Klarinet Archive - Posting 000859.txt from 1996/02

From: John Jarvie <j.jarvie@-----.NZ>
Subj: Re: Ab clarinet
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 15:39:37 -0500

I first sent this message a day ago. As I didn't see it from the list,
it may not have got through. My apologies to everyone if tis is a
repeat!

John

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I spent a few years living in Belgium in the 80's and A flat clarinets
are still common in some street marching bands. These bands are
associated with various festivities including marches by "gilles",
colourful, masked characters often on stilts, which are also common in
northern France.

Mostly these bands get together in the local cafe/pub one night a week
and practice their repertoire of maybe a half-dozen tunes. The
emphasis is on noise. In effect they are village bands.

Generally the instruments are simple system. I would guess that they
are mostly hand-me-downs.

I remember going to one march where the local tradition was for the
band and gilles to throw oranges at the crowd. There were a few
undiscovered pitchers!

John Jarvie
j.jarvie@-----.nz