What's Made You Happy Today???

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 24 Jul 2014, 17:36

dave brum wrote:There was a tall girl in short pants looking through the church music and I thought she may have taken one of the 3 books she had out to the piano and given us a tune.

She might be like me and loathe playing in public...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 24 Jul 2014, 17:51

Isn't playing a church organ in different churches and working as an accompanist similar to playing in public, would've thought?

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 24 Jul 2014, 18:02

Getting all of my ironing done. And it was so hot, I did it in my pants

(read into that what you will).

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 25 Jul 2014, 01:53

As an accompanist/organist you don't really register on the public's consciousness unless you really bog it up. Solo playing is so much more exposed. As an organist you're often at the back or hidden away somewhere too, and in an electronic age I think it registers as muzak!

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 25 Jul 2014, 16:30

What's made me happy: rain! Lovely cool wet rain...

Post by **Feg** » 25 Jul 2014, 17:07

I hate playing the piano in public but love accompanying.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 25 Jul 2014, 17:45

Good, I'm not mad then. Or if I am, I'm not alone...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 27 Jul 2014, 20:51

Going to Bala in Wales today, which of course is in a Welsh-speaking area. In all the shops and cafes, I used my Welsh. And that made me hapus iawn.

The run there is absolutely delightful from the Midlands, through the Tanat Valley and over the wonderful Berwyn which is better than Pen-y Pass (Llanberis pass) between Capel Curig and Llanberis. And I didn't even lose Radio 3!!

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 28 Jul 2014, 19:02

What did you go to Bala for - just for a jolly?

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 28 Jul 2014, 19:44

Well, it was a lovely day so we thought we'd go somewhere scenic without any motorways. I suggested Bala. If I'd had some more money in the bank I'd had had a jolly good spend up in Awen Meirion (shop selling Welsh language things).

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 28 Jul 2014, 22:41

Looked at their website; less than useful!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 29 Jul 2014, 06:05

Their shop is much much better, and it was full on Sunday.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 29 Jul 2014, 19:22

I wish they had a proper website; looks good.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 31 Jul 2014, 19:32

Getting an email from the...yn un ac yn unig....ac yn unigryw hefyd.....DAFYDD IWAN!!!

It seems my very multi-cultural customer base in the shop is very interested in old Sain stuff I've been playing whilst I've been there. I've had to do loads of explaining to various folk about Sain and about the Welsh language in general, of which I am of course an ardent supporter.

Post by **Feg** » 31 Jul 2014, 21:08

Spending nearly two hours in the 'posh' piano shop in town taking pianos with one of the owners and getting my hands on some rather fabulous instruments. I've fallen in love with a reconditioned Bluthner grand which has been very lovingly restored by experts in the brand and still has the original patent action

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 01 Aug 2014, 18:51

I like Bluthners - I have a model V upright (no room for a grand unless we sleep on it). I love the gentle tone yet the power is there if you want it. Are you tempted. Feg? Mind you, I keep looking a Bozo uprights!
Dave, have you thought about teaching Welsh? Starting a group? You'd be fabulous...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 01 Aug 2014, 19:27

Gill the Piano wrote: Dave, have you thought about teaching Welsh? Starting a group? You'd be fabulous...

Me??? Oooooh no. I don't get any practice, and besides I have no qualifications. I was ungraded at English!!!

It's made me happy to get someone in the shop this afternoon and have her relieve me of all of my Paul Harris books.

Post by **Feg** » 01 Aug 2014, 20:15

Gill the Piano wrote: Are you tempted. Feg?

Oh, yes, very tempted if
a) the lottery were to come up - a fully restored 1904 Bluthner grand will cost me £25,000 and
b) we were prepared to ditch the dining table and chairs in favour of a very large piano shaped table cloth and a quartet of bar stools.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 02 Aug 2014, 09:02

Whiling away a miserable morning in the company of Gorecki. I've heard his Third Symphony loads of times, and I have it on Naxos (but not the popular Dawn Upshaw release). And reading some translations of the Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam..a post-Confucian pillar of wisdom indeed.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 02 Aug 2014, 16:57

You don't need qualifications to do a little Welsh conversation. I bet there are people who'd be glad of it - like a U3A group.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 02 Aug 2014, 17:58

Gill the Piano wrote:You don't need qualifications to do a little Welsh conversation. I bet there are people who'd be glad of it - like a U3A group.

