Me and a pony called Friday – on a freezing Welsh moor in April

Stable Girls are expected to turn out morning and evening, in all weathers, to perform repetitive tasks for dismal amounts of money – sounds familiar?

This winter I’ve discovered a whole untapped aspect of my wardrobe, perfect for winter organ playing – my horse-riding gear. I’m not talking boots, bits and bridles here*  but the sort of clothing that riders throw on every morning before they stump down to the stables for another round of mucking out and dressage practice.

So girls, visit your local Tack Store rather than the High Street for warm, practical, and inexpensive clothes for playing in.   The gilets and padded waistcoats are particularly good, as are the fleeces designed to keep your neck nice and warm along with the rest of you, and thermal trousers and undergarments for that desperate sub-zero church practice slot.

I have a black quilted gilet from Shires which I think is very smart – more Star Trek than Stable Girl actually.  I am slightly tempted even to play in my sticky-bum jodphurs (designed to keep you in the saddle, and possibly also from sliding off the organ bench?) but I think that’s probably going too far.

Colourwise, you’ll probably want to steer clear of the sea of bubble gum pink aimed at the younger rider – too garish even for the third Sunday in Advent.  You’ll find most grown-up Stable Girl Style clothes are in sober colours (to cope with mud, and what are euphemistically called stable stains) and wash like a dream (same reason).

Also check carefully for inappropriate slogans  – playing next Sunday with “Frisky Filly” in large letters across your back might send the wrong message to elderly male members of the congregation.

*Sorry about that.  I have noticed that some non-riders’ eyes light up at the mere mention of horsey gear, thinking that the riding fraternity always have something kinky going on.  And if you don’t believe me, try leaving a pair of  riding boots and a training whip in the back of your car, and clock the reaction of the next guy who helps you load your purchases from the DIY store or wherever.

What the well-dressed lady organist is wearing this winter

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She needs more sponsorship if she’s going to get all the way through to Pentecost – her Just Giving page is here.

More about the project:

Liturgical Hair

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Don’t do it! Distracting footwear, particularly in a conductor, is a floggable offence, says Zachariah Friesen
/Wiki Commons Alfonso Romero

Take Note is the blog of Sheet Music Plus.  Click here for a recent post by Zachariah Friesen on concert etiquette, which I particularly enjoyed.   Good advice for youngsters coming into the music profession – and a few reminders for some oldies.

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For grinding through daily aural tests practice for the CertRCO exam, I used Ear Trainer (from Dev4Phone) and Solfi2.  Solfi2 was a bit clunky to use and neither was the complete answer, but they are better than nothing and hey, I passed.

(There’s a free Lite version of Ear Trainer if you want to trial it.  I see Solfi2 has since upgraded to Solfi Ear Trainer 3 which looks less basic, but I have yet to see what it’s like.)

Most professional musicians have ClearTune on their smart phones, because it is just so good.   25 different temperament settings would you believe: Vallotti, Werkmeister, Kirnberger, Pythagorean, Zarlino Meantone (no I don’t know what that one is either) or just good old equal temperament.   A friend of mine uses it every day to tune a harpsichord, and you can check the intonation of an instrument you are playing too.

There are quite a few metronome apps and I’m not saying this is necessarily the one you would like best, but I favour the Steinway Metronome because it’s quite simple and classy.

If you just need to give an A then Schott Music Tuning Fork will do that for you (at various concert pitches).

Fans of Spotify you will probably already know that you can download an app to listen on your mobile as well as your computer.   I’ve been studying new repertoire by downloading my Spotify playlists so I can listen offline on my iPhone when travelling.

Avid Scorch will open Sibelius files on your iPad and play them back, with the option to transpose, select parts, and change the tempo.   It’s good if you want to demo a piece.   It also opens pdfs.  I was asked to “play something” on a hotel piano by friends last summer, so propped my iPad up and played from what I happened to have on it.  (They got Rameau, which I don’t think was really their bag.)

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This lack of sartorial elegance may not matter if you lurk behind a screen when playing, as many of us do. But I am not robed in any of my churches, and I am also very much on show, and I do I like to appear Professional and Smart (if only in the fond hope that the congregation will then assume I am also Competent).

Girls, can I recommend a dress item which has fallen off the fashion radar but is immensely practical and that is petticoats, for insulation and warmth?  Proper petticoats such as from House Of Olivier – as featured in Vogue.  If you have any dressmaking skills you could make something yourself.  They are very cosy and make your skirts look nice. (I am not a trouser person.)

Look on ebay for boiled wool jackets.  Preferably by Hobbs – although these still cost real money by ebay standards, they are a fraction of the eye-watering prices in the shops.   I have two, and they are really nothing more than a comfy thick cardy, but they look tailored and are easier to play in than a proper jacket.

I see M&S are doing 140 denier thermal fleece tights, as well as 100 denier with wool – time to stock up!

Any one else play in fingerless gloves in the winter?  I’ve found it feels awkward at first, but you get used to it.  My cheapo multi-coloured gloves from Accessorize are now a bit tatty so I have just replaced them with I like to think are a slightly more chic pair from Barbour in black.

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