We have started to not only listen to each other, but to respond to what we hear and that is a great step forward in our playing as an ensemble! Identifying the part we play, be it melody or harmony or counter melody is important and the making room for other sections so our part simply fits in is vital to successful ensemble playing.
Several people have mentioned to me that they were seated in a different spot when we played in Camden recently and heard different things happening within the band, it was eye opening for them and another developmental step in group playing, we often get caught up in our own part, or section and either don’t listen or in large ensembles, we can always hear clearly what the other side of the band is doing and therefore we find it hard to respond. I found last night, sitting on one side of the band however, I could hear what was happening on the other side quite easily.
Special mention to two parts last night, our bass clarinet played some excellent lines, particularly in 2nd suite when it doubles the baritone part which was of course absent but the part was played well indeed and secondly to our piccolo…. To me it’s one of the most exposed, difficult parts to cover, yet there was some great playing, especially in lord of the dance, the opening sounds just perfect!
Along with our open ears, however we still need open eyes! A few times, timing was out as players made early entries or rushed sections, a conductor can only indicate the down beat in so many ways or cue the entry, but if you have jumped in early or aren’t ready to begin, then there is no way that you can be accurate.
Let’s keep our growth happening, it’s fantastic to be able to hear improvement each week and enjoy the high standard of performance that we have achieved, thank you for all your hard work
Murray