 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2009-04-02 18:03
Hi Everyone
just a little bit of fun - or not! Below is a link to a short horror film entitled 'Contorted Hazel'. Sometime ago I was asked to play Cor Anglais as part of the backing track. The music was written by David Lang, the husband of our Piccolo player in the BBC SSO. I recorded my Cor solos in his studio in one of the barn conversions at their farmhouse. It took about an hour, and was dubbed onto the backing track at a later date. There's quite a lot of high writing, and I remember thinking it was fairly stenuous to play. I believe the film won a prize over here, but don't quote me.
Tune in if you think you're brave enough!!! Just copy and paste the link.
Regards
James Horan
http://www.icewhole.com/site/films/film.cfm?filid=1388
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2009-04-02 23:40
Nice cor, but not enough of it. Why don't film directors get a clue regarding double reeds, eh? ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2009-04-03 07:41
Hi Chris P and Dutchy
for some reason my computer seems unable to post links on this site that one can click on - and yet others have no such trouble - hence the copy and paste option. Thanks for sorting that out Chris P.
Dutchy, you're right! Maybe using the cor nearer the end of the film and in the end-credits would have been justified, too. The composer, however, had other ideas. I mentioned to him how high the writing was for the cor, and that traditionally its medium and lower registers tend to show it off at its best. But it occurred to me that the tension of the high writing might lend itself well to the horror format. I recorded it with headphones producing a click-track for me, but without any harmonies. They were added later. This allowed me to duet with myself about 7 minutes 20 seconds in. I didn't get to hear the results of my labours until after everything was done and dusted. I'm quite a horror film fan, so, it was quite a buzz for me to be involved with one.
Regards
James
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-04-03 12:22
I've really got to sort out my high register playing on cor, and hearing your playing on this and 'Swan of Tuonela' is the kick up the arse I need!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2009-04-03 12:25
In order to get clickable links here, you have to construct it into a link; the BBoard software will not automatically do it for you, unlike other message board softwares such as VBulletin. Look up at the top here under Help/Rules, there are instructions there.
The cor sounds like a deeper toned oboe in its high range, which may have been what the composer had in mind. Something mellower, not as immediately recognizable by the listener as an oboe.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-04-03 14:38
James, to make links clickable, surround the address with < and > with no spaces between them and the address, so it'll look like <web site address>, and this becomes a clickable link when you submit the message.
Have a look on Help/Rules at the top for all manner of extras.
The area of most concern with tone in the upper register is Bb and C which are weak on my cor, though I'll go through my reeds to find one which will give these notes more substance. It's mainly when playing loud at the top and going against the nature of the beast which tends to be weak up top.
Maybe I ought to dig out the Donizetti which I haven't played for years - mainly as I'm not a fan of Italian opera and this is a typical show-off operatic style piece.
So now you've ventured into the world of film soundtracks, would you be interested in doing more studio and session work?
What I do like is that real musicians are still being used for soundtrack work and people are still writing soundtracks instead of using stock recordings.
Although older episodes of 'Doctor Who' did use early forms of sampling, people like Dudley Simpson wrote for real musicians and all manner of instruments (acoustic and electronic) for his incidental and soundtrack music.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2009-04-03 15:11)
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Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2009-04-03 15:40
Hi Chris P and Dutchy
thanks for the tips on how to include clickable links, it's very much appreciated. Hopefully, I won't make the same mistake again, next time.
Session work is something of which I've only done precious little. Being based in Scotland, the opportunities are not there, so much; most session work is done by a relatively small bunch of musicians in London. I recorded the soundtrack to 'A history of Scotland' with the BBC SSO, which was recently broadcast on BBC2 TV. I had quite a few solos in that, but never heard them, as, after the 1st of 6 episodes, I couldn't bring myself to watch the rest. It was a rather turgid account of the last thousand years, or so, of Scottish history, narrated by a slightly annoying Historian in desperate need of a haircut, seemingly playing to the nationalistic tendencies of the minority over here. A few years before this, I recorded another similar soundtrack about Scotland, whereby I was asked to play as loudly, and coarsely, as possible to try and capture the sound of the Bagpipes. Somehow, this came very naturally to me!
I'd love to be involved, one day, with a box-office smash, but fear this may never happen. That said, the BBC sells many of the programmes we record to lots of countries, so, perhaps, many others have heard those recordings with the BBC SSO, which I, myself, have failed to hear.
Regards
James
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-04-03 15:53
I take it you're not a fan of Neil Oliver!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jamesoboe
Date: 2009-04-03 19:37
Hi Chris P
Ha, ha! I wouldn't go that far. I have the DVD box set of 'Coast', about the British Isles, and he is one of several experts called upon to cast light on the subject. He makes a perfectly good job of it, but in the 'History of Scotland' programme it reached overkill for me. I can't help myself thinking he should cut his hair; a nice 'short back and sides' would do him the world of good!!! But that probably says more about me than him.
Cheers
James
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