Klarinet Archive - Posting 000009.txt from 1995/09

From: Virginia Lyons <lyonsva@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: The Gig from Hell
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 18:04:48 -0400

Reading about folks' Gigs from Hell should make for some entertaining
reading. Here's mine:

I frequently play my clarinet in church, especially at special times like
Easter and Christmas. A few years ago, I was playing on Easter Sunday. Our
church is very small and usually packed at Easter. Every last chair (yes, it
was too small for pews!) was in use, people were crammed into every corner.
The organ is at the back of the church, and I always sit beside the organ.
The choir of about 10 people was also stuffed in beside me, beginning about
6 inches from my elbow.

>From my vantage point I could see everybody as they came in. My mom
entered, walked by, looked at me and said, "Now don't squeak!". Up to that
point it had been the furthest thing from my mind.

Well, the service progressed nicely, and finally it was time for the
offering. I had a nice piece to play with the organ, and of course the
church is silent and everyone's listening to every note I'm playing. That
was when it happenned - the squeak from hell. Being the seasoned player
that I am, squeaks don't usually throw me, I just play through them and keep
on going. I attempted to do just that, but this was no ordinary squeak - it
just kept on going and going - it lasted about 2 full seconds - and was
amazingly loud! It scared the daylights out of the choir - you could have
peeled them off the ceiling! The squeak finally did end, and I finished the
piece.

I've played in church many, many times since then, but people still come up
to me and say, "I remember that time you made that really loud squeak....

I survived that one, and I figure it will be a long time before one as bad
as that happens again! But to be safe, I've also asked my mother to refrain
from reminding me not to squeak.

Ginny Lyons
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Ginny Lyons
Waterloo, Ontario
lyonsva@-----.net
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