Concert - 10th July

Our summer concert was attended by a 'select' audience, but they enjoyed a wonderful evening of music making. Here's what we played:

Programme

'Andante' from 'The Surprise Symphony' by Haydn (Arr. H. Brammer) – The Broken Consort

'Waltz' by Shostakovich (Arr. H. Brammer) – The Broken Consort

'The Maple Leaf Rag' & 'Marie Antoinette' by Scott Joplin (Arr. H. Brammer) – Penny Layland & Judy Skelton (Flutes); Theresa Hitching & Nicola Thompson (Clarinets)

'Allegro' from Concerto in D Minor by J. S. Bach (Arr. Jasmine Choi) – Heather Loebl & Helen Brammer (Flutes); & Angela Ayton (Piano)

'Air' from 'Sacred Songs & Airs' by J. S. Bach (Arr. H. Brammer) – Imogen Locke, Maureen Snell & Helen Brammer (Treble Recorders); Polly Kaufmann, Rod Lackey & John Marshall (Violins); Diana Locke (Double Bass); & Emily Johnson (Piano)

'Moderato, Grave & Vivace' from Quartet in G Major by Telemann – Heather Loebl (Flute); Annabel Crowe (Oboe); Emily Johnson (Violin); Mike Winterburn (Bassoon); Angela Ayton (Piano)

'Andantino & Allegro Assai' from Quintet in D Major by J. C. Bach – Heather Loebl (Flute); Diana Locke (Tenor Recorder); Polly Kaufmann (Viola); Mike Winterburn (Bassoon); & Angela Ayton (Piano)

'Overture to Egmont' by Beethoven (Arr. H. Brammer) – The Broken Consort

Our 'dress rehearsal/run-through' at the last class helped to ensure that everything ran smoothly...the evidence has been uploaded to our YouTube Channel...although I'm afraid that I missed the end of the 'Overture to Egmont' (I can assure you that it was fabulous though!) We then enjoyed a traditional 'after-party' at Mike & Angela's - thank you for being wonderful hosts again!

Class - 3rd July

In a bid to look more 'polished' at our concert next week, we had a 'dress rehearsal/run'through' for our concert next week...so here's what we played:

• 'Andante' from 'The Surprise Symphony' by Haydn (Arr. H. Brammer) 
• 'Waltz' by Shostakovich (Arr. H. Brammer) 
• 'The Maple Leaf Rag' & 'Marie Antoinette' by Scott Joplin (Arr. H. Brammer) 
• 'Allegro' from Concerto in D Minor by J. S. Bach (Arr. Jasmine Choi) 
• 'Air' from 'Sacred Songs & Airs' by J. S. Bach (Arr. H. Brammer) 
• 'Moderato, Grave & Vivace' from Quartet in G Major by Telemann 
• 'Andantino & Allegro Assai' from Quintet in D Major by J. C. Bach 
• 'Overture to Egmont' by Beethoven (Arr. H. Brammer)

Class - 3rd October

We started work on our final ensemble piece this week ('Overture Miniature' from 'The Nutcracker')...speed may be the challenge with this one!...and continued with the other pieces too.

Small group items:

• J. C. Bach 'Quintet in D Major' - Heather, Annabel, Polly, Mike & Angela
• 'Three Movements from Mr Handel' - Alison, Judy, Theresa & Diana
• Haydn 'London Trios' - Penny, Imogen & Helen
• Keller 'Sonata in C' - George, Maureen, Kath, John, Rod & Joan

Summer Music @ Imogen's

We had our last summer music gathering of the holiday last Thursday, and this time it was hosted by Imogen. We selected the music using our usual method, and here's what we played:

• 'Andante' from the Surprise Symphony' by Haydn 
• 'English Dance No. IV' by Malcolm Arnold
• 'Chanson de Nuit' by Elgar
• 'The Great Gate of Kiev' from Pictures at an Exhibition' by Mussorgsky 
• 'Romance' from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Mozart
• 'Badinerie' from 'Suite in B Minor' by J. S. Bach
• 'Seventeen come Sunday' from 'English Folksong Suite' by Vaughan Williams
• 'March - For the Love of Three Satsumas (Oranges)' by Prokofiev
• 'Rondo' from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Mozart

We concluded the evening with some delicious food & drink and fabulously entertaining story-telling from Joan!

The new term starts in a couple of weeks (September 19th), so I'll be back again then.

Summer Music @ Judy's

We had our last summer music session of the year last night, at Judy's new house. I think she must have chosen it for the lovely large room we had to play in, which was just as well as there was rather a lot of us to accommodate! In keeping with tradition, we each selected a piece to play at random, from our ever-increasing libray!

Here's what we played:

• 'Allegro Assai' from Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by J.S. Bach
• 'Andante' from Symphony No. 94  ('Surprise') by Haydn
• 'Hallelujah Chorus' from 'The Messiah' by Handel
• 'Romance' from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Mozart
• 'My Bonny Boy' from 'Folk Song Suite' by Vaughan Williams
• 'Mesto' from 'English Dances' by Malcolm Arnold
• 'Marche Militaire' by Schubert
• 'Toccata' from 'Pulcinella' by Stravinsky
• 'Rondo' from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Mozart
• 'Scilienne' by Faure
• 'The Ashokan Farewell' by Jay Ungar
• 'Allegro risoluto' from 'English Dances' by Malcolm Arnold
• Overture to 'The Marriage of Figaro' by Mozart

And after all that lot, we had earned our feast! Thank you to Judy for hosting a most enjoyable evening!

A quick reminder before I go, that our new term begins on Thursday 20th September.

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)

 

'42^nd 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!

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

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

Class - 5th January

Happy New Year!

A new new term means new music, and this term we have a distinctly 'folky' theme to our large ensemble pieces. We made a start on 'Fantasia on Greensleeves' (by Vaughan Williams) and 'Irish Tune from County Derry' and 'Shepherd's Hey' (Grainger versions) - having great fun trying to play the last chord of 'Shepherd's Hey' all at the same time!

Small group items:

• 'London Trios' by Haydn - Heather, Judy & Margaret
• Quintet in F by J. C. Bach - Penny, Diana, Kath, Polly, Mike & Imogen
• 'Masonic Adagio' by Mozart - Theresa, Anya & Angela

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