Benny Goodman, Buddy deFranco, Edmond Hall, Kenny Davern, BusterBailey and Omer Siméon. Nearer home, herfavourite clarinettists include EvanChristopher, Matthias Seuffert, Jean-FrançoisBonnel and Alain Marque.

“In jazz generally, there are too many namesto mention,” she says, “But they include RubyBraff, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, CountBasie, Pat Metheny, Billie Holiday, Lester Young,Paul Desmond, Coleman Hawkins, OscarPeterson, Stan Getz, Errol Garner, and manyothers. Because I have such a huge admirationfor them I would also include: JérômeEtcheberry (trumpet), Philippe Milanta (piano),Nicolas Montier, Nicolas Dary and André

Villéger (saxophones), Stan Laferrière (piano,guitar, voice, arranger and drums), SpatsLangham (banjo and voice) and Nick Ward(drums). In classical music I must mentionromantic and post-romantic musicians such asChopin, Satie, Beethoven, Debussy, Stravinsky,Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.”

Tropez didn’t learn to play the piano whenyoung, so she tried to learn it four years ago.“But I didn’t have enough time,” she says.“Since I’ve had my baby it has become difficultto find time to do anything else!” Tropezlearned to play the clarinet from the age ofeight, with a teacher in a small music school.“But he wasn’t a good teacher,” she says. “ThenI started to learn classical saxophone at theconservatory in Nice. I won awards forsaxophone and chamber music. At the sametime I continued to play clarinet in jazzorchestras, as I took the course.

“I resumed the study of jazz clarinet studiesin Aix-en-Provence with Jean-François Bonnell.He opened my ears, and helped me to discoverthe pleasure of listening. He also helped me todiscover great jazz solos. In turn, this pushedme to become a professional musician!

“I then studied with Nicolas Dary in Paris,who made me work at harmony. Now, I canimprovise on a piece without hearing itpreviously. Following on I took a few courseswith André Villéger. He also made me work atharmony, learning tunes and developing myclarinet sound.”

Do you ever take consultation lessonstoday? “No. I stopped during my pregnancy. Mylife as a young mother, and as a professionalmusician, left me no time to study.”

Did you become a professional musician

straight from school? “I earned some of myliving by playing the clarinet from the age of20, but I became really professional at the ageof 25 years.”

Do you (or have you ever) transcribed greatjazz solos from records? “Yes. I did it a lot.When I have time I still do it, and I love it.”

Have you ever studied the classical clarinetrepertoire - Weber, Mozart, Poulenc,Milhaud, etc.? “No, never, I only studiedclassical saxophone repertoire.”

What do you like most about playingprofessionally? “Playing professionally hashelped me, in that I play regularly withwonderful artists. It’s a huge pleasure to sharemy passion with talented musicians. I alsomuch appreciate meeting and creating linkswith people across the world. To be able to liveone’s passion is great good luck!”

Is there any aspect of playing professionallythat you dislike? That is, apart fromtiresome Englishmen trying to interviewyou! “This interview is funny. I like it!Sometimes to earn a living and to feed hisfamily, a musician should not be expected toplay in poor conditions for people who do notheed his music, I don’t like that. This job callsfor years of personal work. During our entirelives, almost daily the working hours are long.Some people see only the fun side. Such lack ofrespect hurts me deeply. There is also thedarker side of touring. I constantly have asuitcase at home, ready to travel. Sometimes Ifeel as though I’m living out of a suitcase.”

Have you any plans to come to the UK? “Notfor the moment.”

Do you have, or plan to have, a website ofyour own? “Yes, I’m creating my own site. It’llbe ready before the summer.”

Equipment: I play a Selmer Recital clarinet,with a Vandoren 5JB mouthpiece and VandorenV12 reeds, strength three.

Discography : Jazzticots, Static Strut (2000), High Fever (2006)red Hot reedwarmers, King Joe (2005), Apex Blues(2007), Stomp off recordsKirby Memory, Pastel Blue (2006)Pink turtle, Pop In Swing (2007), Á la mode (2012)Laurent Mignard Duke orchestra, Duke Ellington isalive (2009)(Grand prix du Hot club de france),Ellington French Touch (2012)(columbia/ Sony Music)china Moses and raphael Lemonier, This One’s ForDinah (2009)Stan Laferrière, To My Guitar Heroes (2009)Laurent Mignard Duke orchestra Swingberries, Laughing At Life(2012)

Future CD issues:“I recorded a CD with one of my bands, theSwingberries, in April. Then I plan to record asecond CD with “Djangobop”, Stan Laferrière’sband, in September.”Video:www.youtube.com/watch?v=z42A-r5-aNI&feature=relatedwww.jamesevansjazz.co.uk �

AURELIE TROPEZ

JOHN ROBERT BROWN

This transcription is forintermediate/advanced players and it iswritten, of course, for a Bb instrument. Thekey in which the tune is performed on therecording is different from the one that can befound on some ‘real books’ or ‘jazz fakebooks’, it is in D instead of C. Changing thekey of a tune is common practice in jazzmusic and it can happen for a variety ofreasons. Besides the obvious ones (e.g.playing the tune in a more comfortable key,that probably would not apply to thisparticular case), one of the main reasons is tofind a key that either suits the style of theplayer or his tone, as some tunes may soundtoo high (and therefore too bright) or too low,or can be interpreted better in a key thatgives, for example, the chance to playdifferent sections of the tune in a differentregister of the instrument. In the specific caseof an album like the above with many tunesin keys with one or two flats/sharps only, thechange of key would serve the purpose ofavoiding playing always in the same keys.

We can start our analysis with the use (orbetter the lack of it) of the glissando. Whatwas once a great weapon of clarinettists (andsaxophonists like Johnny Hodges) of the past,it is, in this solo, definitely absent. The (jazz)clarinet excursus has seen the techniquesused developing during the years fromplayers like Sidney Bechet (whose glissandoand, most of all, vibrato was renowned allaround the world) via Woody Herman andBenny Goodman and passed through playerslike Buddy DeFranco and Jimmy Giuffre andsees Daniels as a logical continuation. Onecan notice a clear idea behind many ofDaniels’s solos, not only those on albums likeBreakthrough that critics would categorise as‘third stream’ and therefore it would justifythe absence of techniques associated withHot Jazz, Dixieland, etc. Reducing what feelsalmost like an abuse (more than a use) of theglissando and the vibrato (so dear to playerslike Sidney Bechet and clarinettists of theswing era), playing with a more focused, purertone with the right dosage of vibrato onlywhen needed, replacing the glissando with a

chromatic scale (as on this solo too),exploiting the whole extension of theinstrument without limiting oneself to theregister with the speaker key, emphasisingthe whole dynamic range of the instrument,would give the instrumentalist the chance toface the whole of the 20th century andcontemporary repertoire (includingStockhausen, Berio and contemporaryimprovised music) with a technique that ismore suited for the music of today. In otherwords, instead of remaining stuck with thejazz styles of more than a century ago, aclarinettist can either embrace the post-modernist movement or overcome the latterand become equipped to be a 21st centurymusician. As better expressed by theintellectual Umberto Eco:

‘…(a) postmodernist author neither merelyrepudiates nor merely imitates either his 20thcentury modernist parents or his 19thcentury post-modernist grandparents, he hasthe first half of our century behind his backbut not as a burden on his shoulders’i.

Paraphrasing his comments on post-modernism, we could say that a musician ofthe 21st century could be someone who‘neither repudiates nor imitates either hismodernist or post-modernist parents and hasthe music of the past centuries behind hisback but not as a burden on his shoulders’.

For most of the solo, Daniels stays withinan octave and a half, hardly going under the Bon the third line. This is one of the mainissues encountered on clarinet solos on up-tempos or in situations where the instrumentis somehow out-powered by otherinstruments (e.g. in a big band or a loudrhythm section). Therefore the chance toexplore and emphasise darker tones and/orthe lower register is quite limited forcing theplayer to stay on a brighter and louderregister of the clarinet which may turn out tobe, in the long run, counterproductive oreven monotonous. This point can also berelated to the idea of the clarinet excursus wementioned earlier. The repertoire related tothe Western-European tradition has wiselyused two great features of the clarinet: an

extension almost unparallelled by any otherwind instrument; the dynamic range of theinstrument itself is capable of going from apianissimo that can be barely heard to afortissimo that can fill a concert hall with aquickness that is, again, almost unparallelledby other instruments (not only woodwinds).The absence of these two characteristics(along with the others mentioned earlier) notonly forces the player to a short solo (in thiscase only two choruses), but prevents himfrom achieving the aesthetic goals of post-modernism as there is no ‘ironic and innocentrevision of the earlier styles’ (as suggested byEco, op. cit.).

The chord progression of this track is akind of rhythm change in the A section whereD is mainly meant as a D7, the original chordprogression is then played on the B Section.The rhythm change (along with the bluesform) is the bread and butter of any jazzplayer and this arrangement serves thepurpose of ‘personalising’ the tune in a wayand works well at this speed as many jazzvirtuosos do play the rhythm change at aquite fast tempo. Many jazz instrumentalistswould also play the rhythm change in C,which gives another good reason forchanging the key of the piece. As oftenhappens, such a tempo forces players(including Daniels) to an approach that ismainly diatonic with some intervals of a thirdhere and there, mainly part of arpeggios. Onsome sections, though, like the B section ofthe first chorus, he uses a chromatic passageand on bars 9-12 the chords |D7 EbMaj | G7 |Cmin7 GMaj7 | D D7 | maybe intended assuperimposed material by the melodist, as onbars 33-36 the chords | D | Cmin7 | D7 G | E7A7| can also be intended as superimpositions.

Note how he begins and ends the solousing the pentatonic scale built on the mainkey. This may serve the purpose of buildingup the solo using scales with fewer notes atthe beginning and then take the solo up withscales of seven and eight notes, playing thepassages with more pitches before drying thesolo up and fading it out. It also serves thepurpose of compensating the more dissonantmaterial that a soloist may play introducingmore consonant material to release thetension. It is exactly this ‘tension and releasebasis’ that the saxophonist and educatorDavid Liebman so eloquently explains(Liebman, 1991:13) that is part of not onlyevery great solo (and a distinctive feature of amature improviser), but, in wider terms, of agreat work of art.

It is worth noting how he strictly adheres tothe diminished arpeggio on bar 17-20 and

LUCA LUCIANO DISCUSSES HIS TRANSCRIPTION OF

SPECIAL DELIVERYEddie Daniels, one of the most appreciated clarinettists in the world,

performs Benny Goodman’s tune Air Mail Special. This solo has beentranscribed from a track included in the album Benny Rides Again, co-

produced with the vibraphone player Gary Burton, as a keen homage to BennyGoodman and Lionel Hampton. Many clarinettists, not only jazz ones, havebeen studying Daniels’s style as a fine combination of focus, mastery of theinstrument, a touch typical of a classical instrumentalist and the instinct,creativity and drive, typical of an inspired improviser. This solo will notdisappoint his fans.



SPECIAL DELIVERY

again in bars 49-51. It would also raise thequestion as to why he chooses to do so. Mostprobably it serves the purpose ofcompensating the A section (where he mainlyplays diatonic material) and the use ofdissonances on bars 52-54 where heemphasises the major seventh on diminishedseventh chords. Classically trainedclarinettists may notice how this material hasbeen widely used in this fashion (i.e. in theform of a diminished arpeggio with orwithout jumps of a third) in compositions forclarinet by Mozart and Weber, just tomention but two. This can also be connectedto the excursus we were mentioning earlier(and somehow extend it in order toaccommodate theimprovisers/instrumentalists of 18th and 19thcenturies) as the original scores of bothMozart’s and Weber’s concertos demonstratehow much the clarinet virtuosos of thosedays added in terms of cadenzas,embellishments, articulations, etc. Thosewho have a deeper knowledge of jazz andclassical music know very well that manytalented musicians of the past (Mozart,Domenico Scarlatti, Paganini, Chopin, etc)were all-round musicians and, of course,excellent improvisers. So it is only naturalthat musicians like Woody Herman andBenny Goodman (generally categorised asjazz players) not only were involved withclassical music, but also commissioned (andpremiered) compositions written byStravinsky, Copland, Poulenc that are nowpart of the repertoire of many classicalvirtuosos all around the world, just asinstrumentalists like Daniels are excellentclassical players themselves (see the albumwith the Trio di Clarone) and have premierednew compositions too. It is interesting whatin fact Copland himself has to say about thecadenza on his clarinet concerto (written forGoodman) and how he ‘felt there was enoughroom for interpretation even when

everything is written out’ii. Many jazzeducators, like Liebman (Liebman, 1991:63),concur that composing is nothing more than‘improvisation slowed down’ and therefore itis only natural that the sameharmonic/melodic material used in the so-called classical music is also used in the so-called jazz music as it belongs to musicregardless of the label that critics,aestheticians or scholars have put on thatspecific kind of music.

Another typical approach to jazzimprovisation is used here with great masteryby a consummate player like Daniels: the useof a minor third (the so-called blue note)during the last eight bars of the first chorus.The blues scale is another important part ofthe jazz and blues tradition and even bopperslike Parker (and this solo is definitely a bopsolo) used it with great mastery and neverabandoned it. Daniels emphasises even morethe blues scale in bars 45-48 where also aflattened fifth is present. Musicians andeducators like Liebman (Liebman, 1991:11) seein the blue note (as the superimposition of aminor third over a chord that actuallyincludes a major third) the beginning of aprocess (within the so-called jazz music) thatwill develop over the years and will lead tomore chromatic clashes, more ambitioussuperimpositions, stronger dissonances and,eventually, to what Schoenberg defined as the‘emancipation of the dissonance’iii. It wasactually thanks to the Bebop movement thatthe chromatic clashes used on the blues scalewere conceptualised as part of an upperstructured chord. That explains why on thistranscription the dominant seven chords,even when clearly altered by the players, arestill written without specifying thealterations.

In conclusion, what I think this solo reallyshows, and therefore the lesson that can belearnt from it, is the great equilibrium thatEddie Daniels has in his playing. It isremarkable how he is able to keep theinstrument always under control, play withsuch a focus (above all on the tone) withoutholding back on his creativity and instinct.Not only has he the ability of playing withsuch a drive and energy without losing thefocus, but, as shown by our harmonic andmelodic analysis, he shows the ability ofbalancing so well the material he uses withattention to the tension-release-basis in ‘realtime’ and therefore produces a solo thatmakes the listener want to ask for more. �

References

Berger, arthur, Aaron Copland (new york:oxford University Press, 1953)Berio, Luciano, Sequenza IXa for clarinet(Universal edition, 1980)Berio, Luciano, Lied per Clarinetto Solo(Universal edition, 1983)copland, aaron, Concerto for Clarinet and StringOrchestra with Harp and Piano (Boosey &Hawkes Ltd 1950)Goodman, Benny; christian, charlie; Mundy,James Air Mail Special (regent Musiccorporation, 1941)Liebman, David, A Chromatic Approach to JazzHarmony and Melody (advance Music, 1991)Mozart, Wolfgang amadeus Clarinet Concerto K.622 (Boosey & Hawkes Ltd, 1946)Poulenc, francis, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano(chester Music 1963)Schoenberg, arnold, 1926 essay Opinion orInsight?Stravinsky, igor, Ebony Concerto (Boosey &Hawkes 1945)Stockhausen, Karlheinz, In Freundschaft forclarinet (1977)Weber, carl Maria, Clarinet Concerto no.1 op.73(edition Breitkopf 1940)Weber, carl Maria, Clarinet Concerto no.2 op.74(G. Henle Verlag, 2003)Various authors, The Ultimate Jazz Fake Book(Hal Leonard Publishing corporation, 1988)

Discography

Benny Rides Again, eddie Daniels & Gary Burton(GrP records, 1992)Blues for Sabine, Sabine Meyer & eddie Daniels(eMi, 1995) Breakthrough, eddie Daniels with thePhilharmonia orchestra (GrP records, 1990)Flight, Bremen 1961, Jimmy Giuffre trio (Hat art,1992)Hark , Buddy Defranco meets the oscarPeterson Quartet (Pablo records 1985)

i Umberto eco, Postmodernism, Irony, theEnjoyable, reflections on the name of the rose,1983, trans. 1984

ii arthur Berger, Aaron Copland (new york:oxford University Press, 1953)

iii arnold Schoenberg’s 1926 essay Opinion orInsight?

