Our Leader for This Meeting

JMy mom was a musician and made the mistake of giving me piano lessons when I was a kid. I wouldn't practice, hated the finger exercises, and it all ended one day with both of us in tears. Meanwhile, I did fool around on the piano black keys right up through high school. During my 3-year stint in the Navy I was on a ship big enough to have a "musical instruments locker," which gave me access to everything from accordion to clarinet to guitar. By the time I got to college I had acquired a superficial understanding of chords and how they fit the songs we sang at the fraternity house. When my kids got in to school bands and orchestras, I'd try out their instruments on the sly.

But I never learned to sight read! Sheet music was out of my reach. Then, when I was winding up my 31 year career as a college admission director, I took a free lunch-hour class that taught me how to play the recorder; and to read music - one note at a time. Almost immediately I was playing with various groups that welcomed beginners. The people that played in one of these, called the Every Other Monday Night Consort, encouraged me to try composing. I started off in 1987 with an arrangement of a piece I knew on the piano:" The Wabash Blues." My first original composition was called "After Yesterday," based on the fascinating chord progressions of the famous Beatles' song "Yesterday."

Which brings us to the September 19 program.

Recorder Newbies in for a Real Treat

Newbies, make room in your schedule for Sunday’s 9/19/2010 meeting. It is not to be missed. The vivacious Lisa McInnis, gamba and recorder player will present “Fancies, ” which will include 3, 4, and 5 part compositions by Michael East and Orlando Gibbons, two early 17th century composers. Lisa is one of just a few players in Colorado who plays a contrabass recorder. She has agreed to demo it for the group. You may be quite surprised at its size. The Newbie session gives newer players an opportunity to play small ensemble music in a safe setting. If you know some fingerings and can read a little music, this session is for you. The Newbies meeting is free of charge and open to the public. Drop-ins welcome.
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Time: 12:45 ‘til 1:45 pm
Place: Unity Church, 3021 S. University, Denver CO, 2nd floor. Enter south door.
Host: Lisa McInnis
Music: Fancies by Michael East and Orlando Gibbons

Denver Chapter Officers for the 2010-2011 Season

President: Dick Munz
Vice-President: Bill Conklin
Secretary: Bill Conklin/Karen Anderson
Newsletter: Bruce Nelson
Program: Paul Brunson
Refreshments: Victoria Taylor
Treasurer: Susan Wilcox
Librarian: Susan Osborn
Members at Large: Jennifer Myers, Janet Handmaker

President’s Message

As part of the move to foster greater cooperation among the Colorado recorder organizations, we have set up a Colorado-wide calendar of events using Google Calendar. This calendar is up and functioning now. It is partially filled in with information for a number of recurring, open events.

For the calendar to reach its full usefulness, it should eventually include all open recorder events in Colorado, and particularly all special recorder events. The procedure for listing an event in the calendar is to email the information to coloradorecorders@gmail.com and it will appear in the calendar shortly. If you want an email announcement of the event to be sent to all Colorado recorder players, you may request that service at the same time.

To access the calendar, click on this url:
http://www.google.com/calendar/b/0/embed?src=coloradorecorders@gmail.com&ctz=America/Denver

I suggest that when you have it displayed, you add it to your favorites list in your browser.

You will not be able to edit this calendar and if you try to edit an entry and give up, Google may return you not to our calendar, but to an imagined calendar of your own. Close that calendar and our calendar will be there.
Dick