Just like teaching the piano then, he muttered under his breath. Fanny Fosdyke ain't got none. But one thing you do need in order to do that with the Cymraeg is confidence, which I haven't got.

BTW did I break a rule for posting a link to the customers' website?? Apologies if that was the case.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 03 Aug 2014, 12:48

Best not to do a link without their permish.

I bet there are people who are struggling to learn Welsh on their own who'd love a bit of conversation over a cuppa. The bride's mum offered me that chance yesterday, funnily enough (as if she didn't have enough to think about, bless her!). Turns out the gride and broom met at the uni Welsh Society! I was curious on reading Ar Lan Y Mor - I thought adjectives didn't have to be plural even if the object is? Yet in that song all the adjectives seem to be pluralised. I asked the tenor (lovely voice, lovely arrangement of the song) and he said that they do sometimes. Now I'm (even more) confused...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 03 Aug 2014, 20:06

Gill the Piano wrote:Best not to do a link without their permish.

I bet there are people who are struggling to learn Welsh on their own who'd love a bit of conversation over a cuppa.

In Birmingham?? True that many different languages are spoken in the city, however Cymraeg has never historically been one of those languages. You'd probably stand more of a chance hearing it in London, Liverpool or Australia than you would do here. I do know that Irish is spoken here though.

It's a case of ancient vs modern with plural adjectives. But in everyday use of Cymraeg it is totally unnecessary, I never have used it and schools do not teach it. Poetically and historically it is very widespread (Brad Y Llyfrau Gleision, Gwartheg Duon Cymreig ayyb). From a Welsh learners' point of view, there are much more important aspects of learning to worry ones head over than this, however it's just a case of being aware that it exists in certain aspects of the use of Cymraeg. Like 'pymtheg-ar-hugain' versus 'tri deg pump' really, rhosys cochion, rhosannau coch are both gramatically correct, but rhosannau coch would be a more common and easier form for the overwhelming majority of Cymrophones.

I do not understand lots of Welsh poetry and I don't think many Welsh speakers under 25 or so in predominantly English speaking areas like the Valleys or Wrexham would do so either. See, that's how qualified I am to teach Welsh!!!

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 03 Aug 2014, 20:11

dave brum wrote:
In Birmingham?? True that many different languages are spoken in the city, however Cymraeg has never historically been one of those languages. You'd probably stand more of a chance hearing it in London, Liverpool or Australia than you would do here.

Ditto the Thames Valley, yet we're managing! Conversation isn't like teaching. Although you explained that adjective thing perfectly to me and now I understand. Which makes you a teacher.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 03 Aug 2014, 20:27

I'm the Welsh version of Fanny Fosdyke then, ha ha! Interestingly enough, Fanny Fosdyke's father (whose first name and surname are very similar to that of an old loudmouthed northern working-class 'comedian') now lives in Wales and from what I can gather he is learning Welsh if his Facebook profile is anything to go by.

Up until two hundred years ago, Leominster (where myself and my wife first met) was solely Welsh speaking, despite Norman efforts to kill it off. Unlike Hereford, the Anglo Saxons never got that far west. The name Leominster has absolutely no proven link to Saxon Earl Leofric (husband of a famous naturist horsewoman), however if you ask anyone in Leominster 'where is Llanllieni?' they would say 'oh it's somewhere in Wales innit?'. Llanllieni is their town's original name. I think they need lots and lots of Welsh teachers in what is the WELSH Marches:

http://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanllieni

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 04 Aug 2014, 18:22

You'd best move back and educate 'em then!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 04 Aug 2014, 18:59

Eleven miles to the north of Leominster is Ludlow, which was, in medieval times the Capital of the Welsh Marches. Nearly all of Wales was ruled from there, so it was Wales' original Capital before Cardiff pinched the accolade. And yet nowadays it itself is ruled from Anglo-Saxon and very English Shrewsbury!