Eddie Daniels’ clarinetsolo on Air Mail Special

Talented musiciansof the past wereall-round musiciansand, of course,excellentimprovisers


LUCA LUCIANO’S TRANSCRIPTION OF

SPECIAL DELIVERY


SPECIAL DELIVERY Eddie Daniels’s clarinet solo on Air Mail Special


Every completely correct answer is worthtwo points.

1 in response to a work composed in1938, which australian composer wasthanked by a government, whichawarded him with an annual free barrelof rum; and what was the work called?

2 Which group’s museum in Stockholmopened in 2013?

3 What is the word that describes arecurring musical phrase or theme,used to denote a person, thing orabstract idea, which was raised tohighly complex form by Wagner?

4 What was the song that took terryWogan to no 2 in the UK Singles chartin 1977?

5 Who composed the original music forDr Who, and who (from the BBcradiophonic Workshop) realised thescore?

6 in the opening scene of oscar Wilde’splay The Importance of Being Earnestwhat instrument is heard from anadjoining room? and which character isplaying it?

7 What is the full title of a six part BBc2series, which started on 26th January2013?

8 What is the term for the technique usedby wind players, to produce acontinuous sound, withoutinterruption?

9 Which comedian/conductor/pianist wasknown as ‘the clown Prince ofDenmark’, and ‘the Great Dane’?

10 in May 2013 a musical instrument wasdeclared as ‘genuine beyondreasonable doubt’ after a ct scan. Whatwas the instrument, to whom had itbelonged, and what was its owner’sfinal professional position?

11 Who conducted the Last night of theProms (2013), and which piece by

Benjamin Britten received a rareperformance?

12 Which prolific composer held the postof Vienna court Kappellmeister untilhis death in 1831, and is now bestknown for his wind music?

13 What was the combined age of therolling Stones on 29th June 2013, theday they performed at Glastonbury?(answer in years and days, e.g. ‘988years, 43 days’. answers within 5 dayswill be accepted as correct.)

14 Which indian musician worked withyehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli,and George Harrison; and what was hisinstrument?

15 What is the name of the Muppets houseband, and who plays a) sax; b) leadguitar; c) drums?

16 Why is the plant Arundo donax soimportant to members of the clarinetand Saxophone Society?

17 originally denounced by Henri Quittardin Le Figaro as ‘a laborious and puerilebarbarity’, which work’s (composer andtitle) centenary was internationallycelebrated in May 2013?

18 Who won Best actor in a Musical, andBest actress in a Musical in the olivierawards 2013; what was the show, andwho was it by?

19 What is the full title of the exhibition atthe Victoria and albert Museum 23rdMarch – 11th august 2013, which was aretrospective of the career of amusician/singer-songwriter, actor andarranger?

20 Who wrote the music for A Chorus Line?

21 What links an eighteenth centuryMaster of the King’s Musick with asmall sweet pastry filled with currants?

22 What radio 4 comedy panel show,hosted by nicholas Parsons, haschopin’s opus 64, no. 1 as its theme

music?

23 Which multiple Grammy-winningsinger songwriter provided backingvocals on tom Jones’ recording ofDelilah in 1968?

24 How old was J. S. Bach on the day thatG. f. Handel was born, and how old wasD. Scarlatti on the day the J. S. Bachwas born? (answers within 3 days willbe accepted as correct.)

25 Who is the sax player on the 1978recording of Baker Street, and whowrote the song?

26 in the King James Bible, Samuel 1,chapter 10, which instruments arelisted with ‘a company of prophetscoming down from the high place’?

27 Whose Stradivarius violin wasrecovered in July 2013, having beenstolen in 2010, the name of the café,and the nearby railway station, where itwas stolen?

28 What is the name of the quiz onweekday mornings on radio 2,normally presented by Ken Bruce?

29 What links the player of Cavatina, inthe film The Deer Hunter, and thecomposer of the music for Star Wars?

30 Which film/opera director, whoreceived an honorary knighthood in2004, directed the royal opera Houseproduction of Tosca, with Maria callasand tito Gobbi?

31 How many Gymnopédies did eric Satiecompose?

32 What wind instrument raised healthand safety concerns, and a demand foran outright ban, after a sports event in2010, and what was the sports event?

33 Who presents a weekly jazz programmeon radio 3, and for 20 years alsopresented Jazz Record Requests?

34 Which english indie rock band’s name is

CAROLINE FRANKLYN’S

Win a box of Vandoren reeds of your choice and a Vandoren Reed Resurfacer

a play on the title of a 1908 handbookfor boys?

35 Polish bread or Polish composer? a) Babkab) Kofflerc) Sikorad) chleb

36 Where is fingal’s cave, from what typeof rock is it formed and in what year didfelix Mendelssohn visit it?

37 What are the terms for:a) the ability to remember the pitch ofany noteb) the ability to pitch a note correctly, ata certain interval above or belowanother note.

38 What plucked string instrument’s namecan be translated as ‘jumping flea’?

39 Whose clarinet sonata wascommissioned by Benny Goodman,dedicated to arthur Honegger, and waspremiered by Benny Goodman andLeonard Bernstein, three months afterthe composer’s death?

40 Which key is the relative major of thesupertonic minor of the subdominant ofthe relative minor of the dominant ofthe flattened leading note of c major?

41 Which of Shostakovich’s 15 symphoniesdid he describe as ‘an artist’s creativeresponse to just criticism’, and in whatyear was it premiered?

42 What is the title of the piece by Johnadams, for clarinet and chamberensemble, which was premiered at theQueen elizabeth Hall on 19th october1996?

43 What facially follicular characteristicdo the guitarist and lead vocalistmembers of ZZ top share, and what isthe surname of the drummer?

44 What do the terms Zauberflöte, contraViolone, Bombarde, Vox Humana, havein common?

45 Who said ‘Without music, life would bea mistake’?

46 Which dance was considered sodisreputable and suggestive that it wasbanned in 1583 in Spain, but survivedinto the Baroque era to become a slowprocessional dance?

47 Which composer, who wrote the musicfor the films Far From the MaddingCrowd and Murder on the OrientExpress, died on christmas eve 2012 innew york; and in which english townwas he born?

48 in 1962 the clarinettist acker Bilkcomposed a piece called ‘Jenny’ namedafter his new-born daughter. the piecethen became the title track of a newalbum, but with the title changed – towhat?

49 What links a) an irish group formed in 1969b) norman Quentin cookc) a jazz pianist and composer born in1904d) american singer (1923-2013) famousfor his yodelling abilities, and threeoctave falsetto range?

50 Who was the american jazz multi-instrumentalist (tenor sax, flute,stritch, manzello, nose flute, coranglais) who was renowned for hisability to play several instruments atthe same time? �


To enter: fill in this form (or photocopy) and send it with the answers tocompetition, clarinet & Saxophone, fron, Llansadwrn, Menai Bridge, LL595SL by January 31st.

the first correct entry drawn will win the prize. answers and the winner’sname will be published in the Spring 2014 issue of Clarinet & Saxophone.

name

address

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JULIAN MARC STRINGLE

KENNETH MORRIS’S PEN PORTRAITS OF MASTER CLARINETTISTS

as any music promoter or agent who hasstudied the subject will know, marketing is thetechnique of ‘profitably putting bums on (allavailable) seats’ and that the most potentweapon in his or her armoury is to make theirartist stand out from the competition in anappealing way. in the distinctly unglamorousworld of marketing physical products thisweapon is called ‘differentiation’ and is a toolequally applicable to performing artistes.fortunately the subject of this article hasdifferentiation in spades!


Aworld-class clarinettist, extremelycompetent saxophonist (tenor andalto), band-leader and therefore also

a fixer (of which more later), composer,arranger, singer, performer in a host ofgenres – and, but I haven’t actually asked, hecan probably dance. Add to this an attractivestage presence and an uncanny knack ofgetting the best out of supporting musicians,often culled from the ranks of local semi-projazzers, we have an exceptional talent wellworthy of a pen portrait.

Julian Marc Stringle was born in Marlow-on-Thames on June 13th 1967 into amanifestly show-business related family.Father, Berny, was a one time manager of discjockey Alan Freeman and later a TVcommercial director and mother, DianeMcBride, a dance band singer. In 1975 theStringle household, now based in Enfield,was constantly hosting a plethora ofmusicians, actors, film technicians andcomedians. When Julian was only eight hewas overheard pulling a harmony line ‘out ofthe air’ (to sing along with the King Louistrack from Jungle Book) bytrombonist/humorist George Chisholm whowas shooting a commercial with Berny.Amused and impressed by the boy’s ear,George suggested piano lessons. But Julianhad already got his eye on the clarinet in hisfather’s music room having been fascinatedby Berny’s treasured collection of recordingsby great clarinet stylists from Johnny Doddsto Buddy DeFranco.

The Latymer School in Edmonton providedJulian with both a sound general educationand an opportunity to develop his musicaltalents. He became principal clarinet in theschool orchestra, a chorister in the madrigalgroup and choir and, with the blessing ofboth headmaster Dr Kelly and head of musicMichael Brewer, formed the school’s first jazzgroup. Hoping, initially, to graduate fromTrinity College, Julian heard that Wilf Kealeyat the London College of Music was welldisposed to the inclusion of jazz in thecurriculum so he chose to study clarinetunder Wilf and composition with WilliamLloyd Webber.

Meanwhile back at home, now ClarendonCottage in Gentleman’s Row, Enfield,Berny had transformed a dilapidated 18thcentury schoolroom in the garden into arehearsal room. This provided a hang-outfor young musician friends of Julian, mostof whom are still active in the profession.Indeed it became the birthplace of ‘Julian’sYoung Jazz’ his first (Dixieland style)combo which made appearances, from theage of 12, with many show business bignames including a later TV gig, at 14, withAcker Bilk. He formed a modern jazzquintet in 1984 with Dave Cliff, NickWeldon, Andy Cleyndert and Mark Taylorwhich toured Europe with all of the

forenamed still in the business and at a toplevel. This is no coincidence. Anyone whohas heard Julian’s current aggregation ‘TheDream Band’ will recognise a masterfulassembly of complementary talents and evenmore remarkably The Dream Band canaccommodate personnel substitutions andstill sound exactly right for the music inhand. Now that’s what I call ‘fixing deluxe’.

The decade 1986-96 saw Julian enhance hisversatility on clarinet via numerous concert,club, festival and broadcast collaborationswith Peanuts Hucko (a hugely experiencedpost-Goodman clarinettist/tenorist/leader),Wild Bill Davison (a ‘Chicago’ style cornetplayer and contemporary of LouisArmstrong), the aforementioned GeorgeChisholm (whose playing style has beendescribed as ageless), Don Lusher (a virtuosotrombone player/big band section leader andsoloist) and members of the Dankworthmusical family. His recorded work with JohnParricelli, Digby Fairweather, Danny Moss,Jim Mullen, Tommy Whittle and GeorgeMelly reinforce his jazz credentials whereasstudio work with Marc Almond, Chas andDave, The Grid and the Spice Girlsunderscore his comfort with ‘pop music’.

Currently Julian appears regularly with hisDream Band, his Septet (with clarinettistMark Crooks), Digby Fairweather combos,and groups performing at jazz clubs andfestivals both in the UK and internationally.Look at www.julianmarcstringle.com with itslink to MySpace for gig listings andwww.merfanglemusic.com (Berny andJulian’s Production Company) for availablerecordings.

Merfangle CD MJMSCD2003 Blues for the

Morning After has the Dream Band in fineform, blending blues, be-bop, ballads andLatin jazz with a very Eddie Daniels soundfrom Julian and quite superb improvisedclarinet work. This, alone, supports acomment from the late Sir John Dankworth,“the best clarinettist to emerge on the Britishjazz scene in decades”. MJMSCD 2008 LASunset is a much more ‘commercial’ offering,also from the Dream Band, again withconsummate musicianship and splendidarrangements but clearly designed for theCalifornian airplay market as it carries morevocal content. Together with A Time for Love,an essentially vocal album, theaforementioned CDs can be heard on Spotify.Enter ‘Julian Marc Stringle’ into YouTube tofind two delightful solos with DominicAshworth (guitar) and video clips of anumber of his recent club appearances, inparticular the 25th Jan 2013 gig at theChickenshed. Also in 2013 Julian camesecond to Alan Barnes in the clarinet sectionof the British Jazz Awards.

More recently, and since the sad demise ofKenny Ball, Julian has taken up the clarinetchair in the Ball band now led by Kenny’s sonKeith. A number of very interesting projectsfeaturing Julian’s clarinet work are plannedfor late 2013 and early 2014 which willhopefully be publicised in our news anddiary pages as they progress. For the benefitof members interested in such matters Julianplays Raw Ebony clarinets and Random MassRaw Brass saxophones, both from CountyInstruments. His clarinet mouthpiece is aGigliotti 2 with Vandoren V12 3-4 reeds. Hissaxes are set up with Dukoff D8s with La Vozmedium reeds. �

When Julian wasonly eight he wasoverheard pulling aharmony line ‘out ofthe air’ by GeorgeChisholm

With Wild Bill Davison

Stringle Swingers

With George chisholm


LIST ABallad by Burgmüller and Concertpiece byDanzi (originally Allegretto fromconcertpiece) are the two pieces carriedover from the last syllabus. the aBrSMclarinet exam Pieces list a options areMozart Minuet & Trio from Divertimentono. 4, Weber’s Durch die Wälder, durch dieAuen, and Dvorak Waltz op. 54 No. 1. theother recent publication is One MoreTime!, a collection of folk songs arrangedby Sarah Watts and Charlie is My Darlingis selected here. familiar albums areSchumann for the Clarinet which offersRing on My Finger, First Book of ClarinetSolos which has Purcell’s Rondeau andfinally Mozart’s Adagio fürGlasharmonika from Times Pieces Vol. 3.

for the all round player Minuet & trio,Durch die Wälder and Ballade are perhapsthe most complete technical challenges.Minuet & trio is from the basset hornDivertimento and while the notes areperhaps easy the lightness of staccatos,clean attack and detail makes this difficultto play well. taken from the opera DieFreischütz Weber’s ‘through the woods,through the meadows (with a light heart)’is a pastoral aria which containsconsiderable detail. as the words indicatethese vocal lines should be light andreflective in nature. Ballade requires somenifty little finger work, light staccatos andchanges of character. for rhythm Charlieis My Darling is a challenge for tonguingand crisp dotted rhythms as well askeeping the momentum going but this isall in the low register. the Scotch snapsmay cause some concern here. Danzi’sConcertpiece was previously a popularchoice as it was technically morestraightforward than others and remainsone of the more manageable pieces at

least in the early stages. it requiresimagination to play well. the slower worksare Mozart’s Adagio für Glasharmonika, abeautiful melody and could lead to adiscussion on this fascinating instrumentand Schumann’s Ring on My Finger which,as a song, has long lyrical lines, perhapsslightly more serious than the adagio.Purcell’s Rondeau is not too challengingbut stamina and gentle shaping of phrasesare required.

