Bill's Musical Notes
The last few months of '21 were so tumultuous, that I've been looking forward to looking Bach and trying to get a Handel on them. When our Newent Orchestra returned to rehearsals in September, it was with some trepidation as we had not played together since the pandemic began. One unknown was who would turn up? Would anyone? Surprisingly, just about all our members were raring to go again. There are always one or two who leave the orchestra and new members who arrive and this year was no exception. It was, though, a case of feeling our way back into the music and definitely not a return to normality.
The orchestra has had to get used to playing under covid-safe conditions, not easy owing to the distinctly unhelpful layout of players that was needed. Getting used to the whims and repertoire of a new conductor (me!) was tough. I've enjoyed my role in this. At the year's end, I understand so much more about the significance of the conductor than I did in September. The experience for me has become a focal point for channeling the orchestra's music through and on to the (for now imaginary) audience. That's a good feeling. Another problem has and continues to be uncertainty. With no concert experience for a couple of years and the next opportunity difficult to plan for, I'll be making use of our end-of-January workshop to simulate the concert experience by creating the feel of anticipation and nerves. This intention puts us into the realm of looking forward to the coming year. Unpredictable though the future may be, there are some certainties to anticipate. Our current rehearsal venue at Newent Community Centre will not be available for some months from March, while it is refurbished, and this means a move to the hall at Newent Community School. Personally, I think this will do us a lot of good, both in terms of experiencing another playing environment with its different acoustics, and will put us in proximity with the school's music department, students and teachers, who may be curious to find out about us and might be tempted to join in. Talking of acoustics and new venues, I recently visited our historic and architecturally fabulous St Mary's church in Newent, a visit that could herald a new musical relationship with the church. Certainly it will make a great venue for our concerts. The orchestra used to hold its annual spring concert at St Mary's some years ago, but the then layout of audience seating and cramped space for the orchestra forced us to move on. It is now, I believe, the ideal venue for us, updated to seat a large audience and with plenty of space for the orchestra itself, not to mention the beautiful stained glass, light atmosphere and those vibrant acoustics. So, it's not all doom and winter gloom by any means. I say to members, make as full a commitment as you can to our organisation and over the next year and beyond the musical benefits will become apparent. Cheers for now and all the very best to you in '22. Bill Anderton
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Find out more about our conductor Bill Anderton's work:
The Final Score - book
Explores music and
in particular the composition of a new piece. Features the Newent Orchestra. Available on Amazon as paperback or Kindle. Ramblings About Music
Discusses a wide range of
musical topics, from the ancient Greeks to modern times, with the beautiful Offa's Dyke trail as a backdrop, and talking about music the entire length of the route. Also available on Amazon as paperback or Kindle. |
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