About Us
Pete Harrison and Liz Fyfe have taught at Wells Cathedral School for many years as specialist bassoon and oboe teachers respectively. We consider ourselves privileged to be teaching such motivated and talented young musicians and really enjoy putting together a programme of lessons and master classes to coax and cajole these children into fulfilling their potential. Many times we have scratched our heads as we consider the best options for individual students – setting the right repertoire, working at specific technical issues, entering for the right level of outside ensembles and guiding them through the choice of music college or university as they come to leave Wells.
As part of this process we are able to invite outside guests to take master classes, and in the past have mounted a joint oboe and bassoon day which has included an element of outreach ie involving the oboe and bassoon community in the immediate area of Wells. These past events have had a limited impact due to the difficulty of selecting a date that would make it possible for school age children to attend. In mounting the South West Double Reed Day on 13th February 2010 we have chosen the first Saturday of the February half-term in the hope that no one will be excluded on the basis of availability, and children and adults alike from all over the South West can attend.
We feel very strongly that there is a lot to be gained by bringing excellence in the form of great players such as Meyrick Alexander and Richard Simpson, together with some of the Guildhall School students whom they teach, to Wells. Although the SWDR Day is staged in Wells, and Wells students will be there, the intention is to open the opportunity to all. All sorts of questions can be asked and answered here – Howarths can tackle almost any query on oboe/ bassoon matters and there will be that “critical mass” factor and buzz as players are encouraged and challenged. Any young oboist or bassoonist aspiring to enter the music profession can find out at first hand what is involved, and any player of any ability will be catered for and supported. The day will wind up with an exciting concert featuring Meyrick, Richard and the whole oboe and bassoon family – a seriously unique gathering!
Please support us on this day – as far as we are aware there has not been a gathering of double reed players on this scale and of this type in the South West before. Shout us down if we are wrong and please be part of it!
Liz Fyfe
Liz has been playing and teaching professionally for ages…starting at 19 by 
playing second oboe in a concert with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Carlisle (she is from Scotland) she has gone on to be principal oboe with Scottish Opera, freelance in London and principal Cor Anglais with the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden for ten years. She has led a varied musical life (and has plenty of funny stories about being a touring musician) and made many recordings, with ROH and also many other ensembles and orchestras like the LSO, BBC Symphony, Concert Orchestra, RPO, LPO. Her most favourite time was working for Bernard Haitink at ROH when he was music director there – he was simply fantastic, and a total education and inspiration.
She has four children, and as the impact of family life and living outside London made itself clear, she has concentrated more on teaching and educational work in recent years, finding it more compatible with school timetables than trundling off to London on the train which fails to bring her home in time! As well as teaching at Wells she has been involved with education workshops, examined at the Royal College of Music, taken master classes at the Guildhall and BDRS and teaches complete beginners from scratch.
If you want to hear Liz, she has made a recording of Malcolm Archers’ “The desert shall rejoice”. This is a beautiful piece for Choir, Organ and Cor Anglais and was recorded in Wells Cathedral. This may still be available from the Wells Cathedral Shop.
Pete Harrison
I studied bassoon at the Royal College of Music, not really sure what life wou
ld hold in store for me, but certain that something interesting would come along.
Having worked with various groups and orchestras, I was asked to play in a West End show, "The Hunting of the Snark" by Mike Batt. This led to a run of different shows including "Crazy for You" "Martin Guerre" Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "Lautrec" (What do you mean, you've never heard of it?!)
My first real conducting opportunity came when Jae Alexander (Musical Director) left "Crazy for You". Paul Maguire took over the position which meant we needed an extra conductor for the show, and I was offered the job. From there I carried on as assistant conductor in the subsequent shows which was a truly memorable experience.
Through my West End contacts I am now working with Andy Barnwell fixing bands for shows as well as conducting big concerts including several with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
My interest in teaching the bassoon and coaching youth orchestras and groups came about in my postgraduate year at college. I realised that I needed to start to support myself so applied to do some teaching work. One of my first jobs was advertised as 'Bassoon teacher wanted' although I ended up teaching beginner flute, clarinet and saxophone! Again, all good experience.
I was very lucky to get my first big teaching job - I had been helping out at Wells Cathedral School, as they were very short of bassoon players. This carried on through my college years and just as I was leaving, the job came up, which I applied for and got. This led to being asked to cover at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, and offered the job there too as the previous teacher got a job abroad. I have also had the privilege of teaching at the Purcell School, but with all the playing and other teaching, I only stayed for a year or so.