LIST Bcecilia McDowall’s ‘romantic Song’ fromThree Pastiches is the only piece to remainfrom last time. Clarinet Exam Piecescontains ‘Hernando’s Hideaway’ from ThePajama Game, Paul Harris’s ‘andantePacifico con rubato’ from the Sonatina, andRumba du soir by Marie-Luce Schmitt.new or recent publications are Mr Benn byDuncan Lamont with ‘the Wizard’ selectedfor grade four, and Great Winners, arr.Lawrence which features Raiders Marchamongst its many other popular and well-known melodies. Spectrum is a collectionof contemporary works compiled by ian

Mitchell introducing players to modernstyles and robert Saxton’s Song withoutWords is here. christopher norton’sMicrojazz gives us two choices,Gallivanting or A Walk by the Sea and theline up is completed with Muczynski whoseFable No. 9 is in Time Pieces Vol. 3.

already the Raiders March jumps out asa potentially popular number. as it is well-known it should be straightforward tomost. However the level of accuracyrequired through crisp rhythms and clearaccents should not be underestimated. ifRaiders March represents the film world,musical theatre comes in the form ofHernando’s Hideaway which is aparticularly clichéd tango requiring lots ofcharacter through the low notes, rests,staccatos and the higher staccato snatcheslater on. Sharp contrasts of dynamics alsoadd to this. rhythm is tested in Rumba dusoir with its 3+3+2 cuban dance patternsand Fable No. 9 which is in 5/4. Both arestraightforward once you have anappropriate feel for the style.Syncopations in A Walk by the Sea give adifferent rhythmic challenge although thisatmospheric piece is not too demandingtechnically. the laid back swing feel of TheWizard makes rhythm the basic elementbut the chromaticism here gives this pieceplenty of character. Gallivanting testsarpeggio figures and speed. When this oneis up to speed it is great fun. Momentumrequired so that the gallivanting does notslow to a light trot. for the serious playerHarris’s Andante Pacifico con rubato (thecomplete Sonatina is publishedseperately) is well crafted and containsgreat contrasts. Song Without Words is acontemporary yet lyrical option and agood introduction to modern styles. it iseasier technically but triplet minims,triplet crotchets and sub-dividing at a slowtempo are the challenges here. Both ofthese pieces will require careful work witha pianist. McDowall’s Romantic Song is an

STEPHANIE REEVE LOOKS AT

Publicationsthe substantial changes to the repertoire lists leave just two choices from the previoussyllabus on list a, one on list B and a completely revised list c. Several publications(Time Pieces Vol. 3, Schumann for the Clarinet, Microjazz Collection 2 and TunefulStudies) have new works selected so teachers should already be familiar with thesevolumes. the aBrSM’s Clarinet Exam Pieces 2014-2017 includes three choices for eachlist and is a fine collection of interesting and tuneful pieces. Scale, sight-reading andaural test requirements remain the same.

ABRSM CLARINET GRADE 4

This is surprisinglyfun and anenjoyable test oftechnique

Winter 2013 Clarinet & Saxophone35

expressive piece with well shaped cantabilephrases. the rhythms are not complicatedbut the piece is in two so is always movingforward.

the teacher accompanist should managemost of these piano parts but the Weberand Mozart Minuet in List a may require alittle more preparation. Within List BGallivanting and A Walk by the Sea are notas easy as the others but the Andantepacifico con rubato and Song WithoutWords need more careful preparation dueto their interactivity with the clarinet.

LIST Call pieces on this list are new to Grade 4.Demnitz’s Elementary School is nowrepresented within Clarinet Exam Pieceswith Study in C selected along with Paulacrasbon-Mooren’s Study in D minor androger Purcell’s Jack the Lad taken fromScaling the Heights. richard Benger’s 30Tuneful Studies replaces Cantabile with AWeird Story and James rae’s selected work5th Avenue now comes from 38 MoreModern Studies rather than 40

Modern Studies. other new publicationsare rudolf Mauz’s Step by Step, a usefulcollection of exercises and Berr’s Moderatoand nocentini’s Andante complete this list.

of the traditional studies the DemnitzStudy in C is an arpeggio study featuringpatterns in c major and closely relatedchords. this is surprisingly fun and anenjoyable test of technique. Moderato byBerr and Andante by nocentini are from theMelodic Studies section of Mauz’s Step byStep and both are all rounders. nocentinihas mixed articulation, chromatic scales,unusual accents and arpeggios. the Berr islyrical but contains a large number of

rhythmic patterns. crasborn-Mooren’sStudy in D minor does indeed explore Dminor through 6/8 time and as anintermediate study would probably bethe safe option. it is not my favourite butis a clearly constructed work. of thelighter pieces at first glance A WeirdStory looks uninspiring as the rhythmicfigure is the same for the entire piece.However the melody is playful and thishas a natural momentum so once itgets going it trips along very nicely.Sticking to the diatonic c minor thedynamics help shape the interest. theonly option in an irregular timesignature is 5th Avenue which asexpected is in five. rhythms arecrotchets and quavers allowing theplayer to concentrate on the pulseand creating a musical line, made upof a large number of perfect fifthintervals. Jack the Lad is the coolestoption, a great style but with a fewelements to catch you out. Due tothe swing rhythm the grace noteswill need to be quick, but effortless.a few off beat notes will needplacing. �

ABRSM CLARINET GRADE 4


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Available from www.nigelhinson.comSee Website for full track listings

Slinford

NewMalden

Bingley

HuntingdonMachynlleth


WHERE CAN I PLAY?HUNTINGDONSHIRE MUSICSCHOOL Rehearse: Saturday mornings duringterm timeLocation: Huntingdonshire regionalcollege, california road, Huntingdon,Pe29 1BLContact: [email protected] 07595279349

this Saturday morning music school isopen to anyone of any age, who can eitherplay or is just starting to play a musicalinstrument, singers included. the seniorwind band is conducted by clarinet andSaxophone Society member andcomposer colin radford. there is also awind band which plays intermediatemusic, a jazz big band and several othergroups, and they all play at the end ofterm concerts throughout the year.these are very friendly groups and allenquiries are welcome. www.huntingdon.ac.uk/music-school

SLINFOLD CONCERT BANDRehearse: tuesday evenings, 7.30 -9.30pm all year roundLocation: Slinfold Village Hall, WestSussex, rH13 0rP Standard: We do not audition members.as a guide, players of around grade fivewill cope with the music, but weunderstand that less experienced playersoften improve within a band environment.Contact: Polly Hobbs 01403 270198

Slinfold concert Band was founded in1978 as a village band. it now numbersaround 45 players, and has become oneof the busiest and most popular concertbands in West Sussex. We have a largeand growing music library, and perform awide range of music in a variety of venuesunder the baton of christopher newport.

We are always pleased to hear fromwoodwind or brass players looking for aband in this area, and would currentlyalso like to recruit a music readingpercussionist.

We are a friendly band, and organisevarious well supported social eventsthroughout the year. all ages arewelcome; in the recent past we havefeatured players whose ages have rangedfrom 11 to 80!

if you play, or used to play a wind orbrass instrument, or like to hit things(musically!) please call chairman Pollyfor a chat. We hope some of you will joinus on a future tuesday evening.www.slinfoldconcertband.org

THAMESIDE CLARINET CHOIRRehearse: thursdays from 8 - 10pmLocation: new Malden near Kingstonupon thames, South West LondonContact: Musical Director MartinHinckley [email protected]

the thameside clarinet choir is a well-established group of around 20 playerswhich rehearses most weeks duringschool term time. the choir welcomesnew members of grade five/six standardor above on eb, Bb, alto, bass, contra-altoor contrabass clarinet. www.thameside.org

WINDSTRUMENTS CLARINETCHOIRRehearse: Second Sunday of each month.4 - 6.30pmLocation: Windstruments, crossflatts,Bingley, West yorkshire, BD16 2DtContact: Juliet colville 07932 [email protected]

the Windstruments clarinet choir is anewly formed clarinet ensemble forplayers of about grade five upwards. theensemble rehearses on the secondSunday of each month upstairs in theWindstruments shop. there are vacanciesin all sections of the choir, in particularfor those who can/would like to play ebor bass clarinet. for more information,please contact Juliet colville.

MACHYNLLETH WIND BANDRehearse: tuesdays during term time.7.30 - 9.30pmLocation: the tabernacle, Heol Penrallt,Machynlleth, Sy20 8aJStandard: We welcome players of all agesat approximately grade four and above.Contact: Sally Marshall 0165478130407710452767 [email protected]

Machynlleth Wind Band is anestablished and friendly community bandof about 25 members drawn from a widearea. We have an active entertainmentprogramme in the locality andenjoy performing music from thetraditional wind band repertoire, songsfrom shows and in fact anything that isinteresting and challenging! We arealways keen to welcome new members.www.machwindband.co.uk �

Huntingdon


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SAXOPHONEWORKSHOPS IN FRANCEHave a fantastic week’s holiday inSouth West France playing yoursaxophone under expert tuition in small groups with individual attention2014ANDY SCOTT 11-17 May 2014MIKE HALL 20-26 July 2014For full details and prices visit our websitewww.creativevacances.com


the weekend of 1st and 2nd March 2014will see a major focus on the clarinet andsaxophone in the Swinburne Hall,colchester institute with a Gala Concertfollowed by the 25th anniversary staging ofthe annual Single Reed Festival.

the British Clarinet Ensemble will joinwith the East Anglian Single Reed Choir,the Colchester Institute Clarinet Choir andthe South Tirol Clarinet Choir (from italy)in a Gala concert on the Saturday night (1stMarch 2014) featuring the Britishpremières of two new works closelyconnected with colchester and the college.

Jumbo, a new clarinet choir work bycomposer and saxophonist Andy Scott hasbeen ‘waiting in the wings’ as a companionmovement for the immensely successfulPaquito and Fujiko both commissioned byand premiered by charles Hine and theBritish clarinet ensemble. it is fortuitousthat the generosity of a number ofindividuals and bodies (including theclarinet and Saxophone Society andcolchester institute) has enabled thiscommission to take place. the première ofthis new three movement ‘sonata’ will begiven by a massed ensemble of all fourparticipating choirs. the title Jumbo refersto the name of an elephantine landmarkwater tower that dominates the town ofcolchester.

the other major première that has beenkeenly awaited is of Three Haiku forclarinet choir which comes from the pen ofleading performer, educator and composerJeffery Wilson who has long beenassociated with all facets of the single reedfamily. as well as individual items fromeach of the participating groups there willbe the opportunity to experience allperformers accompanying the weekend’sfeatured artist Andy Scott in O Adonai byArvo Pärt and finally indulging in theromanticism and frenzy of the BorodinPolovtsian Dances arranged by caroltaylor.

in this special anniversary year we areespecially pleased that the fine musiciansof the South Tirol Clarinet Choir (who areall clarinet teachers from their region ofnorth italy) can join us in thesecelebrations and provide a strong elementof international collaboration in thefestivities. the combined groups will number at least60 players for the Gala concert while thefestival will attract up to 100 single reed

players from across east anglia and theSouth east. tutors and conductors willinclude anthony Bailey, charles Hine,carol taylor and Jeffery Wilson. theorganisers gratefully acknowledge thesupport of the trade and Creative Arts Live!at colchester institute.Gala Concert: Saturday 1 March 2014,7.30pm

Swinburne Hall, faculty of creative arts,colchester institute, Sheepen road,colchester, co3 3LL

Tickets: 01206 712999creativeartslive@colchester.ac.ukwww.creativeartslive.co.ukwww.facebook.com/creativeartslive �

COLCHESTER CLARINET ANDSAXOPHONE FESTIVITIES -MARCH 2014

east anglian Single reed choir

British clarinetensemble Photo: Juliet Colville


it is very easy to forget anniversaries ormilestone events and to think thatsomething has become part of the fabric.However, whilst the east anglian Singlereed festival has become an establishedpart of the calendar it has reached asignificant milestone which should becelebrated.

the silver anniversary in 2014 makes thefestival one of the longest running in theUK and it is as strong today as it was whenfirst started by angela fussell and charlesHine all those years ago.

the east anglian Single reed choir tookover the management of the festival backin 2010 although we had been helpingcharles organise it for a few years prior tothat. Building on successful foundationswe have established the festival as anindependent and financially secure eventwhich attracts players of all ages andstandards and great professionals whocome to help with the masterclass and theday generally.

We could not have done it without thesupport from all the trade stands whohave been present to provide advice andbuying opportunities! a particular thankyou must go to Daniel Bangham and histeam from Wood Wind & Reed and to Kerryfrom Vandoren who have been staunchsupporters of the event. recentlyD’Addario, Sempre Music, Hummingbirdand Maskarade, Pack-a-Punch, Le Freque,and Colchester Classics have joined us toenhance the day.

So Sunday 2nd March 2014 starting at9am is the day to join us at colchesterinstitute in essex to help us celebrate ouranniversary. We are thrilled to have AndyScott with us for the day to lead themasterclass and to help with otherensembles. Anthony Bailey will be leadingthe massed single reed choir and, if jazzinterests you in any way, then do not missthe fabulous jazz workshop with JefferyWilson. there will be trade stands to temptand advise and a concert for all (free tofamily and friends) at the end of theafternoon. Do look at our website to seedetails of the event as it develops:www.singlereeds.co.uk/25th-single-reed-festival.html and please ‘like’ ourfacebook page atwww.facebook.com/singlereeds or tweet@eaSrc. �

East Anglian Single Reed FestivalSunday 2 March 2014, 9.00am-5.30pmSwinburne Hall, faculty of creative arts,colchester institute, Sheepen road,colchester, co3 3LL

Ticketswww.singlereeds.co.uk/25th-single-reed-festival.htmlwww.facebook.com/singlereeds �

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARYEAST ANGLIAN SINGLE REEDFESTIVAL

east anglian Single reed choir


SaXoPHone THE EQUINOX COLLECTION

EquinoxSaxophoneEnsembleEQU02 £10www.equinoxsax.org.uk the equinoxSaxophone

ensemble will be well known to readers ofClarinet & Saxophone, with alistairParnell at the helm, guiding the group toever greater achievements in thedevelopment of this genre. they haveacquired a deserved reputation forexcellence, and performed at the 16thWorld Saxophone congress in St andrews,Scotland in 2012.

