Thursday, December 26, 2013

Video!

At last I've time to update this poor, neglected blog.
I hope you all had a happy, peaceful and healthy Christmas time. My mantra, as this busy time, has been "it's a season, not a day" and it's been a great help to know that whatever didn't get done in time for 25th. might get done on another day! Or might not!

So, after an interval of over a month, New Ross JFK memorial is today's topic.
It didn't go quite as expected, but well enough. A friend travelled down with me, but we got lost en route and instead of arriving 30 minutes before a rehearsal/runthrough, we arrived 15 minutes before the actual performance. I was quite upset, and felt rushed and not in control, and of course this caused the little mishap that followed.
Taking my Horn out of the case, I let it fall and now have 2 horrible dents which will have to be fixed. Thankfully, they do not seem to unduly affect the sound, as I couldn't leave it in to be fixed because I needed it to play!

In all this chaos, I forgot to ask my friend to video the performance, so all I have is a photo, but it is a precious one.

This is just after the performance, with Vincent, the composer. You can see the JFK memorial and eternal flame in the background, and to the right of the picture is the spot where JFK made his quayside speech when he visited New Ross in 1963, just a few months before he was assassinated.
I asked Vincent to autograph my music, and he wrote the most beautiful words, telling me how proud he is of my achievements and the musical journey I am on! 

The piece was played again in the National Concert Hall the following Tuesday, and I got a piece of video so you could hear it. I'm not playing, but I'm a proud Mamma cos Zoe is playing tuba in it! I found that I had to turn up the volume on my laptop to hear it, so I hope it will work for you.


There have been several other musical adventures in December, more to follow.



14 comments:

  1. Didn't work :( So sorry to hear your mishap with your horn, but the memorial sounds wonderful! Merry Christmas, Mimi!

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  2. Hi Christina, Merry Christmas to you too, hope you've had a good one! Thanks for your comment; I've embedded it (a first for me!) now and it seems to work if you want to have another try. There's a bit at the beginning that I would edit out if I knew how, maybe that's my next learning experience!!

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  3. The music stopped about half way through for me, but what I heard gives me an idea what the whole piece is about. It’s rather sombre, but then what else could it be.

    I liked what I heard.

    Happy New Year, Mimi, may there be lots of music in it.

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    1. Thanks Friko, it is indeed a sombre piece.
      Hope you had a good Christmas and Happy New Year to you. Ejoyed your Gardener tales so much, hope for more in 2014!

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  4. Not sure if you got my comment. I'm just checking again. Maybe you do moderation and I didn't notice....

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  5. Ah, seems I lost my first comment. Just wishing you and yours a very happy Christmas Mimi and of course, happy new year. I think of Christmas as a season too....

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  6. Very best wishes to you and your family too Maria!
    I don;t do moderation, so not sure what happened your first comment...cyberspace?
    I managed to delete my first reply too! Blogger is out to get us!

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  7. What a nice event you played for. It is good to see a post from you. Seems like a lot of us are taking a break from blogging. Happy New Year.

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    1. Thanks Pam, it was a big honour for me to play in it.
      Happy New year to you and yours too!

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  8. Video sound is good and I am listening as I type this in. Really lovely, Mimi.
    Shame about your earlier mishap and the stress you must have felt plus denting your horn.
    Thank you for your kind words at my place - I am gradually getting myself together and I am quite optimistic about 2014 now some major hurdles have been cleared without Maria by my side.
    Belated Christmas greetings and a very Happy New Year. Hugs ~ Eddie

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  9. You must be very proud of Zoe. well done to her (and to you for the way you are galloping on with your engagements etc).
    Happy New Year.
    Maggie x

    Nuts in May

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  10. Too bad about the horn! Thanks for the wee video clip. That piece seems to have a fair number of military references in the composition. Very stirring music. Glad you had that opportunity and hope you have many more in the coming year. Happy New Year and all the best for 2014!

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  11. This is a really good idea that you have going on. manufacturing






    โคนัน

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