Andrew S. Dalby

Category: Dark Horse Musings

  • Hello Laptop My Old Friend

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    What a few weeks it has been since I last wrote a post. I am quite disappointed in myself for not keeping up to my once a week posting routine, but the festive period has thrown a lot of things at me. It all began brilliantly with the YSO Concert in the Sir Jack Lyons…

  • String Quartet in D Major

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    Many years ago I wrote a string quartet and like many of my older works it has been neglected and overlooked. Recently I have been reviewing it along with other completed compositions and it has only required a little editing before being ready for “engraving”. As it is a work for stringed instruments I think…

  • Floods, F.O.M.O. and Email

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    One of the most frustrating things about running a website is all the snake-oil merchants who flood your inbox with promises of improving your website for just the price of an arm and a leg. It has become so bad that I am seriously considering closing down the email part of the website and relying…

  • Fresh Magic

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    Like all good crescendos Christmas begins quite a long way before the actual time of the loudest part. As any good musician knows, it is wise not to peak too soon otherwise you are left with nowhere to go. I am a little concerned that Christmas has arrived before I was ready for it. We…

  • Hiding in Plain Sight

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    Every once in a while I am asked to play the organ at church. This usually happens because our two regular organists John and my wife Claire are otherwise occupied. This week was Claire’s turn, but as she is on leave from work at he moment and heading to Scotland for some down time with…

  • Too Many Irons

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    I think this is the most tardy I have been in posting my weekly blog which is very frustrating. All I can say in my defence is that I have been busy with other things both family and business. I have too many irons in the fire sometimes and when something has to give it…

  • We Will Remember Them!

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    It is that time of year when many of us trumpet and cornet players ready ourselves to do one of the loneliest jobs in music; playing the Last Post and Reveille at a service of remembrance. The last time I did this was at a civic gathering the night before Her Majesty’s funeral in Thirsk…

  • That Late for Christmas Feeling

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    I am feeling rather pleased this week as I have added my Suite for Trumpet to the Dark Horse stable of music for solo trumpet. To be honest it would probably work well for a Bb baritone or euphonium too. After a slight mishap in the ordering of the pages in the proof, which was…

  • Old Forms and Modern Vocabulary

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    It is one of those quite exciting periods of time when you hand your work over to others for the finishing touches prior to publication. In some ways the work is done, yet there is that nagging uncertainty about the whole affair whilst you wait to see the proofs. Monday is proof day, and if…

  • Late Entries

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    DarkHo_Admin
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    It is Monday and I should have had this post published on Friday. As is often the case I am running a little late. You know that feeling you have when you are in a rehearsal and the conductor says they want to start at a point somewhere in the score, and by the time…