The Equinox Collection is their secondcD and is sponsored by Windblowers andKen & elaine Morris. it has a total playingtime of 61 minutes, comprisingarrangements from Bach to Piazzolla, andoriginal compositions by robertoMolinelli, Kieron anderson, and alistairhimself.

the cD opens with Lindsey Smith’sarrangement of Libertango by ÁstorPiazzolla, a piece which readily lends itselfto adaptation, and this version works well.next is a complete rendition of J S Bach’sBrandenburg Concerto No 2 (the one withthe high trumpet part in Bach’s original)arranged by nicola Pennill, and it is mostimpressive. the sleeve notes refer to the‘chameleon-like qualities of thesaxophone’ in its various incarnationsfrom sopranino to bass (all representedhere!), and the performance is proof of thisextended family’s versatility.

this is followed by Maurice ravel’shypnotic Bolero arranged by alistair, thencomes a change of mood with Jay Ungar’swistful Ashokan Farewell arranged byMichelle Phillips. Written in 1982 by Ungarat the end of a fiddle and dance summercamp in the catskill Mountains, new yorkState, it is redolent of the folk traditionwhich came from Britain with the settlerswho emigrated to the new Worldgenerations ago.

alistair features as soloist in PequeñaCzarda, (little dance) by Pedro iturralde,an experiment in the fusion of jazz andflamenco, displaying the alto’s musicalpotential to the full. the next piece alsoprovides opportunities for solos: nicolaPennill plays the soprano in Dreamy Dawnand Sarah Markham is on alto in TangoClub, taken from Four Pictures from NewYork by robert Molinelli. as the titlessuggest, they present contrasting moods,and each receive assured performances.

first written for brass quintet,Harlequin Dances has been adapted forsaxophone ensemble by the composer,Kieron anderson, and he interweaves a

variety of dance styles into a splendidensemble piece. the final original work,Babadağ, composed by alistair, wasinspired by a family holiday to turkey, andhe is soloist on the eWi (electronic Windinstrument) while Sarah Markhamfeatures on clarinet.

the last two items are arrangements ofwell known tunes – the evergreen Over theRainbow from The Wizard of Oz (Haroldarlen), and Riverdance (Bill Whelan),which bring this excellent cD to a rousingconclusion.

equinox Saxophone ensemblecomprises alistair (sopranino, soprano,alto, eWi, keyboards), nicola (soprano),Sarah (alto, soprano, clarinet), Keri Degg(alto, soprano), chris Jolly (tenor,soprano), Lindsey Smith (tenor, soprano),Michelle (baritone, tenor), Deb Hutt(baritone) and claire tomsett-rowe (bass).any percussion players, notably in Boleroand Riverdance, are unacknowledged.

this cD, recorded between June 2012and January 2013 at St Luke’s church,Kinoulton, pushes back the boundaries asequinox demonstrate the musical heightsthat the full saxophone ensemble canreach, and i urge you to buy it withoutdelay.

Robert Parker

MEDITATIONS URBAN SPECIES COMPOSITIONS FOR SAXOPHONE

Jennifer WatsonMeditations, Urban Species,Compositions, free demo CDwww.jennifer-watson.co.uk readers of this section of the magazinewill have come across this extraordinarilytalented composer-saxophonist in theSpring 2013 issue of Clarinet & Saxophonewherein i reviewed her Reflections cD.three more examples of her oeuvre haveturned up in my in-tray posing anenormous challenge to my criticalfaculties. i will explain! if one describesmusicality as a discernible collection ofmelody, harmony, tonality and rhythm,what does one call a work devoid of much(or indeed, any) of these four stalwarts ofmusic? Well, i call it noise, or in the case ofmuch material proffered to artsorganisations for grant aid, outrageousnoise (on). and i view on as the artisticequivalent to Pc (Political correctness).Both contemporary classical and jazzmusic are infested with on possiblybecause it is an easy route todifferentiating one’s work fromcompetition. i am fully aware that newworks from the late 19th century onwardswere, when launched, often consideredoutrageous but with very few exceptionsthey contain plentiful helpings of melody,harmony (often novel), tonality andrhythm.

Meditationspresents Jenniferas anarranger/multi-instrumentalist/singer andcomposer of twoout of 10 tracks,the rest are

standards such as Smoke Gets in YourEyes, Czardas, Danny Boy, Amazing Grace,When the Boat Comes In etc. Herinstruments are violin, clarinet, saxes,flute, piano and penny whistleaccompanied by a pianist. i’m inclined toview this disc as a mild case ofmusical/instrumental incontinence –there is nothing wrong with themusicianship but nothing much in the wayof saxophonic artistry apart from just overone minute’s worth of glorious (multi-tracked) saxophone harmony writing atthe end of Amazing Grace. this confirmsJennifer’s amazing skill as do her twocompositions Solitude and Leave my Soul.

Kenneth Morris

Urban Speciestakes us deep intoJennifer’scontemporarycompositionterritory – all thesax playing is byKyran Matthewsaccompanied by

Martyn Parkes on piano. Working from areview copy cD i had no liner notes toassist me through the seven movementslasting just under the hour although i didhave a one-liner from Jenni: ‘anexploration in music and visuals of humaninteractions, with and within cities’. (the‘visuals’ bit i did not see). in common withseveral contemporary pieces recentlypublished this cD incorporates ‘streetsounds’ or possibly more accurately‘underground railway’ sounds includingthe odd platform announcement. i found itvery difficult to determine which saxeswere being played but track oneConstruction had some pretty articulatebaritone work and tracks six (Unveiling)and seven (Unseen City) were a quitebrilliant 10 minute unaccompanied altosolo and a beautiful soprano (?) solorespectively. tracks two to five came intomy on category – fantastic playing byKyran, but otherwise eminentlyforgettable.

Kenneth Morris

CD reviews


Compositions forSaxophonei thought i wouldleave the best tilllast, is not entirelyfree from on but islargely accessibleand represents ajolly good idea.

the composer, where feasible, plays herown compositions and tells us where to getthe parts if we want them. the majority ofthe 14 tracks lasting 51 minutes of ‘duet tosax orchestra’ works are available fromastute Music (www.astute-music.com).Starting with a brief one minute sop saxduet Tail Lights we move on to Escalate apretty tricky six and a bit minute sop saxfeature to be played against a cD backingtrack – not for beginners but interestingwith a marimba in the combo. next up is anabsolutely superb nine minute saxophoneorchestra composition/arrangement Ketplayed with their usual uncanny balanceand panache by the rncM gang, againhere’s Jenni’s genius for harmonisationshining through, a wonderful modernpiece. Chasing Angels for alto sax andpiano plus From Now On for sop sax andpercussion were (to me, on and) totallyinaccessible but the cD was, for me, whollyredeemed by Helios a splendid threemovement six minute sax quartet andthree movements over nearly four minutes(One Way Ticket, Polite Miss Knight andSpiral) for aaaa/aaat from the apolloSaxophone Quartet Series Book 3. Bothdelightful. So there we have it, three cD’srepresenting much hard work by Jenni andher musical associates, a sort of musicaloyster bed. Some shells oK, some infectedand some replete with a gorgeous pearl.

Kenneth Morris

ABSOLUTELY!Uwe Steinmetz(sopranosaxophone), MadsTolling (violin)and theFitzwilliam StringQuartetDivine Art CD DDA25112 £12

www.divineartrecords.com

forewarned is forearmed? i ratherexpected something weird when the coverart appeared to depict the view from thebottom of a bed of two three-legged peopleentwined. i was not disappointed.

a veritable ‘curates egg’ of a record. Sixextremely gifted musicians, playing at thetop of their game in a wonderful acoustic(St, Martin’s, east Woodhay, Hants) andrecorded to perfection. Unfortunately ifound much of the 62 minute contentalmost too difficult to comment on so i willstart with the ‘tasty’ parts of the egg.the last track, ‘chaconne’ from Bach’sViolin Partita no.2 (BWV1004), arranged by

fitzwilliam’s leader Lucy russell alongwith Uwe is an absolute delight. it’s 13minutes of superb soprano saxophonesoloing over the strings. two movementsfrom Uwe’s Fantasias for string quartetand saxophone, derived from Purcell’sworks for four viols Z.742 and Z.738, makeup tracks nine and seven respectively, andare also splendidly rendered.

track eight, the middle movement fromthe Fantasias along with track six(chaconne for Steve Lacy, the late great USjazz soprano sax star) take us intocontemporary classical mode and onlybarely relates to this cD’s cover sub-title‘music for jazz soloists and string quartet’.even so this chaconne does deliver a quiteinteresting, almost conversational,dialogue betwixt sax and violin.

tracks one to five make up Steinmetz’sAbsolutely! a suite for string quartet,saxophone and violin solo. in the cDbooklet the suite is sub-titled ‘musicalmeditations on purity, unselfishness,honesty and love’ and when one adds theword ‘prelude’ before purity one gets thefive titles of the five movements. an evencloser look at the booklet notes uncoversan almost metaphysical discourse on thesame five words. if our Uwe is trying to giveus a musical interpretation of purity etc.via structureless, unmelodic, discordant,arrhythmic noise then, in my book, he’sfailed miserably (or even spectacularly).full marks to all involved for their abilityto perform this stuff but zero marks for itsability to communicate anythingmeaningful.

Kenneth Morris

cLarinetTONY SCOTT

Three ClassicAlbums PlusAvid Music AMSC1098 (Double CDSet) £6.99Just as with busesyou can wait forages for cDs of an

artist and no less than 11 1950s vintage LPsof tony Scott (the clarinettist who bridgesthe artie Shaw to Buddy Defranco slot injazz history) come along. in our Summer2013 issue, eight LPs were reviewed andnow three more show up, and at a bargainprice, from avid Productions.

this time the source material comesfrom 1953s Tony Scott in Hi-Fi, 1956s TheTouch of Tony Scott and two 1958 efforts52nd Street Scene and Newport 1958. aspreviously with 35 tracks stretching overtwo hours i chose to assign one to five starsto each track containing a clarinet solo. it’spleasing to report that even though thereare eight tracks with two stars or less, asurprising number get four or five – in fact,18 do.

the ‘highlights’ of this set are: all threeitems from the newport festival Blues foran African Friend, Moonlight in Vermontand Blues for Charlie Parker with aquintet; four tracks from The Touch..., RockMe But Don’t Roll Me, Aeolian DrinkingSong, Vanilla Frosting and Yesterdays andfive from Hi-Fi, Swootie Patootie, I Coverthe Waterfront, Sweet Lorraine, I NeverKnew and Away We Go.

The Touch... LP has tony with either aninteresting big band or a ‘tentette’ andquite important arrangers have beencontracted including ralph Burns, eddieSauter and al cohn. Hi-Fi uses a backingtrio. 52nd Street Scene employs some well-known names in smallish groups such asJimmy Knepper, red rodney and al cohnwith tony playing (only) baritone sax onthree tracks.

of course there is the inevitable dufftrack but at just over a ‘fiver’ this is a veryenjoyable early exhibition of modern jazzclarinet work by the best technician of thetime.

Kenneth Morris �

Superpadsonly from www.woodwindco.com [email protected]

forcLarinet


SaXoPHone S.M.S. SMALL MUSIC (FOR)SAXOPHONE

Nicole ClémentTenor or altosaxophoneLeduc £20.99this is a suite offour pieces -impromptu,Scherzo, Sarabande,and finale. it lastsfive minutes 15

seconds and i think the publisher hasmiscalculated on the pricing. it’s for solotenor saxophone, with an alternative for alto(written a tone lower) so i don’t understandwhy it’s so expensive or why the key shift.the work takes as its basis elements ofrigorous instrumental study which are setagainst the modern predilection for lazylanguage in text messages. thus the scherzois in a 3+2+3 metre, whilst elsewhere a modeof limited transposition is used. the BacHtheme from the art of fugue is alsoborrowed in three of the pieces, tying in withthe sense of a baroque suite. the standard isgrade eight or slightly above, and asteaching pieces they are quite useful,thorough and varied. But i really think thepublisher is not doing the composer anyfavours at this price level.

Richard Ingham

SAXOPHONE DEBUTJames RaeAlto Saxophoneand CD12 easy pieces forbeginnersUniversal EditionUE 21530 £12.95this is an inspiringcollection of pieceswhich can be used

to provide concert items or sight-readingexercises. there are 12 in all, very varied instyle, divided into three sections of solo withaccompaniment, duo with accompaniment,and duo without accompaniment,compatible with other instrumental booksin the series. James rae’s knack of writingsuperb music for every level doesn’t deserthim here, and this collection of easynumbers bounces with musical energythroughout. the cD accompaniments areexcellent and atmospheric, and an optionalpiano accompaniment book is available withwritten parts and chords. individual pianoparts can be downloaded at no cost. thestandard is around grade one.

Richard Ingham

TYNE SONATAJames RaeAlto saxophone andpianoUniversal EditionUE 21578 £13.95James rae’s TyneSonata is the latestin his ever growingseries of saxophonesonatas. it’s terrific

music and has everything - melodiclyricism, virtuosity, dance music, lengthyperiods of reflection. the lyrical sections arebeautifully written, but not over-sweet,while the virtuosic episodes have musicalintegrity, avoiding pointless exhibitionism.the composer has a sure feel for where andhow the saxophone works best, in terms ofregistration and agility. Programmaticallybased around the river tyne, the work isdedicated to John Harle, who, like thecomposer, is from that part of the world.the first movement, ‘the Sources’, is abubbling allegretto introduction to thework, and acts like a moto perpetuo, withoccasional restful sections. ‘Watersmeet’,the slow movement, is a gentle rockingwaltz which alternates between minor andmajor tonalities, and is an attractive recitalpiece by itself. the finale, ‘Sandgate’, is ahigh energy jig incorporating some dramaticinterpolations of developed chromaticmaterial. you’ll know you were at the danceby the time you get to the end. anothervaluable addition to the repertoire.

Richard Ingham

CLANSYFrançois RosséAlto saxophoneand bass clarinetLeduc £17.99Clansy is a prettypiece, set at achallenging levelfor bothperformers.françois rossé is

an engaging, musical and wittycontemporary composer, representing thefinest in french avant-garde saxophonewriting. the piece is five and a half minuteslong, and, given application, perfectlyplayable. there are passages ofmultiphonics, sections requiring greatdexterity and some metrical complexity.Both players read from a score, which helpsthe ensemble preparation, and the pageturns are manageable. the more demandingensemble sections are fun and rewarding,whilst the contrasts in sonorities achievedby the two performers form a major part ofthe structure of the piece. thoughtfullywritten for both instruments, with clearinstructions from the composer.

Richard Ingham

REPRISE, ÉCHO, ACCUMULATIONDominiqueClémentAlto saxophoneand delay pedalLeduc £13.99an interestingwork exploringsome of thepossibilities ofelectronic delay

treatment. the saxophonist operates a fairlystraightforward delay pedal (or rackmounted signal processor with pedal) whichis to be set in advance to the composer’sspecifications. the effect is cleverly thoughtout and designed, so the music doesn’tbecome an uncontrollable mush, which canhappen when experimenting with thisprocess. the part gives clear and preciseinstructions as to when to switch the delayon and off (switched by the saxophonist,using a pedal). the part also (usefully)contains a written version of what theresultant delayed sounds are. i think thispiece is to be recommended as a learningstudy for a performer around grade eightstandard who is approaching electronicsound manipulation for the first time. theactual saxophone line is not virtuosic interms of speed and dexterity, but anadvanced sense of dynamic (and thereforeinstrumental) control is desirable.

