June Emerson New Publications

We've just unpacked the latest batch of new publications from June Emerson. That woman will stop at nothing to keep wind players busy!

There are two arrangements of Gershwin's "Promenade" - also known as "Walking the Dog", from the 1937 film Shall We Dance . One is for flute choir, around grade 5-6 standard, the other for Saxophone Quintet (SAATB) . There is also an arrangement for wind quintet of Scott Joplin's Bethena, although it's aimed at players of Grade 6/7 standard.

There is a trio for Oboe, Violin and Piano called Air Variations and Finale by one Dorothy Howell, (1898-1982), apparently once referred to as "the finest woman composer of her era", although I'll be the first to admit I hadn't heard of her. Standard is quoted as Grade 8, for what is described as a "beautiful, lyrical work."

Bassoonists will make a meal of Four Tasty Morsels by Paul Lewis, or perhaps they could be an hors d'oeuvre to the virtuosic Airs Suedois for Bassoon and Piano by Bernhard Crusell.

Holst's Brook Green Suite, originally written for strings, has been arranged for Oboe and Piano by Russell Denwood. Clarinettists are treated to a Sonatina by Paul Carr, a piece called Gallimaufry by Jonathan Cooper and 21st Century Studies by Colin Radford. There's a Sonatina for Solo Saxophone and a three movement piece for Trumpet and Piano called Revelry by Philip Godfrey.

All these are in stock, now,available to browse.

Fortunately, there is absolutely NOTHING for Vuvuzela.

Yes, We Have No Vuvuzelas !

As a contribution to peace and quiet in general, we have decided not to stock Vuvuzelas - the dreadful plastic horns originally intended to scare baboons, that are making the background noise to World Cup Football matches so tedious.

We don't really need them - we already have lots of things that make noises of various degrees of unpleasantness !

I was going to make a list of the most objectionable instruments and sound effects, but I'd only upset someone. It's difficult to make a nasty sound on a harp, but more or less any instrument can be played or abused in a way that makes the eyes water - and there's a cue for a load of jokes about incompetent instrumentalists.

Anyway, we've decided that 140Db is OTT. Nobody needs it.

The Call of the Bewildering...

Many years ago, we started keeping a collection of tales of some of the funniest things that have happened in the shop. I came across the folder by accident this morning, and had a look. Some of the entries are hilarious. Some are so un-hilarious you wonder why anybody bothered to write them down. Some of the funny conversations with customers have been repeated so often that they’re no longer surreal, merely routine. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked if I know who wrote Pachelbel’s Canon.

Many of the best ones are telephone conversations. I remember picking up a phone call one night just after we’d closed. The voice said “Is that Mr Pullman?”

“No we don’t have a Mr Pullman. Perhaps you have a wrong number. This is Balaams Music on 766933 “

“Are you a trombonist?” asked the caller, in a baffling non sequitur.

“No I’m not..”

“Then how do you know that 766933 is Balaam’s Music ?”

“Because I am answering the phone from there”

Caller hangs up…..