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 23 March 2012

Concert - 22nd March

What a lovely evening we had last night...the weather was warm...the music was good...and the audience was large - perhaps swelled by those coming to support the Songbyrds, with whom we shared the concert.

If you weren't there...here's what you missed:


Programme

'Fantasia on Greensleeves' - Vaughan Williams (Arr. H. Brammer)
The Broken Consort

'Scottish Dance No. 3' – Malcolm Arnold (Arr. H. Brammer)
The Broken Consort

'It Don't Mean a Thing' – Duke Ellington
'California Dreamin'' – The Mamas & The Papas
'Fields of Gold' - Sting
The Songbyrds
Directed by Benjamin Cox, accompanied by Jonathan Pease (Piano)

'Grave, Largo & Allegro' from Trio Sonata in G minor – Telemann
Imogen Locke (Treble Recorder); Diana Locke (Tenor Recorder); Margaret Willson ('Cello); & Joan Goodall (Piano)

'Scherzo & Trio in G minor' – Schubert (Arr. Emerson)
Heather Loebl, Penny Layland (Flutes); Polly Kaufmann (Oboe); Helen Brammer, Theresa Hitching (Clarinets); & Mike Winterburn (Bassoon)

'Andante & Allegro Moderato' from 'London Trio No. 1 – Haydn
Heather Loebl, Judy Skelton (Flutes); & Margaret Willson ('Cello)
 
'42nd Street' – Harry Warren
'Hallelujah' – Leonard Cohen
'Close to You' – Burt Bacharach
The Songbyrds
Directed by Benjamin Cox, accompanied by Jonathan Pease (Piano)

'Largo, Adagio & Allegro' from Quintet in F – Pepusch
Judy Skelton, Penny Layland (Flutes); George Goodall (Treble Recorder); Diana Locke (Tenor Recorder); Margaret Willson ('Cello); & Imogen Locke (Piano)

Concerto in D minor – Telemann
Emily Johnson, Kath Russell (Violins); Polly Kaufmann (Viola); Margaret Willson ('Cello); & Angela Ayton (Piano)

'Golden Slumbers' & 'Charlie is my Darling' from 'Four Old Tunes – Gordon Jacob
Heather Loebl (Flute); Annabel Crowe (Oboe); Theresa Hitching (Clarinet); & Mike Winterburn (Bassoon)

'Chariots Comin'!'
'Moon River' – Henry Mancini
'If My Friends Could See Me Now' – Cy Coleman
The Songbyrds
Directed by Benjamin Cox, accompanied by Jonathan Pease (Piano)

'Irish Tune from County Derry' & 'Shepherd's Hey' – Percy Grainger (Arr. H. Brammer)
The Broken Consort


I will be uploading the footage to our YouTube Channel as soon as I can...please bear with me - it's not a quick process! 
I'll be back to let you all know when the videos are all uploaded, but for now I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for your hard work again this term and making the concert such a success!

Thursday 22 March 2012

Final preparations...

We've all been working hard this week getting ready for our concert tonight...even our youngest member joined in with a last minute rehearsal to make sure everything goes well!


The concert programmes have been printed and folded...the cakes have been made:


**Edited to add - sorry Lola...but the little tin was for Judy who was travelling down to Plymouth on the sleeper train after the concert last night...and therefore missing the party :0( **

And I'm looking forward to a lovely evening of wonderful music and good company...I'll be back tomorrow with my 'post match' report!

Friday 16 March 2012

Class - 15th March

Last night's class was the last rehearsal before our concert next week...so we were busy, busy, busy! As well as rehearsing all of our small group pieces, I filmed our large group items for our Youtube channel...although I had a bit of a fail with that...my camera turned itself off, so I didn't get everything, so will have to record the rest, along with the chamber pieces, at the concert.

Small group items:
  • 'Four Old Tunes' by Gordon Jacob - Heather, Annabel, Theresa & Mike
  • Telemann Concerto in D minor - Emily, Kath, Polly, Margaret & Angela
  • Quintet in F by Pepusch - Judy, Penny, George, Diana & Imogen
  • Telemann Trio Sonata in G minor - Imogen, Diana, Margaret & Joan
  • 'Scherzo & Trio in G minor' by Schubert - Heather, Penny, Polly, Helen, Theresa & Mike
  • Haydn 'London Trio No. 1' - Heather, Judy & Margaret
  • Boismortier Quartet in A minor - George, Emily, Kath & Angela

Thursday 8 March 2012

Class - 8th March

Normal service has resumed...the piano was no longer wedged in the doorway this evening, and it was good to be able to arrange ourselves in our usual positions again! We had almost a full house...we're yet to have everyone in attendance...the first time that happens this term may well be at the concert! Everything sounded really good tonight ...although it did take us a couple of attempts to all finish 'Shepherd's Hey' together...and here's only one more week to get that right - eeeek!

Small group items:
  • 'London Trio' (No. 1) by Haydn - Heather, Judy & Margaret
  • Trio Sonata in G minor by Telemann - Imogen, Diana, Margaret & Joan
  • 'Scherzo & Trio in G minor' by Schubert - Heather, Penny, Polly, Helen, Theresa & Mike
  • 'Sonata da Camera' by Janitsch - George, Judy, Emily, Kath & Angela

Thursday 1 March 2012

Class - 1st March


We were again confronted by a piano wedged in the doorway when we arrived at the Church this evening...but as you can see, we carried on regardless! It's not really practical for us all to crowd around the piano, so we again set up in our usual position and used the two keyboards instead, to rehearse our large ensemble pieces. We almost had a 'full house' tonight...and although there's a little more 'tweaking' to do in places, the pieces are all sounding good.

Small group items:
  • 'Four Old Tunes' by Gordon Jacob - Heather, Annabel, Theresa & Mike
  • Concerto in D minor by Telemann - Emily, Kath, Polly, Margaret & Angela
  • Trio Sonata in G minor by Finger - George, Judy & Joan
  • Trio Sonata in D minor by Telemann - Penny, Diana & Imogen