Richard Ingham

MÉFIE-TOI DES BLANCSVincent BouchotSaxophone quartet(STTB or SATB)Leduc £27.99this quartetcontains elegantwriting, and isbased on a well-crafted structure.the title is a

paraphrase of a ravel song, and the piece isdedicated to his memory. it would suit aquartet in the early stages of conservatoiretraining and is challenging yet rewarding.the instrumentation is SttB, but the firsttenor can be substituted by alto. there aremetrical complexities, but of a musicalnature and providing attractive flowinglines. there are also some passages ofrhythmic unison, which are obviouslyhelpful to the performers, and set againstthese are sections with hocket effects. Someslap tongue is required, as also is anappreciation of what french saxophonistsreally mean by pp dynamics - i.e. very soft,not just as soft as you can manage. it isn’tcheap, but i’d certainly recommend it forchamber music teaching material and for arecital piece.

Richard Ingham

Music reviews


cLarinetGLOBETROTTERS FOR CLARINET

Eb & Bb saxophoneRos Stephen withMelanie HenryClarinet and CD OUP £10.95this collectionfeatures 12 piecesin world musicstyles in a wellpresented and

attractive book. the melodies arestraightforward with simple rhythmicinflections representing the country oforigin. as well as the main melody a secondpart, labelled ‘clarinet accompaniment’turns the piece into a duet. Pianoaccompaniments are included on the cD,downloadable as PDf files. each pieceincludes detail about the style andbackground, instruments typically used andwell-known musicians. Warm-up exercisesare included at the back and feature at leasttwo suggestions per piece based on thefeatures of the style. Some cover basics suchas rhythm and tone control while otherexercises look at the scale patterns forklezmer and arabic styles and articulation.the cD recordings are well produced withMelanie Henry playing clarinet on the demotracks and live piano, bass and drumseffectively augmented with accordion, violin,mandolin or guitar depending on the origin.

eleven of the pieces are available inversions for clarinet, e flat saxophone and Bflat saxophone and in appropriate keys sothey are not entirely compatible. Saxophoneversions have Transylvanian Stick Dance, anenergetic piece, and the clarinet versioncontains Alpine Schottische, a Swiss dance.other favourites in all three volumes wereBreton Mariner’s Song with its rocking seaaccompaniment and accordion andBulgarian Gallop in 7/8 which tells the taleof Vlad the horse and his wooden legs! thisis a fun collection and offers plenty of scopefor further activities to explore differentstyles and techniques. recommended forgrade two to four.

Stephanie Reeve

JAZZ BALLADSRudolf MauzClarinet and CD Schott £15.99this collectionfeatures 14 well-known numbersand in hisintroductionrudolf Mauzexplains he has

included them for their interesting historyand a short paragraph about each song isincluded at the front of the book. Standards

such as Moonglow and A String of Pearlsare included along with Summertime andNight and Day from musical theatre whileStranger on the Shore and My Waycomplete this wide-ranging collection.

clearly presented over two pages, eachtune has a short intro with the main melodyand subsequent variation or improvisationmarked by rehearsal figures. Some songsinclude the words printed underneath whileothers have written out improvisations.improvising is not necessarily encouragedby the book but the chord symbols makethis possible.

the piano accompaniments arestraightforward, arranged simply withchord symbols also given. the cD featureslive piano, bass and drums with Mauzplaying clarinet (with more than a hint ofvibrato) on the demo tracks. arrangementsare uncomplicated and work well. Suitablefor grade three to five or anyone who enjoysa good tune!

Stephanie Reeve

IMAGE OF THE EASTLenny SayersClarinet and pianoMaskaradePublications MK402 £14Lenny Sayers is aclarinettist andhaving played withthe fell clarinetQuartet has also

composed and arranged works for them.although not Jewish, Sayers has an interestin klezmer music and has written someparticularly effective works. the evocativeeastern imagery here begins with a slowintroduction exploring intervals andpossible thematic ideas. the use of fluttertonguing, glissando and moltovibrato markings enable the music togradually build up before we launch into afaster section. this just about gets going butis then interrupted by the opening idea andfinally we are on our way with an excitinginterplay between piano and clarinet. thetime signatures mainly flit between 2/4 and6/8 but before too long 3/4 and 5/8 areintroduced keeping the players andpresumably the dancers on their toes. aslower unaccompanied monologue replayssome of the opening material and then thepiece builds up an even greater frenzy rightto the end. there is much to work on hereand the difficulties lie with the angularmelodies, acciaccaturas and trills fitted intovery small spaces and irregular rhythms.ensuring the accuracy retains thespontaneity is also a challenge! However itwas addictive to work on and the writingsuits the clarinet extremely well. Suitablefor a good grade seven or eight and aboveplayer. at the time of writing there was agood performance on Sayers’ websitewww.lennysayers.com.

Stephanie Reeve

THE WILD GARDENIain Hamilton,Edited by NicholasCoxClarinet and pianoQueen’s TemplePublications QT137 £12.95Born in 1922, iainHamilton studiedcomposition and

wrote many works for the clarinet. The WildGarden was written towards the end of hislife and was unpublished when he died in2000. nicholas cox has produced thisedition and includes a comprehensivebiography of Hamilton as well as editorialnotes about the work. cox also performedthe work at the clarinetfest in assisi earlierin the year and a few lines appear on pages11 to 12 of the autumn 2013 issue of Clarinet& Saxophone.

this is a modern work but the shortmovements are evocative and lendthemselves to the fleeting imagery of thewild flowers they represent. the fivemovements broadly alternate between fastand slow. Marked Allegro volante (flying)‘Harebells’ has a spirited interplay betweenclarinet and piano. ‘cornflowers’ is softerand slower and the accompaniment is madeup of thirds while the clarinet takes thedelicate melody around the piano. ‘Birdsfoottrefoil’ is fleeting and the clarinet dancesover the light accompaniment. this is themost conventional rhythmically.‘Mignonettes’ is slow and sad and veryatmospheric with a triplet semiquaverpattern recurring . ‘Daffodils’ is more robustand the work finishes with a flurry. each isvery well crafted and the texture in theaccompaniment is light. these arerecommended for advanced players with anexperienced accompanist. they are aneffective addition to the modern clarinetrepertoire.

Stephanie Reeve


concertSJANUARY 2014

5 Manoukian Music centre,Westminster School, SW1P 3QB,5pmDavid Campbell (clarinet),Caroline Jaya-Ratnam (piano)Music by Brahms, Widor, Bennettand rabautthis follows the clarinet &Saxophone Society’s aGM at 4.30pm.free admission to members andfriends

9 Park Lane Group young artist newyear Series, Southbank centre,London, Se1 8XX, 7.45pmAnthony Brown (saxophone) andLeo Nicholson (piano)this shared concert will includeBench by Ben foskett, a new work byGraham ross commissioned by thePark Lane Group and richardrodney Bennett, Sonata for sopranosaxophone.tickets: £12/£9.50/£7www.parklanegroup.co.uk

12 the Shakespeare institute,church Street, Stratford-upon-avon,Warwickshire, cV37 6HP, 3pmAnthony Brown (saxophone) andLeo Nicholson (piano)Stratford chamber Music Society Programme to include music byravel, Piazzolla and Maurice.tickets: £16/£5www.stratfordchambermusic.co.uk

16 St. Matthew’s church, Station rd,redhill, Surrey, rH1 1DL, 1.10pmSouth London SaxophoneQuartetnoelle Sasportas (soprano), BobLowdell (alto), Dave eastham(tenor), ian noonan (baritone)free admissionwww.southlondonsaxophonequartet.co.uk

17 overton church, ritchie Street,West Kilbride, Ka23 9aL, 7.30pmScottish Wind EnsembleGounod, Petite Symphonie in Bb;Schubert, Trois Marches Militaires,op.51; enescu, Dixtuor, op.14;françaix, Nine Characteristic Pieces.www.scottishwindensemble.co.uk

17 University of Derby, Kedlestonroad, Derby, De22 1GB, 7.30pmAnthony Brown (saxophone) andLeo Nicholson (piano)Programme to include music byMaurice, Debussy and Dubois.tickets: £13/£12/£7www.derbychambermusic.org

18 Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street,Helensburgh, G84 8Ba, 7.45pmAuricle Ensemblenicky Long (clarinet/bass clarinet),richard ingham (saxophone),christopher Swaffer (conductor)William Walton, Façadetickets: £11/£10/£5/£101436 678848

www.auricleensemble.org.uk19 the Masonic Hall, Harrogate,HG1 5ne, 2.30pmCharity ConcertPupils of Debbie Scherer and SarahJobson will again be performingtheir annual concert with allproceeds going to local charities.Performances will includeaccompanied solos as well asensembles.free admission with donationsDragon Music 01423 538473

23 Gaiety theatre, carrick Street,ayr, Ka7 1nU, 7.30pmAuricle Ensemble nicky Long (clarinet/bass clarinet),richard ingham (saxophone),christopher Swaffer (conductor)William Walton, Façade.tickets: £14.50/£13.50tel: 01292 288235www.ayrgaiety.co.uk/facadewww.auricleensemble.org.uk

25 Music at St. Peters, St Peter’sStreet, canterbury, Kent, ct1 2Be,7.45pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet) andDaniel Tong (piano)Programme to include music bySchumann, Poulenc, Brahms andMilhaud.www.musicatstpeters.org.uk

26 Marden House, the Wharf, newroad, calne, Wiltshire, Sn11 0JJ, 3pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet) andDaniel Tong (piano)Programme to include music bySchumann, Poulenc, Brahms andMilhaud.www.mardenhouseconcerts.co.uk

29 St Stephen church, 21 St.Stephen’s St, Bristol, BS1 1eQ, 1pmLuca Luciano (clarinet)Programme to include compositionsby Luciano from the albumPartenope, and music by Berio,Puccini, Vivaldi, Gershwin andStravinsky. admission free0117 927 7977

29 Victoria rooms, Dept of Music,University of Bristol, Queen’s road,Bristol, BS8 iSa, 1.15 pmGemini and Ian Mitchell(clarinet)Programme to includeBirtwistle, Verses (clarinet andpiano); Joan tower, Rain Waves(clarinet, violin and piano); BrightSheng, Tibetan Dances (clarinet,violin and piano).free admission0117 331 4044www.bristol.ac.uk/music/events

30 ray’s Jazz café, foyle’sBookshop, 113-119 charing crossroad, London, Wc2H 0eB, 6pmfumi okiji (voice), noel taylor(bass/Bb clarinet), Liam noble(piano)free admissionwww.foyles.co.uk

FEBRUARY 20143 Library theatre, central Library,St. George’s Square, Luton, LU1 2nG,7.45pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet) andJohn Reid (piano)Programme to include music byfinzi, Stravinsky, Brahms,Schumann and Giampieri.www.lutonmusic.org.uk/current_Season/current_season.html

3 St. Sepulchre Without newgatechurch (the Musicians’ church),London, ec1a 2DQ, 7.30pmMargaret Archibald 65thBirthday ConcertWith Julia Desbruslais (cello) andJohn flinders (piano)Premières by Michael omer, YouCould Hear the Olive Trees Groan...;nick Planas, To My Father; Brahms,trio in a minor op. 114.tickets: £10tel: 0208 464 1645/07970 123105 [email protected] on the door

8 the Little theatre, 20 HoghtonSt, town centre, Southport, Pr90Pa, 7.30 – 10pmMaghull Wind Orchestracharity concert on behalf of Queenscourt Hospice, Southport. 0151 531 9562www.maghullwindorchestra.co.uk

10 St Michael at the north Gate,cornmarket, oxford, oX1 3ey, 1pmLuca Luciano (clarinet)

Programme to include compositionsby Luciano from the albumPartenope, and music by Messiaen,Kowalcyzc and Stravinsky.admission free01865 240940

15 Wigmore Hall, 36 WigmoreStreet, London, W1U 2BP, 6pmNash Ensemble Series Concertrichard Hosford (clarinet)Programme to include music by

Steiner, Waxman and Herrman.0207 935 2141www.wigmore-hall.org.ukwww.nashensemble.org.uk/html/wigmores.htm

15 all Saints, Lovelace road, WestDulwich, Se21 8Jy, 7.30pmAnthony Brown (saxophone)Lambeth orchestra. conductorchristopher fifieldclaude Debussy, Rapsodie; andPaule Maurice, Tableaux deProvence.tickets: £12/£10/£1www.lambeth-orchestra.org.uk

15 Paisley abbey, abbey close,Paisley, Pa1 1JG, Lunchtime recitalMcKenzie Sawers Duo Sue McKenzie (saxophone) andingrid Sawers (piano)www.mckenziesawersduo.com

16 Deeside theatre, aboyneacademy, Bridgeviewroad, aboyne, aB34 5Jn, 3pmMcKenzie Sawers Duo Sue McKenzie (saxophone) andingrid Sawers (piano)www.mckenziesawersduo.com

16 carnegie Hall, east Port,Dunfermline, Ky12 7Ja, 7.30pmRichard Ingham (saxophone) andRichard Michael (piano)Sax at 200! Music for saxophone andpiano featuring historic jazz andclassical works. tickets: £10/£1Box office: 01383 602302www.largo-music.co.uk

18 St John’s Kirk, 31 St John’s Place,Perth, PH1 5SZ, 7.30pmMcKenzie Sawers Duo Sue McKenzie (saxophone) andingrid Sawers (piano)Perth chamber Musicwww.mckenziesawersduo.com

DIARY

Borealis Saxophone Quartetperform in St John’s Smith Square,London on the 27th february


20 St Mary’s church Hall, Main St,Sprotbrough, Dn5 7rH, 7.30pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet), FionaWinning (viola), John Reid(piano)Programme to include music byMozart, clarke, Poulenc, Schumannand françaix.Promoted by Sprotbrough MusicSocietywww.sprotbrough-music-society.agilityhoster.com/links.php

25 Linlithgow academy theatre,Braehead road, Linlithgow, eH496eH, 7.30pmAuricle Ensemblenicky Long (clarinet/bass clarinet),richard ingham (saxophone),christopher Swaffer (conductor)William Walton, FaçadePre-concert talk 6.45pmtickets: £13.20/£5.50www.ents24.com/linlithgow-events/linlithgow-academy-theatrewww.auricleensemble.org.uk

27 St John’s Smith Square, London,SW1P 3Ha, 1.05pmBorealis Saxophone Quartetalastair Penman, Mélina Zéléniuc,Gillian Blair, Daniel Whitetraditional arr. Gillian Blair,Bulgarian Suite; camille Kerger,Schneelicht-bebend weiss(première); alfred Desenclos,Quatuor pour Saxophones; Barbarathompson, Green (from saxophonequartet no.2); Gary carpenter, a newwork (première); Jean rivier, Graveet presto.tickets: £10www.sjss.org.ukwww.borealissaxophonequartet.com

28 chelmsford cathedral, 53 newStreet, chelmsford, cM1 1ty,12.30pmLuca Luciano (clarinet) andPaolo Losi (piano)Programme to include compositionsby Luciano from the albumNeapolis, and re-arrangements ofmusic by Puccini, Vivaldi, Gershwinand churchill.admission free01245 294492

28 Peacock room, trinity Labanconservatoire, old royal navalcollege, Greenwich, Se10 9Jf,1.05pmConcert of music for bassclarinetProgramme to include Paul Harvey,Quartet for four bass clarinets(première); Bill Smith Jazz Set fortwo bass clarinets (première);Lindsay cooper, Rain Song forvoice/tap dancer and bass clarinet.free admission020 8305 4477www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/what’s on

28 Lecture theatre B, School ofPhysics and astronomy, northHaugh, University of St andrews,Ky16 9SS, 8pmClarinet & Saxophone SocietyPresident, RichardIngham presents Celebrating 200 Years of AdolpheSaxopen association friday evening

lecturesa lecture on the life and work ofadolphe Sax, the highly influentialinventor of woodwind and brassmusical instruments, includingexamples of early and modernworks for the saxophone, andperformances from the XVi WorldSaxophone congress, held in Standrews in 2012.information and booking:[email protected]

MARCH 20141 Swinburne Hall, colchesterinstitute, colchester, 7.30 pm.Gala Concert to celebrate 25years of the East Anglian SingleReed Festivalthe concert will feature the Britishclarinet ensemble, the east anglianSingle reed choir, the South tirolclarinet choir (from italy) and thecolchester institute clarinet choir.Programme includs Britishpremières of andy Scott’s Jumboand Jeffery Wilson’s Three Haiku.tickets and further details:[email protected]

1 coronation Hall, county Square,Ulverston, cumbria, La12 7LZ,7.30pm Snake Davis and the Suspicionswith Jess Gillamthe storming eight piece soul bandbelt out northern Soul, atlanta andMotown classics fronted bysaxophone legend Snake Davis.01229 587140www.corohall.co.ukwww.snakedavis.co.uk

7 Heol Penrallt, Machynlleth,Powys, Sy20 8aJ, 7.30pmY Tabernacl promoted byMachynlleth Music Clubtimothy orpen (clarinet), VictoriaSimonsen (cello), Daniel tong(piano)Programme to include music byfrühling, ravel, cassadó andBrahms.

