Fraser.
@frasercontra
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Head of Woodwind @RoyalAcadMusic | contrabassoonist in the RPO since 2012 | 🏴 🌈
London
Joined March 2012
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Zadok . This sounds amazing. Amazing.
This ceremony is NOTHING without the music and the musicians.
Remember this current & future members of parliament .
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Yes, it’s another of “those” videos in progress.
Boy it feels good to count rests again, um...
#contrabassoonlyfe
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This is absolutely AWFUL.
46 redundancies across 3 orchestras.
BBC Singers totally axed - the only group of its kind .
Speechless.
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It’s super that some of you musicians out there are busy, really really great.
But.
Please remember the rest of us are still in or only just emerging from the banana bread times. And still worried.
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An exciting journey ahead !
Pleased to announce that
@frasercontra
will be taking over as our new Head of Woodwind from February 2021.
Congratulations, Fraser 👏
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Glared at by two women when I sneezed into my mask (standing room only train)
Neither wearing masks.
“Put yours on then, we should all be wearing them” I said loudly.
Stared back at me… as they slowly put their masks on. Yeah. There we go.
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Manchester already has Opera North.
The whole reason Opera North was created was as a representation of English National Opera for the North of England .
This is so stupid. London needs ENO.
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Let me just take a moment to say, that as the Head of Woodwind
@RoyalAcadMusic
I come from a working class background.
I am passionate abt access to the highest quality of musical education for ALL.
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The sun DID shine and we played loudly for the politicians in the hope they hear us .
@letmusicliveuk
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Dear Music Business,
Can’t fit a full orchestra on stage/in the pit due to covid rules?
Just bought exciting new reduced orchestrations of masterpieces?
Please don’t forget how amazing a full symphony orchestra used to sound.
Yours,
Out of work wind, brass &percussion players.
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The orchestra are stalwarts of an opera company
Loyal players who play their hearts out under the stage, often undervalued and overlooked, the connection in each &every performance, day after day, month after month, year after year, singer after singer, conductor after conductor
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An orchestra list would be really great in the scrolling end credits of a televised concert wouldn’t it ?
I mean, they have been the main stars of the whole show ?!
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Today I’ve been in the RPO for 10 YEARS.
Last night we played The Planets at Carnegie Hall and , know what? It was absolutely awesome.
Never been prouder of the orchestra.
Thanks to all my wonderful colleagues for making it a great journey so far !
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Proud of friends, colleagues and my husband playing in the coronation orchestra today!
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If only they did a
@bbcproms
gogglebox .... pairs of classical musicians commenting on concerts , “oooh she’s had her hair done” etc etc
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An Uber driver asks the dreaded question. What instrument do you play?
Oh yes the contrabassoon, right, quite unusual. Very expensive. How many crooks do you have ? You’ll have a bassoon as well, yes?
Used to work for Allianz insurance!
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You probably need some Schumann on the mini-bassoon this morning.
So here you go.
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Happy to be the first same-sex couple to get married on the Isle of Barra!
Thank you for such a warm welcome
#equalmarriage
#outerhebrides
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No, YOU dropped your best reed in a very quiet bit of Brahms 1 which rolled too far away to get it and then you had to try get the attention of the 2nd oboe player who ignored you because it’s the middle of a concert!
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Being a good conductor means being good with people, and in order to get the best from musicians, you must treat them right.
Part of JEG's tragedy is that he remains a very great conductor
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One of these days, it would be nice to see a male conductor give a bunch of flowers to a male player at the end of a concert.
Maybe by the time I retire ?
What do you reckon? I’ve never seen it. I hope somebody has.
I’d just like like to see it.
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Two types of fixers:
A: “oh no you’ve got COVID! I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope your symptoms are not too bad, rest well and thanks for letting me know. Hope to see you soon once you’re well again”
B: “oh. Right. Um. Damn. This will be tricky. Right, bye.”
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Today is the 9yr anniversary of becoming a member of
@rpoonline
, and coincidentally, my first official day as Head of Woodwind
@RoyalAcadMusic
!
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Take off from Barra’s famous beach runway with a fab view of the Western beach Traigh Eais.
