I mentioned a while back about playing in a production of West Side Story – but that wasn’t my first (nor my last) experience of being in a “pit”.
My first such experience came when a few of us were asked if we would be willing to travel to Kingussie to help out the orchestra in the school production of Pirates of Penzance – if I remember correctly we were a trumpet, horn, trombone, clarinet and viola(?) – perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong! Anyway – when we got there we found that we were actually about half of the total orchestra 😂
It was a good production though – the music teacher was extremely enthusiastic and had trained the cast very well and everyone was enjoying themselves.
One thing we noticed quite quickly was that her conducting style – whilst effective – wasn’t always conventional. In particular she had a habit of not bringing you off at the end of a section. At the end of the first act on the second night we decided that we would wait for her to actually bring us off – it was a very long last note before she twigged what was going on 😂😂😉
Gilbert & Sullivan : Pirates of Penzance – When the Foeman Bares His Steel
Comments :
Steve Thomas
you rascal 🤣😂