The real Welsh border are the Clee Hills, Wenlock Edge and a line stretching from Tenbury to Ross on Wye. 80- 90% of people west of that line and the Clee Hills have a bastardised Welsh surname (Watkins, Powell, Jones, Preece, etc.) and it's about time Plaid Cymru started to argue for a re-drawing of the England-Wales border and the abolition of Shropshire and Herefordshire in their present form.

I told you, I ain't qualified to teach sweet foxtrot alpha.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 04 Aug 2014, 19:39

dave brum wrote:I told you, I ain't qualified to teach sweet foxtrot alpha.

Dancing has nothing to do with it...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 09 Aug 2014, 16:36

Looking at my old photos from 2008 of my trip to London to meet Anna for the first time. I tried to contact her recently through the PM system on here but she declined to reply. We had an enjoyable time that day, and once again the following year. Appropriate as next week I shall be meeting someone else from here for the first time.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 10 Aug 2014, 13:40

A nice bit of home made Kate and Sidney Pie always makes me happy and I've got two in the oven right now.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 10 Aug 2014, 15:16

Snake and pygmy. Bleurgh...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 10 Aug 2014, 15:23

No, Kate and Sidney. Sweeney Todd, don't you just Lovett?

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 10 Aug 2014, 15:36

The idea of eating k*dney turns me up. Bleurgh.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 10 Aug 2014, 16:47

Nice bit of liver and fried kidney, if it was good enough for us in the war......though I've never had it for breakfast (as suggested in the post-war Good Housekeeping Cookery Compendium). Had kedgeree though, one would spend longer preparing that in the morning than a fry-up.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 11 Aug 2014, 14:13

I can knock out a kedgeree in half an hour if I boil the eggs with the fish then bung the rice in the fish water. Liver & onions & bacon, lovely. Just not k*dneys...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 13 Aug 2014, 20:19

You KNOW what's made me happy today Gill. I do not need to elaborate.....

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 13 Aug 2014, 21:12

Don't forget - Rhuddlan next if you can get a simplified version!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 13 Aug 2014, 21:16

Well I can now ditch Blaenwern and Hyfrydol in favour of two more repertoire pieces. I've just been doing next week's practice schedule and I only have one hymn - Cwm Rhondda.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 15 Aug 2014, 22:41

A wonderful day out in Liverpool, so much to tell but not tonight as we only got back half an hour ago and I ain't arf cream crackered from the V-Festival diversions.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 17 Aug 2014, 11:36

The thought of two whole weeks without sight reading exercises

Just scales, ADAD and lots and lots of Tunes!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 20 Aug 2014, 16:54

Buying this book from the music shop in Leamington (yes, we can't keep away from the M40)

I had this before and gave it to Fanny Fosdyke, without one word of thanks from the fascist oaf. Next time this happens, it'll be over my smelly old dead body...

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 20 Aug 2014, 17:58

Good. Get cracking!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 20 Aug 2014, 18:25

Have done! Monks Gate first.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 21 Aug 2014, 17:20

That's valiant of you, pilgrim...

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 21 Aug 2014, 17:37

Working on 'there's no discouragement' in Monks Gate and now I am a matter of notes, not bars from end of Cwm Rhondda, meaning my hands now know what the tune 'feels' like (it's when I forget what a tune feels like and I have to spend another week reminding myself that I prefer not to think about!)

Yes, it was me that put the grim in 'to be a pilgrim'!

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 21 Aug 2014, 18:38

Don't forget the three memories in playing; aural, visual and kinaesthetic. So you hear it, see it and feel it. That's why consistent fingering is crucial so your fingers learn where the notes are.

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 21 Aug 2014, 19:05

Never been told that before but yes, it's very true. Especially when you're trying to get out of using very awkward fingerings. Also it's about realising how your hands are shaped and spaced without looking at them (comes in time).

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 22 Aug 2014, 18:50

And later on it's a bit creepy, when your fingers remember playing a piece before you do. A bit like being possessed!

dave brum · Post by **dave brum** » 22 Aug 2014, 19:06

Going back to the shop after 2 weeks and finding out all but 2 of the items on my Schubert display had gone!

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 22 Aug 2014, 19:16

Goes to show that what the eye sees is important in displays...well done. Next project?