Bye bye dear Isle of Barra , until next time.
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As a member of the extremely fragile, on-death’s-door UK arts community, I find this waste of tax payer’s money absolutely disgusting.
Sky News showing footage of the PM’s Voyager taking off for the first time after its £900k paint job
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The week I moved to London I got a last min seat to the 1st night of Der Rosenkavalier
@E_N_O
I laughed my head off & cried my eyes out; it was an exceptional evening of entertainment at the highest level.
I’ve never forgotten it.
London deserves the survival of this company.
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I just had a lovey and unexpected text from a bassoon colleague thanking me for playing yesterday on his behalf and the sheer sincerity and wholeheartedness of it tipped me over the edge .
Pass the tissues!
#letmusiclive
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Do you absolutely HAVE to let the whole carriage hear your music through your phone?
Yes? Ok, fine. So be it.
I joined in with Ride of the Valkyries and it soon stopped.
I often find whistling along badly encourages it stop too. 😊
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My favourite game to play when bored in a rehearsal is ringing my colleagues one by one in the quiet moments to see who forgot to put their phone on silent...
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3rd year oboe student emails me to check I won’t be angry if they miss a class in order to accept their first week of professional orchestral work …..
Um, overjoyed is more the word!
🎵 🎶 😃 🎉
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The complete woodwind section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hooray for my fabulous colleagues !🎉
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And here we are - hooray it’s our turn this evening with Shostakovich 10 , Ligeti Lontano & Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto
@bbcproms
🎉
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.
@auroraorchestra
team bassoon after our performance of the Rite of Spring, from memory in Helsinki. 🇫🇮
Filmed by Finnish Radio and attended by the musicians of the Radio Orchestra & general public - it was a hit !
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Popped over to Norway for a weekend off.
Then we realised it’s our anniversary, happy days. 🇳🇴
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Yes, even Heathrow T5 are embracing the feel of the force today.... all flights to Alderaan cancelled - fly to Death Star instead ?!
@Maxinekwokadams
@British_Airways
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David found a bunch of postcards I’d written to him when we’d started seeing each other.
None of which have my actual name written at the end.
This is why you don’t need straight pride.
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Hearing my students play together again today was like breathing oxygen again after too long.
They even made the sun come out!
#bassoonsruletheworld
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The Scottish Bassoon Ensemble returns, this time with some Thomas Tallis, beautifully arranged for us by
@stuart_macrae
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Announcement:
this Contrabassoon reed has been through a 40deg delicates wash (eco) incl spin
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When a flute student moans about how heavy a bass flute is to carry round.
I think it dawned on him the second he said it to me ….
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MASSIVE congratulations to our new Principal bassoon, Richard Ion!
Welcome to the wind section of the RPO!
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Just made an emergency Victoria Sponge.
(Yeah I know it’s pancake day, but we had pancakes for breakfast)
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A double reed ESSENTIAL of the 90s.
Admit you’re old. Retweet if you know what this is…
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Have you ever had to google your holiday destination to check whether your sexuality will get you arrested ?
Happy Pride month.
Queer love is love.
X
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
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Somebody once asked me :
“so if you play contrabassoon, does that mean you are AGAINST the bassoon?!”
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Just gave our upstairs neighbours a bottle of gin to say “sorry for all the practising, thanks for being so understanding “
Response: no bother, we particularly liked the day you were recording the ghostbusters video
Most recognisable tune I played in 8 YEARS of living there !
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I'll post a pic of a beautiful beach here too because I think that's a nice idea. This is Eoligarry, Barra, where we were married.x
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There’s nothing QUITE like thrill of playing the last page of The Rite of Spring...
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Our fabulous clarinet section this evening in Hamburg ,
L-R Jenny, Katy, Emma & Sonia
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New series : cakes & concert halls
This one featuring two of my fav examples
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Here’s one of those videos I made with some Scottish bassoon pals.
Bassoon heaven?
Link to the full video, which has less of me just sitting there & more of me actually playing the contra:
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This place is a sight for sore eyes !
Now who’s ready for a bit of Hark The Herald with organ at full pelt (please) ?!
