Principal bassoon, Sarah, talks us through her pre-concert routine and how the Linz symphony brings back memories of her LMP debut.
Do you have any particular pre-concert rituals?
As a reed player you simply cannot go on stage without having soaked and warmed up the reed. One would pay not to hear the sound you get otherwise! Ideally I’d also warm up physically; the bassoon is heavy and it can hurt to hold it for long stints of time, but sometimes we’ve so little time between the end of the rehearsal and the concert that that bit can be skimped over. I might run through some awkward passages, I might find a quiet spot to centre myself if I feel nervous. But generally it’s eat, change, makeup and hair check, soak reed …. GO!
As a reed player you simply cannot go on stage without having soaked and warmed up the reed. One would pay not to hear the sound you get otherwise!
Do you have a favourite moment from the music in this programme?
The Linz Symphony has a special place in my heart. Having just finished studying, the LMP were one of the orchestras who booked me regularly. It was so exciting and daunting to play alongside people who had hitherto been my professors in the National Youth Orchestra or at the Royal Academy of Music. I was in awe. The Linz Symphony was one of the first pieces I ever played professionally with LMP.
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