Broken Consort

A 'broken consort' is an ensemble made up of instruments from more than one family, for example, a group featuring both string and wind instruments.

Friday 21 October 2011

Class - 20th October

We were rather depleted at the class last night...so, it was back to foot stamping out front to help keep time! We muddled though...a bit bare in places, but it was interesting to be able to hear parts not normally exposed! We had been deserted by all of our pianists...but, Anya bravely volunteered to play the piano part in one of the small group items...so it all worked out ok in the end.

Small group items:
  • Sonata in E Flat Major by Scarlatti (Arr. Sobrielo) - George, Penny, Judy, Annabel & Margaret
  • 'Subjects Obey Army Farm' * by Donaldson & Kahn (Arr. H. Brammer) - Heather, Emily, Kath, Dermot, Theresa, Diana & Anya
* Not the real title...the true identity of this piece will remain a secret until our concert on December 1st.

It's half-term for us next week, so our next class will be on November 3rd.

Friday 14 October 2011

Class & AGM - 13th October

We had our AGM at last night's class...so no small group work. Instead, we spent extra time on our large ensemble pieces...inclucding the final addition to our pieces for our end of term concert...'Walking in the Air' (from 'The Snowman' by Howard Blake)...which on first playing seemed harder than you'd think! Thankfully it did improve on the second and third playings! Everything else is beginning to come together too...even the tricky bits in the movements from the 'Christmas Oratorio'...although some of the echoes in the 'Aria' are proving elusive!

We whizzed through the AGM...all the committee members remain in their posts...and are joined by Penny...who was lured in by the promise of good coffee & delicious cakes at the committee meetings!

Friday 7 October 2011

Class - 6th October

There was more new music at last night's class...'The Dance of the Snowmen' from 'The Snowman' by Howard Blake...which made for interesting sight-reading at speed! We had mixed results with our other large ensemble items...which we're blaming on our absent friends!

Small group items:
  • 'Divertissement in Bb Major' by Haydn (Arr. Sobrielo) - Emily, Annabel, Imogen, Penny, Polly & Joan
  • 'Slavonic Dance No. 10' by Dvorak (Arr. Terry Kenny) - Kath, Diana, Theresa, Dermot & Mike
  • 'Fantasy' by Faure (Arr. L. Moyse) - Heather, Helen & Angela