-Featured
Clarinetist of the Month-
Alan Barnes
From
1977-80 Alan studied saxophone, woodwinds and arranging
at the Leeds College of music.
Alan
has enjoyed a prolific career as a sideman, playing and
recording for many bands. He broadcast regularly over a
ten-year period with the BBC Big Band and Radio
Orchestra and has toured and recorded with big band
leaders. Dick Walter, Kenny Baker, Bob Wilber, Don
Weller, Stan Tracey, Mike Westbrook and John Dankworth.
Alan has performed as a member of Clark Tracey's Tribute
to Art Blakely and was featured on the David
Newton/Clark Tracey recording Bootleg Eric. He has also
appeared as a session musician on albums by Selina
Jones, Bjork, Van Morrison, Bryan Ferry, Clare Teal,
Jamie Cullum and Westlife and can can also be found on
film and television soundtracks including Chicago and
jingles such as the Tetley Bitter series of adverts
featuring his solo baritone. Alan has appeared regularly
as a member of the Laurie Holloway orchestra on
television's Michael Parkinson show and Strictly Come
Dancing.
Over
the years Alan has won many British Jazz awards in alto,
baritone, clarinet and arranging categories. In 2001 and
2006 Alan received the prestigious BBC Jazz
Instrumentalist of the Year award and in November 2003
was made a fellow of the Leeds College of Music.
We
are delighted that Alan has taken some time out from his
busy schedule to do a quick interview for our
FriendlyFlutes readership!
At
what age did you start to play the clarinet?
I started
playing clarinet at the age of twelve.
What did you find hardest when you first started
playing?
I really
knew nothing about it and tried to play by blowing
though the holes on the top of the reed cap - I did have
a reed on under it though!
What
was your first clarinet?
It was an
old La Fleur costing £12 and purchased from a neighbor,
I was disappointed because it didn't come in a long
clarinet-shaped box.
If
you could give the beginner clarinettist one piece of
advice what would it be?
Try to
play by ear as well as reading music, listening to as
many different types of clarinettists and clarinet music
as you can.
What
is your favourite piece of music for the clarinet?
I love all
the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn compositions - one
favourite specifically for the clarinet is "The
Blue-Bird of Delhi" from The Far East Suite. Its
played by Jimmy Hamilton and copies the call of the
Mynah bird.
What
types of music do you like listening to?
I listen
to all types of Jazz, some Bach and Stravinsky and love
the English composers: Elgar, Vaughn Williams and Delius.
What
has been your favourite performance/gig to date?
Last year
I put together a concert at the Purcell Room called
"Five Takes on Benny Goodman" - I asked 4 of
my favourite clarinettists (Tony Coe, Iain Dixon, James
Evans and Andy Panayi) to arrange 2 Goodman pieces each
for 5 reeds - I did two as well.
-This
Month's Clarinet Highlights-
Below
is a selection of clarinet concerts from around the
country this month. Inspire or be inspired by
professional clarinetists!
- 27/11/10
Leif Ove Andsnes - Risor Festival of Chamber Music
Strauss, Mozart, Mahler. Martin Frost (clarinet).
Wigmore Hall, London
- 01/12/10
Lenny Trusler Children's Foundation Gala Concert and
Auction - a star studded night of classical music,
comedy and fundraising. Michael Collins (clarinet)
Cadogan Hall, London.
- 02/12/10
Anthony Jennings (bass clarinet) and Malcolm Pearce
(piano). Music from Bozza, Bassi and Brosse. The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, London.
- 05/12/10
Vesuvio Wind Quintet - Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, French
Horn - Charlotte Webber (clarinet). Lauderdale House,
London.
- 08/12/10
Music in the Round - Herbert Howells - Rhapsodic
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings . Ensemble 360 and
Paul Allen discuss Herbert Howells and his Rhapsodic
Quintet, Millenium Gallery Sheffield.
- 11/12/10
George Huxley's All Star Jazz Band - Christmas Party.
One of the UKs finest traditional jazz bands, George
Huxley (clarinet and saxophone) Hanley Castle High
School, Upton-upon-Severn.
- 11/12/10
Requiem Mass - Bedford Choral Society and Bedford
Sinfonia. Ben Westlake (clarinet - Corn Exchange,
Bedford.
