There's no way I can see them, but I thought I'd check the current positions of the outer planets out of curiosity using https://theskylive.com/planetarium.
Turns out that Uranus and Neptune are a tad East and West of Mars respectively, and even Pluto is out there nestling between Saturn and Jupiter.
So when Mercury rises around 4:30 am, all eight of them are going to be in the night sky at once, which is a pretty rare event.
It's all a compromise.
If you've a lot of serious above staff forte+ stuff to deal with in a normal performance, you pick the piece to best survive the gig and keep the conductor off your back.
If you haven't, you amuse yourself by scaring the 'bones with a Wick 1.
Entirely coincidentally, I was doing a quick shop yesterday and spotted a type of flattened peach I don't recall seeing before. Googled it this morning, and apparently it's called a Saturn peach.
So I have the next rung on life's ambitions: to watch Saturn while eating a Saturn peach on a Satur(n)day.
Shouldn't have too much difficulty finding the appropriate saturnine expression. That comes naturally.
@Dale-Proctor said in Saturn:
@Seth-of-Lagos said in Saturn:
@Dr-GO my viewing equipment is a pair of contact lenses!
Jupiter's just about to set (4:30 CEST here) in the West and Venus is just rising above the dawn horizon, so they're all in a line: Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter.
Well, to our perspective, they’re always in a line (the ecliptic), but not always close together.
True. But don't forget, I'm used to the ecliptic being overhead so it's all a bit novel for me.
The same view from our South facing balcony in Lagos before we left in February was the line up of Fomalhaut, Achernar and Canopus.
@Dr-GO my viewing equipment is a pair of contact lenses!
Jupiter's just about to set (4:30 CEST here) in the West and Venus is just rising above the dawn horizon, so they're all in a line: Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter. 
For me in the Netherlands, Saturn is about to reach opposition in about 15 minutes and it's a crisp, clear night so good viewing conditions.
Opposition means that the Sun, Earth, and planet in question all line up (a gorgeous word for this is syzygy) so it's generally the closest and brightest we ever get to see it.
Easy to find this time. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the brightest thing in the southern sky at the moment is Jupiter, low in the sky and pretty well due south at midnight. Saturn is the not-quite-as-bright golden 'star' just a little to the left.
Way over to the left at the same time is Mars rising in the East.
Off to have a look!
I'm with Newell Post except for
(Ten) Pussycat
(Fifteen) The Ladybirds
@Kehaulani said in Opinions on Valve Oils?:
@barliman2001 said in Opinions on Valve Oils?:
Apart from regular products, it might be interesting to research into what people use in emergencies if they don't have the right product available... I once saw an oompah band player whose valves began sticking unscrew all the valves, pour about half a pint of beer into the valve casings, reassemble and continue...
What? And waste that perfectly good beer?
Spit's cheaper.
@djeffers78 said in Wonder which Valve Oil they use.:
Love the sounds of real skin drums!
Thrilling aren't they.
Reminded me very much of the Drummers' Dream Gig scene in Ben-Hur.
@administrator said in Health Benefits of Classical Music:
@Kehaulani said in Health Benefits of Classical Music:
So, if I listen to Berg's "Wozzeck" . .
You will slowly die a painful, watery death.
That's alright then. Not a 'die hard' like the recent Russian recording of Prokofiev's Fiery Angel I nabbed off Youtube the other day.
That one came with an 18+ certificate 
@Kehaulani said in Wonder which Valve Oil they use.:
I think they used Ghost Oil.
Boy, I really liked that. I've conducted it a number of times but not like that. On what do they base the shortened notes in the first part and on their dynamics in general? Is that the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra? If not, who? And who is the conductor?
I can't answer most of your questions, but it's from the 2012 Proms Season. Hervé Niquet conducting Le Concert Spirituel.
@IrishTrumpeter said in A little humour:
Given the topic of the thread
The ONLY version of that book that's worthwhile
@flugelgirl said in Opinions on Valve Oils?:
... Many synthetics will react badly when mixed with other synthetics or petroleum products - I have had customers return instruments only to find out they mixed two brands of valve oil and there are beads of goo in all the pistons - really annoying, especially when the customer has caused damage I have to fix when they cannot get the pistons out!
Of course, I accept your observations without reservation. However, I don't keep a diary of which instruments I've lubricated with which oil and it could be any of a dozen or so. So over my 50+ year playing career I must have mixed all types of oil in all permutations. And yet I've never observed any of these adverse reactions between different oil types. Could it simply be a case of poor hygiene/maintenance routine? That would make both of our life experiences consistent.
@grune said in Opinions on Valve Oils?:
Care to post your opinion/s about valve oils?
re Cass.
FWIW... I have used the Bach oil since time began. Reason; it's fast. But... Bach is petrol based, so it is 'aromatic' and 'volatile': which implies it smells and evaporates quickly, which implies re-oiling every 2 hours or so. Seeking to avoid the smell and evaporation, I tried a bottle of Al Cass Fast, which is 'synthetic'. This Cass is indeed odourless and clear, as claimed. But Cass is not 'fast'. Cass viscosity feels significantly thicker, which causes valve action to be slower and require more finger-muscle. The viscosity makes the valves feel smoother, but at the expense of slower. But it is very much less volatile, so valves feel well oiled for many days. pros and cons.
Synthetic oils have a very low viscosity index (the viscosity doesn't change much with temperature), and they don't change characteristics over time due to evaporation of light ends - unlike the distillates, they don't have light ends.
So their performance is stable over time in a variety of conditions. You still need to pick one with the performance characteristics you and your instrument prefer, but that's for you to discover via trial and error.
I tend to change oil at every use simply as good preventative maintenance practice, so I don't particularly see all the benefits synthetics have to offer, but I still use them (doesn't stop me using up old bottles of distillate oils).
I like Tromba T2 but sometimes hard to locate. I'm perfectly okay with Wicks.
@Kehaulani said in A little humour:
What do you call the four corners of the Earth? Ever see a sphere with four corners?
Ever seen a map of the earth? 
Pure crystallised independence of spirit!
Is it really 56 years ago? (Anyone remember Rowdy Yates?)
@Vulgano-Brother said in Alternate (lack of) fingering above High C:
Chase would use 123 for high A.
Isn't that the nineteenth harmonic? (18th is G#, 20th is A#). Interesting.
Wonder whether the deciding factor in this choice is pitch, timbre, or testosterone.
A more recent recording. Check out the homage to Kenny G at 7:00
At least in our neck of the woods, performers can still manage to put a decent sized ensemble up on stage.
@ButchA said in Rock, Pop, Classic 70's "Horn Bands" from back in the day?:
Here's a topic that I think people might enjoy discussing...
Instead of the common orchestra setting, symphony setting, "community band" type of setting, does anyone else appreciate the classic rock 70's type of music that had a "horn section" in it?
Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Ides of March, Lighthouse, Tower of Power, and of course the soulful sounds of Earth, Wind, & Fire...
Is it me, or has this type of genre faded away?
Still alive and kicking in one of my favourite Lagos venues:
It gets quite lively sometimes
Femi Kuti is, of course, son of the late, great Fela.
