My Tamiflu
So apparently I’ve had swine flu. I came down with the symproms really quickly – one minute I felt fine, ten minues later I could hardly move. I say ‘apparently’ as the GP just diagnosed it over the phone and my husband was sent off to Hove Town Hall to collect Tamiflu for me. I had a very sore throat, high temperature, ached everywhere, a bit of a cough and generally felt dreadful. I’ve had flu twice in my life before – I know loads of people who claim to have flu if they sneeze 3 times – real flu knocks you out completely, you feel like you are dying. During the first day of this I didn’t feel as bad as I have in previous bouts, it was horrid, but not that horrid. The miserable thing is the symptoms have gone on and on and on. My temperature came down relatively quickly but all the rest of them have lasted for 10 days now. Our GP thinks I could feel like this for another 10 days or so! I am actually feeling much better today – if I wasn’t I couldn’t be writing this. I’m also allowed out of isolation now. I’ve been kept away from people for 8 days.
I need to get well as I’m off to Croatia very early on Monday for the course there.
My advice to you – wash your hands, keep your hands away from your mouth, avoid folks who coughand sneeze near you – oh yes, don’t go to Birmingham!
What a great event this was. So many people had such a wonderful time. And so many amazing people made sure everyone had a wonderful time. My grateful thanks go to every single person involved. I know I’m a bit behid getting a report up here on the website, but we’ve had lots going on here in Goodwin-Flutewiseland – plus the exhaustion the event caused. In the following posts you can read about what happened on each our and maybe add a comment or two. I hope so. If you do I’llbe inspired to add a few more photos and comments that I’ve received. (Enormous apologies if I’ve missed anything – well, that’s what the comments boxes are for!)
The majority of the photos in the pots were taken by Sarah Drake – thanks Sarah, they are great.
Sunday 3 May 2009, 9.30 am – hordes of flute players started to ascend on the Barbican Centre, London … read on …
10.00 am the massed flute choir rehearsal started led by Stephen Clark, Gareth McLearnon and Mike Mower. The pieces rehearsed were Pachelbel’s Canon, Gypsy Airs, Bouree and Mike Mower’s Big Day.
Getting ready to rehearse c-2009-stephen-heliczer
During this time the shops were setting up in the ‘Flutewise Shopping Centre’ – they were A-Lister Flute Music, All Flutes Plus, John Packers, Just Flutes, Pearl and Top Wind.
Shopping
11.00 am Atarah announced the start of the activities in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama – there was a masterclass with Jonathan Snowden, a mini concert with the staff of GSMD and guests and a ‘Big Flutes and Little Flutes’ session with Carla Rees, Clare Jefferis and Matjaz Debeljak. On the lower foyer a rehearsal of the Pied Piper started.
Carla Rees Big Flutes and Little Flutes
Jonathan Snowden looked at two pieces in his class from Project:Flutewise book 3 they were Ostinato from Rutter’s Suite Antique and the 2nd movement from York Bowen’s Sonata.
The programme for the Mini Concert with Guildhall Professors & Guests
featuring
Ian Clarke, Philippa Davies, Averil Williams, Matej Zupan (Slovenia) – flutes
with Tim Carey & Jan Willem Nelleke – piano
was
The Great Train Race – Ian Clarke (solo flute)
Ian Clarke- flute
‘maya’ – arr. Ian Clarke by Clarke/Hicks/Painter (2 flutes & piano)
Averil Williams & Ian Clarke – flutes Tim Carey – piano
Slovenian Fantasy by Jani Golob (flute and piano) – premiere
Aria from Sonatina op. 5 by Blaz Pucihar
Matej Zupan – flute & Tim Carey – piano
Funky Quasar – Jan Willem Nelleke (solo flute)
Grand tango – Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922) (flute & piano)
Philippa Davies – flute Jan Willem Nelleke – piano
Caliente Hot – Christopher Caliendo (2 flutes & piano)
Philippa Davies & Ian Clarke – flutes Jan Willem Nelleke – piano
Philippa Davies
In ‘Big Flutes and Little Flutes’ session Flutewise Presentation: The Elephant and the Flea
With Carla Rees, Clare Jefferies, Matjaz Debeljak and Tim Carey
Performance interspersed with demonstrations and opportunities for the children to try alto flute, bass flute and piccolo
1. Maganini – The Boa-Constrictor and the Bobolink (picc & bass flute) CR CJ
2. Mancini – The Pink Panther (2 alto flutes) CR CJ
3. Rinker – Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat (2 alto flutes) CR CJ
4. Rimsky-Korsakov – Flight of the Bumble Bee (2 alto flutes) CR CJ
5. Voglar – The Elephant and the Flea (premiere) (picc & alto flute) MD CR
6. Koepke – Meadowlark (picc & piano) MD TC
7. Damare – Le Merle Blanc (picc & piano) MD TC
On the Barbican foyer there were performances by Absoflutely, a flute choir directed by Carolyn Wheadon form Essex. They played Simple Gifts arranged by Lombardo.
This was followed by the flute choir, Flute Salad from Yateley, Hampshire, directed by Louise Williams. They played Traditional Sailors’ Hornpipe arr. Brett; It’s a Small World by Sherman arr. Kernan; Pink Panther Theme by Mancini arr. Booth and ABBA medley arr. Smith
Then Chris Hankin performed Claude Arrieu Sonatina 1st movement and In the Clouds by Amanda Fox which can also be heard on her CD, Feminine Flute. She was accompanied by Chris Baxter.
This was followed by Stephen Clark on his beautiful new gold Altus flute. He played Concerto in D major K.314 by Mozart, accompanied by Birmingham Flute Choir and guests and conducted by Sandy Hay.
Stephen Clark
12.00 noon on the Barbican Foyer Jonathan Snowden wowed the audience with his performance of Suite Antique by Rutter. He was accompanied by Chris Baxter.
This was followed by Birmingham Flute Choirs. The combined flute choirs of Birmingham Schools’ Flute Choir and Camphill and South Birmingham Area Flute Choir, directed by Sandy Hay and Julie Schroder. They played Tales from the Vienna Flutes by Hinchcliffe; Miss Livvy’s Expectations by Amos and Air on the G String by Bach (Holcombe).
We then had another flute choir – KFC, directed by Sagar Masani. The Kings Flute Choir played Quartet op.88 by Furstenau, Sonata for Flute Choir op. 58 by Downes and The Lone Ar-ranger by Rossini/Buttall.
On the lower foyer we had the first performance of the Pied Piper.
Outside of the ‘Flute Shopping Centre’ Simon Desorgher had set up his wonderful computer system.
Simon Desorgher
While this was going on, many people were in the GSMD for various sessions. Mike Mower held an ‘Open Session’ on improvisation and his own music. He had Tim Carey along with him as accompanist and Paul Edmund Davis joined them and played Mike’s “Deviations on the Carnival of Venice”.
Ian Clarke held a rehearsal for the premeire of his new piece Zig Zag Zoo.
More advanced players attended a very informative talk by Chris Hankin about diplomas and advanced study.
