Corona virus has interrupted are weekly fun music making session but we are not going to let it spoil our fun and friendship together. We began with continuing our practise of the pieces we currently have, but as it seems we shall not resume for sometime, we have set up a new WCO News Letter to help us keep in touch with each other and of course keep up with our practice.
February 2021 Lock Down News
The lock down may still be preventing us from making music together but the Spirit of WCO goes on as we look forward to better days coming soon. The success of the vaccination roll out and the positive results from it give us all hope that we can look forward to musical days together again.
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Week 16: July 11th Lock Down News
Hello everyone, our last regular weekly Lock Down News for the summer break. We hope to publish again in mid August and then mid September when hopefully we will have news about the progress in regulations regarding amateur orchestras.
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Congratulations to Trisha
Well done all of you who attempted our Blooming Baby Competition. I think it proved to be quite a challenge - we all look so different from our baby/youth days. The winner was Trisha. So many congratulations. The answers are given in our news letter - so check how many you guessed correctly!
Week 15; July 4th Lock Down News
Hello everyone. Here is our latest Lock Down News Bulletin. This is a big week for the country as we see even more easing of the lock down restrictions allowing more facilities to open and of course holidays and stay-cations. Don't forget to send in your guesses for our Blooming baby competition. Results will be out next week.
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Week 14 : June 26th Lock Down News Letter
Hello everyone. Thank you to all who have sent in their Blooming Baby Photos for our competition. You can download this weeks news letter and Blooming Baby Competition Entry Form using the links below. All entries to Lesley by July 5th and winner announced on July 12th.
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Making Music Day June 21st
Sunday June 21st is not only special because it is Fathers' Day - its also National Making Music Day. What better way to celebrate the gift of music than to dig out some of your favourite pieces of music and make a great noise!
Ideas can be found on the website: www.makemusicday.co.uk |
Week 13: June 19th Lock Down News Letter
Thank you to all those who have sent in their baby photos - there is still room for more - so please send them in asap! Dont forget - there is a book token prize for the winner! Entries please by 24th June
Again this week we have some more amazing tales from the lives of our members and indeed some of the other local music groups with which some of our members also play. |
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Week 12: June 12th Lock Down News Letter
Hello everyone. We've had some great news items to share this week plus our Blooming Baby competition - so please get looking for your baby snaps! Entries need to be with Lesley by June 24th -there is a book token prize for the winner!
As you will read in our news this week- we really are a talented collection of musicians. So don't forget send in your news - so many people really enjoy hearing what we have all been doing - and say it is helping to keep the spirit of the orchestra alive. |
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Week 11: June 5th Lock Down News Letter
Hello everyone, Another week of lock down passes by, but with a little more freedom for us in that we could meet with family - providing we keep to the rules! I heard to day on the BBC News that the number of cases in the community is now at about 1 in 1000 which is really good news, indicating the famous R number is indeed falling and makes all this painful separation worth while. Do let me have your news - or even just a few lines - so that we can keep in touch ready for when we can play together again.
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Week 10: May 29th WCO Lock Down News Letter
Hello everyone. Thanks to all those who have emailed in your Lock Down stories. It's a great way to keep in touch and share our news and challenges. Another week has gone by and I know many of you are really pleased to have the additional freedom granted yesterday to enable us to visit friends and family in open spaces. I'm having a picnic reunion celebration with my eldest daughter and the grandchildren on Wednesday. Unfortunately my youngest is still trapped in South Wales so it will be a while yet before I can do the same there.
Here is our news letter for this week. Thanks to all who have said how much they enjoy this and look forward to hearing how we all are getting on. This week - we have focused on babies!!
Here is our news letter for this week. Thanks to all who have said how much they enjoy this and look forward to hearing how we all are getting on. This week - we have focused on babies!!
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Week 9: May 22nd WCO News Letter
Our new News Letter, Life in Lock down has proved very popular with several people sending in details about how they are using their time during this lock down. Some have taken up new skills and some have set personal challenges. What a talented bunch you all are! One member has gone one step further and challenged her neighbours to help raise funds for the NHS by walking 100 laps around their cul de sac. Read all about the activities of our members in Life in Lock Down Edition 2.
Keep Safe and keep sending in your Lock Down stories.
Keep Safe and keep sending in your Lock Down stories.
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Week 8: WCO News Letter
Hello Everyone.
As we enter another week - with a little more freedom to move around or indeed for some a phased return to work, we are launching our new WCO New Letter. Although we can't meet together to share our news, it is hoped that this will help us to keep in touch with each other, So please send in your news - help the orchestra maintain its friendly character by keeping in touch with each other. Also - take up the challenge to learn something new! Click on the links below to download our first ever WCO News Letter either as a pdf file or MS Word.