Group Corner

News of the activities and postings from area musical groups having recorder players. Check the chapter website for a listing of all groups that we know of, including contact information.
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The last Newbie meeting was held this past May, when Philip Belefski hosted a delightful session consisting of music from J.S. Bach’s Mary Magdalena Notebook as well as selections from other baroque composers. It’s time for Newbies to get going again by attending the September 19th meeting under the direction of Lisa McInnis. Whether you are new to the recorder or dusting it off for the umpteenth time, please come. You will enjoy playing in a small ensemble and also have an opportunity to meet ARS members on a one-to-one basis.
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Ft. Collins: In June this summer our group got a gig worth noting: The Old Firehouse Bookstore was celebrating their first year anniversary at a new location. They asked us to come and do the background music for the party. We split into several smaller groups so nobody would have too much preparation to do and played for the length of the party. Good fun. Oh: and we have three fine new members.
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StopTime had three performances this summer. We did a two-hour gig at the Northglenn Borders bookstore in early July, coordinated with a meeting of representatives of all the recorder organizations in Colorado. Our gig was lightly attended, but the meeting with the other organizations was well attended and fruitful. StopTime "opened" again at the Barbershoppers event at Chautauqua in late July. Big audience, but we were obviously not what they came for. And in mid August, we had a one-hour performance for the Eastern Star retirement home. This was the most fun of all. We were able to play some new things we had been working on, and the audience was attentive (and that wasn't easy for everyone) and appreciative.
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Fipple Jive groups continued to work over the summer. The Saturday group is at an intermediate level and is focused on "playing by ear", sometimes playing the same simple tune in seven keys. Great exercise for building those neural paths that connect the brain to the fingers. The Tuesday evening group is more advanced. We are working out of the Queen City Jazz Band "Improvising Traditional Jazz" book. We also play standard tunes over play-along CDs. Lots of chord arpeggiating, melody improvisation, and general cacophony, but great practice.
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In the past few weeks the Caramillo Consort under the direction of Jeannine Bramwell played three gigs at local retirement/nursing homes. We also played a selection of Dick Wood’s pieces at his and Laila’s 60th Wedding Anniversary celebration last Saturday (August 21). I think these are the only things we have done in public, but we continue to meet weekly to play through music Jeannine Bramwell provides us from her vast library. Best wishes, Ric Bradley, Colorado Springs.
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Marylebone Garden Players has played throughout the summer. We played lots of renaissance music and at least one baroque sonata at each meeting. Saturday August 28, we will have a full day workshop to sightread 12 multi instrument sonatas from the baroque. These sonatas generally have two sets of duets playing against the continuo of harpsichord and gamba. I have noticed that the musicians playing with this group are really improving at sight-reading. They will get the opportunity to sight read most if not all of the music written between 1500 and 1800. If you are interested, let me know. If I have enough interest, I will start another section. Bill Conklin
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Denver Chapter ARS Program for the 2010-2011 Season

Sep 19 Dick Wood Beatles
Oct 17 Peggy McCreary Orff Tips
Nov 21 Rebecca Beshore Shape Note Music
Dec 19 Small Groups Holiday Music
Jan16 Erin and David Bell (TBA)
Feb 20 Carla Sciaky Richest Harmonies From the Renaisannce
Mar 20 Karl Reque Baroque Treasures
Apr 17 Nancy Ekberg Renaissance Tunes
May 20 - 22 Rocky IX Workshop at Estes Park.
PLEASE NOTE: The October and December meetings will be at Grenoble Studio, Dartmouth and Pennsylvania, rather than at Unity Church.

Keyboard Instruments for Sale

Roland digital harpsichord, Classic 50; walnut case, 5 harpsichord stops with 6 temperaments, 2 organ stops, and 1 string stop, transposition capability, etc. Excellent condition; overhauled 2004. $500.

Spinet harpsichord handmade by Hugh Craig (England), cherry wood, boxwood keys with ivory-capped sharps. Purchased c. 1986, overhauled 2005 by Dana Ciul, excellent condition. Includes hard shipping case. Today’s purchase price for similar new instrument (Gem Traditional) by Craig is over $8000 (£5417) plus tax and shipping (www.harpsichord.co.uk). $5000.

Melodeon (small reed organ), c. 1850, rosewood, with scroll shaped trestle legs, 30" x 30" x 14". This instrument is rare and is probably worth much more than $750, as appraised in 2001. It plays but needs some work. $750.

For further information, please call or e-mail Connie Primus at (303) 933-1774. Offers will be considered.

Rocky IX Workshop Announced for May, 2011

The next "Rocky" workshop in Estes Park will feature Glen Shannon, Mark Davenport and Anne Peterson. We have reserved rooms in the new Long's Peak Lodge for the weekend of May 20 - 22, 2011. Mark your calendar, and stay tuned for details!

Recorders For Sale

The following recorders have been donated to our chapter and are now up for sale. These recorders are most likely over 15 years old and will be available at the September 19th meeting. For more information call Janet Handmaker 303-221-6066.
-- Two Ariel Wooden Soprano Recorders, hard case included--$50 each. Both are dark wood, exact type unknown and in good shape.
--One Alto Wooden (probably maple) Adler Recorder, fair shape, no case $35.

Get a Gamba!

Interested in learning more about the Viola da Gamba? A limited number of student quality viols are available for rental at a reasonable monthly rate. Please call Bill Conklin at 303-455-0837 for more information.