Klarinet Archive - Posting 000576.txt from 2000/12

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed uppermost
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 17:26:35 -0500

> I wonder if they had experts who told them that they should play with
> flat noses?

And considering the likely healthiness of teeth in those "period" days, I
would think that modern dentistry would insist that teeth be extracted. But
without the benefits of modern dentistry can you visualise the clarinettist
clicking his primitive dentures back into position just before the Mozart
2nd movt cadenza, or even recovering them from the front stalls during the
last page of the Weber Grand Duo Concertante. I`ve no doubt it will have
happened <somewhere> at some time. Taking that one stage further, I think it
would be rather amusing to include playing the clarinet in next year`s World
Gurneying (spelling?) Championships.

A personal story comes to mind, but it doesn`t relate to clarinet playing,
(but I`ll tell it). I was in fact directing a cabaret performance from the
piano. It was a hot summer evening with the window wide open immediately
behind my back. I wear spectacles, and during a crucial moment when I had to
direct with my head due to the importance of the keyboard line, my head went
backwards with such enthusiasm, that my specs flew over the top of my head,
and backwards clean thru` the open window. It was a struggle to finish the
number. Nobody saw it happen, but eventually I had to go and retrieve them
thus interrupting the artiste`s continuity, it was yours truly
who had to face the public ribbing on my way back up to the band stand. I
struggled thru` the evening, and had to have them reshaped the following
day.
I would prefer that to happen rather than lose my teeth. Yes, I s`pose that
<THAT> could still happen to me one day - - - - - I did in fact make a noise
whilst playing clarinet to a teenage female pupil a few weeks ago.

I played the piano accompaniment for Anna`s examination (another pupil) last
week. As we walked into the examination room, the examiner looked up and
said, "You`re Anna, are you?". After Anna replied "yes", his finale echoed
thru`out the room, "And I`m the King of Siam"! I think his humour went over
her head, as poor Anna was ill, but I tripped down the last descending step
as I approached the piano and grabbed hold of the keys with one hand making
the most awful clatter of noise. Anna had been off school, and was as white
as a sheet. Yet in the testing it turned out that her clarinet was certainly
<not> ill.
It played just like Bill`s "dream" a couple of days ago. Funny ol` world
isn`t it?!?!

Best,
Tony (falling to pieces) W.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org