9 St George’s Bloomsbury, 6-7 Littlerussell St, London, Wc1a 2Hr, 4pmLuca Luciano (clarinet)Programme to include compositionsby Luciano from the albumPartenope, and music by Berio,Messiaen, Puccini, Vivaldi, Gershwinand Stravinsky.admission free0207 242 1979

9 Gatehouse of fleet Parish church,carstramon road, Gatehouse offleet, DG7 2eP, 7.30pmFell Clarinet Quartetrecital for Gatehouse Music SocietyProgramme to include works byPiazzolla, McGuire, Smetana andGershwin.admission: £[email protected]

9 national Maritime Museum,romney road, Greenwich, London,Se10 9nf, noonTrinity Laban Wind EnsembleProgramme to include PaulHarvey, Eulogy for HoratioNelson for 12 bass clarinets;

arnold, Sea Shanties.0208 305 4477www.rmg.co.ul/whats-on

21 Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove,B60 1PQ, 8pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet) and theCavaleri Quartetartrix promoted by BromsgroveconcertsProgramme to include music byJanáček, Mozart and ian Venables,Canzonetta for clarinet and stringquartet. the première of this newwork commissioned by Droitwichconcert club and Bromsgroveconcerts.www.bromsgrove-concerts.org.uk/www.artrix.co.uk/Music/cavaleri-Quartet-with-timothy-orpen—Bromsgrove-concerts/1857

22 Droitwich Methodist church,Worcester road, Droitwich, Wr98an, 7.30pmTimothy Orpen (clarinet) and theCavaleri QuartetProgramme to include music byJanáček, Mozart and ian Venables,Canzonetta for clarinet and stringquartet. the première of this newwork commissioned by Droitwichconcert club and Bromsgroveconcerts.www.communigate.co.uk/worcs/droitwichconcertclub

25 Blackheath concert Halls, 23Lee road, Blackheath, London Se39rQ, 7.30 pmTrinity Laban Wind OrchestraHarry cameron-Penny (clarinet)Morton Gould, Derivations forclarinet and band; Stravinsky, Massand Symphonies of WindInstruments; Grainger, The Power ofRome and the Christian Heart;Student commission (première).

26 Strathearn Music Society,academy Hall, crieff, PH7 3an,7.30pmScottish Saxophone Ensemblewww.scottishsaxophoneensemble.co.uk

26 St Mary’s church Hall, HighStreet, Sandbach, cW11 1HDGerard McChrystal (saxophone)and Craig Ogden (guitar)tickets: online via

WeGottickets or purchase locallywww.sandbach-concert-series.co.uk/craig-ogden-gerard-mcchrystal-saxophone-guitar.htm

29 Heywood civic centre, Heywoodcivic centre, church Street,Heywood, oL10 1LW, 7.30pmFell Clarinet Quartetrecital for rochdale Music Societyan exciting evening of great varietyranging from early HungarianDances to french composers,Dubois and Desportes, as well aspieces by Gershwin.admission: £14/£12.50/£5/£1www.rochdalemusicsociety.org

29 christchurch, avenue road,Malvern, Worcestershire, Wr14 3ra,7.30pmWorcestershire SaxophoneEnsembleLouisa Davidson (Musical Director)a programme of saxophoneensemble and quartet pieces fromBaroque classics to Latin funk. theWSe show the versatility of thesaxophone in an accomplisheddazzling evening of entertainmentin the beautiful acoustic ofchristchurch.tickets:£10/£8 concessions available at thedoor on or from Malvern theatrebox office. tel: 01684 892277www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/events

APRIL 20141 eastgate theatre, eastgate,Peebles, e45 8aD, 7.30pmSax EcosseProgramme to include music byBach, Glazunov, Gabrieli, DianaSalazar and Grieg.www.saxecosse.com www.musicinpeebles.org.

27 the Palm House, Sefton Park,Liverpool, L17 1aP, 2 – 4pmMaghull Wind Orchestraa variety of wind orchestra worksfrom traditional military bandthrough to symphonic film scores,conducted by Phil Shotton. tel: 0151 531 9562www.maghullwindorchestra.co.uk

GerardMcchrystalplaying inSandbachon 26thMarch


coUrSeSJANUARY 2014

2 - 5 alston Hall, alston Lane,Longridge, Preston, Pr3 3BPExtended Saxophone Weekendtutors: Sarah Jobson and DebbieScherera course providing ensembleexperience for saxophonists with atleast 18 months playing experience.Group sizes and music will bealtered each session to provide newlearning opportunities throughoutthe course. a vast and diverselibrary will be available for use.01772 784661www.alstonhall.com

3 - 5 Benslow Music, Benslow Lane,Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9rBClarinetfesttutors: Shea Lolin, Paul Harris andanthony Baileyclarinet players of all abilities areoffered the opportunity to play inworkshops, classes and choirs at therelevant level and to join at the endof the course in one joyful,celebratory ensemble. With musicfrom the renaissance to thecontemporary, the weekend focuseson repertoire building but alsoincludes sessions which focus ontechnique and musicianship.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

10 - 12 Benslow Music, Benslow Lane,Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9rBJohn White’s Wind ChamberMusictutors: John White and ShaneMoroneyoboist John White, formerlyprincipal at english national opera,leads the year’s first wind chambermusic course, intended forindividual applicants. together witha colleague he’ll help wind playersimprove their chamber music skills.Plenty of music, some for unusualcombinations, will be provided, butyou can also bring works you areespecially fond of or are simplyinterested to explore.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

31 – 2 Feb Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9rBWind Ensembles with the LondonMyriadstutors: Members of the LondonMyriad ensembleanother weekend with the popularLondon Myriad ensemble designedexclusively for pre-formed windensembles. applications from anyconfiguration of wind or wind andpiano ensemble within reason, fromtrios to dectets are welcome. Pleasebring along your prepared

repertoire. fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

FEBRUARY 201414 - 16 Knuston Hall, irchester,Wellingborough, northants, nn297eUBeginning To Read and PlayMusictutor: Sarah Jobsona course for those who have alwayswanted to be able to read music butnever had the time or courage totry. Using a cheap and easy to learninstrument, the recorder, this coursewill open doors to the world ofplaying and understanding music.01933 [email protected]

16 - 21 Knuston Hall, irchester,Wellingborough, northants, nn297eUSaxophone Weektutors: Sarah Jobson, DebbieScherer and Sarah Markhamthis course is offered tosaxophonists with at least 18months experience. the course willcover a wide variety of playingopportunities through ensemblecoaching and workshops.Participants can expect to play ingroups ranging from duos to fullchoirs. an extensive library will beavailable throughout.fees: residential £556 (single room)£492 (shared room), non residential£377 01933 [email protected]

22 – 23 the Hayes conferencecentre, Swanwick, Derbyshire, De551aUNottingham Saxophone Weekendcourse director: alistair Parnelltutors: Sarah Markham, Julia Mills,nicola Pennill, James rae andnaomi Sullivantwo days of saxophonemasterclasses, ensembles andworkshops for the intermediate toadvanced (grade five - diploma)player. fees: £[email protected] www.saxday.co.uk

24 - 27 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBQuintessential Clarinets(Elementary)tutors: Shea Lolin and cliftonHughes (piano)this version of Shea Lolin’s course isaimed at less advanced players, butlike its sister course aims to developyour solo and ensemble playing byworking through pieces you bringand presenting you with newrepertoire. you will have the chanceto spend time with the course pianist

27 all Saints church, Kings Heath,Birmingham, B14 7ra, 3 – 5pmBirmingham Bassoon Choir andBirmingham Clarinet Choircolin touchin (conductor)if you are interested in playing inthe clarinet choir, there will be aplayday on 11th January, and ashort rehearsal before the concert.tel: alison Kennedy 0121 4599867 [email protected]

27 crosby Hall educational trust,Back Lane, Little crosby, Liverpool,L23 4Ua, 7.30pm Borealis Saxophone Quartetalastair Penman, Mélina Zéléniuc,Gillian Blair, Daniel WhiteProgramme to include works byGershwin, ravel and Piazzolla. www.chetcentre.co.ukwww.borealissaxophonequartet.com

MAY 20142 Hull University, Larkin Building,Hull, HU6 7rX, 1.15pmLuca Luciano (clarinet) andBruno D’Ambra (piano)Programme to include music fromthe album Neapolis, and music byBerio, Puccini, Vivaldi, Gershwinand Kurt Weill.admission free tel: 01482 462045

2 Hull University, Larkin Building,Hull, HU6 7rX, 2.30pmClarinet Masterclass with LucaLuciano (clarinet)clarinet technique and repertoire.admission free to students01482 462045

3 central Methodist church, QueenStreet, Scarborough, 7.30pmScarborough SymphonyOrchestraJonathan Sage (clarinet) ShaunMatthew (conductor)finzi clarinet concertowww.scarborough-orchestra.co.ukwww.jonathansage.co.uk

6 St Bride’s church, fleet Street,London, ec4y 8aU, 1.15pmLuca Luciano (clarinet)Programme to include music byMessiaen, Berio, Kowalczyc,Vivaldi, Puccini and Stravinsky. admission free0207 427 0133

17 Bedford corn exchange, StPaul’s Square, Bedford, MK40 1SL,7.30pmAnthony Brown (saxophone) Bedford Sinfonia, Michael rose(conductor)concerto by alexander Glazunovtickets: £13/£10/£3www.bedfordsymphony.com

23 coronation Hall, county Square,Ulverston, cumbria, La12 7LZ,7.30pmCourtney Pine plus guest JessGillam01229 587140 www.corohall.co.ukwww.snakedavis.co.uk

24 St Paul’s cathedral, High Street,Dundee, DD1 1tD, 1pmFraser Burke (piano) andRichard Ingham (saxophone)Sax 200! contemporary music forsaxophone and piano, includingnew works by fraser Burke andrichard ingham.tickets: £4/£3 schoolchildren free.www.saintpaulscathedral.net/music/concerts.aspxwww.largo-music.co.uk

31 the concert room, 2 Sudleyroad, Bognor regis, West Sussex,Po21 1eU, 7.30pmAmy Green (saxophone) DanielKing Smith (piano)Programme to includeDebussy, Rapsodie; Marcello,concerto in c minor; creston, Sonataop. 19.www.bognerregismusic.org.uk �

DIARY

Luca Luciano in Hull on 2nd May


to work on your performances.Should you want to share the fruitsof your labours with the rest of thegroup then you can, in BenslowMusic’s uniquely informal andsupportive ambience. Shea willaddress all areas of performance,including stagecraft, how to copewith nerves, practice regimes andsight-reading techniques.fees: residential £365, nonresidential £290 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

MARCH 201418 - 20 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9rBClarinet Choirtutor: Shea Lolin We decided that although ourclarinetfest brings clarinettiststogether for a celebratory play atthe end of the course, we weremissing a course entirely devotedto the clarinet choir, a populargenre. Shea Lolin, as Director of theeast London clarinet choir, hasconsiderable experience of thegenre and its music so if you arelooking for a couple of days of pureenjoyment as you play through awide range of repertoire, originaland arranged, then look no further.Please let us know which clarinetsyou are bringing to the course.everything from contrabass to eflat very welcome.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

21 - 23 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBThe Kerry Camden AdvancedWind Ensembles Course tutors: Simon de Souza, elizabethDrew, Liz fyfe, Pete Harrison andLisa nelsen the Kerry camden advanced Windensembles course, named inhonour of the late, great bassoonistwho led it for many years,continues under the highlyexperienced guidance of hornplayer Simon de Souza and hisexpert team of coaches (one foreach instrument so detailed helpwill be on hand for all). theemphasis is on having fun throughmaking music, but course membersshould expect to be challenged andsometimes, gently, taken out oftheir comfort zone. all corners ofthe wind quintet and dectet (doublequintet) repertoire will be exploredand finish on the Sunday afternoonwith an informal concert, where wewill address issues relating toperformance skills, rehearsing andrepertoire learning. this course isdesigned for individual applicantsonly and not for pre-formedgroups.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

APRIL 20144 – 6 Gartmore House,Stirlingshire, fK8 3rSRichard Ingham’s GartmoreHouse Saxophone Weekendthis new residential course forsaxophonists will give you theopportunity to play in large andsmall saxophone ensembles andmeet new friends in the saxophoneworld. you will receive coaching onyour ensemble playing, techniqueand tone production. Bring onesaxophone, or perhaps bring the sixdifferent ones you play. everyonewill be catered for with musicselected from one of the biggestlibraries of saxophone music ineurope, which will be available touse in your free time. come as anestablished ensemble, or as anindividual. the music will be aneclectic mixture of classical andjazz. a minimum standard ofapproximately grade three aBrSM(or equivalent) is recommended forthis course, as well as some fluencyin sight-reading. outstandingaccommodation set amidstnational Park landscape. fees: £240/£260www.largo-music.co.uk/course_ghsw.php

7 - 11 Scottish Hebridean island ofraasayRaasay bass clarinet andbassoon coursesLed by Sarah Watts (bassclarinet) and LaurencePerkins (bassoon), with antonyclare (piano)this five day course is a wonderfulchance for bass clarinettists andbassoonists (of any level) to enjoyand develop their playing throughworkshops (developing aspects oftechnique), classes (you can bring asolo piece to play, if you wish) andwonderful ensembles - includingsome Scottish music! there will bea tutors’ concert, social events anda chance to explore this magicalisland sandwiched between the isleof Skye and the Scottish mainland.2013 raasaycourse www.youtube.com/watch?v=1noeBzUX6B4www.raasaymusiccourses.com

8 - 11 Knuston Hall, irchester,Wellingborough, northants, nn297eUExtend Your Saxophone Skillstutors: Debbie Scherer, SarahJobson, Susie tolley and MatthewMcGuffiethis course will be of particularinterest to those in the early andintermediate stages of saxophoneplaying. the course content willallow for those with someexperience (recommendedmaximum playing ability grade fiveapproximately) as well as thosewith only six months learning.those taking on saxophone as asecond instrument will also benefitfrom this course. Material andtutoring will be appropriate to thestandard of each individual and thetimetable will be devised to enableprogressive learning.

