Best posts made by barliman2001

I once met HM, many, many years ago (around 1990), at the official opening of an exhibition about the Domesday Book in the Public Record Office (now National Archives) in London... I was there for the exhibition which enabled me to view many documents that I needed for my PhD thesis in one place instead of spread out all over the country... so I had planned to be there on Day One and stay as long as needed. I was in the exhibition hall when suddenly a group of obvious security officials appeared, a red carpet was unrolled and a tape was slung across the entrance - mind you, there were about fifteen visitors already inside because the exhibition had opened at 9 am and by this time, it was 11 - then the Keeper of the Records arrived, in full robes and panoply, a couple of other officials lined up, and then HM arrived, in a pigeon-blue costume with matching hat. Someone dropped on one knee to present HM with a cushion with the scissors on it, and she cut the tape and declared the exhibition opened, and proceeded down the hall to see the exhibits, most importantly the first volume of the Domesday Book dating back to 1068... and had to pass me. She addressed me with " So why are you so keen on the exhibition that he could not wait for me to open it?" and I stammered something about not knowing that there would be an official opening. "Why shouldn't there be?" was her reply, " Anyway, success to your research." and was gone.

Just found this on the "Bored Bandsmen" FB page...

The orchestra was having a great rehearsal. The oboe player was keeping the double reed nice and moist between the lips when possible, but all of a sudden sucked a bit too hard and swallowed the reed which became stuck in the windpipe. The conductor spotted this straight away and dialled 999. Explaining that the oboe player had a double reed stuck in the windpipe the conductor asked what could be the best thing to do. The call handler without delay said "try a muted trumpet"....

Old entries in the Classifieds will be locked after twelve months silence.

This:

@bobmiller1969 As to viola... how do you prevent a valuable violin from being stolen? -
Put it in a viola case.

What did the penniless viola player do at the end of the month? -
Went into a bank, took the viola out and said, "All the money, or I'll play!"

... and many, many returns...

@kehaulani That's why I take pictures!!

@dale-proctor My gig bag would not even fit... and I always travel with gig bag, mute bag, music stand and "divers gear" bag...
but then, I would not fit in a Miata, either...

I have just learnt that Dusko Gojkovich has passed away after seven decades of a very full career that included playing with all the greats of the International Jazz world.

It's a personal thing for me as I once had a very impromptu chance of playing with him - I was attending a concert of his big band in renowned Munich jazz club "Unterfahrt", with a friend of mine playing 4th trumpet. Shortly before the interval, my friend collapsed on stage and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance for a ruptured gall bladder (he recovered and is well). While being carried out, he told me to take his place and carry on, and Dusko okayed that I jump in. I always carry my mouthpiece, or I would not have been able to do so. And so I played the second half of the concert, on an unfamiliar instrument, sight-reading (or attempting to) a programme I had never rehearsed, and managed at least not to blunder too audibly. Afterwards, Dusko told me that whenever he played in Munich, I was to have a free ticket, and invited me to a civic ceremony where he was given the Munich Medal of Honour (only twelve living incumbents at any one time!) and the Freedom of the City...
A good friend, a wonderful musician... may he now see all his friends again.

Time now to retell the story about a Vienna counterfeiters gang... the boss, on his way out, orders the gang to "make hundred fifties". Accordingly, the two slushers on duty give it their best and produce a wonderful sample banknote for 150 Euros... proudly show it to their boss for approval and the go-ahead for more of the same... the boss goes berserk saying, "you utter numbskulls, there are no 150s!! What are we going to do with this? You wasted your and my time on this!! Next time, I'll have you fitted with concrete boots!" - "No fear, boss, we can get rid of this one in extra quick time... we just go to Burgenland and there we'll have it in circulation in a sec." - "Then go!!"
Accordingly, they get into their car and drive off. Shortly after Eisenstadt (the capital of the Austrian province of Burgenland), they stop at a small village tobacconist's, and conterfeiter #1 gets out to "buy a lighter for one euro, and pay with the 150 euro note". Gets out, disappears in the shop, returns beaming. "Went a treat. She gave correct change - two seventies and a nine!"

