A few simple suggestions to help you play better, yet easy to forget

Left fingers flying on the keys

While teaching the horn for many years, I have met quite a few students who play the horn with “flying fingers”. They often have great tension in their left hand and in their whole body as well. As they play, often there is no cooperation with tongue and fingers. They also have difficulties mastering a fast passage safely.

I ask students who have a flying fingers problem to play a scale slowly while slurring. They should concentrate on the finger position of the left hand over the keys until they feel comfortable. Once the left hand fingers are on the keys like a pianist would play on the piano keys correctly, the students usually become much more relaxed and their breathing is enhanced.

While I was a student of Verne Reynolds, I did not recognize my left fingers flying once. Mr. Reynolds suggested to me to practice my scale slowly with left fingers taped to the keys until I felt comfortable playing scale without flying fingers. I still remember how that helped me a lot to relax and breath well when I played the horn.

In 2016, the Association Française du Cor - that stands for France’s Horn Society - celebrates its 40th anniversary through four very different and complementary horn festivals in France :

1st Highlight : AULNAY early February‎ gathered many international (Marie-Louise Neunecker, Kristina Mascher and Kerry Turner, Bruno Schneider..) and French horn players (quite a challenge to name all the contributors invited by organiser and former AFC president Daniel Catalanotti) up around an eclectic programme on modern, natural, hunting, marine, jazz, Alp horns, and a special tribute to the female horn players, culminating in a 4 hours concert.

2nd Highlight :‎ PARIS mid-March‎ successfully pursued 2 innovative objectives : first, enhance the relationship between the French provinces and Paris horn classes. It for instance offered‎ students from everywhere the opportunity to participate in master-classes with Benoît de Barsony (Orchestre de Paris principal, AFC President), Vladimir Dubois (Opéra de Paris principal), Hervé Joulain (Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France principal) and André Cazalet (Orchestre de Paris principal, Professor at the Conservatoire de Paris). Or to attend a fascinating lecture by Michel Garcin-Marrou (IHS Honorary Member, former Orchestre de Paris principal and Professor at the Conservatoires de Lyon and Paris‎) on Emmanuel Chabrier’s Larghetto, etc. Second, enable the very first performance of a grand ensemble of more than 20 leading horn players from Paris’ best orchestras - joined by the students upon the final concert.

3rd Highlight : SALLAUMINES (abutting LENS, Northern and formerly mining area of France) will late May propose in a warm atmosphere, upon initiative from Vincent Huart (previous AFC president) : quartets and large horn ensemble concerts, original masterclasses, a composer score signing session, a competition for young hornists, exhibitions and educational presentations to the schools around our instrument.

4th Highlight : AVIGNON‎ end of June will also celebrate its 20th Horn Festival (host Eric Sombret) since the memorable 1982 IHS Symposium that had taken place in the Popes’ Palace. With numerous concerts and shows by horn ensembles and soloists, prominent horn players, students and amateurs from Southern France and Europe will have the horn resound to its fullest in the heart of this historic city.

Like the IHS, the Association Française du Cor promotes the art, craft and fun of horn playing. It regroups numerous interprets, teachers, students and amateurs who love their golden horn. The language is usually French, but its focus is definitely on both international and French-speaking horn players. The AFC supports or organises festivals, exhibitions, concerts around the horn. It also publishes a generous magazine - La Revue du Corniste - newsletters, and acts as an information network for its members.

More information on www.associationfrancaiseducor.fr and on Facebook.

Any idea to further develop the IHS – AFC (research, editorial, events .. ) exchanges most welcome ! Please contact :

Matthieu Arnaud, member of the AFC Advisory Board
Vincent Andrieux, AFC vice-president

English version

En 2016, l'Association Française du Cor fête ses 40 ans d'existence au travers de quatre festivals très différents et complémentaires en France :

1. AULNAY a rassemblé début février de nombreux cornistes, internationaux (tels Marie-Luise Neunecker, Kristina Mascher et Kerry Turner, Bruno Schneider) et français (impossible de célébrer ici nommément chacun des merveilleux contributeurs invités par Daniel Catalanotti, ex président AFC) sur une scène éclectique et festive mêlant cor moderne, cor naturel, trompes de chasse, cor des Alpes, conques marines, jazz… Un hommage particulier fut rendu aux femmes cornistes, le tout culminant dans un superbe concert de près de 4 heures.
2. PARIS fin mars a réuni avec succès de très nombreux passionnés pour ses « Rencontres du Cor » autour de deux objectifs novateurs : en premier lieu, développer les relations entre les classes de cor de province et de Paris. Par exemple, elles offrirent à des étudiants de tous horizons l’opportunité de participer à des classes de maîtres avec Benoît de Barsony (cor solo Orchestre de Paris, président de l’AFC), Vladimir Dubois (cor solo Opéra de Paris), Hervé Joulain (cor solo Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France) et André Cazalet (cor solo Orchestre de Paris, professeur au Conservatoire de Paris). Ou encore d’assister à une conférence passionnante de Michel Garcin-Marrou (membre honoraire de l‘IHS, cor solo Orchestre de Paris, professeur aux Conservatoires de Lyon et Paris) sur le Larghetto d’Emmanuel Chabrier, etc. Ces rencontres ont ensuite permis pour la première fois en France de constituer un grand ensemble de plus de 20 cornistes issus des pupitres des meilleures orchestres parisiens - rejoints par les étudiants pour le concert final.
3. SALLAUMINES (qui jouxte la ville de LENS dans l’ancien bassin minier du nord de la France) proposera fin mai à l’initiative de Vincent Huart - précédent président AFC - des concerts de quatuors et grands ensembles de cors, de cor des Alpes, des classes de maîtres originales, le tout dans une atmosphère chaleureuse propre à cette région. Ce festival offrira aussi une séance de dédicace avec un compositeur et interprète, un concours pour les jeunes cornistes (niveau 3ème cycle), des expositions ainsi que des présentations éducatives pour les écoles autour de notre instrument.
4. AVIGNON célébrera aussi fin juin son 20ème Festival du Cor organisé par Eric Sombret, depuis le mémorable Symposium IHS qui eut lieu en 1982 dans le cadre du Palais des Papes. Au travers de nombreux concerts et spectacles de solistes et d’ensembles de cors, des cornistes de premier plan, étudiants, amateurs du sud de la France et d'Europe feront retentir notre instrument dans le cœur de cette ville historique.

by Sherry Wegner

As an amateur musician, I often play my horn for fun and have many unique opportunities to play with a variety of groups. I have been living in Bonn, Germany for 8 years and have had many opportunities to travel with a few different orchestras to places like China, France, Ireland, Austria and Germany.

I would like to talk to you about my experiences playing with the Rainbow Symphony of Cologne in Cologne Germany. I was asked to play with the RSC because they needed a few more horns, and a friend of mine asked if I would be interested. I said..."I'm not gay." She said that they are also a gay friendly orchestra, so if you support the gay community in any way, you should play. I have many friends in America that are gay and have always felt very comfortable around them - so I figured why not.

The RSC has about 35 members. They play just a few times a year in which they get together and have a rehearsal weekend and play a concert. We have members from all over Europe. Our percussionist brings her own timpani all the way from Basel, Switzerland. The Harp player comes from Paris, and we have a few string players from other parts of Germany as well.