AN UPDATE ON LIFE


I suppose it has been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. February is what it says. What has happened between now and then? Well, I performed in the Birmingham Symphony Hall with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra; I’ve started meeting up with a friend, as he is helping me in my Physics A Level; On the 28th March I performed with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra and the Oxfordshire Youth Flute Choir in the Music for Youth regional festival; Performed in my last ever school concert; seen Divergent at the cinema, Miss Saigon by the Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre and 42nd Street by Abingdon Operatic Society.

Playing in Birmingham again was brilliant. We played ‘Lightbobs’ composed by our conductor John Traill, and Overture ‘Candide’ by Bernstein. Lightbobs was interesting, and it was all about a battalion from Oxfordshire that went to the war in 1914. The piece was performed twice, once with a choir of school children and the other with primary school children playing instruments. They were both really good and the audience thought it sounded brilliant. Unfortunately the Flute Choir didn’t get to play at Birmingham, however there may be another opportunity, you never know what comes around the corner sometimes! Other than that I saw the Oxfordshire Schools Symphony Orchestra perform and they did Lord of the Dance, which was particularly memorable, not only because my friends had solos, but they stood up and spun cellos around ect. It was all very exciting and although we were late to rehearse and at one point I forgot my music and ran like lightening back to the dressing room to get it, it pulled off really well.

My A Level exams begin on the 20th May, the dreaded day. I although I have calculated that I now only have 43 lessons at school before I leave, it doesn’t make it any easier to get ready for exams. I only have one Monday left at school, so that does lighten the occasion somewhat. I also have to decide on my future plans, which are very scary – to say the least. But I’m putting my all into it, so I can’t do much more than that. If only our exams system was better!

The Regional Festival with Music for Youth was brilliant and with the Flute Choir we played ‘Banks of Green Willow’ by Butterworth, in the adjudication we were called ‘miraculous’ and so we were chuffed and now praying we get into the finals in Birmingham, which would be a brilliant achievement.

I suppose as the sun comes out life gets a bit better, and I’ve been getting into lighter music and the kind of music that you can sing along to. My favourite albums at the moment are by A Great Big World, American Authors and Lea Michele. They’re quite poppy, but I think that’s what you need when you’re lying in the sun or doing revision and the sun is streaming through the window. It’s got brilliant ‘feel-good’ thoughts to it. I’ve also been walking the dogs more often, the sun has made me exercise and although it’s very uncommon it makes me more focused, which is good.

Along with playing the flute, piccolo and saxophone, I’m looking at buying a clarinet to learn with. It is quite similar to the saxophone so I think I should be able to pick it up quite easily. I’m looking around at the moment and I think I’m going to buy a Buffet E11, firstly because it’s wooden and I don’t really like the idea of a plastic clarinet, and secondly because I think it will be perfect. I’d love to do more shows, for example last year I did Suessical, and I think that if I’m able to play the Clarinet well, then I’m able to put myself out there to do more. It’s something I really enjoy so hopefully I’ll be able to do it again soon.

I’m going to leave you with a brilliant link of a virtual flute choir. It is a university research project, however it is brilliant.


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