The non Rock'n'Roll bassist...

[zbd1960]

4 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

 

 

 

So, in less than three months, you have progressed from absolute beginner, to performance.  That is impressive, not just for you, but also for the brass band.  They clearly have a training and teaching route for new musicians. 

Just to set expectations.... the beginner parts are simple and I'll be involved in three pieces on the gig. And it's much harder than learning the sax, which I started in my early 50s 

[zbd1960]

Last night was my first concert with Keswick Choral Society. Main Christmas concert. Full house. Went well, no obvious disasters!

 

The biggest piece we did was by Cecilia McDowall: Christus Natus Est which is a working of various Medieval tunes including Personent Hodie, Entre le boeuf, Gaudete, etc. This is a contemporary work written in 2007. 

 

 

[zbd1960]

OK, this is about as non-rock'n'roll as you can get... I've been trying a new instrument of a type I have never played before. As you know, I play cello as my main instrument and I also play sax (mostly tenor and baritone). Well, I've never played a brass instrument...

 

I started looking because of my challenge in trying to find groups where I could play sax. After a certain amount of looking around and assorted e-mail trails, I landed at Kirkby Stephen's beginners' group with their brass band...

 

The culture of brass bands is interesting. They are very keen to recruit people of all ages from young children to much older people. They will lend you instruments. They have stocks of good quality - but older - instruments to lend. The provide free tuition. There is a strong focus on community.

 

So, I end up with a 1970s Boosey & Hawkes Imperial silver euphonium.

 

My recent Fridays has been a 6pm session with the beginners' group in a back rom whilst the 'training band' rehearses in the next room.

 

On Friday, the main band gave its community Christmas concert. The training band plus beginner me played three items as part of the concert.

 

I have the advantage of being able to read music and I've played in groups before. Just the slight matter of getting the right note out when you blow...

 

Someone caught me not doing much...

 

And yes, GAS attack, I've bought a second-hand Besson Sovereign (B&H were bought out). 

 

In case you're wondering - the range of a euphonium is similar to cello and baritone sax. 

 

  

[zbd1960]

Ummm... yesterday was a bit if a disaster. I was washing a car on teh drive and I hadn't spotted some of the snow foam concentrate had dripped onto the drive. It is VERY slippery. Over I go, my left foot is at an unnatural angle, there's a sharp pain and I've broken my leg just below the knee.

 

Local urgent treatment centre saw me. Took 4 x-rays to show the real issue was at the knee not ankle. I now have a plaster cast up to the knee and two crutches. A consultant will do a telephone update/review probably today.

 

I was supposed to be going to Canada in 4 weeks for skiing. That's off and I will have to claim on insurance. Hope it goes better than my NZ Covid trip did.

 

I'm also hosting Christmas... It is extremely difficult to just make coffee let alone anything more complex. Tidying the house - impossible without paying for someone to come in and do it.  

[Dad3353]

[Len_derby]

Ouch. Bad luck. Best regards and I hope you get back to some sort of normality soon. As for your Christmas hosting, time for you guests to step up to the plate I think!

[ezbass]

That’s horrible and the timing even worse. Hope it heals rapidly.

[bass_dinger]

2 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

time for you guests to step up to the plate I think!

...rather than stepping up, with a plate.

 

What a dreadful accident, @zbd1960. So sorry to hear your news.

[Staggering on]

That's terrible news and at such a busy time of the year, sorry to hear that you won't coming over here for a vacation. I hope your medical consultation goes well.

[zbd1960]

16 hours ago, Staggering on said:

That's terrible news and at such a busy time of the year, sorry to hear that you won't coming over here for a vacation. I hope your medical consultation goes well.

Yes, I booked the trip in January to Banff - two week ski trip. I enjoy visiting Canada and I've not been for ages. Next winter is the earliest it will be feasible

[Staggering on]

1 hour ago, zbd1960 said:

Yes, I booked the trip in January to Banff - two week ski trip. I enjoy visiting Canada and I've not been for ages. Next winter is the earliest it will be feasible

 

Let's hope your plan works out for next winter, have you been to Banff before?

[zbd1960]

14 hours ago, Staggering on said:

 

Let's hope your plan works out for next winter, have you been to Banff before?

Yes, I have. I think the tally is two ski trips to Jasper, three to Banff, and 1 to Panorama. The only summer trip was to the Yukon as part of an Alaskan trip - and that was 30 years ago... Last trip to Banff was about 20 years ago.

 

As a solo traveller, ski trips are expensive anyway, but Canada gets very expensive because the hotel rooms are family rooms and so the single supplements are large. I have never skied in the US (and won't now at all) as the price gouging for single travellers is even worse. Also, it's generally more expensive as Canadian ski pass costs are more than 50% more than say French ones, equipment hire is also more expensive than in Europe.

 

I'll have to wait to getting signed-off from the injury before committing to booking, but I'd expect to make it to Banff around January 2027.    

[zbd1960]

An update...

 

Late afternoon on Christmas Eve I had an appointment at the Fracture Clinic with a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. The cast was removed and more x-rays were taken, this time under load. The good news was that ankle joint/socket is all OK. Despite the significant amount of bruising, no other contributing factors were discovered. The tendons and ligaments are intact. 

 

I'm now in a boot splint rather than a cast and it is load bearing, which means I can sort of walk, albeit carefully and with crutches. Boot can be removed for bed - a huge relief after dealing with the cast. I was also cleared to drive given it's my left foot and I drive an automatic.

 

Boot needed until about the end of January and physio will follow.

 

I can now manage myself without quite so much need for third parties to lend a hand - I couldn't even make a cup of coffee last week.  

[zbd1960]

Some updates...

 

The switch on Dec 24 to the 'moon boot' / boot splint has made life much easier. A month on from the break and I can get around the house much more easily without using crutches. I've started to leave the boot off first thing in the morning and in the evening (recommended by the consultant). I still use crutches when out and about. This is partly as warning signs to stop people barging into me (people can be utterly oblivious).

 

Second subject was a misbehaving tenor sax. The saxes haven't had much playing since the house move. I got the tenor out last week to go to a new sort of jazz group. It's didn't go well. I had trouble getting the mouthpiece on the neck, which gave tuning issues. The reed wouldn't 'wet', which causes squeaking. I thought it was out of regulation as well as there were all sort of weird harmonics coming out....

 

The problem seemed to be that the neck cork had become very dry and 'ruffled' when the mpc was put on which broke the cork. I think that was also an issue with the reeds - they'd just got very dry and needed much more wetting than usual.

 

Nearest woodwind/brass tech is 40 miles away near Maryport, so it was a day out to get the neck re-corked.

 

Last night I managed to get to choir in Keswick. It was too risky to go with the ice last week. Messiah this term. I've not done it as a main choir concert piece for quite a few years (probably about 15) but I have sung it many times since then in various workshops and 'come and sing' events. I've probably sung it about 100 times over the last thirty-odd years.