 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2018-11-24 19:40
I got this notice in my email today. Over the years it has sometimes been a very cold gig. Fingers get to be a problem. Though, I doubt Windy Dreamer would consider this cold! I usually walk the 20-minutes to the site to get acclimated a bit. We usually have about 15 people playing; older members (with more sense than me) tend to forgo this event. But it's nice, we play traditional carols and many of the gathered townspeople sing along. Intonation does veer around, but it's ok.
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"The band will once again be playing at the lighting of the Christmas Tree in downtown Springfield, on Friday, December 7th at 5:30 pm. Plan on arriving no later than 5:00 pm...it gets crowded quickly and this will give everyone time to get set up. Santa is scheduled to arrive at 6:00 pm and we will play up until his arrival. We'll be playing near the tree in the People's Bank parking lot, under the light pole. This is an event where you will want to dress warmly and bring hand warmers if you can!
What to bring:
Music stand or lyre - music will be provided. Don't worry if you have never seen it before, it's easy to sight-read.
Gloves (fingerless if you are a woodwind player)
Hats
Warm Coat
Temperatures tend to be chilly and with us playing a week later than normal, plan on temps in the 20’s to low 30’s. We'll be playing after sunset, so it could be cooler. Brass players, please make sure your valves are well oiled. Should the temp get below 32, this will help prevent your valves from freezing."
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Author: Windy Dreamer
Date: 2018-11-24 20:48
Best Wishes Philip, may you and your audience have a great day..
I have given up on outdoor play until I build a chalumeau or two.It takes much more talent than I have to adapt to the challenges of playing a Boehm clarinet below freezing.
I wonder if disposable surgical gloves would take the edge off the cold and help ensure better seals with stiff and shriveled fingers.From a distance they are almost invisible .Is there such a thing as frost proof clarinet pads ? My Jupiter hybrid pads are in ruin after attempting to play at 5 degrees fahrenheit.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2018-11-24 21:11
Each year, on Christmas Eve, my wife and I go into town and play/sing Christmas music at the city park's unlit band shell...usually around 8pm or so.
It is an informal affair, in that we've never publicized it. Instead, we hope to just bring a little Christmas cheer to anyone out and about in the park/neighborhood as they go about their celebrations.
The warmest weather we've had was in the 20s (F) range, and the coldest weather we've had was in the negative 10s (F). Most years, we have wind. I usually play until either my fingers can't feel the tone holes, or the keys begin to bind/pads begin to freeze to the (metal) instrument. Most years, this ends up being between one and two hours.
Many years, only one or two people come by, but they stop and listen. Sometimes, they sing along, and occassionally an entire group (or two) of people will show up and we'll have a real audience. They'll make requests, and sometimes sing along. A few years, no one has seemed to be out and about, and we continued on for our own enjoyment of the moment.
We never planned to make this an annual tradition, but it has become one. Over the years, as friends have come and gone, we've had the fortune of adding a trumpet player here, and a vocalist there...then they move out of town, and it is just "us" again.
I wouldn't trade those chill-filled memories for anything.
Fuzzy
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2018-11-26 23:04
lets face it..with global warming who knows what is going on..did some outdoor concerts this summer and surprised at that variance in humidity over a 2 hour gig.
David Dow
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