By Frank Lloyd

Planning a recital?

Whether for your end of year exams, a concert in your local church, or as a professional looking for an all-in ‘tour de force’ programme, planning a recital can be for some a huge task, considering the many elements of a programme which need to be taken into account – not least building the stamina required to be able to get through it!

Recitals are hard, far harder in my view than playing ‘just’ a concerto, as you can be playing up to an hour or more of music in a full-length concert recital. Bearing this in mind, preparation on many levels is of utmost importance.

Like training running for a marathon, you need to start in plenty of time to build the necessary stamina and endurance. Unfortunately, there is no quick way to build playing endurance other than working on pieces and exercises that are taxing. Working the embouchure hard (but not beyond exhaustion) is the means in which demanding something from your body will result in it responding by building strength in the area you are working – in this case the embouchure.  Demanding more = response & improvement.

As with any hard training regime, rest is an important part, as rest = recovery. We have to respect the muscles we are working and not demand/expect too much. Recognise the signals you are getting when you practice, and be aware that when you start feeling tired it’s time to take a break. Overdoing it will damage the muscle fibres, prolonging the recovery and lessening the training effect – and can even jeopardise the concert. In this respect, leaving anything to the last minute is a recipe for disaster, as too late is simply too late. Don’t put yourself under pressure by trying to do everything in a week. Plan your programme following the tips below, and start your preparation in plenty of time as this will lessen the stress when the concert approaches.

Hello, dear colleagues of the Horn! I am a life member of the IHS and would like to congratulate all involved with our society for the fantastic work that has been done for almost a half century.

I was born in London, and after studying with Adrian Leaper, came to Brazil in 1977 and started playing in the Orchestra of the Municipal Theatre in Rio de Janeiro. It took me a while to get used to the heat, but I learned to love the rich culture and to appreciate the good-natured “carioca” people. I continued my studies in Rio with João Jeronimo Meneses and Zdenék Svab and became more involved with the music scene in Brazil, playing in other orchestras, namely the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and The Petrobras Sinfônica, as well as solo, chamber work and commercial recording. In 1987 I joined the Villa-Lobos Wind Quintet, which this year celebrates 55 years of existence, and since then am proud to have been able to divulge Brazilian music with this group, recording many CDs, touring extensively, and playing over 1000 concerts in Brazil and overseas.

I have been teaching horn at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro since 2010 and have been lucky to have had some very talented students, some of which I hope will be able to attend IHS49-Natal. I was very fortunate to be able to find a gap in my busy schedule to participate in the IHS47-LA, and had a grand time with my Brazilian friends: Radegundis Tavares, Marcus Bonna, Adalto and Lucca Soares, whilst marveling at the amazing virtuosity of the international horn all-stars.

I have an obligation to play Brazilian music in the symposium, and one of my passions is the work of the wonderful Moacir Santos, an underated jazz composer from Pernambuco who immigrated to California in the 60´s. I thought it would be appropriate to play his “Melodia” for Horn and Orchestra. Moacir´s work has had somewhat of a revival, due to the research of Mario Adnet, Zé Nogueira and Andrea Ernest Dias, and I have been lucky to be able to have known Mr. Santos´s music as a member of the Ouro Negro band, a group created especially for playing this brilliant composer´s music.

Other works I will be playing are by Alexandre Schubert, a composer resident in Rio de Janeiro who is writing a piece especially for the symposium, and Orlando Alves, a professor of composition in the Federal University of Paraíba.

 I hope that everyone will enjoy the hospitality of the “potiguar” people of Natal and would especially like to thank my friend Radegundis Tavares on organizing our IHS49-Natal!

Hello everyone, my name is Mami Abe, Coordinator of IHS JAPAN.

I currently live in Tokyo, Japan. This year’s Symposium will be held in Natal, Brazil, which is roughly 12,000 km along a straight line from Japan to Brazil. Hypothetically, if I were to dig down straight starting from my house in Tokyo, I would be able to reach Brazil. However, there is no such technology at this moment… The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, appeared during the closing ceremony of Rio Olympic games dressed in SUPER MARIO by a Warp Pipe from Shibuya, Japan. In simple terms, Brazil is the opposite side of the world to Japan.

The shortest way by flying from Japan to Brazil would take roughly 35 hours long (1day and 11 hours, one day and a half).

About 250,000 Japanese people migrated to Brazil starting 100 years ago, and now they have grown to a community of 1.6 million people. Furthermore, many Brazilians have moved to different parts of Japan. It is not too much to say that the manufacturing companies are supported by a growing Brazilian population in Japan.

I am a travel enthusiast. I have attended many International Symposia: Munich, Kansas City (Missouri), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Los Angeles, Ithaca.

I have met many new hornists during these events and tremendously enjoyed being able to perform together in mass horn choirs.

Brazil’s music and food have been gaining popularity in Japan. If time permits, I would like to go to Brazil.

My recent trip to the USA was exhausting enough. I wonder what fun awaits me after traveling a day and half to Natal. Whether it’s listening to Samba and Bossa Nova, or eating Brazilian food in Natal, I am certain I will enjoy my time there.

I am truly looking forward to meeting new people from around the world in Natal, Brazil.