Huntingdonshire Music School Association - Perform

During 2007 the BBC ran a series (Play It Again) following the fortunes of 6 adult celebrities as they took on the challenge of learning a new instrument and then performing in public. The BBC also laid on events all over the country giving the public the opportunity to play with a BBC orchestra no matter what level of musical ability or, as we found out, the instrument!

Some of the adults and teenagers from the Huntingdonshire Music School took part in the event at Comberton (see photo) and had a brilliant time. Some of us missed this opportunity because we were busy promoting the school at the accompanying exhibition and instead took part at the event at the Watford Colosseum. The recordings taken formed the basis of a couple of episodes of the HUMS Aloud podcast.

All in all a brilliant opportunity and very inspirational.

The BBC have been very good at keeping in contact with attendees and we’ve received an email stating that another Play It Again style event, their Fabulous Family Music Day, will be held at Watford on Saturday 20th June 2009. It also features the very same Tim Steiner who did such a good job encouraging a motley collection of musicians and all abilities to play alongside their professional counterparts in the BBC Concert Orchestra.

As the BBC say:

Come & Play 10am - 1pm

Members of the BBC Singers

BBC Concert Orchestra

Tim Steiner animateur

Christopher Warren-Green conductor

This free event is aimed at people who would like to, literally, Come & Play with professional musicians. So whether you’re an absolute beginner, a seasoned performer or just haven’t played in a while, there’s no need to worry because you’ll get lots of help from the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers. Dust down your instruments, loosen up those vocal chords and come and join the BBC Concert Orchestra for a morning of music-making.

Led by composer Tim Steiner and conductor Christopher Warren-Green, we will be creating our very own piece based on Bizet’s much-loved opera Carmen. Open to everyone, no matter what your musical ability or experience.

If you have an instrument, you can bring it along to play, and if you haven’t, then you can play the percussion instruments provided or sing. The sessions will be led by acclaimed musician and composer Tim Steiner.

Further information and ticket applications can be found on the BBC website.

Strange times. The Internet is a useful tool and it provides so many good things. There are those, however, who exploit the work of others.

I was browsing randomly and found that our very own Robin Norman - Director of the Senior Concert Band and brass tutor is now available as a ring tone for a phone. It’s Robin playing Czardas - something I believe he used to play as a party piece whilst performing with the GUS Band.

It’s not hard to guess where this was obtained from - someone or something has trawled our very own HUMS Aloud podcast site where, episode 3 features Robin playing Czardas recorded at the 40th birthday celebrations for the music school as part of the ‘Leader’s Excuse-Me’ concert where the teachers took to the stage instead of the students.

Not sure what to think to this. It would be nice if the performer got some acknowledgement.

I suppose it had to happen. Not content with playing in the bowels of the RRS Les Dawson Keith decided to practice in front of a larger audience. Usually this is a good thing and we would advise any music student to practice in front of strange folks in order to build up confidence. Keith took this advice to heart but being unable to find any humans willing to endure instead decided that the local wildlife in Antarctica would do. I don’t think that the BAS have conducted any studies on the tolerance of the penguin to such noise but hope that it doesn’t affect fertility (penguins!). Those with a keen eye will notice that 1 penguin in the centre appears to have been stunned (or at least has found something better to do). 

It does remind of a Creature Comforts clip. I just wonder what the penguins are saying…!

As Keith himself says:-

I was on the afterdeck working when this lot turned up.  They’ve been loitering around the ship (which is moored up at Brunt Ice Shelf at the moment) for a couple of days now, and I got Bruce to take this.  As you will see, he’s enthusiastic about fill-in flash.  These are Emperor Penguins (as if you didn’t know).

Nice scenery.