Just wanted to tell you that from 3 May until 16 May, I'll be in the lovely coast town of Cefalù in Sicily, as 1st trumpet of the Filarmonici di Cefalù orchestra. We are rehearsing and performing two programmes, one containing Brahms' Second Symphony and Elgar's Enigma Variations, the second a mixed chamber music programme involving trumpets only in Elgar's Salut d'Amour and a wind ensemble arrangement of his Elegy.
The whole thing is organized by a cello player under the brand name of Symphonic Holidays, www.dacapo-travel.eu.
I presume - from my previous experience with Symphonic Holidays - that it will be a gorgeous event, with lots of glorious Italian food, sea and sun and sand, with little to no time to be spent at a computer. Expect me when you see me back. Ciao!

P.S.: For those who mght be interested in gear, I am carrying a one-brand-only gig bag containing my Courtois Balanced Bb for Enigma, my Courtois Roger Delmotte D for Brahms and my Courtois Bb/A cornet for the rest.

@J-Jericho You are d-n right with your last sentence!

Almost the whole of Austria is a disaster zone just now, with continuous torrential rain over the last week... many communities are flooded, and the first deaths have occurred. Luckily, our house is built on stilts so that we can still hope to escape relatively unscathed; but at this moment, our garden is almost three feet under water.
Luckily, we were able to save about three weeks' worth of firewood - our only heating source! - all the garden appliances are now in the house, and we have filled every container with water, and the larder is full of dry and canned foods, and over the last weeks, we preserved many hundreds of jars of our home-grown fruit (cherries, apples, pears, peaches, apricot, grapes, plums and quince) which is good because our community is now isolated from outside. Fire service and army are helping or evacuating those that are not so fortunate... so if any appeals for help reaches you, be so good as to donate. Many people have already lost everything; and in many areas of Austria, you can't get flood insurance.

Our street

Our and the neighbour's garden

"Dad, where can I do my number twos now?"

Flowery lane, in Cefalu, Sicily... I'll be back there in a couple of weeks!

It's that time of year again... Welsh scratch brass band Coronation Brass are recruiting for players to join them for their annual participation at the European Folklore Festival in Bitburg, Germany.
11th to 15th July, 2025
I'll include the official invitation letter.

It's always a really fun event as TBers Steve Smith and Ivan Hunter can bear witness to... five gigs in four days, with no rehearsal (everything sight-read in front of appreciative audiences), with the chance to sit in with other bands of very different descriptions.

Details in the official letter and either from me or from Nick Jones (contacts in the letter).

"Coronation Brass
Coronationbrass@hotmail.com
Y Gaer
Llanfair Caereinion
WELSHPOOL
SY21 0DG
+44 7811 946826
February 2025
Invitation – European Folklore Festival, Bitburg.
11th – 15th July 2025.
Dear All
I hope this finds you well – this is a formal invitation to you to participate in Coronation Brass’s annual trip to the
Festival in Bitburg this July.
We had a fabulous trip last year, and it was fantastic to have a virtually full band for once! All our concerts were a
roaring success as always.
I’m hoping we can get a fairly full band together again this year, and as always if you know of any players who
you think would fit in with us, please feel free to pass this letter on. We always seem to struggle for cornets for
some reason, so get your thinking caps on!
As in the last couple of years, I won’t be arranging transport – the easiest way to reach Bitburg is to fly to
Luxembourg, and there is a bus transit from the airport to the town. If you’re driving, let me know if you’ve got any
spare seats and anyone struggling with transport please drop me a line, and I’ll see what I can do.
Accommodation and meals are provided – The price is the same as last year - £220 for four nights.
The full schedule has not been completed yet, but it is likely that our first performance will be on Saturday
afternoon. This means that you can either arrange to arrive on Friday afternoon, or Saturday morning. The final
concert will be on Monday evening.
For those of you who haven't been before, we play a programme of what can best be described as cheese, sorry,
brass band classics, in a central square in the small city of Bitburg. It's part of the European Folklore Festival
which has, in previous years, seen musicians and dancers from across the world perform to large audiences. We
will play two or three concerts each day and there's plenty of opportunity to enjoy the festival and all the brewery
town has to offer.
I don’t need definite numbers at the moment, but if you would like to join us, please let me know as soon as you
can. Also, if you know you definitely can’t make it, then please get in touch so I can approach another player.
Feel free to contact me for further information
I hope to see you in July!
Nick Jones
Coronation Brass"

And if you don't have a cornet, but would like to join - there are always a few spare cornets around to borrow. Just tell us in advance, and bring a suitable mouthpiece.

There's something new in the neighbourhood...

Trumpet player to antiques dealer: "Can you really tell me the value of scales?" - "Of course. They are not rare - though rarer as they should be. They are usually not in perfect condition - and nobody really, really wants them. No value at all."