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Through word of mouth and a few well-placed posters in music shops and libraries, we initially attracted 8 players to our first meeting. Fuelled by tea and coffee and chocolate biscuits, we played through several pieces for bassoon quartet including a great arrangement of the Teddy Bears’ Picnic from sound the trumpets, and the wonderful Danny Boy, published by Spartan. With tired lips, but with happy hearts, everyone decided that the meetings should become a regular occurrence, especially as there were several players who had expressed an interest, but were unable to attend the first meeting. Our numbers have now swelled to 24 players, and every
Christmas we busk in the Bullring Shopping centre outside Selfridges
for the charity Diabetes UK We have also played with The Harborne Orchestra at their Easter Concert and at Christmas and Summer Fairs at Colmore Infant and Junior Schools in Kings Heath. I think the great secret of our local success is that we just love playing together and enjoy playing the bassoon. This was our second time appearing at Arts Fest which is a great weekend and is so well supported. Last year we appeared at the Women in Music festival which took place in June which was an amazing experience, and we have been asked to perform at the Droitwich Annual music Festival in July 2007. Last year the Birmingham Bassoon Choir organized a Bassoon Day which was held at the Bluecoat School in June where various workshops and Master Classes were undertaken, where many Professional people gave up their own time so freely; Andrew Barnell Principal Bassoonist with the CBSO, Bob Percival, Fiona Bryan, Andrew Browning Headmaster of Bluecoat school, to name but a few. It was a marvelous experience and joy to see such a varied age range and talent for an instrument which is supposedly becoming an endangered species. A further Bassoon Day is planned for 2007 (see Forthcoming Events). If anyone plays the Bassoon and would like to come along and play we meet every second Tuesday of the month at The Friends’ Meeting House at Colmore Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham 14, from 7.30-9.30pm. A map showing the location of the Meeting House can be found here |
