Thursday without Rehearsal

Da capo ended too soon. I think most of us will agree. For me, I almost cannot accept that the concert was actually already over.

Today was the cleaning section, no rehearsal. I was there since 2pm, practised the english horn for 6 hours. In the end I stopped because of physical problem, but mentally I can still play for another 6 hours.

We all got the scores for Planet Earth already. Some excited, some felt "Damn boring". Actually I think all will feel boring except the trumpets and trombones.

Then I practised for the second movement english horn solo. Before this I think that running notes is hardest for English horn. No, I was wrong. The slow phrase of the solo is actually harder than the running notes. But I really like it. Yeah, work hard for it! Surely I don't want anyone to kick me off from playing English horn.

I didn't receive negative comment about my tone colour. Not like oboe, when I was playing, everyone will give me a "can you stop it?!!" look. Instead, most of them say my tone is quite nice, like "the bassoonist" who is kind enough to offer me a new reed if I can improve a lot. Quote from Madeline: You play English horn a lot better than oboe leh.. I am rather positive of this statement, because I like english horn more than oboe.

Six hours of English didn't make me tired in breathing. The tiredness came from my finger and my eyes. I know my way of resting the thumb is bad, will try to change to a better way. My eyes, also tired because of staring at scores for too long time. I thought that my embouchure would be tired also, but it wasn't. Maybe I have got a better embouchure this time than few days before. Except that when I was eating supper, my upper lip felt really painful, I think is because too dry.

More hard work is to be done. I surely don't want anyone else come and tell me to give up English horn and go back to flute. The only way I can reject those request is to play English horn better than anyone else.

p/s: found this in SSO page.

Cor anglais

Known also as the English horn, it is very much like the bass oboe in terms of sound and tone quality. Strangely, unlike its name, the English horn is neither a horn nor was it invented by the English. It is an alto oboe with a conical tube and a pear-shaped bell. Its tone is nasal and melancholic, and it usually plays slow tunes.

RANGE The cor anglais is played in treble clef. It is a transposing instrument which sounds a perfect 5th below the written score.

Why is there a high E in my score when the highest note is D?