My life as a not so retired musician!!! or:- I'm too old for this s.......!!!!! The musical life of Ray Thompson...musician, composer, arranger, conductor and french hornist!!
Wednesday, 9 October 2019
Monday, 18 December 2017
Friday, 20 January 2017
The Daily Beethoven: 9/13 Beethoven's Musical Clock
No.3 Allegro played on music box.
https://youtu.be/KhjBb_WznoM
Monday, 3 March 2014
Edward MacDowell (American Composer) 1860-1908
I have recently "discovered" Edward MacDowell, an American Composer (1860-1908) who was a prolific composer of mainly piano music. His most well known piece is "To a wild rose" from his "10 Woodland Sketches"
I also "discovered" his collection of 6 pieces for piano, by J S Bach, which are reworkings and reharmonising of some of Bach's well known piano works,including 3 from the Anna Magdalena Notebook,
I have done several arrangements for various wind instrumentation, but my latest ones are flute/clarinet duets of Bach's famous Menuet in G.
This is actually 2 Menuets: (MacDowell calls it a minuet and trio):the menuet being the more popular one origianlly in G major, and the trio being a menuet in G minor. I have transposed them into a key to suit the instruments..
The harmonies are different in a subtle way from those of Bach’s: this will surprise and delight your audience.
Menuet in G and Trio
Flute Duet
Clarinet Duet
Sunday, 22 December 2013
vivaldi:four seasons
I have also done a Suite of 4 of the More Popular Movements which is easier and shortened (omitting the difficult bits.It is available for wind quintet, flute, clarinet and sax quintets.
These are more accessible to school pupils and less advanced players.
Now available for wind quartet.(fl/ob/cl/bn)
Other quartet combinations to follow.
The following are complete arrangements:(for the more advanced player)
Spring (3 mvts) arranged wind quintet
Spring (3 mvts) arranged flute quintet
Spring (3 mvts) arranged clarinet quintet
Autumn (3 mvts) arranged wind quintet
Winter (3 mvts) arranged wind quintet.
Summer:These three movements appear to be the most difficult to arrange for wind instruments, so I haven't done any of them as yet!!
Other arrangements,combinations of instruments will be added idc.
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
10 Popular Christmas Carols for Flute Quartet (3 flutes/bass flute) (alt. bass part for alto flute/bass clarinet)
Christmas flute quartet, with alternative bass flute parts (alto flute/bass clarinet)
Monday, 28 October 2013
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Friday, 25 October 2013
Divertimento No 1 in Eb major (4 mvts)
My original composition in 4 mvts.
It is written in the classical style and is based on 4 Tyneside songs.
Monday, 21 October 2013
Friday, 18 October 2013
Monday, 1 July 2013
New wind quintet music
This was the theme music for Listen with Mother on the BBC Light Programme from 1952 to 1980s, and was originally written for piano duet.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
new wind quintet arrangement
Faure Pavane
http://imslp.org/wiki/Pavane,_Op.50_(Fauré,_Gabriel)
Debussy Reverie
http://imslp.org/wiki/Rêverie_(Debussy,_Claude)
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Mvt 1 Blaydon Races
Mvt 2 The Cliffs of Old Tynemouth.
Mvts 3 Keel Row and 4 Keep your feet still Geordie Hinny are available also.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Last Night of the Proms 2001
Current members who were in the band then are/were
Flutes Pam/Claire
Oboe Katy
Clarinet Tim/Rachel
Alto George
Bari Sue
Hn Mel
Tpt Glen/Ron
Tbn David
Euph Morag/Andrew
Tuba Derek
Bass Kirsteen
Perc Kate P (now on flute)
Also present were both the Hogg offspring Kristina Flute and Daniel Bass clt.
We had 42 members then...quite a turnover of members!!
Apart from the traditional proms tunes we played
Die Meistersinger Wagner
Dances from West side story-Mambo Cha Cha & America
Symphonic Gershwin-I'll add a link idc.
Photo of me with not so grey hair!!
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
ASWE Concert
Band scrubbed up nicely in band black. Nice touch: yellow carnations for us all. Reasonable size audience.
It was our first ever outing with a newly formed band, some of whom had never played classical wind ensemble before.
I was a little concerned and apprehensive before the kick off, but I needn't have worried: as soon as we played the first few bars I knew we were going to be OK.
Dvorak Serenade for winds 1st Movt. Nice start to the concert....good punchy entrance.
Clarinet Ensemble Beethoven Pathetique Slow Movement Conducted by George I enjoyed this...nice tempo...kept it moving on...good ensemble playing....particularly enjoyed Sarah's bass clarinet bits!
Horn quartet...hmmm...at least we finished together
Quintessential Wind Quintet 2 mvts from Beethoven's Sextet..seemed to go OK
Mendelssohn..Ensemble + brass Overture op 24 Wow!! good ensemble playing in the Nocturne, particularly Ron's horn solo. The Allegro..superb all the way through, and what a finish.
Interval...superb spread of goodies and drinks put on by the church....Thanks to them.
Clarinet ensemble Massenet I enjoyed this.Obviously a more difficult piece than the Beethoven but they carried it off well.
Quintessential Warlock Capriol Suite 2 mvts Basse-Dance and Pavane...again well appreciated.
Mozart Serenade Gran Partita 3 mvts I was a little bit anxious about this as Mozart is not easy to play well....he requires precise playing.... BUT...apart from a little hiccup in the opening Largo..it went extremely well. I was well pleased.
R Strauss Serenade....We have played this better, but it went OK
Finish ...I felt quite emotional. Considering how many people hadn't played classical ensemble before and what we were like at the start I can't believe we pulled it off..... But we did!!!!! There had obviously been quite a lot of practising done, especially by the woodwind section to cope with the faster pieces.
So well done to you all....
We finished off the food and grub at the end.....certain people I feel were only there for that!!
So a good night out...they would like us back...so who knows??
Extra pics and info on band web site