 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-10-31 02:15
I'm looking for some information on Sydney Forrest. What orchestras he played in ....who he studied with and who he taught. Anecdotes from students... I've played a couple of his mouthpieces that were faced by Jerry Hall and they were great.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2005-10-31 09:53
He performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and the President's Own Marine Band. To my knowledge he is still alive and well in Washington DC area, and on the faculty of Catholic University of America. I don't remember who he studied with though, but he's in his mid to late 80's from what I recall.
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2005-10-31 12:47
I had the pleasure of playing clarinet quartets with Sidney in his lovely home in Kensington, MD a couple of weeks ago. Happy to report that he seems to be in good health, and his clarinet "chops" seem to be functioning just fine! I especially enjoyed his fabulous collection of memoribilia, and his never-ending string of anecdotes about legendary clarinetists long gone.
I just learned that he is giving a master class at George Mason University, here in Fairfax, VA, this Friday. Don't know any of the details, but I'm sure a phone call to the GMU music department can fill in the blanks if anyone is interested in attending.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-10-31 13:31
Thanks for the information.......the article is great! I do wonder about the genesis of the mouthpiece with his name on it. It is a very dense material....I haven't weighed it but it is about twice as heavy as your standard clarinet mouthpiece. I wondered whether there was a connection between him and the mouthpiece or it was just a case where they needed a name of a famous clarinetist to put on a new mouthpiece.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-10-31 16:19
Sydney Forrest taught at Interlochen from 1959 (when I studied with him) through a couple of years ago. He was not re-engaged, for reasons that are unclear, and which made many people angry.
He made several LP recordings, which I have, but none have been reissued. He had a very energetic tone, which recorded much brighter than it sounded in person. For some reason, he did no performing during the summer I studied with him.
He said he had a large supply of reeds made for him by a great maker, who had died, and that he hoped to finish his career playing on them.
He switched his students (or at least me) to a Selmer B* mouthpiece, which is short, close and resistant. I hated it.
Ken Shaw
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Author: psf
Date: 2005-11-01 04:14
Hello!
I'm Paula Forrest, Sidney Forrest's daughter. Someone referred me to this page, and I hope that by responding to one questioner, others will see the information, too. ( I don't know how these boards work.)
First of all, as one person reported, my father is doing extremely well at age 87, still living in his Kensington home and still teaching and coaching extensively. He has e-mail, but does not use it to correspond much, since he doesn't type. We talk every day, so I've told him about these questions and forwarded the items to him.
I'll answer the specific questions, below, as well as I can.
Re his background, he studied mainly with Simeon Bellison, and also with Alex Williiams. World War II brought him to Washington, as solo clarinetist with the Marine Band. After the war, he became principal clarinetist of the National Symphony and he joined the faculty of Peabody (where he taught for more than 40 years.) He also taught for many years at Catholic University.
From 1959 until 2004, he also taught at Interlochen, but he was one of the MANY longtime members of the music faculty (more than 50 of us, including myself), who were not asked back when a new administration came in. The piano, string, and woodwind departments were all very affected by the sweeping changes. Almost no one with long ties to the camp is still teaching there. During my father's years there, he performed quite a bit, but probably not that first summer, when he was just becoming acquainted with the other faculty, etc.
Re recordings: they include the Brahms Trio with Bernard Greenhouse and Erno Balogh; the Mozart Quintet with the Galimir Quartet ; Mozart Trio with Erno Balogh and Carlton Cooley; Weber Gran Duo; Weber Variations, Op. 33; Hindemith Sonata; Berg Four Pieces. All still on LP as of this time.
Re the mouthpiece -- it was crafted by Jerry Hall, who worked with my dad on the specifications. Many of you may know that Jerry died very suddenly a few months ago. Apparently, the material of the mouthpiece is infused with a metallic substance , which gives it its extra weight and a darker tone. The Zinner company in Germany is currently working with my father on another mouthpiece.
Re students: they include Luis Baez (San Francisco Symphony), Lorin Levy (L.A.), David Thomas (Columbus), Chris Wolf (Baltimore), Scott Andrews (Boston), Laura Ferguson (Washington Opera), Michel Arrignon, Alexander Fiterstein, and recent graduates of Juilliard and Curtis, respectively, Mark Dubac and Alexander Bedenko. Lots more, but those come to mind.
Please feel free to e-mail me directly with any more questions. My father's more than happy to communicate with any and all.
Paula Forrest
Ken Shaw wrote:
> Sydney Forrest taught at Interlochen from 1959 (when I studied
> with him) through a couple of years ago. He was not
> re-engaged, for reasons that are unclear, and which made many
> people angry.
>
> He made several LP recordings, which I have, but none have been
> reissued. He had a very energetic tone, which recorded much
> brighter than it sounded in person. For some reason, he did no
> performing during the summer I studied with him.
>
> He said he had a large supply of reeds made for him by a great
> maker, who had died, and that he hoped to finish his career
> playing on them.
>
> He switched his students (or at least me) to a Selmer B*
> mouthpiece, which is short, close and resistant. I hated it.
>
> Ken Shaw
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