​Janet Douglas

Playing music together is wonderful. There is a tremendous emotional lift in being part of a group melody. The Benalla U3A Recorder group has some lovely pieces of music, with multiple parts to share. One such set is "Four Spanish Villancicos" These are Spanish Christmas Carols. 

In a musical piece, sections are often repeated. To save the music running over several pages, a trick in writing out sheet music is to direct the musician to repeat a section. 

Usually, following this is easy. On arriving at two vertical dots at the end of a bar, one goes back to two vertical dots at the start of a bar, to play the tune between them again. 

One does need to remember where the first set of vertical dots were. Music is good for the mind on many counts.

For some reason, number Two of the Villancicos has had some of us going round in circles... the wrong circles. Working out where to turn around and go back, where to go back to, and when NOT to turn around and go back, has proven tricky. Hence, No. II got itself nick-named "the GPS one", in that a GPS is needed to navigate it.

So... a mapped version has been put together. For the Alto players at any rate. Now no-one need get lost!   Que? 

​Andrea Stevenson

U3A Benalla's Recorder group member Rae Jeffers, pictured here with her Alto recorder, is a fine recorder player. 

The Alto (or ‘treble’) recorder is a larger recorder and has a deeper tone than the more familiar Soprano (or ‘descant’) recorder.

When the recorder was introduced as a children's instrument a century ago, the smaller soprano was chosen to suit smaller hands.

As a result, the soprano became the best-known recorder—many of us remember playing it in primary school.

Recorder music, which dates back centuries, is often written for a consort of instruments: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. The Tenor recorder is larger and deeper than the Alto, with the Bass larger and deeper still. Even lower-pitched bass instruments exist, including the contrabass, which is quite large.

The Benalla U3A Recorder Group currently includes players of the Soprano, Alto and Tenor recorders.

​We would be delighted to welcome more players—learners are very welcome!  Contact our convenor Janet on 0427 080 351 


Andi Stevenson 

Janet

​Here we are, hard at work having a coffee! (We must have worked hard in class beforehand - Andi and Sally seem to have fallen asleep!) 

​Janet Douglas

Have you ever played the Descant recorder?  This is the size recorder you might have played in school, or when teaching in primary schools.  Perhaps you play the flute or other instrument and would like to try the recorder?  Maybe you have played the Soprano, which is the smallest commonly used Recorder, although it is pipped by the titchy Sopranino, and apparently there is one even smaller called a Garklein. Perhaps you’ve played the larger Alto, or Treble, which Rae, Andi and Kazuko play.  Then there is the Tenor, giving a beautiful deeper note, on which Pat, Sally and Janet often perform.  Janet also has a Bass Recorder for when the music calls for it.
 
If you would like to join our group, please contact Janet on 0427 080 351, or pop into our class - 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 10 am to 11.30 am - check the calendar on the home page of the website for date details.

Andi Stevenson, Janet Douglas and Bev Lee

In the first couple of months each year, we always have lots of new notes to get our heads around.  This involves a great deal of focus and concentration, so it is lovely every so often, to just relax and play something we enjoy doing.  It's a good balance.  Well done to the group!

​Janet

Another lovely year of playing music together! I want to thank the recorder group so much for their dedication and concentration, especially when we were preparing for the Meet and Mingle concert. I worked them hard! Music is a performing art, so it is terrific to be able to play at a concert. We all look forward to next year and some new music!

Janet Douglas

As always, we are enjoying playing and working hard on a wide range of music.  We have music from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, a piece by Haydn, folk songs from Europe, from the USA, from Australia. Some of this is new music, some of it is old favourites we love playing. The latter gives us some relief from intense concentration on the new! Music — our constant companion.

Janet Douglas

The sun was shining outside the window on a cold winter’s morning, so we decided to play “Sumer is Icumen In”.  Both the wintry sun and the music reminded us of the four beautiful seasons that we have. Vivaldi knew that! As we played “Ah Robin, Gentle Robin”, it was lovely to see the birds hopping round outside. One of the great inspirations for music has been the natural world. Both our group sense and the tricky rhythms were coming together really well as we celebrated the power of music.

Janet Douglas

In June the U3A Recorder Players met without their leader and guide Janet, so had to work on their timing themselves. Then they were caught out by wretched “Anna” – anacrusis, a leading note at the end of a bar, which can bring complications when only one part has an anacrusis, and the other players need to count.

