Autumn 2014 Volume 39, No 3 TWO EVENTS IN ONE! Haileybury Full news of another Period Pieces great playday - Sunday, 19th October

Vintage Sax

Debussy Première Rhapsodie insight Playing to your strengths new syllabus Drums and rock‘n’roll Adolphe Sax at 200 RICHARD EDWARDS inside Welcome­to­the­autumn­magazine Regulars 16 Debussy Première Rhapsodie insight from Editor’s NotEs 2 Editor’s Notes david Campbell, stephanie richard Edwards reeve thank you to the many readers who took the the faroese Clarinet and time to respond to my request for feedback Double reed Choir with 2 Clarinet & Saxophone 20 Adolphe Sax at 200 regarding the fresh look to the magazine. William Mathias Society details drums and rock and roll, thankfully the comments were very positive Music Service players at Portmeirion richard ingham and the design will develop further, as you 10 8 News may notice with this issue. What was even 22 Playing To Your Strengths more encouraging was the feedback on 37 Reviews the new trinity syllabus, content which seemed to receive universal approval. Maintaining a high standard of 37 Cd Chris Walters content is the toughest aspect of an editor’s 41 Concert task, and reflects the commitment of our 42 Music 26 Who Are Our Readers? very active and supportive editorial team. derek Jones from south our challenge is, of course, to maintain this 46 Diary Australia talks to stephanie for the single reed community, given that it is details of concerts, courses reeve such a broad church to cater for. and playdays Considerable work has gone into the planning of the Single reed Day and trade 28 Breathing Fundamentals exhibition at Haileybury College on Sunday, had captured his imagination and he was Protection Act and our increasing reluctance 52 Readers’ Letters for the Saxophone 19th october. this looks to be a splendid hoping to tour here with his clarinet choir. to disclose personal information, this Perspectives from the day, with top tutors and a fine lunch in with My name had been picked from the CASS information is in the members only area on 53 New Members Alexander technique, Josh 20 the ticket price. the trade exhibition will be Directory. in response to his request i our website. Do make use of it; you never Kemp excellent and a good opportunity to view formed a choir which was easy as we were know what it might lead to! 54 Classifieds such a wide range of single reed motivated by the opportunity to visit Look out for the prize draw in the news 30 Jon Taylor instruments, accessories and music. it is Denmark in exchange, and since then we section of this magazine. there are two pairs exciting to see so many of the smaller music have regularly collaborated in joint of tickets on offer to enjoy the royal 54 Index of Advertisers on busking, John robert publishers there. if you are not able to ventures. earlier this year Peder contacted Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra, Brown attend the full day but would like to visit just me from the faroe islands, where he now featuring the American saxophone soloist the trade exhibition, entrance to that is free lives, with the result that his clarinet and timothy McAllister playing John Adams’ Features 33 Report and you will be welcome to attend at double reed choir spent five days here. they Saxophone Concerto. it’s a mouth watering the saxophone in Zagreb, anytime. if there is something specific you then visited Cambridge where Stephanie programme, celebrating the 200th 4 Clarinet & Saxophone Eugene rousseau would like to try, do contact the trader reeve organised an excellent programme of anniversary of Adolphe Sax’s birth, on Society’s Single Reed Day beforehand to ask for it to be brought to the events for them, including putting together thursday, 27th november in the newly event. a clarinet choir for the occasion. is this the refurbished Philharmonic Hall. and Trade Exhibition 34 ABRSM Saxophone Grade 5 19 years ago i received a phone call from seed of another choir? this is a fine example you may recall the caption competition on sunday, 19th october 2014 Your guide to the new Peder riis-Jensen, a prominent clarinettist of how membership of the Society can the back page of the last issue. Alastair Book now! syllabus, stephanie reeve and teacher in Denmark, asking if there was benefit members through networking. now, Penman won with ‘the lady’s not for tuning’. 