5th
International Swiss Panflute Seminar - Anniversary Edition
November
2005 with the master of panflute Vasile
IOVU, Dan Herford,
the SKYLARK-Ensemble and Michael
Dinner
How can someone
spend a whole weekend with music? The attendees of the 5th international
panflute seminar know the answer to this question. With a few
impression of the seminar I would like to share the uniqueness
of this wonderful weekend.

The seminar
started on a really cold and foggy Friday. The attendees did not
feel like making music. Again this year the attendees had very
different backgrounds, age, interests and experience. There were
some new ones and some veterans ... We were offered 9 group lesson
per person with the great masters. To achieve a grouping we were
allowed/forced to play some tones. Looking back I must confess
that the first tones were of no quality in contrast to the final
concert on Sunday only two days later!
Already after
the first few tones we saw the gigantic talents of the Romanian
virtuosos Vasile Iovu (panflute, "nai") and Vasile Luca
( Zambal). They had the incredible talent to accompany every piece
of music at any speed, in every key, of course without sheet music.
After the
first sounds of the Zambal we felt like being in Romania and with
some wine the evening grew better and better. At some time this
evening the members of the Ensemble Skylark from the Netherlands
joined us. They grabbed their instruments and showed us their
"Rumanian side". The great evening ended with the closing
time of the restaurant

Dan Herford, Vasile Iovu and
Vasile Luca
Saturday morning
came after a short night and we all met at the school of Hochfelden
and the workshops started. Michael Dinner sent sheet music to
every attendee a few weeks ago to allow everyone to be prepared
for the masters to get out even more from the Romanian virtuosos.
Vasile Iovu shared his tremendous knowledge and competence about
the panflute and fully supported the students at any time. Dan
Herford extended and optimized our musical languange skills. Dan
gave us insights about the panflute language. That's why everyone
now understands and speaks fluently the "limba naiul":
too-choo-too-hoo-koo? In addition Dan Herford explained with the
piece "clarinet muggl", how to split up a complicated
looking piece in simpler parts that is easiest to practice. At
or better with Vasile Luce we offered the unique opportunity to
play pieces an enjoy having ones own "Rumanian orchestra".
Vasile was very open minded to all musical styles such as classic,
popular or Jazz! Beside of the official lessons it was always
possible to play with Vasile Luca who sat most of the time at
the ?ambal. Whoever wanted to go for more could always practice
on his or her own!

Sunday night
there was a concert in the church of Oberglatt with the Ensemble
Skylark. The audience was offered a beautiful potpourri of different
folk songs of the Balkan. Dan Herford created really impressive
arrangements. The Ensemble Skylark wore authentic folk costumestrat
(see advertisment) and was also great to hear and see. With a
Hungarian piece of music (composed by the Italian Monti ...) Caroline
showed how virtuosic folk can be interpreted on the violin. Michael
Dinner, accompanied by Kiyomi Higaki played two Romanian pieces
and was enchanting the audience.

The climax
of the evening was a doina that Vasile Iovu played. He playing
moved the audience to tears and was acknowledged by applause.
Within Romanian culture joy and agony is closely coupled - that
is why after a doina you will often hear a bright piece of dance
music. The two "Vasiles"boosted the speed and ended
up in the culminant Finale. Vasile Iovu showed his talent to play
incredibly fast but all the same precise and accurate!
From time
to time Dan Herford replaced his guitar with the panflute and
showed the audience that he is also a very talented panflute player.
Especially the panflute playing trio Vasile Iovu, Dan Herford
and Michael Dinner was great to see on stage!

The master Vasile IOVU
In the audience
was by the way Jöri Murk. The pioneer of panflutes in Switzerland
borrowed his ?ambal for the concert and the seminar!
After the
concert the musicians had a drink in the restaurant nearby. What
do you think did Vasile Luca do without his zambal mare (big Zambal)?
Of course he unpacked his zambal mic (small Zambal) and started
to play with Vasile Iovu a few songs! It is quite unusual in Switzerland
to play songs in restaurants in Switzerland but the innkeeper
seemed to like it!

Dan Herford, Michael Dinner, Vasile
Iovu
Sunday morning
again came fast and the lessons started again. At any time the
professors were in full activity. Sunday afternoon was dedicated
to choir rehearsal. In contrast to last year the rehearsal was
very successful although Dan required a lot of discipline during
the playing.
Even the more
complicated pieces (like the clarinet-muggl) worked fine during
the live performance. The spontaneity of Romanian musicians is
overwhelming! They tend to exchange chords, tone arrangements
change during playing a piece. So it was important to look to
maestru Dan in order not to miss the ends of the pieces

Dinner learns
from the Master Iovu
Michael Dinner
and Kiyomi Higaki, this time on piano, presented a very fast Sirba
that Dan Herford arranged for Michael. The audience liked the
piece very much!
The Skylarks
played some of their beautiful pieces of their big repertoire
and spread a lot of Romanian spirit in the concert hall. Also
Vasile Iovu enchanted the audience with some of his greatest hit!

Prior to the
definitive ending of the seminar we gathered to a cozy last evening
with our Rumanian and Netherlands friends. We were dancing and
making a lot of music ...
The 5th international
panflute seminar was, like always, much to short! We had some
really beautiful and extraordinary days. I would like to explicitly
thank to:
" Michael
Dinner who organized the 5th seminar. Driven by a strong love
for Romanian folk and the panflute he helps panflute enthusiasts
every year to spend some great days dedicated to the panflute.
" Dan Herford for his cheerful mind (Esti foarte amabil si
simpatic!), his arrangements, his dedication to music, his patience,
his hints, his idea to bring along the Skylarks and much more
Multumesc, multumesc!
" Vasile Iovu and Vasile Luca, the Romanians virtuosos, who
brought along and shared with us the folk of their home.
" The Skylarks Caroline, Joke, Maria und Adriana, who from
the Netherlands just for this weekend
" Clarinet player and interpreter Ninel
" Kiyomi Higaki who is educated in classic music and plays
Romanian pieces perfectly well
" Giorgio Hofer, head of the school in Hochfelden and panflute
player for the class rooms Hochfelden
" Bernhard Grayer who does not only play the panflute but
also knows/learned/used the art of carrying a Zambal ...
" The staff of the Mamma Mia restaurant in Oberglatt to allow
the "Vasiles"to start making music in their restaurant
spontaneous!
" The restaurant Löwen in Dielsdorf for offering the
opportunity to whistle the panflutes till closing time
" The audience that loved the Romanian folk
" The partners that had to spend a weekend on their own ...
" And last but not least the fully motivated attendees of
the seminars!
I am already
looking forward to the 6th international panflute seminar and
to course to meet again with everyone and especially Dan Herford
and Michael Dinner!
Pa-pa! (Romanian
for "bye bye")
Ciril
Lieber Ciril
Herzlichen Dank für deinen Einsatz und die tollen Worte!
Dan & Michael