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…..

Sale Extended one More Week !

We've decided to keep the Balaam's Music May Sale going for one extra week in June.

As it's half-term week, there will be plenty of people who haven't had the chance to stock up on music with the extra discount, and we've still got loads of special offers to put out!

Remember that VAT is almost certain to go up later this month, so there is every reason to buy that special instrument now.

Naxos - Busting out all Over !

The June releases from Naxos arrived this morning. First out of the box is a collection of Choral music by Eric Whitacre. Although still a relatively young man – he was born in 1970 - Whitacre’s music is becoming increasingly popular with choirs and choral societies. We’ve certainly sold hundreds of his choral parts in the last couple of years, with pieces like Lux Aurumque and Water Night leading the way. It’s interesting, beautiful, music with original textures and sonorities, set to a wide variety of texts. Performed by a top Canadian chamber choir, the Elora Festival Singers, conducted by Noel Edison, it’s a highly enjoyable fiver’s worth. (That’s if you buy three other Naxos CDs – you get four for twenty quid !)

Next we have a real rarity – the opera Lurline by one William Vincent Wallace, of whom I’m not ashamed to say I’d never heard. The setting of the opera is the Lorelei Rock in the Rhine, on which the siren Lurline played her enchanting harp to lure fishermen to a watery grave. Richard Bonynge has prepared a new performing edition of this work, which was declared a complete success by Vitorian theatre critics, and ran for a “substantial” number of performances. A double CD, at £9-99 – certainly one for lovers of opera rarities to investigate.

On more familiar territory, the next in the series of Haydn Masses features the ever popular Nelson Mass, and the St Nicholas Mass.

Beethoven String Quintets – surprisingly obscure – are unearthed by the Fine Arts Quartet, joined by Gil Sharon on Viola. The first, Opus 29 in C major comes between the well known opus 18 quartets and the Rasumovsky quartets. The second, Opus 104, is an arrangement of his early Piano Trio in C minor, and the Fugue in D major is a musical curiosity, written as an inducement to his publisher to make fewer printing errors.

Other highlights for June include Chansons de Mer by Charles-Marie Widor (yes, that Widor!), a collection of Sephardic Romances and Songs, a 3-CD set of Mozart’s Idomeneo, a historic recording of two operas by Gian Carlo Menotti, the Consul and Amelia al Ballo. And finally an intriguing collection of twentieth century music for Clarinet and Clarinet Ensemble entitled Clarinet Hive.

That’s just the ones that I picked out. There are 28 releases scheduled on Naxos for June. Anybody buying them all will get an extra-specially large discount !

Good Turnout !

Our “Sing Up” workshop went really well last night. We had about a couple of dozen teachers attend, and Ben Parry, who led the event, and the ladies from the Sing Up office seemed pleased with the turnout, and the venue, The Malthouse Project, just off Risbygate Street.

In fact everyone was so pleased, we’re going to try to put on some more events of a similar nature. Make sure we’ve got your email address - just send an email to sales@balaamsmusic.co.uk and make the subject “Promotions”. We’ll make sure you know when our next event takes place.

As a bonus last night, there were plenty of pastries left over, so I was able to make up a “doggy bag” to take into the shop this morning. Didn’t last long!

Free Sing Up Workshop Tuesday 25th May

It's not too late to register for our free "Sing Up" workshop on Tuesday at the Maltings Project (lovely building if you haven't been inside before - just behind our shop. Park in the St Andrews St North Car Park!)

It's a workshop led by specialists from Faber Music, and the idea is to explore repertoire for singing in Key Stage 1 & 2. There will be a chance to share techniques and ideas with other teachers, and a chance to look at some of the latest Sing Up publications - PLUS - refreshments and a free Sing Up Goodie Bag!

There is NO CHARGE for any of this!

Tuesday 5:30 to 6:30 - book your place by emailing Kate Wakeling on retailerevent@fabermusic.com with your name and contact email address.