welcome...

[Serial_Apologist]

Hello all!

If you think we might have met then we quite possibly have—I’ve used this handle on a couple of different R3-linked boards. (Including the R3 board itself back in the day, before the Beeb decided that herding all those cats was something they’d rather not continue to be involved in.)

Like a few others here I don’t use a handle to hide who I am, but just because for some reason it feels more comfortable. (If you’re curious: I’m an Australian clarinettist living in Cologne, and I play in what is probably Germany’s second-biggest new music ensemble. That should be enough in the way of clues.)

I was on R3OK quite a bit back in the day, before the rise of the social media monster led to people having those sorts of chats on Facebook and the like. But I haven’t had a Facebook account for many years now, and Twitter isn’t what it used to be, and who knows where Bluesky is going, and so on.

Of course I’ve been wondering for a while what happened to some of those people. Some I see are no longer with us. Some I still encounter in other places. But having been informed that this place is still going (for which a hearty BRAVO), I see there are some familiar names here, so… hello all! Maybe there are some nice chats to be had. I hope so!

I don't remember you from back then, I'm afraid, so it's nice to meet you all of a sudden.

[smittims]

Welcome, Oliver. I'm sure it's no secret that your screen-name is very similar to that of a not-unknown writer of books on composers, but I take the view that here we are just words on a screen.

We need more active posters, especially as we've lost a few regulars recently ; and there seem to be many who read but don't post. I wish they'd pluck up the courage to take the plunge . We don't bite .

[oliver sudden]

Places to buy CDs! Those were the days. I’m afraid I can’t recommend any in Köln, which if anyone remembers the glory days of Saturn (I do ?) is a very sad business.

I chose my screen name nearly 20 years back, purely for the pun. I’m sorry to say that the writer of books of composers doesn’t spring readily to mind!

[Pulcinella]

Places to buy CDs! Those were the days. I’m afraid I can’t recommend any in Köln, which if anyone remembers the glory days of Saturn (I do ?) is a very sad business.

I chose my screen name nearly 20 years back, purely for the pun. I’m sorry to say that the writer of books of composers doesn’t spring readily to mind!

Oliver Soden, who has written, amongst other things,
Michael Tippett: The Biography
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Tippett-Biography-Oliver-Soden-ebook/dp/B07GNHMPGQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2S7B1S117LPQR&keywords=oliver+sode n&qid=1707929958&s=books&sprefix=Oliver+soden%2C st ripbooks%2C111&sr=1-2-catcorr
and, much heralded by teamsaint of this parish,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jeoffry-Poets-Cat-Oliver-Soden/dp/075099567X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2S7B1S117LPQR&keywords=oliver+sode n&qid=1707929958&s=books&sprefix=Oliver+soden%2C st ripbooks%2C111&sr=1-3
which is about the cat that features in Rejoice in the Lamb (Christopher Smart and hence Benjamin Britten).

[oliver sudden]

Oliver Soden, who has written, amongst other things,
Michael Tippett: The Biography…

Oh good lord how could I have missed that? I follow him on Twitter. Perhaps I should hop over there and apologise profusely.

[Padraig]

Hello all!

If you think we might have met then we quite possibly have—I’ve used this handle on a couple of different R3-linked boards. (Including the R3 board itself back in the day,

Hello oliver sudden,

I remember the moniker. I liked the pun too. If you were the person who had great enthusiasm for the chalumeau, then perhaps my memory isn't so bad. On the other hand . . .

[oliver sudden]

Hello oliver sudden,

I remember the moniker. I liked the pun too. If you were the person who had great enthusiasm for the chalumeau, then perhaps my memory isn't so bad. On the other hand . . .

Hello!

I recently played basson de chalumeau and 3-key Baroque clarinet in a piece by Turgut Erçetin with the SWR Symphony, so the enthusiasm continues unabated! (I have also done Telemann and Graupner things on a couple of occasions.)

[richardfinegold]

Have you worked with MAK?

[Padraig]

Hello!

I recently played basson de chalumeau and 3-key Baroque clarinet in a piece by Turgut Erçetin with the SWR Symphony, so the enthusiasm continues unabated! (I have also done Telemann and Graupner things on a couple of occasions.)

Thank you for that, o s.
I hope you enjoy your come back and can renew your exchanges with the 'new music' fans here. For my part, I look forward to following up some of the pieces you refer to or discuss. My only contribution for now is that you drew my attention to the chalumeau and the lower register of the clarinet.

[oliver sudden]

Chalumeau is also French for blowtorch, for what it's worth.

No MAK, I certainly don't move in such illustrious circles! Really I just have the early instruments for fun, and for making available to composers when they feel like making use of them (for example in this little number for classical basset clarinet: https://youtu.be/yf_7y6eoRzM?feature=shared ). But it's important to me in that context that my historical chops are all that they can be, and the only way to do that is to work on the old repertoire, and that has fortunately resulted in a few performances here and there.