zbd1960

Eldritch creatures of the nether realms may enter... Cthulu is watching

Yes, that's a very famous instrument. Pipe organs are immensely complex machines with a lot of moving parts. Typically, they need to be completely dismantled, serviced, and cleaned about every 25 years and about every 50 years it will need significant maintenance. Cathedral organs are usually tuned monthly or before a major recital/concert. The organ at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool has just had a major overhaul - it's coming up to 60 years old and the overhaul cost around £1m. There's another cathedral (can't remember which one) where the organ needs some major restoration work and that's going to cost around £2m. They're fund-raising furiously to create the funds for it. One of the problems is that with major overhauls being half a century apart, technology changes and 'how' instruments were built in 1850, 1900, 1950... were all very different. The main constant is the pipework as that hasn't changed much and relies on skilled woodworking and metal working skills.

One of my interests is organ music - you know, played on those big things you see in churches and cathedrals, and in some concert halls and big town halls. Until the development of the steam locomotive int he C19th, they were both the largest and the most complex mechanical machines made. They are effectively a mechanical (i.e. analogue!) synthesiser, since you combine different types of sounds using different pipe types of different pitches together to create a sound. There was an organ 'marathon' for charity in Cartmel priory yesterday and I went along for a few hours to have a listen.

I haven't found a replacement since I moved up to Penrith. I know what you mean about bass teachers. I had a few lessons with a guy who was 'qualified' as a guitar/bass teacher. Unluckily for him I have the OU A214 music theory course, I have grade 6 music theory (would like to do G8), and my involvement with playing early music means my music theory was on a different level to his... To be fair, after about three sessions he said: you know more about music than I do. He was happy to teach kids to get them started... but not really beyond that.

... fairly complex set of reasons. My current cello is a German instrument made in Markneukirchen (one of the historic German centres of instrument making) and dates to about 1900. It's what's known as a 'workshop' instrument, so supervised by the master luthier but probably not made by him. The family business still exists - 5th generation of luthiers. The instrument's had a hard life but after I spent some money on a decent set-up (e.g. having a new bridge made) it plays reasonably well. I initially spent about £300 on set-up and £300 on new strings and it was a vastly improved instrument. It's since had another bridge (£500). To buy a replacement instrument of a similar standard would cost around £8k. Options: commission a new instrument from a luthier. Various issues. A new instrument takes several years to settle and develop its sound. You've no guarantee what it will sound like. Likely cost around £15k to £25k (you can spend a lot more with a 'name' luthier). Lead time probably around 3 years. Buy a decent C19th English/German/French instrument. Cost at least £15k and probably nearer to £30k, especially for a decent English instrument, and potentially a lot more. Buy an C18th English/German instrument. If you're lucky, you might get one for £25k but more likely £50k+ and forget buying anything Italian from that era. I'm not definitely ruling out a cello 'upgrade' at some point, but at the moment I'm struggling to fully justify the costs. Bear in mind I'd need a bow upgrade as well. My current bow is a reasonable basic German one costing £450 but cello upgrade would warrant a bow costing £3k - £5k. A decent carbon fibre cello case is also another £2k.

Currently fighting a GAS attack! I went instrument ogling yesterday, not for a bass though (nor a cello - I may write more about that and why not in another post). I plan to go and do more ogling of different instruments next week and a discussion with a teacher. I'll post more about this in due course but thought I'd whet people's appetites first...

Well, if we go back to the origins of the double bass, which is the violone member of the viol family (aka viola da gamba), it came in two forms: the G violone which was an octave below the tenor viol (GCFADG) and the D violone which is an octave below the bass viol (DGCEAD). The tenor viol's low G is one on the bottom line of the bass clef. The bass viol's low D is the one below the bass clef. The two violones are an octave below that. As to how it went from 6 to four strings, lost its frets, and changed its tuning... that's a complex story... The violone is also why most DBs have sloping shoulders, not square ones like a member of the violin family. A DB with 'square' shoulders' is a bass violin...

Double bass sounding pitch is an octave lower than written so the low E is a 6th below the cello's C string. Cellos are tuned in 5ths. In 1st position on say the C string, 1st finger would be D, 3rd E, 4th F. Given the increased spacing for the lower pitch of the bass, you're going to end up with a lot more shifting to play notes

For gigs/concerts I've sung/played at Bridgewater Hall three times (twice singing (one was for BBC) and once playing), Philharmonic Hall (Liverpool), Symphony Hall (Birmingham), Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms concert), York Minster, Chester cathedral.