fees: residential £383 (single room)£335 (shared room), non residential£257 01933 [email protected]

11 - 13 Knuston Hall, irchester,Wellingborough, northants, nn297eUExtend Your Saxophone Skillstutors: Debbie Scherer, SarahJobson, Susie tolley and MatthewMcGuffiethis course will be of particularinterest to those in the early andintermediate stages of saxophoneplaying. the course content willallow for those with someexperience (recommendedmaximum playing ability grade fiveapproximately) as well as thosewith only six months learning.those taking on saxophone as asecond instrument will also benefitfrom this course. Material andtutoring will be appropriate to thestandard of each individual and thetimetable will be devised to enableprogressive learning.fees: residential £260 (single room)£228 (shared room), non residential£175 01933 [email protected]

11 - 13 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBIntroduction to Wind ChamberMusictutor: Janet Myatt Janet Myatt introduces players,who might come as individuals or

as newly established ensembles, toone-to-a-part playing in groups ofsimilar abilities. Minimumstandard expected is roughlyassociated Board grade three, andJanet likes you to be a reasonablesight-reader. Perhaps you arerejuvenating old skills, perhaps youhave only just taken up aninstrument, or perhaps you arealready a competent player butlack experience in ensembleplaying. Whatever the case, this isthe course for you.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

11 - 13 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBSpring Saxes tutors: neil crossley and GerardMcchrystal Play in ensembles ranging fromquartets to a whole sax choir,exploring a wide range of music. noprevious experience of ensembleplaying is necessary, butparticipants must be competentsight-readers. you will benefit fromensemble coaching, performancesand technique classes that coverall aspects of playing thesaxophone in a friendly andsupportive atmosphere. Please let us know what size(s) ofinstrument you intend to bringwhen you apply. if you have anydoubts about being of a suitablelevel then Benslow Music will bepleased to put the tutors in touchwith you.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

MAY 20142 - 5 Knuston Hall, irchester,Wellingborough, northants, nn297eUAn Extended Weekend of Flutesand Clarinetstutors: Sarah Jobson and DebbieSchererthis established course is aimed atflautists and clarinettists who wantto play in specialist ensembles anda mixed woodwind choir. anextensive library combined withexperienced tutors ensures thatparticipants will have theopportunity to enhance both theirinstrumental and ensemble skills.for maximum benefit participantsshould have at least 18 months ofplaying and have experience ofsight-reading.Please note that you do not have tobe able to play both flute andclarinet to benefit from this course.fees: residential £361 (single room)£313 (shared room), non residential£240 01933 [email protected]

richardingham’sGartmoreHouseSaxophoneWeekend,4th - 6th april


11 – 17 La Moreau, charenteMaritime, franceAndy Scott’s Saxophone Coursein Franceandy Scott leads a saxophoneensemble course in South Westfrance that is designed forbeginners to more advancedplayers who want to improve theirensemble playing in a friendly,supportive atmosphere. andy willrun sessions on improvising andtranscribing, composing andarranging music for the saxophone.Participants will play in duos,quartets and a larger ensemble,and will have the opportunity tojoin in an evening jam session andtake part in a public concert at theend of the course. each player willalso receive a half hour individuallesson from andy.www.andyscott.org.uk

12 - 15 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBExploring the Saxophone and itsRepertoire tutors: Jeffery Wilson and timWatts (piano) Jeffery Wilson (saxophones) andtim Watts (piano) direct, rehearse,workshop and perform alongsidecourse participants a vast range ofmusic, from jazz improvisations toclassical repertoire, non-westernmusic, contemporaryarrangements and original

compositions, in solo and ensemblesettings.fees: residential £365, nonresidential £290 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

12 - 15 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBQuintessential Clarinets tutors: Shea Lolin and cliftonHughes (piano)this version of Shea Lolin’s courseis aimed at less advanced players,but like its sister course aims todevelop your solo and ensembleplaying by working through piecesyou bring and presenting you withnew repertoire. you will have thechance to spend time with thecourse pianist to work on yourperformances. Should you want toshare the fruits of your labourswith the rest of the group then youcan, in Benslow Music’s uniquelyinformal and supportive ambience.Shea will address all areas ofperformance, including stagecraft,how to cope with nerves, practiceregimes and sight-readingtechniques.fees: residential £365, nonresidential £290 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

16 - 18 Benslow Music, BenslowLane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG49rBNew Winds tutor: Janet Myatt a friendly course for those up toassociated Board grade threestandard with little or noexperience of ensemble playing butat least a year‘s playing experience.Boost your confidence by playing insmall conducted groups, learninghow to listen to those around youand how to fit into an ensemble.the accent is on informality andmutual supportiveness. there willbe ample opportunity to discusschallenges and to sort outtechnical problems. Perhaps you’vetaken up an instrument later in life,or perhaps you’re wanting torejuvenate old skills.fees: residential £255, nonresidential £205 01462 459446 [email protected] www.benslowmusic.org

ON THE HORIZON9 - 16 August 2014 Malverncollege, Worcestershire. Malvern Summer Winds chamberMusic coursea chamber music course forintermediate and advancedwoodwind and horn playerspromoted and tutored by cuillin

Sound trio.www.cuillinsoundmusic.co.uk

24 - 30 August 2014cubertou advanced Wind coursetutors: Sarah Watts (clarinet), Lizcutts (flute), andrew Knights(oboe), Miles Hewitt (horn) andLaurence Perkins (bassoon)this course is for adult woodwindplayers (flute, oboe, clarinet,bassoon and horn) of grade eight orabove who would like theopportunity to play in ensembles,explore some of the wonderfulmusic for wind groups, and developchamber music skills, all in anidyllic venue in sunny South Westfrance.www.cubertou.com

31 August – 6 September 2014cubertou elementary Windchamber Musictutors: Sarah Watts (clarinet), Lizcutts (flute) and Laurence Perkins(bassoon)this course is for adult woodwindplayers (flute, oboe, clarinet andbassoon) between grades three andsix who would like the opportunityto play in ensembles, explore someof the wonderful music for windgroups, and develop chambermusic skills, all in an idyllic venuein sunny South West france.www.cubertou.com �

DIARY


PLayDaySJANUARY 2014

11 northfield Quaker MeetingHouse, Birmingham B31 2LD,9.30am – 4.30pmClarinet Choir Playday withconductor Colin Touchina variety of music will be providedon the day, about grade five andabove.tel: alison Kennedy 0121 459 [email protected]

11 21 Stone road, Bromley, Kent,Br2 9aX, 1.30pmClarinet Workshop and Concert tutors: Margaret archibald(clarinet) and John flinders (piano) John and Margaret will alsoperform an item at the 6pm concertfor family and friends.free choice of repertoire thatplayers would like to rehearse andperform, although made indiscussion with Margaret and Johnin advance.fees: £42 (performers)contact: Margaret archibald [email protected]

25 regent Hall, 275 oxford Street,London, W1c 2DJ, (nearest station:oxford circus) 10am - 5pmWoodwind Orchestra Play Dayartistic Director: Shea Lolin. tutors:chris allen, richard caradon, ianMitchell and David Smith the east London clarinet choirpresent a play day for woodwindorchestra. trade stands includeWood, Wind & reed, Vandoren andSempre Music.fees: £40 (£35 concessions). 0208 553 4973www.elclarinetchoir.co.uk/playday.htm

FEBRUARY 20141 the Venue, Leeds college ofMusic, 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS27PD, 10am-5pmWoodwind Orchestra Play Dayartistic Director: Shea Lolin. tutors:Keiron anderson, Paul Harris,anthony Houghton and MichaelSheltonthe east London clarinet choirpresent a play day for woodwindorchestra. trade stands includeWindstruments, Vandoren andSempre Music. fees: £40 (£35 concessions).0208 553 4973www.elclarinetchoir.co.uk/playday.htm

8 St Michael’s church centre,Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, iP53PL, 10.15am – 1.15pm & 2.15 -5.15pmSaxophone SessionsMorning session, one to a part insmall groups. afternoon session,sax choir large group playing. allwith the aim to develop ensembleskills and have fun with good musicwritten specifically for

saxophones. Sign up for a morningor an afternoon or both.fees: £10 per session.tel: 01473 726426www.packapunch.co.uk/workshops

23 Wells cathedral School,SomersetSouth West Jazz Saxophone DayWells Music academy is hostinganother jazz improvisationworkshop day for players aged 18and younger in the beautiful settingof Wells cathedral School.tutors will include andy tweed andedward Leaker as well as a veryspecial guest to be announcednearer the date. there will beworkshops on improvisation skillsfor all levels, making a jazz sound,jazz stylisation and trade standswill be on hand so you can checkout the latest gear. the day willalso feature a performance fromthe guest tutor with a professionalrhythm section.the team behind the event has puton the previous South WestSaxophone and clarinet Days thathave proved so popular. this eventwill also give you some insight in tothe inspirational programme ofteaching available at Wellscathedral School, in particular thenew Jazz Saxophone Pathway.We recommend that childrenshould be at least grade threestandard to get the most out of theevent.tel: Dominique Swain on 01749834487wellsmusicacademy@wells-cathedral-school.comwww.wellsmusicacademy.com

MARCH 2014

2, colchester institute, colchesterEast Anglian Single ReedFestivalthis year the festival marks a veryspecial occasion with the 25thanniversary event. andy Scott willbe leading the masterclass andhelping throughout the day andother sessions will include singlereed choirs, novice class and theever popular jazz workshop withJeffery Wilson. there will be musicfor everyone and all ages and fromgrade two up are welcome to playand browse the trade stands.reduced rates for those in full timeeducation and for teachers bringingthree or more pupils. Up to datedetails can be found on our websitewww.singlereed.co.uk and [email protected] withany queries.

6 St. Paul’s Hall, University ofHuddersfield, Queensgate,Huddersfield HD 1 3DHSaxophone DaySpecial guests Jerome Laran(france) and equinox Saxophoneensemble. Sponsored by Vandoren.www.hud.ac.uk/concerts

23 Great Kingshill Village Hall,Buckinghamshire, HP15 6Dr, 10am– 4pmKingshill Clarinet Choir Play DayLed by chris Hookeropen to all grade five plus players.contact:[email protected]

30 Maidment Building, ShrewsburySchool, Sy3 7Ba, 10am – 5pmShrewsbury Saxophone Daya chance to work with andy Scottand rob Buckland in workshops,masterclasses and ensemblesessions, and participate in aconcert in the lovely surroundingsof Shrewsbury School. Minimumstandard grade five approximately.trade stands will be availablethroughout the day. Supported byVandoren, Selmer and astuteMusic. fee: £25contact: Maria [email protected] www.andyscott.org.uk

APRIL 201427 Bury farm, Bury road,Stapleford, cambridge, cB22 5BP, 1– 6pmClarinet Afternoon with JamesRaefollowing on from their highlysuccessful clarinet and saxophonedays, the ace foundation invitesintermediate and advanced levelplayers (minimum grade five) to amore intensive clarinet ensembleday, during which James rae willguide you through somestimulating and enjoyablerepertoire from the clarinet andSaxophone Society library nowbased at Bury farm. there will bean end of day concert at 5.30pm.James will also direct a masterclassand give a demonstration concert.the maximum number ofparticipants is 25.there will also be the opportunityto visit Daniel Bangham’scambridge Woodwind Makersworkshop.fee: £45contact: the ace foundation 01223845599

MAY 20144 cardiff University School ofMusic, corbett road, cardiff, cf103eB, 9am – 7pmClarinet Conventioncourse Leaders: Leslie craven andPeter fielding.a fun day of concerts,masterclasses, ensemble coaching,clarinet choirs and lectures in allthings clarinetty.trade stands to include Vandoren,rico D’addario, John Packer,Marca and Woodwind & co.concessions for groups available onapplication.

10 St Michael’s church centre,Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, iP53PL, 10.15am – 1.15pm & 2.15 -5.15pmSaxophone SessionsMorning session, one to a part insmall groups. afternoon session,sax choir large group playing. allwith the aim to develop ensembleskills and have fun with good musicwritten specifically forsaxophones. Sign up for a morningor an afternoon or both.fees: £10 per session.tel: 01473 726426www.packapunch.co.uk/workshops

11 King George’s Hall, communityWalk, esher, Kt10 9ra, 10am – 4pmClarinet Choir Play Day the day will be led by thethameside clarinet choir MusicalDirector, Martin Hinckley who willinclude some in-depth work onsubstantial repertoire from theclarinet choir including some newcompositions and arrangements,together with a lighter look at avaried selection from the choir’slibrary. Parts will be available foreb, Bb, alto, bass, contra-alto andcontrabass clarinet.fees: £30 (£15 half day)Martin [email protected]

ON THE HORIZON1 June 2014 Hurworth communitycentre, Darlington, DL2 2Bn, 10am– 5pmDarlington Clarinet EnsembleClarinet and Saxophone PlayDaytutors: alistair Parnell and SarahMarkhamfees: £20/£15/£[email protected] �

forcLarinet Superpads

only from www.woodwindco.com [email protected]


Dear Richard,

Clarinetfest 2013, 24-28 July, Assisi, ItalyThe Scottish Clarinet Quartet is delighted that a review of our concert atthe recent ClarinetFest held in Assisi was published in the last issue ofClarinet and Saxophone (Vol.38/3). In the interests of strict factualaccuracy, we’d just like to make readers aware of the following minorcorrections. The title of the piece by Judith Weir is Sketches from aBagpiper’s Album, Francine Trester is a US composer, and her new workMany Miles Away was commissioned by the Scottish Clarinet Quartet andnot Creative Scotland. However we are grateful to Creative Scotland forsupporting our trip to Assisi.

Readers interested in obtaining the sheet music to either of these worksmay like to know that Alex South’s new arrangement for clarinet quartetof Judith Weir’s Sketches from a Bagpiper’s Album will soon be availablefrom Music Sales (Novello & Co), and that Francine Trester may becontacted at [email protected] or [email protected]. The remainingpiece in our programme, Becky Milne’s Waulking Bass (scored for fourbass clarinets), may be obtained by contacting her [email protected]. Details of these and other pastcommissions may be found at our website scq.org.uk.

Alex South, The Scottish Clarinet Quartet �

CLASSIFIEDSYamaha Tenor Saxophone YTS275 inpristine condition. £680 ono. tel: 01286831705

Jazzlab Saxholder. Great for bassclarinet or tenor/baritone sax. as new£35 tel: alan 01258 [email protected]

Yamaha Piccolo 82, very good condition,solid silver head joint £1350 tel: John 07933 926023

Leblanc bass clarinet to low eb plus case,mouthpiece, sling and stand. in goodplaying condition. £1000 tel: 01689837633 (orpington)

Selmer Series 9 Bb clarinet, overhauledby George Gladstone in august 2013.complete with case, Selmer c85 120mouthpiece and folding stand. £500 tel:01248 360108/0781 204 6610 (Bangor,Gwynedd) �

LETTERS

The Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain

company Limited by Guarantee, number 3010228the companies acts 2006

Annual GeneralMeetingnotice is hereby given that the annual General Meetingof the clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britainwill be held in the Manoukian Music Centre, Westminster School, 9 TuftonStreet London, SW1P 3QB on Sunday 5th January 2014 at 4.30pm.

the relevant papers for the meeting can found in the members’section of the Society’s website – www.cassgb.org.

