The Recorder Group

Leader:  Joan Gibson - recorder@ashbyu3a.co.uk -

The recorder group, meet twice a month, to make music in a relaxed, fun way. I would hope that we would be able to cater for a wide range of experience and skill. We usually meet each month on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 10am, but occasionally it varies. Check here for up to date information.

June

Our recorder group is growing! We are now up to 14 members, though not all at the same time yet.

We had a visitor on 6th June: Group Coordinator Estelle came to find out what we get up to, so she was able to hear us in action, and we had another coffee break to celebrate.

We played our usual mixture of folk songs, madrigals, early music, Handel, and some pieces we are starting to learn.

On 20th June, we had two new members: one had visited us several months ago, but had been unable to manage a Thursday morning until now, and the other had just found out about the group. They both play several sizes of recorder, so we will have more flexibility in what music we play, especially during the holiday season, when some members are unavailable. We now have 3 or 4 potential bass players! We continued our attack on our early Italian madrigal, by Ghibel ( I hadn't heard of him before, either), "Nel bel regno d'amore". There are 3 more in the set, so they will keep us busy for a while. We also played "the Cantique de Jean Racine", "The Hippopotamus" (Flanders and Swann), and the "Variations on Greensleeves" by Andrew Challinger.

There were 9 of us, so we may have to move into the larger room at the hall, certainly if everyone turns up on the same day! Six years ago, there were only 2 of us in the group, playing duets in Marion's garden!

It is nice to have more people wanting to join the group. We have 4 men in the group: so not all women, by any means. In the SRP, the National organisation of recorder players, there are quite a few men, often on the larger instruments, but not exclusively. It's good that some members can swap between instruments: quite a few of us now. Two members that I know of have their own great basses.

We still have room for more members, if anyone is interested. What we really need is someone to conduct us. Does anyone know of someone with a baton, who is free on Thursday mornings?"

Conductor Nick with the group