Dont for get to send in your news for our next edition.
Keep Safe
As we enter another week - with a little more freedom to move around or indeed for some a phased return to work, we are launching our new WCO New Letter. Although we can't meet together to share our news, it is hoped that this will help us to keep in touch with each other, So please send in your news - help the orchestra maintain its friendly character by keeping in touch with each other. Also - take up the challenge to learn something new! Click on the links below to download our first ever WCO News Letter either as a pdf file or MS Word.
Dont for get to send in your news for our next edition.
Keep Safe
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Week 7: V. E. Day Celebrations
Hello Everyone
Tomorrow is a very special day in the history of our country when we remember another very difficult time in which many folk sacrificed much for others. Let's all join together to remember them in the two minute silence at 11am tomorrow, Friday 8th May. So dig out any of your WWII music and celebrate Peace in Our Time.
What seems most appropriate to practice this week is the collection of patriotic songs in the piece: Britania by J T Gardiner
Tomorrow is a very special day in the history of our country when we remember another very difficult time in which many folk sacrificed much for others. Let's all join together to remember them in the two minute silence at 11am tomorrow, Friday 8th May. So dig out any of your WWII music and celebrate Peace in Our Time.
What seems most appropriate to practice this week is the collection of patriotic songs in the piece: Britania by J T Gardiner
Week 6: April 30th
Hello Everyone
Life is still very much in lockdown, but the news today seems to suggest that we are coming out of the peak, but indeed there is a long way still to go with many hurdles yet to be faced. Music is a great help as we fill so many empty hours in the day. I've given my 5yr old granddaughter her first Zoom piano lesson. We had great fun - three Blind mice. was my Mini Mozarts' starting piece ( or at least the first two lines using notes CDEFG) .
So, for those of us who are a little beyond Three Blind Mice, here is this week's practice schedule.
WEEK 6;
Scales and Arpeggios!!!!
I'm sure we all hate these words - but I know John would say that such are essential to get our fingers flying across our instrument.
So Lets look at the major scales and associated arpeggios for part of our practice time together this week.
Les Miserables:
This is a piece which benefits from scales and arpeggios and the nifty fingers which come from practice of these.
Also - take note pf the many key changes, time signature changes and tempo changes as it moves to culminate in the march - Do you hear the people sing. ( Perhaps do you hear the musicians play!!!)
Keep safe and keep playing until we can meet again
Life is still very much in lockdown, but the news today seems to suggest that we are coming out of the peak, but indeed there is a long way still to go with many hurdles yet to be faced. Music is a great help as we fill so many empty hours in the day. I've given my 5yr old granddaughter her first Zoom piano lesson. We had great fun - three Blind mice. was my Mini Mozarts' starting piece ( or at least the first two lines using notes CDEFG) .
So, for those of us who are a little beyond Three Blind Mice, here is this week's practice schedule.
WEEK 6;
Scales and Arpeggios!!!!
I'm sure we all hate these words - but I know John would say that such are essential to get our fingers flying across our instrument.
So Lets look at the major scales and associated arpeggios for part of our practice time together this week.
Les Miserables:
This is a piece which benefits from scales and arpeggios and the nifty fingers which come from practice of these.
Also - take note pf the many key changes, time signature changes and tempo changes as it moves to culminate in the march - Do you hear the people sing. ( Perhaps do you hear the musicians play!!!)
Keep safe and keep playing until we can meet again
Week 5: April 23rd
Hoping you are all keeping safe and well during this lockdown period. I'm sure like me you are missing contact with family and friends and the normal activities of life, but whilst this pandemic endures, we have to stay home and stay safe and remember those key workers who are keeping life going. We can be thankful for the lovely sunshine and our daily allowed exercise and of course our music!
For our practice this week - I thought we'd cheer ourselves with a bit of Strauss.
Pizzicato Polka ; J Strauss
Things to note;
Some members have asked about our finances and the hall fees during closure and offered help . The church is not charging us any fees during the closure and indeed will carry over to when we start up again any money that we have already paid for sessions not used. Thank you to all for your kind thoughts but we are at the moment financially fine. However, if you would like to use use some of the weekly subs money, then WKURC is a big supporter of Wirral Food Bank - several members volunteer each week to help out with the distribution and so when you shop, please buy one or two extra items for the food bank. There are many who have lost work through the Covid 19 pandemic and many finding with children at home, the cupboards soon empty out again and so many are turning to the food bank who have never been in this situation before.