47 a clarinet choir in north Wales. this area mainly due to the constraints of the Data I 10 Antony Pay 52 Where Can I Play? Approaches to period Barnet performance, William Upton Join the Clarinet & Saxophone Society at www.cassgb.org 56 A Question of Bores The Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Presidents: Richard­Ingham­and­Janet *Secretary: William­Upton, 14 What Is It About Vintage John robert Brown Conn Saxophones? Kenneth Great Britain was­founded­in­1976­for Hilton Flat­504,­California­Building,­Deals Gateway,­London,­SE13­7SF Morris and steve Crow the­benefit­of­everyone­who­has­an Past Presidents: Lt.­Col.­Trevor­Le­M. Tel:­0758­824­7421 interest­in­the­clarinet­or­saxophone Sharpe­MVO­QBE,­Jack­Brymer­QBE, [email protected] and­their­repertoire:­teachers, Dame­Thea­King,­Sir­John­Dankworth CBE *Treasurer: John­MacKenzie, students,­professional­or­amateur 1­Brookdene,­Ashwell,­Oakham,­Rutland, players,­manufacturers­and Vice-Presidents: Paul­Harvey,­Charles LE15­7LQ­ Cover: composers.­The­Society­has­members Hine Tel:­01572­756128 facebook.com/cassgb @cassgb Haileybury College in­over­35­countries.­The­Society­is­a [email protected] Honorary Members: Janet­Eggleden,­Paul company­limited­by­guarantee: Harvey,­Alan­Lucas,­Susan­Moss,­Kevin *Editor: Richard­Edwards, registered­in­England­no.­3010228, Murphy Fron,­Llansadwrn,­Menai­Bridge,­LL59 the official Publication of the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain Autumn 2014 Volume 39 number 3 whose­registered­office­is­at­23 SSL,­Tel:­01248­811285­­[email protected] Executive Committee: David­Campbell Editor: richard edwards Advertising: Clarinet & Saxophone, fron, Llansadwrn, LL59 5SL Hanbury­Close,­Ingleby­Barwick, (Past-chairman),­Janet­Eggleden,­Gemma *Membership Secretary: Andrew­Smith,­ Clarinet & Saxophone, fron, Llansadwrn, Menai Bridge, LL59 tel: 01248 811285 [email protected] Stockton-on-Tees,­TS17­0UQ. Harvey,­Graham­Honeywood,­Shea­Lolin, 23­Hanbury­Close,­Ingleby­Barwick, 5SL. tel: 01248 811285 [email protected] Copy Dates: January 15, April 15, July 15, october 15 James­Rae,­Stephanie­Reeve,­plus­those Stockton-on-Tees,­TS17­0UQ Editorial Team: Philip Bee, David Campbell, Bethan edwards, indicated* Tel.­08456­440­187 Janet eggleden, Graham Honeywood, Kenneth Morris, Susan ©All copyrights reserved 2014 • ISSN 0260 390X [email protected] Moss, Stephanie reeve, William Upton, Sarah Watts Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the editorial Board Membership: Andrew Smith, tel: 08456 440187 Back numbers of the magazine are available to members from the Membership [email protected] SoCiety of GreAt BritAin Secretary price £4.95 or via the website: www.cassgb.org

2 Clarinet & Saxophone www.cassgb.org ANTONY PAY ANTONY PAY

William­Upton­talks­to­period­ example 1 Mozart Clarinet Concerto 1st movement bars 57-64 clarinet­specialist­Antony Pay PEriod PiECEs

No­approach­to­music­making­has­taught­me­more­than­period­performance find out what reeds went on it!” Just a year later, in 1983, Pay was asked to join the example 2A Mozart Clarinet Concerto 3rd movement bars 1-8 about­discovering­new­ways­to­play­well-trodden­works­and­delivering Academy of Ancient Music, led by the compelling,­energised­ensemble­performances.­Antony­Pay­is­one­of­the legendary early music specialist Sir Christopher Hogwood. “this meant i had to leading­period­clarinettists­in­Europe­and­I­had­the­pleasure­of­meeting­him take it a bit more seriously and get an at­his­home­in­Oxford­to­talk­about­a­career­that­has­encompassed­the­full instrument which worked at a different pitch”, Pay tells me. Happily, nicholas spectrum­of­classical­performance,­from­contemporary­to­early­music,­full Shackleton, a Cambridge scientist and a fine symphony­orchestra­to­intimate­chamber­ensemble. amateur clarinettist, owned a large collection of early clarinets, and Shackleton Period performance, or early music e, followed by keys for Ab/eb and f#/C#; had already asked Daniel Bangham to copy performance, uses musicological detective then in the 19th century the increasing tonal some of them. “that was the beginning of work to help us play music as it might have complexity of music demanded the addition Daniel’s career as a maker, and his been performed when it was new. A musical of numerous keys to facilitate complex instruments are very good, or rather they example 2B Mozart Clarinet Concerto 3rd movement bars 16-23 score, even a fiendish modern one in which chromatic passages and to even out timbre got good”, says Pay. “He likes to tell people the ink outweighs the paper, presumes a and tuning. today the ‘five-keyed clarinet’ is that when i went to try his first attempt, just great deal of contextual knowledge by the regarded as the standard early music days before i had to play it in concert, i blew performer, and in older works conventions clarinet. these instruments were made from it and said, ‘Well that’s no bloody good!’ But that were once second nature are alien to european boxwood, rather than the he quickly adjusted it.” Pay’s armoury now musicians today. “our challenge,” says Pay, imported African Blackwood used today, includes some 30 instruments – a modest “is to try to guess what the performance and other differences include the width of number when compared to the collections constraints were from what people wrote the bore, the size and positioning of the tone required by recorder specialists. about music at the time. the problem is that holes, their pitch and tuning, the shape and Compared to their modern counterparts, most people didn’t write some of the most material of the pads and the design of the boxwood clarinets are notoriously important things down because they were mouthpiece. susceptible to changes in humidity and such common assumptions.” indeed, a great So how do period performers obtain these temperature (i have heard stories of deal of early music performance is speciality instruments? “i bought the clarinets that literally begin to droop during concerned simply with identifying today’s instrument that i first used in a second hand long pieces), but Pay is clearly not one to conventions and stripping them away like shop,” Pay tells me. “it was an english dwell on the difficulties of his art. “it’s true centuries of grime from a painting. clarinet made by richard John Bilton [a that they’re less acoustically well- i have always thought that the craftsman working from 1826 to ‘56] and i designed”, he admits. “A modern clarinet prerequisites for a career in period took it to Jon Steward at Howarths who can be built so that roughly speaking it plays performance include a monkish dedication rebuilt the mouthpiece for me. then i had to in tune with the notes of the piano, whereas piano (K. 498), you have to be very careful Phrasing is a subject on which Pay has crescendo through the syllables, whereas in to books, a fetish for parched yellow scores with an old clarinet you have to consider on modern instruments not to overwhelm given a great deal of thought, contributing Classical playing it’s more stepped, as in and a collection of instruments that would yourself more part of the system, changing Antony Pay’s clarinet collection the viola. on early instruments the problem articles to the Cambridge Companion to the speech. But it’s quite a tricky subject for be an asset to any museum. Pay, principal your embouchure and fingerings. But by the is that the clarinet and viola players tend to Clarinet and the Early Music journal. “What some people. you can read my Early Music clarinettist and soloist with the orchestra of same token there are many more fingerings kill the piano. these are the sorts of i think about Classical music [that is music article here: the Age of enlightenment and the Academy available on an old clarinet; if i’m playing an differences that are really fascinating.” largely composed from around 1730-1810, http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/ of Ancient Music, is quick to disabuse me. He A one ledger line above the stave i can put So what happens when you play a rather than the generic term ‘classical’] is Phrasing.html.” accepted his first early music gig, with the down any one of three fingers plus programme comprising works from that it is better played ‘spoken’ than ‘sung’,” Certainly Pay’s recording of the Mozart renowned London fortepiano trio, before he combinations of keys in order to flatten it opposite ends of the period performance Pay tells me. “it seems to me that we’re Clarinet Concerto (K. 622) on Decca with even owned an appropriate ‘boxwood’ slightly, and you can’t do that on a modern timeline – do you change clarinets? “i have brought up to think of music in a very Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of clarinet. “i told them: ‘if you book me for this clarinet, because everything is linked. So in done concerts where i’ve switched from one directional way with the phrase always Ancient Music is characterised by a concert i’ll have to do something about that a sense some of the problems become instrument to another”, Pay tells me. “We moving towards something. you look at a remarkable sense of clarity, incision and won’t i?’ And i went out and got myself an easier. Articulation is less of a problem on played some Berlioz and Wagner, and i phrase and ask, ‘Where does it go?’ this is lightness of touch, but he is quick to stress instrument and taught myself to play it,” he an old instrument, it is much lighter and played a french instrument then a German essentially what we mean nowadays when that his is not the only way. “this isn’t to say recalls. freer, and they’re also much more easily instrument, but the difficulties in terms of we talk about musicality, and playing from that all the romantic performances of Choice of instrument is probably the most repairable by an amateur than other warming up and using different reeds start the heart. When we play Baroque and Mozart have been completely wrong-headed conspicuous difference between period and instruments.” to get large as soon as you’re doing anything Classical music of course we still need to and not worth listening to”, he says. “the ‘everyday’ performance, although Pay tells it is clear, however, that you can’t become very complicated. on the whole i’ll make a play from the heart, but we have to grow music survives that, and they have other me, somewhat modestly, that “an old an expert in early music performance just compromise, so if i’m playing Mozart another heart and learn a new kind of great qualities. i just think you gain more clarinet behaves pretty much like a new by mastering an old instrument. “for me the followed by Beethoven i’ll use an instrument musicality which is less destination than you lose if you adopt a historical clarinet, except that you have to learn how most crucial thing is how these old with more keys on it than the five-key orientated. What i mean by playing in a approach.” to cope with its waywardness”. instruments combine”, says Pay. “if you play clarinet that would have been used in more spoken way is that the individual there are critics who think of period the first clarinets appeared at the the Beethoven trio in Bb for clarinet, piano Mozart’s time, and i simply won’t use the syllables of someone speaking never have performance as like a straitjacket, beginning of the 18th century and had just and cello (op. 11), immediately all that extra keys. Some people are very purist an internal sense of forward direction – each concerned only with limiting rather than two keys, equivalent to the middle A and thundering around in the bass of the piano about it, but i think the considerations about syllable rather ‘comes away’. think of expanding musical possibilities, but Pay ‘speaker’ keys on a modern instrument. over stops being a problem; it’s all light and how you phrase things are more important saying, ‘louder, LoUDer, LOUDER!’ each ‘er’ tells me that the early music mentality is the next 100 years instrument makers clean and you can hear the cello more and interesting than considerations about is softer than the preceding ‘loud’. Modern still encouraging him to make new developed a key for playing the missing B clearly. And if you go further back to the exactly what pieces of mechanism you are playing is much more likely to flatten out discoveries. “for example, i have always just above the middle A, which also gave low Mozart trio in eb for clarinet, viola and using in order to phrase them.” the jumps in dynamic and offer a continuous shaped my phrases using tone colour and

10 Clarinet & Saxophone, Autumn 2014 www.cassgb.org www.cassgb.org Clarinet & Saxophone, Autumn 2014 11 VINTAGE CONN SAXOPHONES VINTAGE CONN SAXOPHONES

Conn ‘Connqueror’ My website carries photos and more Kenneth­Morris­in­conversation­with­Steve Crow information on this activity to overcome from 1935 until 1943 the 26M (alto) and 30M what many players would describe as (tenor), closely related to the 6M/10M awkward finger plate positioning compared TABLE B above, were offered (principally in lacquered with modern horns. M (model) number allocations silver plate) with silver inlaid key touches, 2-M Soprano in C plenty of adjustment screws, an adjustable K. All of these relate to ‘playability’. 4-M Curved Soprano in Bb WHAt is it ABoUt thumb rest, underslung octave keys (alto Anything to add about sonority? Several 6-M Alto only), a rearranged G# cluster and many Stateside writers comment on matching other improvements. these instruments vintage Conn saxes with vintage Conn 8-M C-Melody were noted for their excellent intonation. mouthpieces or similar age otto Link pieces. 