UBS Verbier Orchestra

I'm considering auditioning for the UBS Verbier Orchestra in February. It's one of the few 'youth' orchestras that I'm still young enough to participate in, with an upper age limit of 29. I'm actually quite unlikely to succeed at such an audition, but it would be a good experience. I have many, many orchestral excerpts to learn for the end of year exams this year, and a February audition would be a good midpoint to aim for.

I don't really have strong career aspirations toward orchestral playing, but this is at least partly because of a lack of orchestral experience. I don't dislike orchestral playing but the images it conjures up in my mind are of amateur orchestras fraught with politics and violinists who have not practised their parts. If I were to pass an audition, either this year or next year, for the UBS Verbier Orchestra or something of similar standard, it would give me a chance to try it out in a more intensive way and see if I end up liking it. The Verbier would be particularly good because all food, travel and accommodation are paid for, plus a small remuneration of CHF50 (that's £20-ish) per day, which would keep my rent back in London covered.

Introduction

I'm a student at Trinity College of Music, London, and I'm planning to use this blog for documentation of various musical and academic projects I'm involved with. If you look hard enough you can probably figure out who I am, but I'd really rather you didn't.

It's the third week of classes this week and I'm enjoying things, so far. Improvisation classes on Wednesdays are a bit unstructured and I need to take better notes on those immediately after the class. Arrangement classes on Fridays are wonderful and I'm very glad to be studying with P. again.

There is some paperwork difficulty over my principal study lessons, but it looks like it is on the way to being sorted out properly. I'm looking forward to getting started on this.

I have many, many orchestral excerpts to try to learn in the next few months, before the big exam at the end of Year 3.

Rehearsals have started for the concert with Mbawula at Blackheath Halls. It'll be showing on Thursday, 8th November and Friday, 9th November at 19.30.

I've also been rehearsing for the Trinity Brass Band performing a selection of works by Goffin, Steadman-Allen and Eric Ball as part of the Regent Hall Brass Arts Festival 2007. This concert will be at Blackheath on Tuesday, 16th October. It will also be at Regent Hall, W1C on Friday 19th October at 12.30pm.

Finally, I'll be playing in the Van Brugh Ensemble; this wind dectet will be playing a concert on Tuesday, 23rd October at 13.00, at St. Nick's Church, Aberfeldy Street, Poplar E14 0PT.

I'm not yet sure what is happening with horn quartets or wind quintets. I'm meant to be in a quintet but the scheduling has been problematic.