The Brass Perspective 2
We've finished our Proms for this year (except Proms in the Park) and now it's straight into the Edinburgh Festival. Our second 2 Proms were better attended and seemed to be very well received. The highlight for me has to be making strange noises during Harvey's "...Towards a Pure Land". Towards the end we were required to "whisper in any order in random rhythm 'ss' 'k' 'f' and tongue click". Being a loud-mouthed brass-player type, this is what I've been waiting my whole playing career for!! We were also asked to make wind noises, an instruction I think the trombones took a bit too literally. Ahem. I also made an extraneous noise during Dillon's Piano Concerto, although this wasn't in the part – I sneezed whilst playing, not an easy feat.
Musicians often dream about strange things happening on stage. I was talking to Etienne last week and he told me about a couple of recurring dreams he has. During the first, which I've heard from other brass players, his teeth fall out just before the first downbeat and he is unable to produce a note! In another he is stood at the front of the orchestra ready to perform a Mozart Horn Concerto; as soon as he begins to play, he realises that he has no idea how to produce a sound, it is as if he has gone back to the age of 8 and taking his first ever lesson! I wondered if it was just brass players who have these dreams and asked a few string-players. My favourite reply was from Harry (Harris, cello) who once dreamt that he was playing Overture to Marriage of Figaro, and not at all put off by the fact that his cello had been replaced by a bowl of fruit salad! Scary stuff, and proof that performers cannot escape their instruments and all the mental aspects of performance, even in their sub-conscious.
Enough of this rubbish, will try and find some more funny dreams for next time. I will finish with the award for:
Best Facial Hair of the Orchestra
And the winner is.......Rik Evans (Viola) 
