GERALDINE GREEN
Oakmountmusic: clarinet (incl. bass clarinet/Eflat clarinet), penny whistle, bodhran, piano and cello
“Before Covid struck I played with the Bolton Symphony Orchestra, Bolton Chamber orchestra, and for my local Church Music group. I also played folk gigs, shows and many many concerts, both professionally and with amateur groups. I was also busy on weekends taking my son (who has Down's Syndrome) to his Disability Football team practice every Saturday morning.
I’m also a teacher: pre-Covid 19 I had 22 students, now I have 10! And all my teaching is online. I dislike it but am grateful it can be done otherwise I would have been instantly out of all work!
The toughest thing is definitely the loss of the playing together in my orchestras. It was both my work and my social life - all now gone. I miss the spiritual feeding that music gives, our dear audiences, our chamber music concerts and the many fun rehearsals, my shows, church services, my teaching face to face, the musician friendships and comradery. The beautiful music and being amid it all. I am grieving the loss of it horribly.
I lost my Mum on March 24th (not Covid - she died naturally of old age) so I wrote a lot of music for her, some of which has since been published, which makes me very happy. The lockdowns have given me the thinking time to create large music works I never otherwise would have had the time for. One is a huge orchestral, symphonic elegy for my Mum - that and going two countryside walks a day with my son and husband, lighting our wood burner in the evenings and playing Mariokart with my son have been the things that have kept me sane.”
Follow | Watch | Listen