NCO 2018

double ohhh yes, definite aspiring bassoonist here. Her teacher is a bassoon teacher by specialism so she's been excited to learn for a long time. They're watching ever centimetre that she grows! She's said her preference is we wait til DD is big enough to go straight onto the regular instrument because she's so close to ready that she doesn't want her getting used to the breath required for a tenoroon. She's able to nicely play the full size bassoon so she's recommended we ride it out. Also, she's said DD will likely get from nothing to G3 in under a term so there's not much point with the little instruments in this case, in her opinion. So we wait! But DD gets very excited every time the bassoon comes out for her to have another little play!

I was at sunday’s London regional with DS2 as well. I was very impressed - some really tight and accurate performances. So much energy for the conductor - v inspiring!

I didn't realise there was another budding bassoonist on here Mini! Have you considered a mini bassoon or a tenoroon? That is what DD2 started on. All the right fingering, just smaller and the instrument transposes. They are great at getting kids started and doing the right things early on. I think they can take ABRSM exams up to Grade 3 on them too.

double your girl is my DDs inspiration that she can soon have her own bassoon. She's soooo nearly there, she just needs the tiniest more stretch so she can both blow it and use her right hand! She's playing well with just her left hand and is VERY excited

Taggie - I can confirm that DD is taller than the bassoon, but not by a huge amount. She always looks tiny in comparison to other bassoonists too.

Hahaha niggle I had got the same ready in my head!

I see. We would be more than delighted with repeating a regional place. The less than monthly rehearsal during school term works well for us. Fingers crossed!

Email is definitely better as I want to be the one to open it! We will have to speculate about size of attachment rather than weight of envelope.

Anyway, I have uploaded a video of DS2 playing his Vivaldi at a school concert a couple of days ago, to the YouTube channel.

Love the new videos of Goo, Rara, mini musician and mini-double. Mini-double looks so tiny in comparison to her bassoon! They all play really musically, although I don't know enough about wind instruments to fully appreciate all the technique!

Is it true once you are in the age banded orchestra, even when you are not successful for a certain year, you'll still be invited to the regionals?

Yes, got the email. This is a good move, I wonder though if all the emails go out together, or maybe by year group.

I read last year's thread, and had mentally prepared myself for feeling the weight of the envelope (thin for thanks for auditioning, please try again next year, and thicker for congrats and here is lots of further info). Am currently reprocessing..

One of DDs friends had moved house last year and their letter took 3 or 4 days longer to arrive. More difficult as she knew that DD and another friend had places. E-mail makes sense.

Hahaha I just read the email and thought "ohhh there'll be some relieved people, glad to not have to go through the torment of waiting for the postman" /it getting lost.... which is good, but if it's still spread over the two weeks, there's surely still two weeks of torment and constant pressing refresh?!

It's hard enough, wondering if DS has got in - I can only imagine how hard it must be for those of you with DCs who are hoping to keep their place/move up...at least DS doesn't know what he's missing.
Everything crossed for them all.

Yes will be so much better by email- hopefully we will hear sooner rather than later
Good luck to all the DCs who auditioned

I enjoyed watching the northerlies from the FB feed. There's a lot of violins there too!

South Easterlies was great - opened with The Big Country and finished with Star Wars: The Force Awakens with lots of variety in between. A wonderful way to finish DD's NCO experience for the year.

Oh, yes. Good luck to everyone in the South Easterlies, and the Northerlies concert this afternoon!

Not sure there will be much to report on for the next few weeks Niggle . Maybe the odd NCO Regionals concert, but that may be it.

Nothing to report here.

Just keeping the thread from falling down the ranks!

Blimey, that must take forever!
Indeed- hence the long wait.

As I understand it from a post on Facebook, the artistic director watches every single audition tape, and individual instruments are watched by specialists of that instrument. It sounds like a very rigorous process - you can see why it takes a few weeks before the results are sent out.

Who moderates them?