Jo Mattinson

Bassoon

I am semi retired and work part time as an assistant in the Music Department at the School where I was previously the accountant for many years.  

Since 2014

My father played the bassoon in the RAF Central Band and was on the extras list for professional orchestras.  He was a "one-stop shop" for all matters bassoon.  For many years he was a reedmaker extrordinaire and I never go anywhere without meeting people who played on his reeds.  As we were growing up my brother and I both thought that playing the bassoon was a normal part of life.  

I was asked to play third bassoon in Die Valkure in October 2013, in St John's Smith Square, which was a very enjoyable experience, so I was delighted when Mike Syrett asked me back for another concert later in the season.

We played Symphony in C by Stravinsky and Brahms Second Symphony in the 2018/19 season.  It was a wonderful experience to play these great works in such a good orchestra, and with my friend Becky Eldridge who was playing first bassoon.  Very special.  I had tears at the end.

We played a chamber concert at Routh Hall in Bromsgrove.  Normally I am hidden at the back (which I prefer) but on this occasion I was in full view of the audience.  As I turned the page I managed to tip all of my music onto the floor in the middle of the tricky Enescu piece which we were playing.

My favourite composer is Sibelius.  My least favourite composer is Einaudi.

I would like to play (and be able to play ?!) the Fourth Symphony by Shostakovich.