• Music Store

    Band Instruments reeds and more..

    The  same reeds and gear I use for my own professional engagements, along with prices that match the big stores we offer valuable advice. Mouthpieces, stands, tuners, reeds cases, metronomes and instruments.

     

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  • Woodwind Repairs

    Professional Performing Musicians, Band teachers and Discerning Amateurs send their instruments to us.  Expert repairs and advice that only a first class performer and repairman can give. Since 1991 serving the North from Prince George. Repair and service for your instruments so they and you play at 100% all the time. 

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  • Music Lessons

    voice, piano, flute, saxophone oboe or clarinet  all ages and styles.
     Yes our students all do well on their exams get recommended to provincials or play in the symphony and in community events but more importantly they will have music as a fun and rewarding part of their lives- forever.

    Recommended by band teachers.

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  • Yamaha CSG Clarinets

     Simon Cole principal clarinet Prince George Symphony 

    A refined and ringing tone, superb intonation and response.

  • Sponsors of

     the New Horizons Senior Band For adults with no or long ago musical experience. Join us Mondays at 530-730 1st Baptist Church in PG for more info call the Director Simon Cole at 250-563-4693 or email him.

    Read More at  Alban Classical

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  • for your event

    By Simon Cole / 2007-12-16 22:23:53
    We have done background music for most of the big companies and associations. We are very easy to deal with and our product is very high quality Live Music Small groups of 2-5 up to a small band .…
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  • Saxophones NEW

    By Simon Cole / 2007-12-18 00:49:46
      #15007 soprano saxophone, straight body with two necks (straight & angled), clear lacquered body and keys, high F# key, low C# lock, pivoting low Bb spatula, engraved bell, high quality leather pads with metal resonators, roomy wood-shell case.…
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  • Nobel Flutes

    By Erica / 2009-06-11 06:11:38
    Nobel Flute #11230 high quality student flute, silver plated throughout, closed holes (plateaux), offset G key, C footjoint. This flute is a best seller within the Nobel catalogue. It outperforms many brands of flutes in this category.…
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  • Music Store

    By Simon Cole / 2011-06-13 08:30:12
    Band Instruments reeds and more.. The  same reeds and gear I use for my own professional engagements, along with prices that match the big stores we offer valuable advice. Mouthpieces, stands, tuners, reeds cases, metronomes and instruments.  
    Read More +
  • Woodwind Repairs

    By Simon Cole / 2011-06-13 09:30:22
    Professional Performing Musicians, Band teachers and Discerning Amateurs send their instruments to us.  Expert repairs and advice that only a first class performer and repairman can give. Since 1991 serving the North from Prince George. Repair and service for…
    Read More +
  • Music Lessons

    By Simon Cole / 2011-06-13 08:30:12
    voice, piano, flute, saxophone oboe or clarinet  all ages and styles. Yes our students all do well on their exams get recommended to provincials or play in the symphony and in community events but more importantly they will have music…
    Read More +
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Popular Features

  • Crack Repair
  • Bent Flute
  • Tone hole Repair
  • Cork pads on clarinet
  • New dent removal tools
Having lived and played in a Northern city for close to 20 years I have become a minor expert on cracked woodwinds. Not only is it cold and dry but we often have to play in drafty or cold halls a sure recipe for woodwind cracks. Read More
Uh........ Dad I think I sat on my Flute!Read More
We can replace broken tone holes Read More
ImageThis is a Selmer series 10S clarinet and a Selmer recital  they are beautiful clarinets in great condition.
 The A in particular does not play as one would expect however, response tuning and tone are poor.
 These are usually very good clarinets. A quick check reveals that the pads do not cover, they are skin pads which have warped over time.

I am going to repad the top joint with cork pads on all keys which are usually in the closed position.
 The other 2 keys will have traditional skin pads.
Read More
Image
We have added MDR
 (magnetic dent removal tools) to our repertoire.
Read More

CD Review

English clarinetists Michael Collins plays the Mozart concerto for clarinet and the Beethoven violin concerto with the clarinet part adapted for clarinet by conductor Mikhail Pletnev. The Orchestra is the Russian National Orchestra.
I thoroughly enjoyed this recording. I hear a lot of clarinet recordings and this is definitely one of the best.
The Mozart concerto is played on a Buffet Basset clarinet with an extended range down to low C.

The tempos in the outer movement are brisk, this combined with the intensity of sound of the Russian National Orchestra makes for an exciting performance. I am generally not a huge fan of Russian Orchestras as they can often play a bit too over the top and get tonally rough, this is not the case here. The dark sound and intensity of the playing adds something to the Mozart that I usually find lacking.
The performance overall has an Operatic flavour to it. Collins articulates the passage work more than most, this is refreshing and also in keeping with period performance practice where a rougher surface texture( less legato) was more the norm.

The Beethoven violin concerto performed on the clarinet.

This is why I bought the recording and I was not disappointed. Other than taking parts of it down the octave it's basically all there and it works. Collins tone as it in the Mozart is clear resonant warm and full of color throughout. Of the two performances I prefer the clarinet sound in the Beethoven concerto.
 I believe he is using a Peter Eaton International clarinet, though it doesn't say so. The sound anyway is of importance, we are used to hearing those lines played on a tonally rich violin and for the clarinet to match the warmth and color of the violin is difficult but he pulls it off. The sound is neither diffuse and spread as with some English players nor overly hard.
Technically its very impressive for a clarinet to play all those violin octaves is remarkable.
Again in this performance the orchestra is excellent.
What I like best about this CD is that I was aware of listening to the music more than listening to how Collin's played the clarinet.A CD that reminds me of why I play the clarinet.


Alban Classical


Private performance April 14

PGSO April 21

Wind World Alban classical school show April 23 and 30