Cobweb Orchestra’s Silver Anniversary Celebrations – this weekend!
Cobweb Orchestra’s Silver Anniversary Celebrations (Saturday 3 – Monday 5 October 2020)
As we’re not able to meet up in person to celebrate a quarter of a century of Cobweb-style music making, we’ve come up with a programme of virtual activities which will be delivered via Zoom. If you haven’t used Zoom before, don’t worry. It’s very simple. It can be accessed by laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or even a landline (though you can’t actually see anyone if you use this option). You don’t need to download any software or app onto your device – just follow the link which Lorna will send you by e-mail the day before each event.
There are 4 separate events for you to enjoy and we hope to see many of you at many of them.
All events are FREE, but donations to help cover costs would be welcome. If you’d like to contribute, simply make a BACS payment using the following details: A/C: 65560297 Sort Code: 08-92-99 Reference: “SILVER/your surname”.
Saturday 3rd October. 7-8.30 pm Silver Anniversary Virtual Concert Party
ENROL HERE
Take this opportunity to decorate your Zoom backdrop (and yourselves?) in Shimmering Silver, pour yourself a cocktail (see Andy’s suggestion below) or other celebratory drink and toast 25 years of musical bliss with Cobweb players creating their own celebratory entertainment.
We’re inviting all players, old and new, to join us, so please plot and prepare…do you have any ‘silver’ related pieces to play? Or anything which you can share which has a special ‘Cobwebs’ related memory, (whether that is 12 years or 12 months ago)?
We’d like to hear small groups (subject to the most recent government guidelines), as well as soloists. All are welcome, but please let Andy or Lorna know beforehand if you intend playing at the concert so that they can make sure they can fit everyone in.
Please book your seat in the virtual auditorium by clicking here – Lorna will send details of how to log into the event on Friday 2nd October.
Cocktails – a note from Andy:
“Those of you who have ever been to any of our residential events will have tasted one of my cocktails created especially for the event: Vodka based for Tchaikovsky, Prosecco based for Rossini – you get the idea.
Creating a “virtual cocktail” for a Silver event has been a challenge as everybody’s drinks cabinet is different, but here is my suggestion for something that might work using ingredients and accessories you might have in the house.
Take the most beautiful glass you have and half fill it with ice. Cut a lime or lemon in two and squeeze the juice from one half over the ice. Cut a thin slice of fruit from the other half, make a cut from the centre to one edge and hang it on the edge of the glass.
Add a clear spirit* (vodka, white rum, gin, etc.) then fill the glass with something fizzy (tonic water, soda water, cava). Decorate with cocktail umbrellas, sparklers, or anything else celebratory. Stir and sip.”
*For a non-alcoholic version, miss out the alcohol
Sun 4th Oct 2-3 pm Flourishing Friendships
ENROL HERE
Accompany Iona Brown and Alice Jones in a virtual performance. At Cobwebs, we are proud and fortunate to consider these fine soloists our friends. We are so looking forward to playing with them – how else could we host such talent in our own homes?
Nikki Lipinski will introduce Iona, with accompanist David Murray playing Chausson’s Poème pour violon et orchestre and Alice with Catherine Herriott (piano) playing excerpts from Elgar’s Cello Concerto
Once you have joined the Zoom session, you can play along to the performances whilst on “mute”. You will hear the soloists and accompanists and yourself, but the technology won’t allow you to hear the rest of the orchestra, who will all be playing in their own homes.
This is the closest we are able to get to communal playing using Zoom. It is a compromise and doesn’t compare with playing together in the same room, but regular attendees at our “Musical Bookclub” events will tell you how enjoyable it can be.
Here are links to the parts you will need if you intend playing along:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Po%C3%
https://imslp.org/wiki/Cello_
Alternatively, if you’d prefer, you can sit back and listen you our wonderful soloists.
Please book your desk in the virtual orchestra by clicking here – Lorna will send details of how to log into the event on Saturday 3rd October.
Sun 4th Oct 6-7 pm Archive Hour
ENROL HERE
Founder member Howard Rocke presents some memorable moments from Cobweb’s first quarter of a century: featuring videos, recordings, articles, photos and memoires.
Afterwards, the Zoom breakout room will be open so those who want to can stay behind to catch up with old friends or make new ones.
Please tell us if you that you’ll be there by clicking here. Lorna will send details of how to log into the event on Saturday 3rd October.
Mon 5th Oct 7.30-9pm Back to Beethoven
ENROL HERE
Join Chris Griffiths and Andy Jackson for a brief reminiscence about how Cobwebs started and then play along to a recording of the first piece we ever attempted to play.
This event will take place exactly 25 years after our very first Cobweb rehearsal in Annfield Plain Library.
Please click here to see the flyer from the first night!
That historic invitation is still as relevant today as it was a quarter of a century ago.
So help us mark this special anniversary by brushing any cobwebs off your own instrument cases/music stands to join us as we recreate the first ever Cobweb Orchestra rehearsal with a virtual scratch performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
Here is a link to your own part so that you can download it and join in.
https://imslp.org/wiki/
After the session, those who’d like to can hang around in the virtual pub – the perfect end to a varied weekend of playing, listening and remembering.
Please let us know that you’re attending this event by clicking here. Lorna will send details of how to log into the event on Sunday 4th October.
