January 1961
I started attending Cleveland Heights High School early in January,1960. Great culture shock, as I had always been to small private schools, and 3000 students was overwhelming. Also, as the American and British/South African curricula are different, the school administrators were not sure where I would fit in. I did mention I liked music, so with a sigh of relief, they told me to go to orchestra. The director was very kind, but baffled, as I didn't actually play an orchestral instrument. I had taken a year or so of piano lessons, not very helpful in that class. However, he said " Well, we need cellists, so here is a cello and a method book. My office is over there. You can practice there."
After two months or so, I knew I loved playing the cello and that it was the instrument for me, so my mother arranged for me to have lessons in the Saturday School of the Cleveland Institute of Music. I was at the Cleveland Heights High School for one semester. During that time, I did actually get to play in the orchestra and go on tour with them to Canada. It was so exciting - we went to Montreal, saw the Niagara Falls and other places along the lake. The orchestra played some impressive music -The Swan of Tuonela, Beethoven's first Symphony (I could play the first and last notes and a few in between, as it was in C, and I knew that scale!), Grieg's Piano Concerto, Bloch's Schlomo. All this was so very new and thrilling for me, opening up a whole world of wonderful music. My fellow classmates were so friendly and welcoming, including me in their activities. I had never had such a fun social life before, and of course not a boyfriend, but after a while I did meet a very nice young man, Hal.
January 11, 2011- Durham, North Carolina
Rehearsal with the Durham Symphony for the Tribute to Martin Luther King Concert on January 15th. I had missed the first rehearsal on the 4th, as I was still in Capetown, South Africa with my family, (see my blog, http://britcellist-janesafricanadventure.blogspot.com). I was uncomfortable coming back, having spent a month not playing, and then to do even part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was going to be challenging, and it was. Oh my sore fingers and aching arms, but the last movement is so magnificent I never even thought about it, until the next morning. We were joined by the Concert Singers of Cary and four excellent soloists. The other work on the program "Eulogy for a Dream" was composed by Willian H. Curry, our conductor. We had played it the year he was auditioning, and liked it then. The narrator came from a local TV station, and had wonderful diction.
January 14 - Rehearsal with the UNC Viol Consort
This is a group of graduate students, teachers and musicians who play viols at the university during the school year and perform 2 or 3 concerts a year. Led by Professor Brent Wissick, a fine cellist and viol player who performs all over the world, we have a great time. Brent introduces us to works that are not on the average viol players list, and in so doing stretches us to another level. We are now preparing for a concert on March 27th. He has commisioned a piece for cellos and viols "Reflections on a Pavane" by Will Ayton. The Pavane it is based on is "Mille Regretz" by Josquin, perhaps arranged by Susato.
January 15 - Concert "A tribute to Martin Luther King". Durham Symphony in the Durham Armory.
The Armory was packed and the concert was powerful and moving.
Review of the concert
January 24 - Rehearsal of the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part.
with the "Triangle Trio" and "Tre Voce". Two of my friends and I formed a trio of violin, viola and cello especially for a concert we were asked to play on April 3rd. It will be at the NC Museum of Art, and is part of a series "Sights and Sounds" put on by the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild and the Museum. We are to perform with three singers, soprano, counter-tenor and tenor. The program is the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part, the "Missa Breve" by William Byrd and the second movement of the Trio #2 by Martinu. In December while overnight in London, I had lunch with a good friend, Rogers Covey-Crump, a member of the Hilliard Ensemble, who knew the Stabat Mater piece well. He actually brought the Part's original score to show me. It was thrilling to get some performance tips from someone who knows Part well. In fact I think I understood Rogers to say that since Part had met the Hilliard Ensemble, he has dedicated all his choral works to them.
Our first rehearsal went very well and I absolutely adore that piece.
January 11, 2011- Durham, North Carolina
Rehearsal with the Durham Symphony for the Tribute to Martin Luther King Concert on January 15th. I had missed the first rehearsal on the 4th, as I was still in Capetown, South Africa with my family, (see my blog, http://britcellist-janesafricanadventure.blogspot.com). I was uncomfortable coming back, having spent a month not playing, and then to do even part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was going to be challenging, and it was. Oh my sore fingers and aching arms, but the last movement is so magnificent I never even thought about it, until the next morning. We were joined by the Concert Singers of Cary and four excellent soloists. The other work on the program "Eulogy for a Dream" was composed by Willian H. Curry, our conductor. We had played it the year he was auditioning, and liked it then. The narrator came from a local TV station, and had wonderful diction.
