New Year Music and Musicians Thread

Our St Johns yesterday was very quiet in comparison! 9 trebles and 2 each of altos and tenor and 3 basses. No accompaniment. Was very beautiful though.

The back row had 5 ex head choristers from our own Cathedral on it, 2 were back from music college , which was really nice.

Lovely photos Helen . I so hope my DS2 keeps on singing.

Photos on the website so I can share these. Dd solo ing and ds 2nd from right. Red tie in the main photo

Musical - Congratulations - that is a fantastic achievement!
Helenluvsrob, what a wonderful experience - I am in awe of your DCs! I'm sure dd2's recorder scales were fine on the day. My goodness, though, that is a lot of grade 8 work- she must be very dedicated.

I'm so neglectful! Dd2 did grade 7 recorder on Tuesday and I hardly noticed.... Pieces had been there for ages and she's been doing other stuff but why do the scales trip her up so much? I can only think she just doesn't work at them enough and never has. Pieces are easy!

We will see. She's just realised she might have 4xgrade 8 to do in year 13. She's part way to the clarinet, and singing and recorder shouldn't be too bad but I don't see her doing piano. I think maybe she's leaning towards music after school hence this flurry. The others pretty much gave up on formal stuff at this point.

Update on the biggies. Their choir sang St. John passion yesterday .this is the 5th year I've been and it's always fantastic and moving. But dd1 finally put herself forward and did the 1st soprano aria beautifully and ds sang Pilate . Proud doesn't cover it !

Thanks waffle! Wow musical! Talk about laying old demons to rest!

So much respect for you for going back to it Musicaltheatremum. Huge congratulations.

(Just a wee bit worried now as DD has just got a grade 6 distinction and is starting to work towards grade 7. Please tell me it will all be fine)

Lovely stories here. I played piano from 6-17 got grade 6 distinction in 1976 then failed grade 7 twice aged 16 and 17. Went back to lessons a few years ago and have just achieved a distinction in my grade 7 at the age of 52.

Congrats raspberry on fab results!

Green - enjoy the beast, it really will be a super investment for you all.

Waiting on the G5 theory result... No distinctions likely here, just need the 66! I presume it will be out week after next waffle?

I vote for Latin too, because I love the familiar words.

I vote for Latin NewLife but I did it at O grade because it was my must have to get out of French.

There are some versions with an English first verse which I really like.

All the best for the black beast Green I would always invest in musical instruments over cars and coffees. Loving Drummers thoughts on this.

Green

She just hasn't been inspired to play really. It's taken her years of mucking about to take grade 2, but they have composition classes so she does do quite a bit and has 30 min lesson. The only thing she prefers Piano to is Maths , She asks if she can skip maths to do Piano She has no shame.

Ave Maria, which one folks, I'm so confused.
She likes the Latin but the German lyrics fit the music so much better.
I need to talk her into it
I even found Italian version too, there are so many different flippin copies.

Thanks everyone- seems quite a few are doing/ have done it then.

Waffle, that sounds amazing (I'll admit to getting a distinction too, but was also much older and I'm better at maths than music tbh!). I think the plan for Ds is to do grd 5 musicianship next term, which seems ambitious as he'd never done any before last week but his teacher is brilliant so will be guided by her.

Newlife: just listened to Ave Maria, its so so beautiful!!! Let us know how she is doing!
Hahaha, I could imagine her face too from your words, all best singers can always play at certain level of piano, why not try it.

Will take pic of the shiny black once it comes, to be honest for nonmusically person like me (and mostly who hardly spend money on things doesnt earn any profit back) its a big "expenditure", I told myself I invested in the future(the children)--- sorry still excited about the black beast!

Happy Easter everyone!

Green

You are letting the side down with your posh new Piano
We will always have our beer stained ashtray top upright.

Nobody smokes over it now, but it's obviously seen better days.
Tunes up well, when we can be bothered though.

Scared the living daylights out of dd tonight and told her I'd signed her up for the Piano school during summer holidays. Her face was a picture, I thought she was going to cry, I'm so bad.

Waffle: she got it from you for sure. Fingers crossed for a big fat distinction!!!

Yes I am on team shiny black now, thank you everyone.

Waffle, I really dont know how could someone score 99%, Goo is truly a perfectionist!

Welcome newcomers!

Dd's teacher mentioned there are other routes to go past grade 5 for example practical musicianship but we're not there yet so no need to worry just yet, she's doing theory anyway but about 2 grades behind her practical exams.

Green amazing! Well done! Is it a black shiny one? Well worth the money I am sure!

Another one here with a child, who wondered whether she would sit the Jazz, the theory or the musicianship. She wound up doing just under a year of the musicianship and jazz before deciding on theory. At 8, she was the youngest person I've ever entered - but she passed (just under a merit). She still transposes at sight and plays a lot by ear and improvises so for her doing all of them worked well. She plans on sitting her jazz grade 5 'because it's great fun' - at the end of the year and because she isn't pressure to do anything other than play. She also accepts that all the improv will stand her in good stead when she joins a jazz band.

Greenleave - how lovely! Beans on toast totally worth it! You must be so excited.
drummersmum - that comment totally made me smile!
MrsWombat - that will be a lovely concert, and very exciting for your DS.
Raspberry - huge well done to both talented DCs!
Schools finished early today. DS1 has exam revision to worry about this Easter - suspect we'll hear even more bass guitar playing as a displacement activity!