Hi guys. I just wanted to tell you all about a fantastic weekend I have just spent in Northern Ireland! I was over in a place called Ballymena (its just outside Belfast) to give a masterclass and concert for the Kellswater Flutes. As I am sure many of you are aware -flute playing in Northern Ireland is VERY popular and the day was packed out with around 50 active participants and others just watching. The standard overall was extremely high and the ages ranged from very young to very adult. There was some playing by the younger ages that really blew me away!!!! we had all kinds of repetoire performed including the Poulenc – Sonate, Bizet/Borne – Carmen Fantasie and Ian Clarke – The Great Train Race. The day was organised by Glen Houston and there were a few other familiar faces too! The photo above was taken after the masterclass and you can see from left to right – Colin Fleming (principal flute of Ulster Orchestra), Taylor Ross, Me, Richard Douglas and Glen Houston. I especially want to say thanks to Glen for having me and my good friend Taylor and his family for looking after me – I have not eaten breakfasts as good as that for a long time!
I hope we are all looking forward to Abbotsholme? I know I am!!!!
What has everyone else been up to then?
Love,
Stephen.
7 Comments
not 1 comment? where is everybody?
Musically i’ve been doing Quintet at school which really is alot of fun! We’re playing an arrangement of the 13 Wind by Mozart! It’s fantastic but very tiring in the 3rd Movement on the bassoon which is what i play in it!
Glad to hear you had fun in Northern Ireland!
Ellie xex
oohhh is that the gran partita by Mozart?? i love that piece!!!!!
Well Joleigh has been off this week on her school music tour to Lake Geneva – back in the morning (peace shattered!)
More scarey was that she went off sitting in the back row of the bus – four girls and one boy (slovenia deja vu!)
I am sure she will want to fill you in on her return !
The Piece is Serenade in B Flat for 13 Wind! I’ve just had the concert and it went well but the 3rd movement killed me!
Lucky Joleigh!!! Can I ask a dumb question – is Lake Geneva actually in Geneva???
Geneva is on the ‘bottom left corner’ of Lake Geneva – they stayed in Evian de Bains (like the water!) in France – but they went to Geneva too.
Is flat out on her bed asleep at the moment – it was an 18 hour coach/ferry ride home and the got home at 8 this morning !