January 14 - Rehearsal with the UNC Viol Consort
This is a group of graduate students, teachers and musicians who play viols at the university during the school year and perform 2 or 3 concerts a year. Led by Professor Brent Wissick, a fine cellist and viol player who performs all over the world, we have a great time. Brent introduces us to works that are not on the average viol players list, and in so doing stretches us to another level. We are now preparing for a concert on March 27th. He has commisioned a piece for cellos and viols "Reflections on a Pavane" by Will Ayton. The Pavane it is based on is "Mille Regretz" by Josquin, perhaps arranged by Susato.
January 15 - Concert "A tribute to Martin Luther King". Durham Symphony in the Durham Armory.
The Armory was packed and the concert was powerful and moving.
Review of the concert
January 24 - Rehearsal of the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part.
with the "Triangle Trio" and "Tre Voce". Two of my friends and I formed a trio of violin, viola and cello especially for a concert we were asked to play on April 3rd. It will be at the NC Museum of Art, and is part of a series "Sights and Sounds" put on by the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild and the Museum. We are to perform with three singers, soprano, counter-tenor and tenor. The program is the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part, the "Missa Breve" by William Byrd and the second movement of the Trio #2 by Martinu. In December while overnight in London, I had lunch with a good friend, Rogers Covey-Crump, a member of the Hilliard Ensemble, who knew the Stabat Mater piece well. He actually brought the Part's original score to show me. It was thrilling to get some performance tips from someone who knows Part well. In fact I think I understood Rogers to say that since Part had met the Hilliard Ensemble, he has dedicated all his choral works to them.
Our first rehearsal went very well and I absolutely adore that piece.
December 1960 - January 1961- Johannesburg, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Wales, New York.
My mother, who had recently married a Canadian-American, came to South Africa to take me to live with them in Cleveland, Ohio in the US.
After a visit to my brother in the then-Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Christmas with my Welsh family, we went to Cleveland, via New York. We crossed the very rough Atlantic ocean on the Queen Mary. I was quite ill with seasickness, so don't remember much about it. We were in New York for a few days, I was amazed by the skyscrapers and excited about buying a Davy Crockett hat. I'll never forget the bitter cold. Coming from the South African summer to the grip of winter was a jolt.
Athens Airport en route to the UK - Dec. 1960
Moving to Cleveland, USA. where it all began.
I started attending Cleveland Heights High School early in January. Great culture shock, as I had always been to small private schools, and 3000 students was overwhelming. Also, as the American and British/South African curricula are different, the school administrators were not sure where I would fit in. I did mention I liked music, so with a sigh of relief, they told me to go to orchestra. The director was very kind, but baffled, as I didn't actually play an orchestral instrument. I had taken a year or so of piano lessons, not very helpful in that class. However, he said " Well, we need cellists, so here is a cello and a method book. My office is over there. You can practice there."
Moving to Cleveland, USA. where it all began.
I started attending Cleveland Heights High School early in January. Great culture shock, as I had always been to small private schools, and 3000 students was overwhelming. Also, as the American and British/South African curricula are different, the school administrators were not sure where I would fit in. I did mention I liked music, so with a sigh of relief, they told me to go to orchestra. The director was very kind, but baffled, as I didn't actually play an orchestral instrument. I had taken a year or so of piano lessons, not very helpful in that class. However, he said " Well, we need cellists, so here is a cello and a method book. My office is over there. You can practice there."
After two months or so, I knew I loved playing the cello and that it was the instrument for me, so my mother arranged for me to have lessons in the Saturday School of the Cleveland Institute of Music. I was at the Cleveland Heights High School for one semester. During that time, I did actually get to play in the orchestra and go on tour with them to Canada. It was so exciting - we went to Montreal, saw the Niagara Falls and other places along the lake. The orchestra played some impressive music -The Swan of Tuonela, Beethoven's first Symphony (I could play the first and last notes and a few in between, as it was in C, and I knew that scale!), Grieg's Piano Concerto, Bloch's Schlomo. All this was so very new and thrilling for me, opening up a whole world of wonderful music. My fellow classmates were so friendly and welcoming, including me in their activities. I had never had such a fun social life before, and of course not a boyfriend, but after a while I did meet a very nice young man, Hal.
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