- 12/12/10
A Celebration of Christmas with the Pfizer Wind
Orchestra and Training Band. An afternoon of Christmas
music and traditional Christmas carols, mulled wine
and mice pies! St Mary's Church, Sandwich.
- 14/12/10
Britten Sinfonia At Lunch 2 - music from Brahms,
Philips, Janacek - Joy Farrall (clarinet). West
*For
further information on these events please "google"
them*
-Caption Competition-
Can
you think of a caption for these musical mice? Entries
will judged on humour and originality and should be
sent to caption@friendlyflutes.co.uk by 20th December.
The three best captions will be published in next
months newsletter, and the winner will receive a
musical gift!
We
had a go here at FriendlyFlutes HQ, and the best we
could come up with is:
'London
Philharmonic criticised for squeaky performance'
Mice work, James!
-November
Playlist-
If
you can't make it to any concerts this month you can
still be inspired by listening to some of the great
clarinetists at home. This months playlist contains
three classical and three contemporary pieces featuring
the clarinet.
- Batuta
la Clarinet - Fanfare Vagabontu
- Clarinet
Lament - Duke Ellington
- Clarinet
Blues - Joe Ascione, Bobby Gordon, Dave McKenna,
Frank Tate
- Concerto
in Bb for Bassoon - English Chamber Orchestra
- Nigun
for Niki - Helmut Eisel, Jem
- Brahms,
Clarinet Quintet - The Ensemble da Camera of
Washington
***Listen
now using spotify***
Click
here to
load the FriendlyFlutes Newsletter playlist onto your
spotify!
-Just
for fun...-
How
do you know there's a flute player at
your door?
You
don't. They can't find the right key and
don't know when to come in.
Two
musicians are walking down the street,
and one says to the other, "Who was
that piccolo I saw you with last
night?" The other replies,
"That was no piccolo, that was my
fife."
A
young child says to his mother,
"Mum, when I grow up I think I'd
like to be a musician." She
replies, "Well honey, you know you
can't do both."
Do
you have any jokes or funny stories you
would like to put in next months
newsletter?
Get in touch justforfun@friendlyflutes.co.uk
Try
our musical word search, how many of the 14
musical terms can you find below?
T O C O D C D P Q P E A T E D
J H X L H K R Q T I C C E T X
A F L O Z U G M O C A S N U V
Q H P S P S V S E C J S I L B
Q I A B C S I L P O G W R F V
N L Y M J I E B V L Y B A C H
B N J Q A R M I A O Y Q L R J
I Z E E A Y Y A C R D T C X O
H S T N F Z D L N O O R A T X
T O D G W L E N Z Y G Q A G M
U O C R O T C H E T D C U I R
L A C I S S A L C Y C E N E M
T R E V L I S X D A D I L C A
K Y V J D V E L T S M Y N U V
K E Z D A N K S T X F Q G C U
| Accelerando |
Dynamics |
| Bach |
Flute |
| Baroque |
Minim |
| Chopin |
Piccolo |
| Clarinet |
Silver |
| Classical |
Staccato |
| Crotchet |
Yamaha |
Musical
Quiz!
The
first person to email us with the correct
answers to these questions will win a packet
of
chocolate pianos! Teachers, parents or pupils,
email your answers to quiz@friendlyflutes.co.uk
1. What is Haydn's first name?
2. Who composed the Moonlight
Sonata?
3. What is the term used to describe playing
in a smooth and connected style?
4. Define the term 'Rubato'.
-FriendlyFlutes
Community-
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Forum! Help make it the first
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archive of all newsletters will be regularly
uploaded to our website: www.friendlyflutes.co.uk
since
the Middle Ages - over 500 years ago! Invented around
1690, the clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument
with a cylindrical tube. The clarinet evolved from an
earlier instrument called the chalumeau, the first true
single reed instrument. This development is usually
attributed to German instrument maker Johann Christoph
Denner, though some have suggested his son Jacob Denner
was the inventor. This instrument played well in the
middle register with a loud, shrill sound, so it was given
the name clarinetto meaning "little trumpet"
(from clarino + -etto).
