| These are
messages sent to Jimmy from Flutewise members:
Five years ago I spent a memorable holiday with my family at Weggis
in Switzerland. Much to my amazement and delight, I discovered
that the holiday coincided with a week-long international flute
seminar led by James galway at the school right opposite my hotel.
On
the last day of the seminar there was a free concert. Needless
to say we were the first in the queue and we sat outside in the
sunshine watching James Galway and the other flautists arrive.
The concert was brilliant with about 60 flautists participating
and it gave me my first opportunity to hear and see a sub-contra
bass flute in action.
Afterwards
I was fortunate enough to speak to James Galway and he kindly
autographed my poster which now has pride of place in the school
where I teach.
On returning home I read James Galway's autobiography which was
both highly entertaining and inspirational. One comment in the
book has always remained in my mind. james Galway remarked that
he had learnt not to try to 'outdo' other performers but to make
sure that every note he played was honouring to God - something
I have tried to emulate ever since. He has brought great pleasure
to thousands of people and I wish him a very happy birthday.
Linda
Agombar, Romford, Essex
I
had a photo of me taken when I met James Galway after a Proms
concert in the summer. He signed the front cover of my programme
and my parents had it framed along with the photo. He was very
kind and extremely funny. Meeting him was the highlight of the
evening and was very special.
Alex
Burnett, age 11, Welwyn, Herts.
Jimmy
Galway loves the flute
he plays it night and day
Not really interested in the lute
the flutes the one to play!
He likes the soft music
but fast jigs too
All the fans watch,
dance and say COOL!
Fiona
Johnstone, age 11, Leeds
Dear
James Galway, I hope you like my card. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I am new to the flute world. I have only been learning since September.
My ambition is to one day become as brilliant as you. You are
my flute hero. So I hope this birthday is a good one.
Katy
Stewart, age 11
Katy's
Flutewise Poem
Flutes are wonderful instruments
Learning the flute is lots of fun
Under the power of the music
Teaching the flute must be great
Everytime I pick up my flute
(With great care)
I feel a tingling sensation run through me
Sounds of music fill the air
Echoing on and on until it's gone.
Why
James Galway is specail to me
James Galway is one of the reasons why I started the flute; we
had the choice of learning the flute, violin and cello at my primary
school. I had heard a recording of a Christmas concert presented
by James Galway and I decided that I loved the sound of the flute.
So, at seven years old, this was a good enough reason to start
the flute. When I was eight, all of the flute players at my primary
school were taken along to a concert at the local concert hall.
James Galway was playing with the RTE Orchestra. After the concert
we went to his dressing room where he was signing programmes.
I did not have a programme but I had taken along some paper and
pen in hope of getting his autograph. I vividly remeber James
remarking about my "fancy piece of paper" which by now
was pretty scrumpled up! This concert really inspired me and since
then my "Galway record Collection" has grown rapidly.
James Galway has turned into a hero, who sits in my room while
I'm practising to inspire and encourage. A role model for all
flute players.
Happy Birthday!
Sarah
Maidment, age 15, Wolverhampton
When I was given the chance to play the flute at school I did
not realise how much my friends would tease me, they thought it
was girly. My mom and dad introduced me through tapes, videos
and concerts to James Galway. This year I had the pleasure of
meeting him and playing my flute with him at the Flutewise event
at Birmingham Symphony Hall. On the day I was nervous but after
meeting both Jmaes and jeanne Galway I wanted to do it all over
again. they were fantastic, really friendly and put me at my ease.
There were so many things I wanted to say, I would love to meet
them again. I play a Muramatsu like James Galway and I dream of
owning a gold flute like him. Dad says he might buy me a tin of
gold spray paint. At my school concert I played Massenet Meditation
from Thia. It was James Galway who inspired me to learn it . Happy
birthday Mr Galway and thank you for the music and inspiration.
Glen
Mills, age 14, Birmingham
Messages
from friends
Dear Liz, I'll keep this as short as possible, but it was such
a fairy tale for me!
