Posts made by barliman2001

@dr-go Here's the website, with all the info and lots of pics and stories:
www.dacapo-travel.eu

@georgeb Indeed, Cefalù with Symphonioc Holidays is always a treat. It's a great little town, with spectacular volcanic beaches and a very steep Rock as background, an 11th century Cathedral, no cars - the roads are too narrow - and a plethora of wonderful restaurants. Combine that with rehearsal rooms from the 15th century and friends in the orchestra who regularly meet there... a dream come true.

As a few of you may have noticed, I'M BACK. Had a lovely time in Cefalù, with a sold-out concert as culmination. The orchestra was so perfect that with four French horns in attendance, there was not a single misplaced note!! We were honoured by the Mayor's and most Councillors' attendance, and had really frenetic applause and standing ovations. For a really un-Italian programme, that is fairly remarkable.
I've already booked my place for next year, which will put the spotlight on early 20th century music -a violin concerto by Florence Price and Kurt Weill's 2nd Symphony.

Recent news stories say that during a simulated exercise, an AI-piloted drone, when ordered not to destroy the original target, first tried to kill the officer commanding, and, when it received an order not to, tried to take out the control interface so that there would be no orders any more countermanding the original order...

@dave-hughes To get a pic into public view here, just open a "reply". and in the first line of symbols (starting B I), just click the second to last icon from the left, called "upload image". The "picture" icon will not lead you to the desired result.

I can't recall whether I answered this question or not; so I'll retry. I had cataract operations in both eyes in 2014, done by a rather eminent surgeon who is a trumpet player himself. He suggested that I continue with exercises like "pencil between the lips" right after the operation, but re-start gentle practicing about a fortnight later.

In a small village, the man responsible for cleaning out all the cesspools overturned his cart and was busy shovelling the stuff back when the local parson came along and asked, "Have you had an accident, my good man?" - "No." replied the shoveller. "I'm only stocktaking."

@trumpetsplus Fischach, you mean. Thanks very much!

Just came across this short article in a Facebook group normally totally unrelated to brass, but rather to electronic devices...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/779220482206901/permalink/5799585396837026/

@jolter The guy is a former lawyer who is now doing this. He bought a couple of houses in French abandoned village Bardou and started with chamber music sessions there, and now he's upgraded to full symphonic. I've known him for a couple of years, and you could not find a nicer organizer. Most competent - as a cellist as well - and always on the look-out for new players. Best possible service, too - no need to bring music stands or lights or anything, as everything in that line will be provided. For cellists and bassists and the like who can't take their instruments on flights, he can provide instruments and only recently commissioned a new double bass from a reputable maker for just that purpose. And it's not only music, either. Every Symphonic Holiday comprises sight-seeing outings, picknicks in lovely landscapes and enough spare time to do things on your own.

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.

I don't want all that negativity to come inside my home. I reassured my wife that for example, she should embrace her mistakes. That's when she gave me a big hug.

I was in a cafe and saw two of my local shop owners had met for a coffee, and overheard one saying to the other, 'I was sorry to hear about the fire at your place last week.'
The other said, 'Ssh - not so loud. That's next week.'

@dr-go It's only humorous on the face of it, I know... I've known too many people with that kind of attitude myself.

A trumpet player is sitting outside a bar, weeping bitterly... a friend of his passes by and asks him, "What's the matter? Did they throw you out?" - "Oh no..." - "Then why are you weeping? Are you out of cash, shall I lend you some?" - "Oh no, I'm rollin' in cash..." - "Then tell me why you are sitting here, weeping!" - "It's too horrible - I'm not thirsty."

I can't offer any medical advice. But I know that Maurce André suffered catastrophic dental problems at one point in his career and was almost forced to give up because after massive dental surgery, his embouchure ha vanished and his dental geometry had changed so much that normal mouthpieces did not work for him any more.
So he had an asymmetrical mouthpiece made, and thrived on this. Stomvi either were the guys who supplied the mouthpiece or took up the idea, at any rate they now are more than competent at developing special asymmetrical mouthpieces, and they have a range of specialized asymmetrical rims for their quick-change Stomvi Mouthpiece System. I would drop them a line. Usually, they have a mouthpiece specialist available in their branch offices at set times and at ITG and other occasions.

My experiences with Bach instruments... somehow, fate was very unkind to me in that respect...
My first ever "proper" trumpet was a Bach Strad 239 C, with additional slides for Bb, which I - as a total beginner - used as my primary horn. The C configuration was something I never used, and was the downfall of this instrument. My teacher at the time was a rotaries-only player, and then had to jump in at some musical production requiring a piston C. So he asked if he could borrow it for one day. No problem, except...
the horn was stolen from his greenroom in the theatre.
He was admirably insured, and I received the value of both a Bb and a C. I had caught the rotary bug and got myself a Ganter G5 and a Bach rotary C. That was a wonderful instrument, but still a bit too "pro" for me at the time. But - I did use it for a time, usually for Mozart masses.
Until my house in Ireland was burgled and that rotary Bach C was stolen.
My next Bach was a 37. Had it for about three months, and then, it was stolen from me in a tram... I was sitting next to the exit, with the case right beside me, and at a stop, a guy exiting the tram just grabbed the case and jumped off.
And my last attempt at Bach was a high-F that I wanted just to have the alphabet complete. One of those whims one gets. Had it ordered specially, paid through the nose, waited an ungodly time for it - almost a year! - and then it ended up in a freight aircraft that crash-landed in Frankfurt and burst into flames. Got my money back after more than a year's haggling with insurance but I never even saw that horn.
Decided that Bach somehow was not for me. Never had another mishap with any of my other horns... All other horns of my collection were not taken in that Irish burglary... even though they were on display in an unlocked, glass-fronted cabinet... the Bach rotary was half-hidden in its case...