zbd1960

My brother lives in Crosby. If things work out, I'll be moving out that way in due course (currently I live in Shropshire).

Jazz there is also The Caledonian (near the Philharmonic Hall) and Ma Boyles (finance district)

Elgar was not happy that his march Pomp and Circumstance #1 (there are 4) was appropriated for 'Land of Hope and Glory'. "Rule, Britannia" does not mean what most people think it means and it actually pre-dates the majority of the empire (written by Thomas Arne in the C18th c.1740). It also pre-dates Britain's naval supremacy - that lay with the Netherlands at that time. 'Jerusalem' is a poem by Blake with a mixed theme of social justice and religion. It was a response to the early years of the industrial revolution. Its 'dark satanic mills' was probably a reference to early flour mills e.g. in London. It was written around 1804 and so pre-dates considerably the 'dark satanic cotton mills' that people tend to assume it is referencing. The current National Anthem tune dates to the C18th (about 1745) and was the first one... there are several verses not generally sung due to their rather non-PC nature... The tune is used in the US as a hymn tune for some reason. Personally, I'm against the use of texts like Jerusalem because of its religious overtones since I think there should be no link between the state and religion (which for historical reasons is a bit tricky to achieve in the UK).

I would assume that DB are similar to cellos in that end pin units come in various sizes. My experience with cellos is luthiers always have boxes of bits and pieces

Good job they're not employing people since the ad breaches UK law with regard to age discrimination....

As someone noted earlier, it's the kind of nonsense that gets dreamt up by MBA types - all theory and no real world experience

I refer to those types as "The Great I Am"... they think they're marvellous, the centre of the known universe, the life and soul of the party. They often think they're very amusing as well. Their aim is usually to be seen as 'the big cheese' in charge and running things. Usually, they take the credit for other people's work. Because they're usually the 'front person' it can seem that they're doing it all.

Finally booked myself onto a music summer school for this year. I'm hoping it means the bass will get an outing. IT's a course that has multiple options. Most courses for orchestral instruments you're in one main group for most of the week e.g. symphony orchestra. This one on cello I'll be playing chamber music, string orchestra, and chamber orchestra. On bari sax I'll do wind ensemble, and either bass or bari sax for big band (hoping bass). With a cello, baritone sax, and a bass in the car, there won't be room for luggage...

Not exactly the same vein as other posts... The chamber orchestra I play in had its first public outing since 2019... It was a short programme aimed at friends and family. venue was our usual rehearsal venue, a church hall near Chester. Th programme included Mozart overture to Marriage of Figaro and a suite of renaissance dances by Delibes for a ballet (Le roi s'amuse). Mozart went well. There was a hiccough in one of the Delibes movement as some had forgotten that although written with a 4/2 time signature, it was being conducted in 2, so in effect a 2/1 time signature (yes, 2 semi-breves to a bar... crotchets are quite brisk when you're playing at 60 semi-breves a minute...)

Yes, PLI is a nuisance, but the situation you've outlined is why these days it's essential. Sounds like the marquee set-up was a bit amateurish.

Weird how these coincide with other problems making you think computer armageddon has arrived! My Macbook misbehaved when I got back from playing with my sax ensemble - I had to run a back-up and disk utility first aid. Then I logged on here and couldn't find posts... Good t know it was something else

I've got the same problem

I'll take more pics, but a few close-ups with the phone

If I sharpen it, it could double as a Lockaber axe....

Not long back from picking up the six string from Robin at Manton Customs. The six string is a beast! It is a comfortable size though. It weighs in at 9lb and has a 32" scale. The front is English Walnut and a Yew accent layer delineated with a black veneer both sides. The body is Maple/Sycamore. It has a through neck laminated from Maple and Wenge and the fretboard is Wenge. I play the viol (viola da gamba) and the Titan model is loosely like a viol, especially the older 'festoon' type of Renaissance viol. I will post some of my own photos of it shortly, with some close-ups, but I've got a concert to play in later. Meanwhile, some photos from Robin.

I will be picking it up on Friday...

Sounds very much like temporary modulations to Gmaj and Fmaj then

As you say, the key signature for Cmaj has no sharps or flats. However, that does not preclude them appearing as accidentals, especially if modulating between keys. For example, it would be fairly common for a piece in C to modulate for a while to the dominant, which is Gmaj which would require F#s. Or to the sub-dominant, Fmaj, in which case Bbs will appear. Often a modulation is temporary and does not justify changing the key signature. Also, the harmonic language of the chords being used might require the accidentals, especially in jazz where things like a #4/b5 or #11 are fairly common. As a general rule, you tend to sharpen if the melodic line is ascending and flatten for descending. The other aspect is how the chord being used is 'spelt'

I've never played one, but with playing in various orchestras, obviously encounter them a lot. I know from talking to brass players that there is a serious shortage of orchestral trombone players (and tuba) - if you can play, you can get regular paid gigs depping in amateur orchestras on concert day. Most trombone players I know recommend getting a pBone (they're plastic) to see how you get on with it: they're relatively cheap and remarkably good. https://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/pBone-Plastic-Trombone-White/QM6

I ordered a new block of Melos dark rosin for my cello from Caswells Strings. The pack cannot be more than about 75mm perhaps 100mm square and weighing less than 100g? It's been sent by DPD? Why on earth... hmmm... maybe it is RM as that's what the invoice says, but the dispatch notice says DPD... Maybe it's Schrödinger's Rosin and both will arrive but it can only be in one....

My sax ensemble is scattered over a wide area that's nearly a hundred miles across: a guy near Wrexham, me in Shropshire, a guy in the Peak District, two guys over Liverpool way, a guy up by Oldham, and two around Stockport... Apart from the Stockport two, everyone else has an hour's drive to get to our rehearsals (we meet not far from Manchester airport).

In this 'instant on demand age' few people seem to have the patience to wait 12 months or so for a hand-made instrument made by craftsman. They woudl rather pay a lot of money for a 'premium' mass market item, which however much it is 'customised' is not really a genuinely customised item, and is still essentially mass-produced with different final finishings.... My relatively inexpert view

Had an update... it should be ready to pick up soon...

Bit slow to update this... tonight will be the last rehearsal this term of my Monday evening orchestra. I play cello there and we're looking at Schubert Symphony No. 5, which is ideal for a small chamber orchestra like this. Last Friday was Chester rehearsal and the last before our short concert on 8th July. Last week's bass playing was a double hit. First it was Rock School, which includes a jam session at the end, followed by a one-to-one lesson. I know some people will think me weird, but I find playing from lyric sheets really hard going - there's not enough information on there for me as I'm used to reading notation.

Nice piece of Boolean algebra!