Klarinet Archive - Posting 000921.txt from 2000/11

From: "Michael Bryant" <michael@-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] Lilliburlero
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 03:35:46 -0500

Bill Wright wrote:
"I can just imagine myself sitting on a train, and I take
out my clarinet while I watch the (English] countryside roll by."

Well, yes, but you have to shake hand with all the passengers first.
Unfortunately our railway system has had a complete physical
breakdown and is not taking passengers anywhere at the
moment at the speed it should or according to the published
timetables. This is due to the central privatised company
"migrating/devolving" the responsibilities for maintaining
the infrastructure (track/permanent way/signalling/safely
systems) to subcontractors and putting the maximisation
of shareholders' benefits before public safety - this policy
has now been scandalously derailed resulting in loss of lives
but disproportionately few resignations. This is not universally
the case since the privatised Japanese systems are excellent
(They are all changing immaculate trains (in green and blue livery)
at Ikebukaro)

Now here is the clarinet bit. (Sorry for the long wait). Up to 1981
(when Boosey and Hawkes bought a controlling share in Buffet)
Boosey and Hawkes made clarinets and everyone who cared,
at that time [Frederick Thurston, Jack Brymer, Gervase de Peyer,
Colin Bradbury, the young Antony Pay], played 1010s, but the
1010 never made an impression on the world market.
Boosey failed to continue to invest in research and development
after Geoffrey Acton's modifications in the 1960s, and the 1010
became an obsolete dinosaur. Selmer and Buffet started a
price war in the UK and Thea King was one of the first to
change to Buffet. History has repeated itself.

Small scale production of high quality clarinets in Britain
has been carried on by Peter Eaton and Howarths.

Mike Bryant

_____
Michael Bryant, Michael@-----.uk
Tel (messages 24hrs) & Fax by request
+44 (0) 20 8390 3236
http://www.bryant14.demon.co.uk
Rosewood Publications url:
http://freespace.virgin.net/s.westmeath
and http://www.rosewoodpublications.co.uk

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