10-M tenor ‘Connquerers’ are good value and are 12-M Baritone (low Bb) – a later ViNtAGE CONN S. this is a minefield! everything depends on low A was assigned 11-M generally worthy of careful restoration. the individual player involved. there is no 14-M Bass Conn ‘Connstellation’ doubt that some vintage Conn horns found 18-M Straight Soprano in Bb with their original aged mouthpieces have this is a rare alto horn (the 28M) produced 20-M Sopranino in eb sounded so good that mouthpiece engineers from 1948 in small numbers. it is without a 26-M Connqueror Alto sAXoPHoNEs? such as ed Pillinger and Morgan fry have micro-tuner but with an underslung octave 28-M Connstellation Alto been commissioned to manufacture modern key, straight tone holes and a large left hand 30-M Connqueror tenor copies. from my experience a prospective plastic key guard. Lucky owners praise the owner of a vintage horn should be prepared K. Well here we are again Steve, talking poor (i.e. touch-up) and decorative colour 28M’s ‘balanced keywork action’. (We notes: to try anything. Start with whatever piece vintage horns – this time the professional re-lacquering jobs. the latter were used by wonder who they were thinking of?) these a) 7-M/9-M/original 11-M/13-M you use with the horn you have now. if you ranges produced by the C.G. Conn Company Show Bands. saxes are also good value but need were ‘old’ high pitch alto/ don’t currently play this size of horn try a of elkhart, indiana, U.S.A. extremely careful restoration, keeping them c-melody/tenor and baritone K. Let’s now take a brief look at each of the Selmer Soloist ‘C’ or otto Link first. Keep as near to original as is possible. respectively S. i think we should start by defining ‘eras’: going with alternatives until you get the b) 22-M and 24-M were two ‘key ‘vintage’ because Conn, initially after 1947 K. We both know of several leading sound you want. if it eludes you or the total New Wonder Series II – erroneously and then again following saxophone professionals currently using vintage Conn price of the horn, any of f’ Conn peculiarities, the Conn- christened the ‘Chu Berry’ model manufacture transfer to nogales, Arizona in instruments some of which you have restoration/modification work plus a new o-Sax and Mezzo Soprano 1958, made many student level and ‘stencil’ now, with most examples in their mid- personally modified. Can you briefly piece is too much, walk away! respectively. horns - a ‘stencil’ horn being the US term for eighties, these horns with rolled tone holes describe which models were involved and K. now, what about pads. for years Conn a retailer’s or other manufacturer’s own and in playing order, surprisingly command the purpose of the modifications? References: fitted their horns with a patented ‘resonator’ brand. for example, several US makers good prices in the States. Good examples www.stevecrow.co.uk S. Certainly. My ‘re-engineering’ has mainly pad. Are these still available? Should produced saxophones for Sears roebuck with a front top f are worth buying and altos Various youtube video clips: embraced horns from the first three eras anything be done to a horn with part and other catalogue companies (similar to with a micro-tuner are serviceable in the enter ‘Conn Vintage Saxophones’ (new Wonder ii, transitional and Artist) and resonator/part ordinary pads? our Argos). right hands. to see the work of mainly US typically covers: S. the ‘resonator’ with its patent push fit saxophone sales demonstrators K. indeed, the manufacturing history of the New Wonder Transitional, also sometimes lowering the height of the left hand thumb shellac-free feature is still available but and repair technicians. firm is both complex and in places a little called Series III - a model from this era was rest/adjusting the octave key to suit these vintage horns are probably more www.saxgourmet.com uncertain, in the main due to changes of actually used by Chu Berry. securely repadded with conventional glued- www.saxpics.com management and ownership during which upper stack: B/Bb bis touch piece and pearl in designs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.G. records were mislaid or destroyed. My trawl re-positioning/ditto A, G and possibly top f the ‘transitional’ refers to between new Conn through a number of specialist US websites K. And finally – the ‘Lady face’/’naked Lady’ Wonder and Artist (or ‘naked Lady’) series. lower