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Melvyn Poore

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:00 pm
by sousaphone68
Can anybody tell me the title of a piece I heard on BBC radio 4 many years ago it featured a tuba player called Melvyn Poore playing alongside a Blue Whales recorded song. Does anybody know the title of the piece and any publisher info.
Anybody know what instrument he mostly plays. From google pics I think is a Besson 981

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:07 am
by Rick Denney
Sounds like Priscilla McLean's Beneath the Horizon III, which includes taped whale sounds, and which Melvyn recorded on solo tuba.

http://www.discogs.com/McLean-Mix-Elect ... ase/853714

Melvyn is a well-known improvisational avant-garde tuba player, and a sometimes member of the avant-garde European Tuba Quartet among many other things. I saw him perform at the 1986 ITEC in Austin, Texas. It was Jay Rozen that first made me aware of him (and of avant-garde tuba playing in general), and it may have been Jay who had arranged his visit to Texas during which he seems to have made the above recording.

When he played in Austin, he was using a Besson Eb tuba, something like a 981 but it could have also been a Boosey Imperial or a Besson New Standard model. Hey, he's English.

Rick "remembering when the audience demanded an encore from Poore, who had to make something up" Denney

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:02 am
by UDELBR
Rick Denney wrote:when the audience demanded an encore from Poore, who had to make something up"
Hey, it's avant garde. Who can tell the difference? :lol:

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:08 pm
by Alex C
I heard Melvyn play at Austin as well, that recital has remained one of the standout moments in all of my musical experiences.

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:12 pm
by cjk
bloke wrote:I seem to recall that Gary Buttery was the first one to play music with/for whales...Did someone "horn in" on his action?
I thought most things were invented by the British, including the US. :D

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:33 am
by meadsie
I was taught be Melvyn for 4 years in the late 1980's - he definately plays a Besson 981.
Great Chap - Great Player, the king of Multiphonic!

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:59 am
by AHynds
Here's a recent video with Mr. Poore where he demonstrates some of the different sounds he can get on the tuba. As far as I know, he's still playing and working often with the new music ensemble musikFabrik.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM4TgxxCxUc

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:51 pm
by gary
Toby Hanks recorded this piece in the 70's. I think it was for CRI.

Re: Melvyn Poore

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:46 pm
by davidgilbreath
Back to one of the Op's points about the piece: is it possible this was a recording of the Hovhaness piece And God Created Great Whales?