Making the CD - weekend recording session
24-25 March 2012
Early on the Saturday morning of 24th March, the band assembled in the studio at Theale Green Community School to start work on recording a CD. The disc marks the band's 125th anniversary (that was actually in 2011, but these things take time to organize, you know).
Setting up was done very quickly and efficiently, and after playing a couple of pieces to warm up, we set about recording for real. People soon got into the required routine - particularly the five second or so game of silent statues at the end of playing so the sound can die away naturally.
The band played well, and while a second take of nearly every piece was done, there was really very little by way of re-recording specifically to patch up problems. Day one passed quickly for most of us. MD Derek Holland stayed behind to listen through the day's efforts and pick out pieces that would need another take on Sunday.
On Sunday we started bright and early again - even earlier, given the clocks had gone forward to summer time overnight. The day commenced with retakes of a couple of pieces, and then the remainder of the content for the CD was tackled, including the solos. These proved the greatest challenge for all concerned. Throughout the recording session, one has a feeling similar to being on the contest stage, except you are your own very hard adjudicator, and the pressure on the solists is even greater than for others. We survived nevertheless!
First impressions are that the recorded material is of high quality, with plenty to choose from to put on the CD. Possibly, enough to make it worth creating a double CD, even!
Details of how to order your copy will be published when available. Meanwhile, the band would like to thank Johnson's Wax of Frimley, who also celebrated their 125th annivesrary in 2011, for the contribution from their charitable trust to the expenses of this project.