In 1985 the Netherlands Chamber Ensemble visited Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada for two weeks to give concerts for the Bach Tri-Centenery
celebrations. I was given the phone number of the hotel where
principal flute player, Raymond Delnoye, was staying. I didn't
really want to bother him, but I knew they were leaving in 2 days,
so I closed my eyes and called. He was really tickled that someone
would come to visit, and invited me to come the next day. I'd
memorized the Nielsen and Mozart recently, so I took those. When
I got to the hotel I found I was really nervous. Just a girl from
the middle of Canada.
But Raymond just sat me down, made some Douwe Egberts coffee (Mmmm
mmm), and showed me some family photos. Well, I saw him and his
family at MacDonald's with a friend, and then in the next pictures
was James Galway!
And then the next picture there was tomato ketchup all over his
tie on the t able.... I started to feel more relaxed and thought,
well, if I go over to Holland, maybe I'll meet Galway some day.
I
guess I played well, because Raymond asked me to study with him,
and going over to Holland completely changed everything! I'm in
England now, and doing very well at being a professional flute
player, teacher, clinician, and BFS Council member. What would've
happened if...
I
did meet Dr Galway. Finally. At the Flutewise event at the Barbican
about 3 years ago. He signed my book of Grimms Fairy Tales!
Lisa
Nelsen, Consultant of Flutes for Boosey and Hawkes & Events
Co-ordinator for the British Flute Society
Messages
from absent friends
Dear James, All the best for an estatic 60th and many more happy
professional years to come.
Ian
Anderson (Jethro Tull)
Jimmy,
thanks for your 60's birth_invite. maybe I'll make it but... If
I don't...many happys and for your next sixty,why don't you study
a more sensible instrument like ... well like the oboe!
I still remember those crushbar rehearsals of the Kirov Ballet
with some nasty cond called lazarus(?) who seemed to actually
notice the wrong notes you were playing. You should have hit him
Thelonious like. But you never were much of a monk! Lots of love.
John
Barnett
Your
managers would like to say
Bravo on this your specail day
Hip hip hooray, a big three cheers
Congratulations - SIXTY YEARS!
Happy
birthday from all of us at IMG Artists on both sides of the Atlantic
When I firts met Jimmy he was thin and very different from the
rotund figure one sees now. This was at the RCM and with the London
Schools Symphony Orchestra. He told me at the RCM he would be
the world's top plyayer or words to that effect. It was not said
in conceit. he had self belief and has gone on to achieve a greater
succes than any other flautist.
The flute was not very popular as a solo instrument until Jimmy
came along. Nobody should dispute that because I know it as a
fact. He used to live in a bedsit known as Little Dorritt's room
which overlooked the old Marshelsea Prison. Of course Littel Dorrit
was a creation of Charles Dickens imagination, but the landlady
used to show people around as sightseers as though it really happened.
If it had not been pulled doewn maybe today it could have been
a room to visit to see memorabilia relating to Jimmy's career.
The
landlady there was Jo Dodd, another unique character. i remeber
her forseeing that Jim would be a very rich man one day and this
was long before his solo career took off. She would not have known
how he compared with others as a solosit.
I
remeber walking up to the stage at the RCM to meet Jimmy after
an orchestral rehearsal. Jimmy came to the edge of the platform
and said, "Hey listen to this". He then proceeded to
play the Brahms 4 solo. Theer were some good flautists at the
RCM at the time but I have never heard such a perfectly centred
and clear beautiful tone before. He was 15 years old and had it
all then. The flute he used was a Albert (Belgian flute maker) that was impossible
for anyone else to get the low notes out of, possibly due to
the pads.
Another
thing about Jim was that he was never in awe of people of high
rank or else he felt he should be their equal. Round about that
time he hitched a lift, seeing a Rolls Royce and made the aquaintence
of some lord or other.
He
was always breaking the boundaries that hold back most people,
yet I've seen hands tremble with nerves in performance so he has
had the same problems to overcome as anyone.
Elmer
Cole
Messages
from the Flutelist
Go
to:
Introduction
James
Galway Life Story Part 1 James Galway - his early life
James
Galway Life Story Part 2 James Galway - professional
flute player
Party
Programme A Birthday Tribute
People
that took part Our thanks to those who gave their time
Messages
Happy Birthday messages from around the world
Big
Thanks A VERY BIG THANK YOU |
