Sotto Voce - spit happens


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Posted by Kenneth Sloan on May 18, 2002 at 22:55:20:

In a preview of their ITEC appearance, Sotto Voce was the hit of the Classical Oasis at Birmingham's City Stages this afternoon. Even my wife (the flute player) loved it.

Mike Forbes played three different instruments, including Euphonium. At least, the horn was a euphonium - the mouthpiece was unlike any euph mouthpiece I've ever seen. Suffice it to say that the shank fit the horn and the rim fit Mike's face. Lord (and Schilke) only know what happened in between - aren't screw-threads wonderful?)

About 3/4 of the way through, Mike demonstrated how *not* to empty water from your 5th valve slide. The slide didn't want to come out (apply force...oops...POP!) and then didn't seem to want to go back in (again, apply force). After which, the valve was sluggish (and Demondrae Thurman's pants were all wet - and he was standing at least 5 feet away).

Demondrae was returning to the site of an early triumph. He appeared at the same location in 1994 as a scholarship winner. This afternoon he demonstrated that the scholarship went to good use! He swayed marvelously from side to side as he made his euphonium sing.

Sotto Voce played an enoyable mix of various styles - avoiding the usual tuba/euph quartet stereotypes as much as possible. This was partly due to the flexibility of the tubists, (Forbes and Nate McIntosh) who played two flavors of tuba (big and BIGGER), euphonium, and *sang* (both legit, and as special effects through their horns). Mendelsohn though Stevens, with a brief stop-over at St. James Infirmary. Little of it was originally written for tuba-euph, but Forbes seems to be able to arrange *anything* for this group. (stealing from the violins *is* quite a stretch)

My wife (the flute player) was particularly impressed by Mike's resonant bass singing voice, and by the "elephant blasts" used to wake up the blue-haired classical music fans. I enjoyed it all. And, I'm enjoying much of it again - the CD (available from Summit) is nearly as good as the live performance.



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