stack: auxiliary eb tone hole filled http://drrick.com/conn.html (listed later) yielded varying dates of both engraving. is there any relationship between these 1931-34 horns now fetch even better in/auxiliary G# mechanism removed/f model introduction and horn serial number the elaboration or nature of the engraving www.saxontheweb.net/vintage/ prices than the new Wonder Series ii. touch piece moved/e pearl cup soldered on start and finish points. So please treat our and the likely performance of the horn? Conn.html Progressively introducing (starting with the to e pad cup/D fitted with new pearl/f# tabulated data as approximate! However www.saxophone.org/museum/ alto): an underslung octave key, adjustable mechanism extended giving regulation from S. none that i know of! table A does summarise the five ‘principal saxophones/manufacturer/13 thumb rest and valuable keywork D to f#. vintage eras’ of the professional Conn range modifications (more direct mechanical – new Wonder Series ii, new Wonder action, low C#, B and Bb keys opening the transitional, the ‘Artist’ or ‘Standard’ M New Wonder Series II G# permitting a low C# to G# jump). Most TABLE A Series, the ‘Connqueror’ and the modifications eventually appear on the ‘Connstellation’. tenor and baritone with the latter keyed to Approx. Conn Approx. range Model Nickname Comment S. What is table B about? prospective buyer should walk away. top f. Period Era of Serial Nos. K. it’s just as full a list as i’ve been able to K. So a vintage Conn shopper should ideally: ‘Artist’ (or ‘Standard’) -M (christened ‘naked find of the -M (model) number allocations a) engage the services of a competent sax Lady’) Series 1925-1931 new Wonder 145xxx- 222699 new Wonder Series ii Chu Berry Chu never used this model and which are more indelibly conspicuous engineer to conduct a pre-purchase this long running, progressively modified, 1931-1934 Crossover 244700-259999 new Wonder transitional Chu used one from this than serial numbers. Between the two tables inspection; b) personally give it a good try- series of saxophones was made from 1934 (also Series iii) series our readers should be able to identify the out (see below our comment on until the early 1960s. Current US dealer Spec. twixt new Wonder ii and horns worthy of a professional pre-purchase mouthpieces) and c) decide what opinion rates the ‘34-’47 rolled tonehole M Series assessment. modifications are desirable, or indeed models as the very best for big band work 1934-1962 M Series 260000- 720xxx “Artist” or “Standard” “naked Lady” rolled toneholes ‘35-’47 possible/affordable. Again, a competent S. An excellent idea. Some examples will by applauding ‘their big fat sound’ and quoting 6-M alto Straight toneholes ‘48-’59 now not be worth even minor restoration, let advisor should be to hand. eye-watering price tickets ($2000+ for a 6M, 10-M tenor (“Lady face” in UK) Micro-tuner dropped from 6-M alone major overhaul or keywork S. Correct! Additionally the matter of $3300+ for a 10M and $3600+ for a 12M). from 1954 modification. But with increasing numbers cosmetic appearance always comes up with remember rolled toneholes were dropped 12-M baritone of professional musicians seeking out vintage horns and is worthy of comment. around 1947, the 6M on UK imports lost its See full range in tABLe B vintage 6M/10M/11M/12M and 18M Lacquered finishes tend to deteriorate and micro-tuner in the 1930s, the 10M got an saxophones, prices are escalating as players are best left alone regardless of appearance. underslung octave key also in the 1950’s and 1935-1943 Connqueror from 263500 26-M alto place an ever increasing value on the Silver and gold plate (the latter very rare all models got nickel keywork hence post- 30-M tenor no sop or bari made extraordinary sound quality these but expensive and long-lasting) are the very 1947 the previously quoted second-hand 1950-1952 Connstellation from 322800 28-M alto no tenor made instruments deliver. However buyers must best finishes and are reflected in the current prices can be almost halved (and for pre- 1958-1959 the end c. 720000 Production moved from be aware that misaligned bodywork, overly prices of good example vintage Conns in the 1947 silver plated add $1000!). elkhart to nogales, Arizona. worn tone holes and even poor re- US, astronomical! raw brass is fine. Avoid lacquering jobs could indicate that a

14 Clarinet & Saxophone, Autumn 2014 www.cassgb.org www.cassgb.org Clarinet & Saxophone, Autumn 2014 15