Practising for the September 10th concert at the Town Hall!
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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. In our first session this month, we explored the hemiola, which is a conjunction of two different rhythmic patterns. We got the feel of this by doing some Spanish clapping, which is a lot of fun but quite tricky, especially at speed.
Sadly, I missed our second session for the month as I finally got Covid, but the group met as usual and enjoyed playing music together. This is what it’s all about! Janet Douglas A new year and new music to explore! All very exciting, with some challenges thrown into the mix. There are some high notes to get under control and some trickier rhythms to navigate while still staying together. The music varies from Renaissance recorder music to European and Australian folk music and anything in-between.  'At our first Recorder Group, Janet gave us some theory' Andi It’s great to be playing together again!
Janet Douglas Photograph: Kerryn Emery
We have been doing some concentrated practice in preparation for our performance at November’s Meet ’n Mingle. Music is one of the performing arts, so many thanks for the opportunity.
At our last session, we played in the hall, to help us to get used to the very different acoustics. These will change again when there are lots of people in the room! All part of the deal. Thanks to all the players for their hard work. Janet Douglas  Taking a break from practice in preparation for November’s concert!
Andi Stevenson I was away last month, but the group, bless them, kept meeting and working on the large array of music that we have. I thank them for their dedication and enthusiasm. I really enjoyed listening to the results of all their hard work.
We would all like to thank Janine Washusen, who has been playing with us for quite a long time. She is about to move to Bairnsdale, after selling the farm in Warrenbayne. Janine has, over time, donated both instruments and music to the group, and this has been very kind and helpful. We wish her all the best for this next stage of her life. Thank you, Janine. Janet Douglas Over the last couple of months’ we have been playing some pieces that have more complicated arrangements, especially rhythmically. This presents extra challenges for a group of players, but it is so rewarding when it all comes together beautifully. It involves careful listening and great awareness of the whole group. Great life skills to be practising!
Well done and thank you to all the hard-working players. Janet We are thoroughly enjoying playing a wide range of music from the 13th Century to the present day. It certainly gives a really good idea of how music, being a language, is constantly changing, like all languages. We have extended our range of instruments, so that we regularly have descant, alto and tenor recorders, with a bass recorder about to be added to the mix. Very exciting!  “‘How the alto players keep track of their lines in a four-part piece demanding a bit of concentration.’ Andi Stevenson I thank the enthusiasm and commitment of all the players.
Janet Douglas What a joy it has been to be back playing together again! Hopefully this year we will be able to meet much more regularly. Music is so good for our entire being. No wonder we have been involved in music-making since prehistoric times. Many thanks to Andi for putting down her recorder to take some photos.   Janet Douglas We were so fortunate to be able to get together for three sessions at the end of the year. It
was great to play some old favourites and some new music. When Bev very kindly came in totake some photos at our last session, we changed from a challenging new piece to a well-known tune. Hopefully, we looked much more relaxed! On the subject of hope, let’s hope we can all meet more regularly next year. Have a terrific break. Janet At long last we were finally able to meet in late October to have the joy of making music together again. We played some old favourites and a couple of new tunes. It will be so good to meet a few more times before the end of the year. We were all sad to hear about Pat’s husband and wish her all the very, very best. She is a treasured member of the Recorder group.
Janet Douglas After a research process considering a range of variables, the Recorder group has decided to resume for shorter, one hour, fortnightly sessions, applying social distancing rules and maximising ventilation in the U3A meeting room. The group has been keeping in touch during the lockdown period and is looking forward to being able to meet again on Wednesday 27th October from 10 to 11 am.
Chatting with convenor, Janet Douglas, it appears the Recorder group hasn’t been able to meet for months. It is very difficult to stay masked and play the recorder! Reed instruments such as the recorder are also subject to more restrictions than other instruments. It seems rather unlikely that the Recorder Group will be able to play at the end of year ‘Meet and Mingle’. However, they are keeping in touch by email and trying to take time to practise!
A smaller recorder group met while Janet was away, but play was as keen as ever. We took the opportunity to practise some rounds, then each person, in turn, nominated their choice of piece to play. This meant that we played some tunes that had not been played for a long time, which everyone seemed to enjoy. However, there was no way to avoid “Mice Running Around” which we hope to have nailed by Janet’s return. It is a lively, intricate piece, played in parts, representing mice running everywhere – rather appropriate considering the situation in NSW farming districts.  Our next session is Wednesday 14th July.
Rae Jeffers Photograph - Andi Stevenson It is always lovely to get some positive feedback and I have had a few people say to me recently that the recorder group has really progressed and is sounding very good. Well done to all of the group! They are very dedicated and work hard. The plan is that they will keep meeting regularly while I am away in Darwin visiting my brother. Not sure when that will happen now! I shall certainly look forward to hearing the group when I get back.
Janet Douglas |
About the Recorder Group‘I wish I hadn’t given up learning …music, the violin. piano, recorder, guitar!’ Music teacher Janet Douglas says she would be very wealthy if she received $1 every time she heard an older person say this! .Janet believes it’s never too late to learn music or to learn a musical instrument and considers the recorder a good choice as it is such an accessible instrument. Convenor/ Contact Details
Janet Douglas
5767 2257 0427 080 351 Meeting TimesU3A Meeting Room 1
2nd & 4th Wednesdays 10 am to 12 noon. The group may also meet for additional practice sessions on an as needs basis. Archives
September 2023
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