Covid 19
Looking at the charts and information given out, we do seem to be just tipping over that critical peak time and hopefully in the next week or so, we should see the awful death toll falling and fewer people admitted into hospital. We do hope for some easing of the lockdown, but as has been said many times, we can't risk a second wave of it. Lets hope we can learn from those countries just emerging from lockdown, and that with sufficient testing, tracing and scientific progress on vaccine and anti body testing we can indeed see some light at the end of this all, but I suspect life as it was will not be with us again for a long time.
Keep safe and well.
Do get in touch if any of you are self isolating and need shopping etc. I'm sure we can mobilise help if needed.
Most of all Keep playing your music.
For our practice this week - I thought we'd cheer ourselves with a bit of Strauss.
Pizzicato Polka ; J Strauss
Things to note;
- Its quite fast tempo - so practise slowly so finders know where they should be- then gradually get faster
- Much is dotted staccato so keep it crisp and light
- John's favourite plea- look at the dynamic markings
Some members have asked about our finances and the hall fees during closure and offered help . The church is not charging us any fees during the closure and indeed will carry over to when we start up again any money that we have already paid for sessions not used. Thank you to all for your kind thoughts but we are at the moment financially fine. However, if you would like to use use some of the weekly subs money, then WKURC is a big supporter of Wirral Food Bank - several members volunteer each week to help out with the distribution and so when you shop, please buy one or two extra items for the food bank. There are many who have lost work through the Covid 19 pandemic and many finding with children at home, the cupboards soon empty out again and so many are turning to the food bank who have never been in this situation before.
Covid 19
Looking at the charts and information given out, we do seem to be just tipping over that critical peak time and hopefully in the next week or so, we should see the awful death toll falling and fewer people admitted into hospital. We do hope for some easing of the lockdown, but as has been said many times, we can't risk a second wave of it. Lets hope we can learn from those countries just emerging from lockdown, and that with sufficient testing, tracing and scientific progress on vaccine and anti body testing we can indeed see some light at the end of this all, but I suspect life as it was will not be with us again for a long time.
Keep safe and well.
Do get in touch if any of you are self isolating and need shopping etc. I'm sure we can mobilise help if needed.
Most of all Keep playing your music.
Week 4: April 16th
Hello everyone
Our hope is that you are all keeping well and managing to cope with these days of lockdown. Sadly it would seem tht they are set to continue for some time longer and as yet, there seems to be no end to it indeed the social distancing policy which will prevent us from meeting together again some time soon.
So, while there is a green shoot of hope in that the number of new Covid 19 cases seem to be levelling, but unfortunately the number of deaths is still painfully very high. We do send our thoughts and sympathy for any of you who have friends or family who have suffered at this time. As today , it has been anounced another 3 weeks of lockdown, so, we continue to keep up the spirit of us all with our weekly practice shedule.
Practice Schedule
We have worked on 4 pieces so far so for this week can we focus on all 4 of these - perhaps playing through and working on any bars or sections which we feel uncertain about. Concentrate especially on any timing or key changes in each piece and making sure we know the geography of the sheet music - i.e where the repeated bars fit in and where the piece ends!
Next week we shall move on so lets try to make these 4 pieces as best we can - till we are able to meet again and face the music with our conductor incharge.
Keep safe, stay at home and keep making music.
Our hope is that you are all keeping well and managing to cope with these days of lockdown. Sadly it would seem tht they are set to continue for some time longer and as yet, there seems to be no end to it indeed the social distancing policy which will prevent us from meeting together again some time soon.
So, while there is a green shoot of hope in that the number of new Covid 19 cases seem to be levelling, but unfortunately the number of deaths is still painfully very high. We do send our thoughts and sympathy for any of you who have friends or family who have suffered at this time. As today , it has been anounced another 3 weeks of lockdown, so, we continue to keep up the spirit of us all with our weekly practice shedule.
Practice Schedule
We have worked on 4 pieces so far so for this week can we focus on all 4 of these - perhaps playing through and working on any bars or sections which we feel uncertain about. Concentrate especially on any timing or key changes in each piece and making sure we know the geography of the sheet music - i.e where the repeated bars fit in and where the piece ends!
Next week we shall move on so lets try to make these 4 pieces as best we can - till we are able to meet again and face the music with our conductor incharge.
Keep safe, stay at home and keep making music.
Week 3: April 9th .
ope you all keeping well and managing to survive the days of lockdown with much music making. It would appear these days are to continue for some time yet, before we can meet up again. How whave you been getting on with our practice schedule? To keep us occupied and the music flowing, and of course our leader happy, here is the details for this week's practice.
I think we can move on to two new pieces this week. Put the other two aside - but perhaps just go over any tricky bars within them this week rather than playing all of them - unless you want too!
