My New Love(s)

The News

No, you are not seeing double. That truly is two Buffet clarinets that I have on trial. One of the things that I had hoped to do more now that I am out of the ER and no longer doing night work is music. I have been added to our church's "arts team" which includes music for the services. For several years now I have put together song services and led them for Sabbath School. Rarely have I been invited to be part of the music program for the church service itself.

The Background

Before our Niagara vacation Jean and I played our instruments (flute and clarinet, respectively) for offeratory one week and we enjoyed it quite a bit even if we did feel like we were shaking in our boots because we simply haven't done it before.

Today I was asked to provide a special music for church. I thought that Allison and I could play our clarinets together: both are Buffet R-13 models - hers is vintage ~1995 and mine is vintage ~1937 and quite worn out with notes that hardly speak without a second or two delay and very difficult to blow.

However Deb is still home from college for another week so Allison thought that we could do a vocal number with her playing the piano. We selected "How Long Has It Been" which is a M. Lister song from the mid-1950s and got it ready to perform. Deb and I also led the congregational singing as well. Mid-week I was invited to lead Sabbath School song service as well.

Then the new clarinets that I had requested to try out arrived yesterday.

The Clarinet Story

When I resigned from the hospital there was no fanfare. I just left. The medical staff and the administration wanted to do something, so they asked Jean what I would like. She had heard me mention getting a telescope a few times over the years so she mentioned that was an interest of mine. True enough. But there is quite a bit of light pollution where we live (in town) so replacing my clarinet seemed like a much better use of the money that they gave me some weeks after I resigned as a "farewell gift."

I spoke with Lisa of Lisa's Clarinet Shop and she selected two new clarinets for me to try out: an R-13 and a Festival. The Festival is supposed to have a sweeter sound and be easier to play. I hurried home from work early last night as Beth came up with my Mom for the weekend AND the clarinets had come. I played the clarinets for over 1 1/2 hours. Then we went up to the church to practice our vocal number for church and Allison tried the two clarinets briefly and we played together for a few minutes. She came home with us, had supper with us (including fresh corn on the cob and blueberries that Mom and Beth brought from NH) and then we played some more for nearly 2 more hours!

So when we went to church we offered to do a clarinet duet if there was a place in the service where it would fit. The organist, who was organizing the music today, volunteered that she was having a hard time finding an offeratory so we could do that! So our family did a lot of music today! After church our whole family stayed for potluck dinner.

The Dilemma

I don't want to send either one of them back! I love them both!

The R-13 (the top clarinet) has a "big voice" with an edgy sound that Allison says has a saxophone-like sound to it at times. It does not have any "bad notes" anywhere up to about 3 ledger lines above the staff. Both Allison and I have made it squeak a time or two and I feel that I have to work to control it - like riding a high spirited horse, but the sound is well worth the effort!

The Festival (the bottom clarinet) has a softer, sweeter sound but doesn't have the "big sound" that the R-13 has. The transitions are very smooth (hence, no squeaks) and it too has a beautiful sound through it's whole range, IMO, though Lisa says it's best in the center of it's range. It has an extra key to provide alternate fingering which isn't present on the R-13 and has a 2nd tuning barrel that makes the tone even softer, slight less bright - almost darker - and silky smooth! I thought that the throat A was a bit weaker than the other notes on the instrument initially, but I can't reproduce that sensation since then.

These two clarinets complement each other perfectly and one would use them in different situations. Allison shares my love affair with these two instruments. I don't want to send either one of them back!

Update:

This evening I played both clarinets some more and concentrated on the upper register: the R-13 wins as it not only has a better sounding throat A, but also has a better sounding upper register. All the other benefits of the Festival I will have to pass up: the extra key, the metal bands on the ends of the joints to prevent splitting, the second tuning barrel, for example.