Monday
This morning we had PT at 0730 at HMS Temeraire just down the road from HMS
Nelson. We ran 12 laps (3 miles) around the track, which I was quite proud to
complete in 25 minutes not being a very good runner!
At 0900 everyone was over at the School of Music. Some students have exams this
week. Scottie Burton had his final exam M3 before he passes out of Training
and then several students had their term 5 exams. The term 3 exams are to be
tomorrow. I started my morning with an aural class led by CSgt Ridley. I am
taking my M3 aural exam next Tuesday along with some of my friends and we need
extra practice. The class involved some sight singing, a couple of melodic dictation's
and identifying chords and their inversions. After stand easy I did my warm
up routine (I play the French horn). I then played through all my major, minor,
chromatic, diminished 7th and dominant 7th scales. The bugle then took me by
surprise - lunchtime already!
When I went back to work at 1300 I quickly warmed up my instrument again, then
went through my pieces for my professor's lesson at two. I am studying the Richard
Strauss Horn Concerto No 1 in E flat for my final exam in June. I had already
worked on the first and second movements and now set to work on the third. I
worked on the articulation which in some places is a tricky combination of slurring
and tonguing. I also played through my other piece, Santa Lucia - a set of variations,
paying special attention to the cadenza passages. In my lesson we went through
Santa Lucia first. We went through the whole piece correcting little mistakes,
but overall the piece was good. Between myself and my professor, Tim Jackson,
we decided not to do Santa Lucia for my final exam, but chose a piece called
Elegie by Francis Poulenc. This is dedicated to the famous horn player Denis
Brain, who tragically died in a car accident and is a very moving and reflective
piece. After stand easy I had a degree lesson with professor Douglas. We covered
the Czech composer Janecek. We listened to Sinfonietta whilst following the
score. We also went through a handout that Mr Douglas had prepared for us which
explained the layered texture and the themes used.
Now for an evening of ironing bed sheets and cleaning my room for rounds in
the morning and then at last a rest after a long day.
Tuesday
This morning started with an aural lesson with Colours Ridley at 0830. At 0900
it was time for brass quintet overseen by Cpl Williams. This is made up of Scottie
Burton and Lisa King on trumpet, Darren Walton (Chubbs) on euphonium, Kathryn
McKechnie on tuba and myself on horn. We started off with an arrangement of
a Bach fugue before moving on to the challenging Malcolm Arnold Quintet. After
stand easy I went through my warm up routine before going through my scales.
I then worked on lip trills which I have been having particular problems getting
up to speed.
Once back at the school, after a quick lunch, myself and Musn Phil Jones played
some horn duets. We worked on a challenging duet by Kopprasch. Later I went
through some concert band music with Sarah Curtis (also plays the horn), while
the rest of the section had an aural exam. After stand easy I practised a Kopprasch
study which deals with awkward pitching, I also used a few other exercises to
help me improve the study.
At quarter past six we had to be in work again for a concert band rehearsal
with WO2 Farrar. We went through Trumpets Wilde; Sing Sing Sing with Scottie
on trumpet, Stuart Fothergill (Foggy) on clarinet and Dave Hernon on drums;
(Die Zigeunerweisen with an inspiring performance by Sgt Andrew on Xylophone
and finally the Pittsburgh Overture by Philip Sparke.
Wednesday
The day started at 0745 this morning with parade band. We played Army of the
Nile, Sailing, Action Front and Famous Songs. The Drum Major instructed us in
wheeling and we practised this while playing the marches. At nine o'clock the
whole of Training Company were given a talk by SO3 Capt Nick Grace and SOBS
Major Thornhill on drafting and promotion in the Band Service. They made us
aware of changes in the procedures which had come about and we were also open
to ask any questions. The talk went on till lunch and today is our afternoon
off for sporting activities. I went and played squash at HMS Temeraire with
Musn Jim Strange and Musn Adam Harvey. After a few hard games I went into town
before relaxing for the rest of the evening.
Thursday
Everybody had sponsored prayers at the Chaplaincy this morning except for the
senior term who had PT in the gym. At 0900 I was in my cell doing my warm up
exercises. I then had been given the task of working out all the alternative
fingering on the French horn, on the F and B flat side. This involves working
out all the harmonics on each valve combination. After stand easy I finished
off working out the harmonics. I then moved on to a study in the Kopprasch book.
This study is to improve my pitching, likewise a study in the Arban and two
in the Otto Langley. These studies deal with different areas of pitching so
improving my overall pitching.
After lunch the whole horn section went over concert band music for the Isle
of Wight concert which is next Thursday. We also looked at the Pittsburgh Overture
by Philip Sparke, as Bob Childs (euphonium player) is making a guest visit to
us tomorrow and we are going to go through this piece. There are a couple of
very tricky areas in this for the horns, so this took us up to stand easy to
perfect.
I have my M3 aural exam first thing tomorrow morning so for the last part of
the day, myself and Musn Charlotte Butchers practised some aural perception,
including melodic dictations, intervals and chord inversions.
Evening rehearsal was taken by Mr Hodge (our Bandmaster) tonight. We worked
on big Band Spectacular, the fanfare Eagle Ascending, the two marches Semper
Fidelis and Hands Across The Sea, among a few other pieces. After rehearsal
I went to the local pub, The Three Crowns, with my boyfriend Musn Strange to
celebrate his birthday with a few mates.
Friday
We got on the coach at 0730 to go to HMS Excellent for parade band this morning
as they have a larger parade ground to accommodate our large numbers . Parade
Band B practised wheeling while band A watched (we practised at the School on
Wednesday). We then all joined together to form a six across band. This makes
wheeling more difficult as there are more people involved who could be in the
wrong place, sending the whole wheel out. By the end of the session we were
successful in achieving good wheels whilst playing marches at the same time.
Once back at the School I went for my aural exam. I found the melodic dictation
quite hard but didn't find the rest of the exam too bad so hopefully I have
passed. The exam carried on after stand easy so we took a late break. Scales
took me up to lunchtime. I worked specifically on my three octave scales trying
to change embouchure quickly and smoothly.
Choir was at 1230 with the singing professor Jane. We went through Adiemus which
we are performing in a concert later next month. At 1 o'clock we had a concert
band rehearsal with Mr Farrar. We went through Sgt Andrew's solo and through
Sing Sing Sing among other pieces. The rehearsal went on to quarter past three
and as we had worked so hard, we were allowed to go early. This was a relief
to me as I have a degree assignment to write over the weekend which is due in
on Monday and hopefully I will find a chance to rest at some point as well!