I didn’t actually want to play the clarinet as a kid growing up in New Zealand, it was the trumpet I wanted to play. However some family friends who were coming to visit us couldn’t find a cheap enough trumpet so they bought from a busker in London a terrible old clarinet that needed to have repairs done every other week. It did have a new case which was its only saving quality and I did like the blue velvet lining.
My next clarinet came from Italy and it was a Grassi which is a make that I never see or hear about these days. I thought it was wonderful however I practised so much the nickel plating came off within a matter of months. I added to my collection a Grassi A clarinet that cost me $84 which seemed like a lot of money then. My school woodwork teacher helped me make a lovely double case that was solid and strong – do you get the picture? Well this case I still see around in New Zealand 37 years later and it is standing the test of time better than it’s original owner.
What a consternation it caused in my family when my teacher said I needed to get a professional standard clarinet. This was really going to stretch the family budget but after months of waiting my Selmer Series 9 with a Selmer D mouthpiece and silver plated keys arrived. It had extra keys in all directions, articulated G#, fork Bb trilling G# — I really did feel very proud. It wasn’t long before it cracked and I remember the devastating when I looked down at the top joint to find what I thought was a hair on the surface of the wood. Little did I know that this was going to be the first of a few clarinets that would have growing pains. The local shop ordered a replacement joint and when it did arrive the not so able repair man transferred the keys over and to say it was not a success was an understatement. I moved on through Selmer Series 10s onto Buffets.
I bought my first pair of Buffet R 13’s in London and this started a long love affair with this wonderful brand of clarinets. It wasn’t long before I was working for Buffet’s in England running many schools workshops and masterclasses the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. This was a very interesting thing for a 21 year old clarinet player to be doing and the free choice of whatever Buffet instruments was just spectacular. I owned the first pair of RC Prestige’s in the UK and the Bb clarinet was such a fine instrument – and yes it cracked!
When I moved to Australia I bought a pair of Selmer 10Gs because a change is always a good thing but in a moment of public embarrassment during a recital in Brisbane when my clarinet developed a leak I was lent a Yamaha CX clarinet and 19 years later I am still playing on Yamaha CX clarinets. I have my original pair which are still in excellent condition and two extra Bbs.
I love the Yamaha sound and freedom to do the things that I want to do but recently I did try a clarinet that took me back in time and I was captivated by it’s sweetnes and purity. What a shame they haven’t made the Selmer Centre Tone clarinet for 50 odd years now.
Mark Walton