Classical Music

Viol player Richard Boothby
'Are there any jokes about the viol?'

Tuba player Patrick Harrild
‘As a kid, I was given it to play.’

Oboist Emmet Byrne
'They had run out of clarinets and all that was left was an oboe.’

Trombonist Byron Fulcher
'I found the trombone the most visually attractive instrument.’

Viola player Peter Collyer
'Every time I hear a Bruckner symphony, I wish I played the horn.’ Feature continues

Violinist Erik Chapman
'By the time I got to the front of the queue they had run out of clarinets.’

Cellist Paul Watkins
'A friend of my father could hold a cigarette in his bow hand while playing, which I thought was pretty cool.'

Double bassist Matthew Gibson
'I sometimes have nightmares that I am playing principal oboe.'

Harpist Sioned Williams
‘It takes so much time to tune and retune that harpists usually miss taking breaks.'

Horn player Andrew Clark
‘The natural horn is dangerous. It’s like throwing darts at a dartboard.'

Percussionist Andy Barclay
'When everyone else is sorted, we get whatever space is left.’

Clarinettist Richard Hosford
‘It can sound very squeaky on a bad day.’

Trumpeter Alistair Mackie
'Sometimes you have to wait for 300 bars before an exciting bit comes along.'