 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-11-22 02:53
I thought some of you would be interested hearing about my "adventure" at Carnegie Hall this past weekend. The BSO performed Arthur Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake, a very long 1 1/2 hour work for large orchestra, all types of key board instruments and large chorus and about 9 soloists and narrators. Point I'm making, we were packed in like sardines.
At our 4:00 rehearsal as I was about to warm up, I bent down to move the stand wires, yes the lights went out at times. I knocked over my bass clarinet because I forgot how close it was to me. Disaster, it hit the chair next to me and bent the throat tone keys way out of shape. I tried unsuccessfully to bend them back so about 4:15 I called a former student doing his master at the Mannes College of Muic to borrow his. He returned my call in a few minutes and said his roommate will bring it over to me soon since he was visiting his parents in CT. At about 4:45 it showed up and while I was trying it out another former student called to tell me he wasn't able to make it to the concert that evening but offered to bring his bass over if the one I just received didn't work for me. So within less than an hour, after a little bit of panic, just a little mind you, I had two basses to choose from but the first one worked just fine so I didn't need to him to bring the other. I made the last 25 minutes of the rehearsal and the concert went just fine. I did have a pretty substantial part, even a few solos. I'm giving credit to Miles Jaques, the student whose clarinet I used and To Sam Kaestner of the West Point Band for making the offer to bring me his.
I do have a portable bass stand that I had made years ago and have never had my bass fall from in all the years I've played. I always tie my swab it around if I leave it alone so it can't fall off, but I was right there, who would have ever thought I'd do that. Tomorrow, I go to my tech, Roger Young, and he will bring it back to life as good as new, he's a great tech. I only aged three years that evening but had three beers after the concert so I got them back. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-11-22 05:34
Will, Ed, this changes everything. It is not just what you know, it's who you know.
Bob Phillips
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Author: BobD
Date: 2011-11-22 12:09
Ah, Ed, if you had only had a Leatherman with you.......
Bob Draznik
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Author: justme
Date: 2011-11-22 14:25
Ed:-,
Don't you know that you're supposed to drink those beers AFTER the concert and not before! ![[hot]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/hot.gif) ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
"A critic is like a eunuch: he knows exactly how it ought to be done."
CLARINET, n.
An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments that are worse than a clarinet -- two clarinets
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Author: duxburyclarinetguy
Date: 2011-11-22 14:53
Ed-
Clearly to have two instruments from which to choose within such a short time frame speaks volumes about how you have treated others and that such treatment comes back in multiples!
Good for you and your former students! One can only hope for such treatment should they need it.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-11-22 15:07
Glad to hear all worked out. I always worry about things like this happening.
BTW- I played a gig with Sam a year or two ago. He is a good player and a nice guy.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-11-22 15:16
If you ever have another instrument fall, try to get it to fall on your enter key 
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-11-22 17:39
Could have been worse, Ed! A buddy of mine recently backed over a Selmer Mark 6 tenor sax with his car. Thought he had loaded it into the trunk (this is at night on a dark street) but it was still sitting behind the vehicle, in a soft gig bag. The sax is pretty much totaled.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-11-22 21:36
Paul, one Guinness and two Brooklyn ales. By the way, it's as good as new. Roger Young, my tech, did a great job putting it back together, an hour and fifteen minutes and $90 later and I'm as good as new but I will probably try not to do that again anyway. ESP
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-11-22 21:40
Dave, that is very sad. In my first few years in the BSO our principal flutist left his GOLD flute on top of his car and drove away. When he realized what he did he went back to look for it and found it flattened like a pancake in the middle of the road, really sad. At least I had an excuse, not a very good one but one just the same. ESP
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