Each of the group took turns choosing what to play. At our second session there was a distinct shearing theme, with “Click go the Shears”, “Spring Time it Brings on the Shearing”, and “Waltzing Matilda” all coming up as favourites. We wandered from the woolsheds onto the Black Hills of Dakota, before tackling an influx of G and C sharps, and E and D flats. The levels of mastery varied but the enjoyment was universal.

We ventured back to the 16th Century with “Ah Robin Gentle Robin”, by William Cornysh, and wondered if Robin was a bird or a chap. (Having now looked it up, "Ah, Robin, gentle Robin, Tell me how thy leman doth, and thou shalt know of mine. My lady is unkind..." – it would appear to be some guy having a misogynist whinge to a bird.)

After that we deserved some coffee, and even found some sunshine.

​The Recorder Players are very much missing their leader Janet, and send sympathies to Tim, with best wishes for a good recovery.

​Andi Stevenson

​We have been working diligently to maintain a steady beat with the group. Given that we are playing some pieces that have some challenging rhythmic issues, a good deal of concentration has been required. I thank the group for their hard work. There is a reward, though. You experience a great feeling of togetherness, which is so special. There is now evidence that our hearts can start to beat at the same rate when we are really synchronised. Throughout all the hard work we still find time to talk and laugh!
 
Janet Douglas

Please contact Janet on 0427 080 351 if you are interested, or pop in to our class - 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings from 10 am to 11.30 am - check calendar on the home page for date details.

​Andi Stevenson

It is so good to be back playing together this year. We have quite a range of music on which we are working, in terms of both style and difficulty! The other day, we had a good reminder of how playing music teaches us valuable life lessons. I asked for an “old favourite” and “Mice Running Around” was the suggestion. This tune used to bring on a collective groan and we would have a laugh, as it is a rather difficult piece. However, after a great deal of dedicated practice, involving persistence and concentration, it now sounds really terrific and is great fun to play. This works for many things in life. Well done to all!


​Janet Douglas

Andi Stevenson

We are enjoying playing a wide range of music, from over the last one thousand years. Quite a timeline!

We have chosen some of our favourites to play at the U3A end-of-year concert in a few weeks, so we are working hard towards that. I thank the group for their concentration.

We certainly earn our coffee when we finish playing!

​Janet Douglas

This month the recorder group played at a concert organised by Benalla Rose City Band, which was showcasing local music. I couldn’t be there as I was already committed to playing at another concert. The group did a wonderful job of getting prepared, including scheduling an extra rehearsaL A good deal of thought is needed to bring it all together for a live performance.

​I received some lovely feedback about the concert, so congratulations to them all!

Janet Douglas

​The group has been working hard this month in preparation for taking part in a concert on September 10th at Benalla Town Hall.  The Benalla Concert Band very kindly offered us a place in their concert, which was terrific of them. ​

​Sadly, I have a concert at the same time, but the group has taken it on board and is very keen to go ahead with it.  

Good on them!

​Janet Douglas

In June the U3A Recorder Group met without our leader, Janet, and played old favourites and beautiful harmonies.
 
A couple of pieces proved challenging, and we lacked Janet to facilitate repair.

"Keel Row", a lively Scottish tune, and "Salvatoris Hodie", from the 13th century and with slightly alien timing, both need some practise and polish.

​Andi Stevenson

At our last session this month, the group was introduced to music’s very good friend “anacrusis”, (or Ana Crusis, as we like to think of her). She is a strong presence in music, as she is there when there is only a partial bar at the start of the piece. This happens frequently, so she is very well-known and the group were pleased to meet her. This helps to reinforce the wonderful social aspect of playing together.

​Janet Douglas

We are enjoying a wide range of music — folk songs from around the world, music from over hundreds of years, a number of tunes with a summer theme, which have fitted well with our Indian summer weather.

There are always some challenging bits, but there is also a great sense of wellbeing and achievement when it all comes together beautifully.

​Janet Douglas

An atmospheric photo of Recorder Group convenor Janet Douglas titled ‘Janet Explains’, sent in by Andi Stevenson.
 
Andi also sent in “a quote from our last session, being Pat's observation on the version of Walzting Matilda we were to tackle”: 
 
"That's the most interesting conglomeration of notes I've ever seen!

Thank you, Andi.