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Re: Pit Band Horror Stories

Author: super20bu6
Date: 2014-02-02 14:08

I guess I've been lucky in pit orchestras, for the most part. Last year, I was playing Reed 5 for "Titanic"...the unusual combination of Bassoon and Eb Contra Alto Clarinet. The pit was on hydraulics and if we got there early enough, we could get on the pit portion and ride it down into position. Only about 6 feet down...but low enough that we were out of sight. At the end of each performance, they'd raise the pit back up and we could merely walk off the stage. Stair access on either side was inconvenient for a few of us. They were basically half flight stairs...go 4 steps and make a U Turn...4 more steps..another U Turn...etc. Now, my Contra Alto is the one piece type...so the case is 52 inches long. Just too long to carry down the stairs with a Bassoon, music, and instruments stands. I either had to make two trips or pass the cases down to someone in the lowered pit. String Bass player just could NOT fit on the stairs with his String Bass. The last performance...the hydraulics were out...and the string bass player was running late. He had to pass his string bass down to those of us already in the pit...and had to pass his string bass any my Contra Alto case up to someone on stage. Not a disasater by any means....but just an "oh crap" moment to get into or out of the pit.

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Pit Band Horror Stories new

Gandalfe

2006-12-06 21:23