Yep Shostakovich - it's from the Jazz Suite. I've played it on tenor sax in wind band. I've played the orchestral version (on cello) of the Vaughan Williams (Seventeen Come Sunday etc) - not sure if I've played the wind band version.

The speed with which we have to switch from arco to pizz and vice-versa is daft at times. There are several techniques, depending on how quick you need to switch. Last week's Tchaikovsky had a passage that was all quavers, which were pizz. Every couple of bars one of the quavers was arco double stopped (i.e. two strings sounded together)... It wasn't a slow passage...

As a cellist playing in an orchestra, I don't get to have the glamorous get ups or stage set up. Most concerts tend to be in churches as there are so few venues that can take an orchestra and have space for audience.

Two things this weekend. I was out playing at a concert on Saturday with the cello. Full-on concert with Weber's Der Freischutz overture, Grieg's Four Norwegian Dances, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.3. Tough programme and a modest audience. Cocnert went down well though. Sunday was an outing with baritone sax to local jazz improv group. This is WAY out of my comfort zone...

In a completely different vein, I was out with the cello last night with a concert in Carlisle... not quite 70s punk... And in case you're wondering why the drummer's stool... the church's chairs are too low for me and cause cramp in my right leg. I bought it when one orchestra I played in rehearsed in a primary school...

Used to be one of my locals when I lived in Whitchurch (until last year). I prefer the Black Bear as a beer and food option though at the top end of High Street (it doesn't usually do music).

Sorry I didn't stay for very long - it doesn't happen often, but I had an anxiety attack... Never had them as a youngster, but I get them occasionally.

I'm hoping to make it, but I have an uncertain day tomorrow with visitors all day - I may be too knackered.

I've probably played that Incredibles medley with the wind band I used to play in - I'd have been on tenor sax. It's a lot of fun as you say.

I think this is where the issues lie. A football club etc is a club or society and it will have members who pay a subscription. They will have some sort of constitution/governing document which will means they are an 'unincorporated society' in legal terms run by a committee. A band is not a club/society but a group of people with a common business interest, which is not the same thing. They aren't going to be able to submit a governing document and list who's the chair/secretary/treasurer etc. They'd have to register as some sort of business structure.

Unfortunately, the UK's approach to the AML and KYC legislation (anti-money laundering and 'know your customer') has been to over react and make it draconian. You are unlikely to get a club/associations account without evidence of a governing document, designated officers, and an extract from committee minutes authorising the setting up of the bank account.

It was first orchestra rehearsal last night with this term's conductor in charge (we use post-grad conducting students for conductors). We looked at first and last movement of Tchaikovsky symphony #3 - I was on cello. There are a lot of notes...

Other than having a member use one of their accounts to handle it all, there are a couple of ways of doing this, but one of them probably doesn't suit your set-up. A small business account is the obvious route. The challenge here is that it's not free and to some extent charges will be based on turnover. The other option, which probably is not a valid one here is if you were set-up as a small society/club, most banks have some sort of 'clubs and charities' account, which below a certain level of activity will offer free banking. If you were running some sort of local 'come and play' thing then that might be a viable option. Downside is you'd have to set up as a club with a constitution etc - which is why I say it's not really an option for you. I mention it as it might suit some people for some types of set up.

Yes, I was singing 1st bass aka baritone.

My first full-blown choral gig for a few years - I've depped in a few concerts, but I've not been part of a group for a while. Saturday's venue was Carlisle Cathedral with a fully pro orchestra plus the cathedral organ for Elgar's Music Makers. Orchestra was brass: tuba, 3 trombones, 3 trumpets, 4 horns; woodwind: usual pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons plus bass clarinet and contrabassoon; strings including 2 double basses; harp; percussion: timps plus assorted things like bass drum. Audience was more-or-less a sell out.

This week has seen orchestra rehearsals resume, so it's out with the cello. One of the works is Tchaikovsky symphony #3. This will be my first Tchaikovsky symphony. OK here's an example of the cello part, sight reading this was entertaining...