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Gill the Piano
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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You're being defeatist and wasting a lot of talent. Carry on!
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dave brum
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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I've had a rethink. I seem to be so tempted to come on here and moan incessantly whenever things go wrong. I've not been on here AT ALL today and I've had the best piano practice I've had all week this evening. I've only thought about things I can do and not kept reminding myself of things I can't do just to come on here and bore the world with.

I spend too much time sat in front of a computer screen anyway and sometimes, that in itself makes me anxious and depressed.

I also believe that I think too much.

You will notice I've put what I think is a positive statement in bold type. Now, I need to put piano lessons with Fanny Fosdyke into that part of the filing cabinet upstairs that contains the low points of world history (Holocaust, 2 World Wars, apartheid, 9/11 etc)
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Well done - hurrah! :piano; :piano; :piano;
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dave brum
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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It is so tempting to come on here and whinge like the Australian stereotypical view of the English but it really does not do me any good. It's not letting off steam at all, it's the opposite effect. Maybe things don't happen as quick as I expect them to after only 14 months of regular lessons.
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dave brum
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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If you ever fancy coming to Malvern, it's a faragers' paradise. I found a rather humourous cast iron sign in one antique shop that read On This Site In 1782 Nothing Happened. I googled it and found that it was quite common - why it was only £13 surely.
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Never been to Malvern...I think the furthest we ventured in that direction is Evesham.
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You'd have to take the A44 as far as Worcester then along the southern relief road to the A449 then it's only 5 miles. Interestingly enough, just past Evesham on the Worcester side is Vale Pianos and an antiques emporium on the right that had loads of antique pianos in last time I went there. Forgotten the name of the place, off to Googs to jog my mammary.

Craycombe Farm. That's it.

http://www.craycombefarmantiques.co.uk/
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Went there hundreds of years ago with a customer to look at a piano - interesting place. I'd forgotten all about it until you just joggled my mammary, matron...
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Vale Pianos is nice too. It's a real piano retailer in a series of Army-barracks style outbuildings, all heated and controlled for the pianos. It's between the A44 and Throckmorton.
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dave brum
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Had a strange experience the other day I've never had before in my life and I may never actually have again. Went to the toilets in the Avoncroft Museum and I was sitting there when suddenly the lights went out and I was plunged into darkness. Fortunately I'm a former Boy Scout.
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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dave brum wrote:Had a strange experience the other day I've never had before in my life and I may never actually have again. Went to the toilets in the Avoncroft Museum and I was sitting there when suddenly the lights went out and I was plunged into darkness. Fortunately I'm a former Boy Scout.
:D pure in thought word and deed, you mean?
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Well, resourceful. Like the time I was in the Galleries shopping centre in Bristol one time and it was too late when I realised there was no paper in the loo roll holder. Fortunately I had a copy of the Bristol Evening Post in my pocket.

See, I'd have been kicked off the ABRSM forum for saying that in their 'Forums Cafe' (most cafes have toilets anyway!)
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Not these days, you wouldn't. Admittedly I am probably acknowledged as the joint first-place smuttiest together with a certain Yo :D rkshireman from the Wirral (and I've met him, and swapped stories which would have got us both warned) but much of it I feel has lightened up.
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You mean C# minor?? Ah, but he's a darn good musician so he's earned his place on there as a grandee - so he can say what he likes. Whenever a new member comes along, that is when the alarm bells begin to ring.

But alas for me and the Belle of Burwell.....
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Thinking about the old song 'Funky Town', originally by Lipps Inc and covered by an Australian band called Pseudo Echo with lead singer Brian Canham led me to thinking about famous Brians and Bryans in the world of music - but I cannot think of many. Here are all I can think of:-

1. Dr.Brian May
2. Bryan Ferry
3. Brian Eno (also in Roxy Music)
4. Bryan Adams
5. Brian Jones (Rolling Stones)
6. Dr.Brian Cox (formerly of D:Ream now a TV historian)
7. Brian Johnson (ACDC and before that, the band Geordie)

I suppose if you were to count Brian Canham that would be eight.
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dave brum
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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In the Anglican calendar, the first Sunday after Easter is commonly known as 'Low Sunday'. But if you suffer with severe depression and low self-esteem then it's Low Sunday every day.
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Brian Cant sang some good stuff on Playaway...:D
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On musicteachers.co.uk there's a piano teacher in Brierley Hill called Tracey Cant. I often wonder if she's any relation.
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Lovely pictures of Easter at St.Nicolas' church Kings Norton (around 5km away), the splash of blooms and in the distance the organist, who incidentally has the same surname as old Gizzy.

http://www.kingsnorton.org.uk/photos/ea ... index.html
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I had a dream last night about Frank Muir. I was interviewing him for a magazine. After I awoke, I realised I hadn't asked him about Wilsons No1.
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Better late than never - found a biodegrading palm cross on Oakfield Drive in Cofton village just now.
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Early for next year!
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Just had twenty minutes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians down the local takeaway. If I can endure that I can learn to sight read.
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...and less than twenty four hours before I shall have the opportunito to hear the Edwardian Norman and Beard organ of St.Nicolas (that's how it's spelled) King Snorton. Played with a bit of luck by Miss Llwynog.