This week I thought we would focus on some popular classics - Dance of the Swans and in contrast a bit of modern pop music - Mamma Mia. So all good stuff
Dance of the Swans
I've added a Youtube link which is at a reasonable pace - given John likes this quite fast! Remember too , to look at the notes- many are marked stacato so keep it nice and crisp or detached and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd2nTXsivHs
Mamma Mia
This has lots of well known tunes in it, so as always - be mindful of what is written in the music rather than how you think it sounds - oh and watch out for key changes
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Some of you may have seen the post on our FB inviting us to join with musicians every where to support helath and key workers on Thursday evening by playing Somewhere over the Rainbow -the rainbow being the symbol of hope. There are many versions of it on Google so if you able , then join in the msic to say thank you to all those working hard to keep us safe and life ongoing
Happy Easter and keep safe and stay at home and practise!!
Lesley
I think we can move on to two new pieces this week. Put the other two aside - but perhaps just go over any tricky bars within them this week rather than playing all of them - unless you want too!
This week I thought we would focus on some popular classics - Dance of the Swans and in contrast a bit of modern pop music - Mamma Mia. So all good stuff
Dance of the Swans
I've added a Youtube link which is at a reasonable pace - given John likes this quite fast! Remember too , to look at the notes- many are marked stacato so keep it nice and crisp or detached and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd2nTXsivHs
Mamma Mia
This has lots of well known tunes in it, so as always - be mindful of what is written in the music rather than how you think it sounds - oh and watch out for key changes
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Some of you may have seen the post on our FB inviting us to join with musicians every where to support helath and key workers on Thursday evening by playing Somewhere over the Rainbow -the rainbow being the symbol of hope. There are many versions of it on Google so if you able , then join in the msic to say thank you to all those working hard to keep us safe and life ongoing
Happy Easter and keep safe and stay at home and practise!!
Lesley
Triumphal March in C Major - L V Beethoven
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If you don't have the music download the full score form the link above or listen to the music from the Youtube link
Week 2: Finish Beethoven and Play through Britannia
Triumphal March in C Major
Well done for last week - Now lets finsh this off! - we need some quick staccato fingering for much of this - so lots of practice on these runs needed.Once we get to bar 46, home and dry. !
Now give it a good run through.
Britannia - J T Garder
We have done alot of the ground work for this with John and most of the tunes are very well known. It is just a case of watching the numerous key changes and the tempo changes at number 4 ( piccolo solos), 5 - flute section, 6 - the famous Soldiers of the Queen - John likes this fast! Section 9 - the typically Irish tune. Number 10, tempo change- then we all sorted with well known tunes. BUT make sure you play the notes as written - not as perhaps you think it goes - such a problem with well known pieces,
Well done for last week - Now lets finsh this off! - we need some quick staccato fingering for much of this - so lots of practice on these runs needed.Once we get to bar 46, home and dry. !
Now give it a good run through.
Britannia - J T Garder
We have done alot of the ground work for this with John and most of the tunes are very well known. It is just a case of watching the numerous key changes and the tempo changes at number 4 ( piccolo solos), 5 - flute section, 6 - the famous Soldiers of the Queen - John likes this fast! Section 9 - the typically Irish tune. Number 10, tempo change- then we all sorted with well known tunes. BUT make sure you play the notes as written - not as perhaps you think it goes - such a problem with well known pieces,
Week 1: Bars 1-28
Trumpets and Horns - you start the piece so - no pressure but then you have company of the violins and bassoon, timps and cellos join you on upbeat to bar 5.
Flutes and clarinets make their entry at bar 14- note the ff and staccato- violins you need nifty fingers her for nice smooth semi quavers!
Good luck everyone. I know its not ideal - but at least there is a sense that we are learning together and hopefully will suprise John when life gets back to normal and we can meet again.
Don't forget to let us know if we can help or you need a chat. Also have a look at the Face Bool Group Margaret has set up. - add yourself to it! Let us know how you getting on. Share cartoons, photos or messages.
Take care every one- stay at home if you can - wash hands and keep safe and keep practising!!
Lesley
Flutes and clarinets make their entry at bar 14- note the ff and staccato- violins you need nifty fingers her for nice smooth semi quavers!
Good luck everyone. I know its not ideal - but at least there is a sense that we are learning together and hopefully will suprise John when life gets back to normal and we can meet again.
Don't forget to let us know if we can help or you need a chat. Also have a look at the Face Bool Group Margaret has set up. - add yourself to it! Let us know how you getting on. Share cartoons, photos or messages.
Take care every one- stay at home if you can - wash hands and keep safe and keep practising!!
Lesley