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After five years paying off generous loans [without which I wouldn’t be able to do my job], I now officially own my two beautiful Heckel contrabassoons outright. Whoop!
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And just like that
#ENOMask
is over!
Bravo to all involved, especially to superb colleagues in the winds:
16 players w/ 43 instruments
(the contrabassclari player missed the photoshoot!)
A chapter I shall not forget & imagine won't have another opportunity in my career to repeat.
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Let’s add- not all of them went to specialist training private music schools nor come from musical families.
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HOW many bassoons?!
A massive thank you from ALL past & present Academy bassoons to John Orford as he retires from his post .
A hugely significant era, the fab teaching traditions of which continue at the Academy where some of his former students are now professors!
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Only 2 years since we were protesting to try and save our livelihoods …
Seems like a lifetime ago.
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This is a concert that none of us, orchestra nor audience will forget (!) in a very very long time .
#ritebyheart
🩵💙🩵🤍
Today audiences of the Royal Albert Hall were left astonished by
@auroraorchestra
’s incredible production of The Rite of Spring from memory 🎻💥
A special thanks to actors Karl Queensborough and Charlotte Ritchie as well as the brilliant
@nicholascollon
👏🏻
📸 Andy Paradise
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I think that the MOST irritating about the ignorance of the 2m rule by EVERYONE, is that that’s what is delaying my profession getting going again.
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Reality of a symphony orchestra contrabassoon job:
Your skull being approx 1m from the bells of BOTH the principal trumpet and princ trombone in an 80min Mahler symphony.
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We should probably all take a moment to remember that the 2nd bassoon is the keystone of the orchestra.
If the 2nd bsn is out of tune/behind/badly balanced then the woodwind section will sound terrible.
If the woodwind section sound terrible the orchestra will sound terrible!
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“Oboists, clarinettists & bassoonists are entirely dependent upon a short lived vegetable matter of merciless capriciousness …”
[Baines: Woodwind Instruments & their history]
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Panto: live theatre which brings families together.
This is NOT the time to be snobby about ANY part of the Arts whatsoever.
UK culture secretary doing the rounds this morning to talk up the arts rescue package. Talked about pantomimes on BBC Breakfast, Today and Sky News. PANTOMIMES.
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.
@RishiSunak
MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC
Also: stop distracting everybody from the NHS issue- that needs sorting immediately.
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Happy St Andrew’s Day!
Here’s an early attempt at playing Scotland the Brave on the Sarrusophone*
*I’d literally had the instrument for 15mins- don’t be mean to me !
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Our bass clarinet Prof has the enviable job of choosing one of these beautiful new instruments for our dept.
It’s vital that students who can’t afford these related instruments aren’t at a disadvantage whilst studying - this is an important investment.
#clarinetheaven
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It upsets me when I see straight couples unable to stop touching each other on the tube.
We felt too much fear when we began seeing each other, early experience told us not to attempt it in public.
It sadly doesn’t seem much better 16 years later.
This is why we need pride.🌈🏳️⚧️
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Dear Upstairs Neighbours ,
As you can probably hear, Birtwistle is very difficult and unusual so I do really need to practise it.
Thanks for your understanding and for not stomping around so aggressively tomorrow.
Yours,
Rhythmically Challenged of Downstairs.
X
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The contrabassoonist for tonight’s Prom is generously supported by the following important packed tea item:
#Shostakovich10
@bbcproms
🏴
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Contrabassoon:
super cool or the exhaust pipe of the orchestra?!
🏍️
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This Uist beach is a bit busy 🏴
How’s the weather in London ?
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Conductor to choir: “gosh we really ARE suffering from Irritable VOWEL Syndrome this morning aren’t we?!”
Me: SOLO ECHOING SHRIEK OF LAUGHTER, [clearly the only one not to have heard that before]
Orchestra: STARES
Me: still shrieking away into the cavernous Albert Hall...
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A HUGE audience cheer which came across super clearly on
@BBCRadio3
for
@GuylaineBassoon
after her fantastic solo in the Rite of Spring this evening
@bbcproms
with
@BBCSO
(not forgetting Ravel piano!)
Well done from all of us
@RoyalAcadMusic
😊
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