Wonder which hymnal they'll be using? I saw one floating around called Anglican Hymns Old and New, which I must admit I'd not heard of b4.
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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I think that AHOAN is a trendy job with pc words - none of that 'mankind' stuff or 'brotherhood' in case we womem feel alienated. :roll:
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But still in the SATB four part arrangement, so Anglican Kryptonians are the only beneficiaries then :?
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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I keep telling you, play the tune and one other part.
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If I tried that, the dots would all interfere with each other and I would get really flummoxed. I'd never be able to do that, it would be way out of my depth.

I ay as clever as yoh, Gill!
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The key words being IF I Tried. You don't know till you do, so give it a go. Just one bar. Bottom line of the bass with the tune. On a hymn you know.
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It's not a case of I cannot do it. It's more a case of I can do it but it would take me months to learn it and try and cram it all into my head. Then supposing I forget about it for a week after I've learned to play it - I would have to go through the whole rigmarole over again. Doing that with 779 hymn tunes in A&M Standard would be absolutely unfeasible and a waste of time. Either that or try to memorise 779 hymn tunes and then some.

I shall say this once more. I cannot open up a page of music and play it at sight unless it's a very simple Carol Barratt Chesters Easiest Tunes exercise aimed at kids or similar. If I was doing Tracey's job on the organ at St.Nicolas, or Mabs at her church in Warwickshire, then I would need them to pick the hymns three months in advance so I can learn them, and they ain't going to do that! This is how it is with me Gill unfortunately and I intend to have it out with Mabel over this on Wednesday. Because something needs to happen NOW, if it doesn't then I shall just get worse and more despondent and frustrated - and the enjoyment, which I'm trying so hard to try and keep, will be lost.

UPDATE: Just had a go with the hymn tune 'St.George' and yes I told you so. In this case, in two bars I started off with the bass line and went into the tenor. There are too many dots to concentrate on. I'm only human.
Last edited by dave brum on 29 Sep 2016, 10:17, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Just do the tune first. Gently Bentley!
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Gill the Piano wrote:Just do the tune first. Gently Bentley!
Which tune? There are four of them.

I might ask Mabel on Wednesday. Or Trace, if I get the chance to catch her.
Last edited by dave brum on 29 Sep 2016, 10:16, edited 1 time in total.
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Friends, Romans, Countrymen???
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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Hello ratbag, where you bin? Wot you doing?
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Ratbag eh? A fine welcome back. You'd be booted off the AB forum for calling somebody a ratbag.....
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How long has Feg been cyanised then?
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Few months? Barrie obviously thought we needed a grownup in control who could work a computer! :mrgreen: I can't even get my avatar picture up!
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So then, how are you, how is Eric and how (as Wogan always used to retort to Boggy) is the organ?
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Re: Random thoughts or comments...

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All well, ta; apart from one note on one organ that won't work. Got a new gig now - first Sunday in the month. Might yet get a tour t shirt made up! Mr G is also doing well, hospital only want to see him 3 times a year now.
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That is encouraging news in an age where human church organists are being replaced by MP3 players and karaoke machines. And of course, encouraging news for E also.

We went to Oxford a few weeks back, and had a butchers at the new Waitrose on Botley Road. Then we proceeded to drive through the centre of Oxford in awful rain on a Saturday afternoon.

Have you ever thought about becoming a crematorium organist??
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...Long live the art of idle chitchat!

Where's Feg? Hello Fiona, how are you?
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No, but I am on the list for the local natural woodland burial place which has the most beautiful little chapel (with a disproportionately loud organ!) after I played there for a friend's funeral. Played for a Welsh tenor and everyone joined in with Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
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dave brum wrote:...Long live the art of idle chitchat!

Where's Feg? Hello Fiona, how are you?
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I have now taken up manual campanology.
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Where? Nice group? Big chest of bells, madam?
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A local handbell group. I play the bass bells as I am able to cope with such large pieces of brassware. Our bells start with bell CC (the C below middle C) and go BB AA Z Y X W 12 11 10 9 8 etc. down (or should that be up) to zero.

It is great fun and I look forward to Monday afternoons now, which is our practice. We have 3 gigs coming up in Oct/Nov, for which I had to buy an orange tie in John Lewis before work today. I was in charge of 11 and 12 today.

Some of the elderly ladies can ring two treble bells on each hand. However, my pair of bells don't have this tremendous resonance which can be heard, felt and even seen!

My wife, being from Hertfordshire talks of my 'handbowels' when she means handbells.....
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I have a chest of Victorian ones but they need work on them before they can be used in anger.
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Our bells are quite numerous, and we also have a set of midrange 'Pritchatt's' bells. There is a Pritchatts Road in Edgbaston near University of B-Town, I would assume the family were big manufacturers of brassware based locally.
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Off for my flu jab today. Don't want any time off work, or doing carol singing smelling of Vick as was the case in 2015.
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EVERYONE smells of Vick in the winter!
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