John a MacKenziecompany Secretary

Index of Advertisers

Barnes & Mullins - antigua 17Barnes & Mullins - Juno 23Barnes & Mullins - yanagisawa outside back coverclarinet & Saxophone Society of GB 2creative Vacances 39D’addario - rico 1George Gladstone 16Howarth of London inside front coverJonathan Myall 6John Packer 37Matt London 23nigel Hinson 37redwine Jazz 22reeds Direct 37Sax.co.uk 36Steve crow 11Vandoren 19VBi - conn Selmer 24Windband 39Windstruments 39Windstruments - 50Harrogate summer courseWood, Wind & reed 39Woodwind & co. 23, 43, 51yamaha inside back cover


Members’ Borrowing Application Formfour works may be borrowed at a time for a period of four weeks. charges are £1.50 per item, plus postage(variable depending on weight of parcel) and must be paid by cheque made payable to caSS GB on return of theitems. overseas members are required to pay by either ViSa or Mastercard or by visiting our websitewww.cassgb.org and using the PayPal facility. Please photocopy this form if you wish.

Send requests to: Stephanie reeve, 9 Hamden Way, Papworth everard, cambridge cB23 3UG or by email to [email protected]

name:

address:

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telephone no. Membership no:

Works to be borrowed:

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title: title:

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Terms and conditions: the borrower agrees that he/she will not make any copies of the materials supplied, for any purpose whatsoever.if the materials supplied are used in any concert performance, it is the responsibility of the hirer to notify the Performing right Society ofall the details of the performance. the borrower understands that if the declaration is false in a material particular the borrower may beliable for an infringement of copyright. Lost pieces or parts will be charged at the current cost of replacement plus 20% to cover costs.the period of loan is for one month from despatch of the items. the loan period may be extended provided that items have not beenrequested by another member. a further charge of £1.50 per item per month will apply for loan extension.

i agree to the terms of borrowing and agree to pay the standard charges current at the time of my application.

Signed: Date:

CLARINET & SAXOPHONESOCIETYLIBRARY SERVICE

ARTICLES• 850 words fill one page with obviousmultiples thereof.

• It is helpful if the text is also pasted into theemail in case of problems openingattachments. Please do not submit articles inMicrosoft Publisher format - this seems togive us the most problems. MS Word or textsaved in Rich Text Format should be fine.

• Please supply pictures to enhance thepresentation of text. Pictures should have aminimum resolution of 350 dpi or if hardcopy they will be returned once scanned ifrequested. Pictures should also state ifattribution/photo credit is necessary and besubmitted with clear captions.

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• Copy deadline: April 16th for June issue, July16th for September issue, October 16th for

the December issue, January 16th for theMarch issue. The magazine is distributedaround the 21st of the month of publication.

• For guidance with regard to titles,references etc we use Trevor Herbert’s Musicin Words (pub. ABRSM) as our guide.

• We reserve the right to edit all submissions. • No guarantee is made that a submission willbe published - this is at the discretion of theEditorial Board.

FOR REVIEW• All material for review should be sent to theEditor (Fron, LLANSADWRN, Menai Bridge,LL59 5SL).

• A review is published for the benefit of thereader, not simply to give an artist/authorsome publicity.

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NEWS & DIARY/LISTING• News of forthcoming events or listings isvery welcome. Please send your informationto the Editor. You can request to be notifiedby email as each listing/news is beingcompiled as a reminder of the opportunity tosubmit information.

• There is no charge for listings! • Although great care is taken to ensureaccuracy in the listings, the Clarinet &Saxophone Society of Great Britain cannotaccept responsibility for any errors. Readersare advised to check details before makinglong journeys to an event as the listing isprepared some considerable time inadvance.

Deadline Period Covered

January 24 April 1 - Aug 31

April 24 July 1 - Nov 30

July 24 Oct 1 - Feb 28/29

Oct 24 Jan 1 - May 31

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS


Iwas immensely saddened to be told ofthe death of Professor John Playfair. Along-standing member of the Clarinet

and Saxophone Society, he joined theEditorial Board of this magazine in 2006and gave to the team not only an incredibleamount of expertise, but shared his greatenthusiasm and love for clarinets ofhistorical interest and of recorded music.He was never shy of putting his viewsacross and had the knack of submitting aletter for publication or soap box stylearticle that sparked discussion andresponses from our readers. He was full ofideas and reflected the interests of asignificant segment of our readership. Priorto his retirement he worked as the Professorof Immunology at University CollegeLondon Medical School with a string ofpublications to his name. If I commissionedhim to review an item it would be in myinbox by return, 65 of them over the years,erudite, insightful and fearless in hiscriticism. Since I took the chair in 1999, theEditorial Board has evolved into a team ofhard working, focused musicians,representing the many facets of ourinstruments and repertoire, with a missionto make the magazine an unmissable

journal for the single reeder. John filled hisrole to the full and will be very sorelymissed.

John would have been very enthusiasticabout a new idea of organising a concertfollowing the Society’s AGM. DavidCampbell will be performing music byBrahms, Widor, Bennett and Rabaut,accompanied by Caroline Jaya-Ratnam. Dofind your way to the Manoukian MusicCentre, Westminster School on Sunday 5thJanuary 2014 at 5pm for the recital and youare invited to the AGM at 4.30pm.

2014 sees the 200th anniversary of thebirth of Adolphe Sax. We are planning aseries of articles to mark the event andfrom the diary section it can be seen thatconcerts and lectures are also beingplanned to reflect this significant date.

We have changed our approach to theseries looking at the ABRSM syllabus for clarinet and saxophone.Stephanie Reeve is writing now from theperspective of what teachers need to knowabout the music listed. Are theaccompaniments easy? What is the range ofthe music? She will highlight the level ofdifficulty within that grade and thechallenges the pupil might find with the

music. I hope that this makes the serieseven more useful.

I’m very struck by the number ofinteresting people of diverse professions orinterests that I’ve spoken to or met in mytime as Editor, who are members asamateurs in the true sense of the word. Toreflect this we’ve decided to run a newseries for the back page of interviews withmembers looking at their work and the rolethe clarinet or saxophone plays in theirlives. I hope you enjoy it!

Richard Edwards �

EDITOR’S NOTES

NEW MEMBERS We offer a warm welcome to the following members who havejoined the Society since the last issue of Clarinet & Saxophone. Please check page twoof the Membership Directory for an explanation of the abbreviations.

CLARINET&SAXOPHONE SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN

The Clarinet & Saxophone Society ofGreat Britain was founded in 1976 forthe benefit of everyone who has aninterest in the clarinet or saxophoneand their repertoire: teachers,students, professional or amateurplayers, manufacturers andcomposers. the Society has membersin over 35 countries. the Society is acompany limited by guarantee:registered in england no. 3010228,whose registered office is at 15Springwell, ingleton, Darlington, DL23JJ

Presidents: richard ingham andJanet Hilton

Past Presidents: Lt. col. trevor Le M.Sharpe MVo oBe, Jack Brymer oBe,Dame thea King, Sir John DankworthcBe

Vice-Presidents:Paul Harvey, charles Hine

Honorary Members: Paul Harvey,alan Lucas, Susan Moss, KevinMurphy

Executive Committee: Davidcampbell (Past-chairman), Janeteggleden, Gemma Harvey, GrahamHoneywood, Shea Lolin, Stephaniereeve, plus those indicated *

*Secretary: William Upton, 25 albert road, new Milton, BH256SPtel: 0758 824 [email protected]

*Treasurer: John MacKenzie, 15 Springwell, ingleton, Darlington,DL2 3JJtel: 01325 730280 [email protected]

*Editor: richard edwards,fron, Llansadwrn, Menai Bridge, LL59 5SL tel: 01248 811285 [email protected]

*Membership Secretary: andrewSmith, 23 Hanbury close, inglebyBarwick, Stockton-on-tees, tS17 0UQtel. 08456 440 [email protected]

• Back numbers of the magazineare available to members fromthe Membership Secretary price £4.95. �


BACON, Mrs Glenys98 Westbourne road, Sutton-in-ashfield, nottinghamshire,nG17 [email protected] clM B Sw

COOKE, Dr Janet20 crescent Walk, WestParley, ferndown, Dorset,BH22 8PZ01202 [email protected] aS tS c4 Sw

EMBLETON, Miss Catherine25 Birchwood road, Utley,Keighley, West yorkshire,BD20 6BX01535 [email protected] S BB cM

EMINSON, Mr Stuart5 Barker Gate, Hucknall,nottingham, nG15 [email protected] S oM P Klez

HARRIS, Mr John22 oak Way, Heckington,Sleaford, Lincolnshire, nG349fG01529 [email protected]

MARTIN, Mr Robert‘innisfail’, 16 Derwent raod,Palmers Green, London, n134PU0208 886 [email protected] S oM J

PUGH, Ms Jackie84 thorpe House rise,Sheffield, South yorkshire, [email protected] Pi

SEMPRE MUSICold Waterside, Dunreggan,Moniaive, Dumfrieshire, DG34HQ01848 [email protected]

TINLINE, Mr Edward2 Sunnyhill road, Salisbury,Wiltshire, SP1 3QH01722 [email protected]

WALLS, Mr Michael‘trelory’, 10 Moor close road,Queensbury, Bradford, Westyorkshire, BD13 [email protected]

WATSON, Miss Jennifer31-33 Winnington Lane,northwich, cheshire, [email protected] S f P

WHITEMAN, Mrs Judith1 Blacksmith cottages,ticehurst, east Sussex, tn57BD01580 [email protected] cM B J

WILLIAMS, Mr David60 Grantchester Meadows,cambridge, cambridgeshire,cB3 [email protected] J BB

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

COCHRANE, Miss Jennifer8 Damocle court, norwich,norfolk, nr2 [email protected]

COLVILLE, Mrs Juliet21 Broseley avenue,Manchester, M20 [email protected]

DEANS, Ms Rebecca72 Holborn View, codnor,ripley, Derbyshire, De5 [email protected]

EVANS, Miss Eleri AnnDamson cottage, Green Lane,north Kilworth, Lutterworth,Leicestershire, Le17 6HQ01484 [email protected]

HEALY, Mrs Linda66 Hendre Park,Llangennech,carmarthenshire, Sa14 [email protected]

HOLLAND, Miss Liz144 elizabeth Street,atherton, Manchester, [email protected]

MOSELEY, Ms Cherryll C2 rebekah Gardens, DroitwichSpa, Worcestershire, [email protected]

ROSE, Mr PhilipHazeltree cottage, oldBurford road, Bledington,Gloucestershire, oX7 [email protected]

STENHOUSE, Mr Alastair36 Braemar Drive, SouthShields, tyne & Wear, [email protected]

STREET, Dr NigelPo Box 77, esentepe, Girne,Mersin 10, [email protected]

TURRIFF, Miss Alison64 ivanhoe crescent, Wishaw,north Lanarkshire, ML2 [email protected]

WALKER, Rev Valerie109 High Street, newburgh,cupar, fife, Ky14 [email protected]

WALLER, Miss Alisoncalderbank, Hillfield Drive,Ledbury, Herefordshire, Hr81BH01531 [email protected]

WEST, Mr Ian P1105 Lund ranch road,Parkland, florida, 33076, USa001 203 439 [email protected]

It is with regret that wereport the death of:

Professor John Playfair,chiswick, London �


What does your day to day job involve?Making and selling frames. We’re a little bitunusual in that we don’t just get ready-made lengths of moulding. We workfrom raw timber which is finishedhere. We do special finishes and a lotof treatment of old art work, delicatestuff. Both claire and i are fromconservation backgrounds. i was acabinet maker and furniture restorer.it’s nice, it’s the combination of thegeneral public and it’s creative, you’redoing things, so it’s an enjoyable job.

When did you start playing thesaxophone?about 14 years ago. i always wanted to playsomething. i went to a fair and there was aman selling second hand instruments. ibought an old Buescher. My daughter usedto play the flute and started playing thesaxophone. She then started to havelessons and one day she caught a cold so iturned up! that happened on moreoccasions than it should have done so iasked the teacher if i could have my ownlesson. that was alistair Parnell innottingham who was very, very good.

Where do you play now?i moved south and was at grade five at thatstage. i’m now taught by Julian Landymore.i’ve gone through different exams and i’mnow trying to do exactly what it says on thepage of music so not my owninterpretation! Julian is very patient and heknows i’m not in a great hurry because it’snot as if i’m going to be going off to collegeor anything. i’m playing in a concert bandas well and that’s just amazing to beinvolved.

What do you think you enjoy most aboutyour saxophone playing?i enjoy music generally so the playing givesme more of a feel for what’s involved. itgives me more enjoyment now i’m listeningto music a lot more, “oh, that’s a nice bassin there”. i’m aware of the process of music.that’s not to say that i’ve become amusician because the more i’ve gone on themore i’ve realised the people who aremusicians have got a much wider grasp ofit, but i’ve an insight. i could not be doingwith Gilbert and Sullivan but when weplayed some in the band all of a sudden i

got the joke. i see what’s going on here!Playing pieces, i find, gives you a differentappreciation than just listening. it’s nice todo something, so that you feel that you’vegot some discipline, and that you do everyday. i’m very lucky in the band. i do feel it’sa privilege to play some of the things thatwe play, just to be there and i hear thesesounds going on and think “wow, this islovely, super”.

Who in the single reed world do youadmire?i like John Harle; i’ve been to a masterclassof his. Branford Marsalis, that he can doboth classical and jazz. i’ve heard somestuff from him which just unbelievable. ithink there are flashier players around butat least just the way he grabs it all together.if there was just one piece it was when amyDickson did the Philip Glass (violin)concerto. i thought that was absolutelybrilliant.

Any memorable performances?

one of the things that i’ve never heardanything quite like was at the acefoundation Playday when the tutors’ choiropened with La Mer arranged by JohnHalton. it sounded just like harmonicas! iwas just knocked out by that. i thought“wow, that was so fresh, it’s brilliant!”

What do you enjoy most out of being aClarinet and Saxophone Society member?the magazine. i look forward to it coming. idon’t pounce on it straight away and i stopmyself rifling through all the pages andcherry picking. and the fact that caSS isinvolved with playdays.

And your favourite part of the magazine?i think it’s the insight, interviews of famousmusicians. Little bits come out and youthink gosh that’s interesting.

What was the last recording that youbought?The Jazz Age by the Brian ferry orchestra.normally when we’re cooking in theevening there is some music on. it’snormally what we’ve bought recently andafter a couple of weeks we’ve done it todeath and it doesn’t come out again, or itwill then go onto shuffle. The Jazz Age haslongevity though i was never a Brian ferryfan in the first place!

What’s your favourite TV or radioprogramme?The Archers. We know two or three peoplewho will say quite seriously ‘what do youthink about...’ and we’ll have this veryserious conversation as if it were real life!We don’t actually get to see much televisionat all.

Any other hobbies?there’s an allotment. i fish when i can, but isuppose music gets everything, particularlywhen i’ve got band on. i’ve got things fromJulian to practise and i’ve then got thingsfor band to practise as well as i can.

Instruments owned:alto: Selmer Sa80Baritone: bronze yanigasawaSoprano: Selmer Mark Viwww.stneotspicturegallery.co.uk �

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Stephanie Reeve is touring the UK, in hertrusty Toyota, persuading our readers totell all:John Davenport is a picture framer andsaxophonist in St neots, cambridgeshire,where he lives with his partner claireHarris, who is also a framer.

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