lonelyangel

Welcome aboard Pat. Its fantastic news both for you and the company. It was great to meet up again with you and Alex, although too briefly for my liking.
It was fun taking in the Hakan recital and hearing you play at the factory I'm sure you have chosen just the right horns - I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the great unveiling - your beaming smile certainly makes a good picture though.

For those of you who may not know Pat, I have had the pleasure of several fleeting meetings over the last few years, he is a truly inspiring character. He is excellent company and has an infectious enthusiasm and generousity of spirit which make him an excellent and dedicated teacher. I took the opportunity to snatch a clandestine lesson with Pat on one of his breaks at the Richmond jazz course last summer - thanks again for your time - and it was invaluable to me. One ethos that I believe we share is that by teaching others one teaches oneself - in other words sharing knowledge or passing it on is the way to truly own that knowledge for oneself.

At the factory last week we both learned something new - that we can't understand half of what we are saying to each other!! :) Anyway hopefuly you won't be getting too many "sqwirly" notes on that flugel (I think he meant squirrelly)

I think it might now be safe to reveal that I've been working on capturing Pat for the Eclipse team for several years now. This was not done with bribery or with a hard sell but in my own very english softly softly way. I think its about 3 1/2 years ago that I first let Pat have about 15 minutes on my MY Eclipse, in the dressing room back stage at the Royal Festival Hall - I knew from the raised eyebrow after the first three notes that he was intrigued... then little by little, the MHR, the flugel and so on. Of course you need team work to land a big fish and Alex has to take the lions share of the credit - we make a great team Yatesy!!

Seriously though - the eclipse iks a very different blow to a bach, or any other horn out there - but it does have a fantastic sound and that is what makes people like Pat consider making the switch. Don't forget that every Eclipse player has more than likely had very many happy years on other horns - I know I had.

It is just about four years ago to the week when I first walked in to the old factory in Dunstable (hey, I have 2 'Dunstable' Eclipses!!) not knowing what to expect. I think there were just 5 or 6 horns that day, a large red, a medium classic and a medium yellow or two in raw, gold, silver and I think Purple???. I think Leigh was quite shocked when I said I'd be happy to go to work with one that night - but I knew after a few seconds that he and John had put something really special in my hands.

The development of the horns has continued a sometimes alarming rate so that today, for example when there was a bench load of about 12 different models at the factory - they were all shockingly good instruments in their own right - it really is hard to make a choice as I'm sure Pat would testify.

I've gone on far too long, as usual, Pat - have fun getting to know the horns. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on them as you get to play them out in the real world.

All the best. Noel.

__________________
Noel Langley - Eclipse Artist noel@eclipsetrumpets.com

Eclipse Medium Yellow, scratch gold
Eclipse Medium Heavy Red, custom 'Diamond Back' in 24ct gold
Eclipse Red Brass Flugel
Custom Scherzer piccolo with copper Wedgewood bell, finished in scratch gold
Giardinelli 6S, 6M, 6FL Bach 3CW

Castle Bravo

ahhh, NOEL.

Good to see you posting....& a nice avatar by the way.

__________________
Gary Wilder

music matters

Congratulations Pat - you picked my two favourite Eclipses - the MR and MR Flugel! I really liked the MHY as well - but for jazz I could see that the slots would perhaps be a bit too precise, better for straight classical, as I think the MR is easiest to colour in different situations, and the notes can be bent really easily if you want - a bit harder on the MHY.

I prefer the traditional water keys and polished gold plate as well - they just look classy then.

Enjoy your new horns and all the best,

Graham.

Tom_MacNiven

Hi there!

Pat, I found meeting you and the little bit of playing we did utterly inspiring, I hope we can do some proper playing sometime in the future!! It's great to meet such lovely people as yourself and Alex you guys are Awesome!!

Thanks Noel, Leigh, John and Carl - I had a lovely time there and can't wait to get back down for another visit!

Oh and by the way Leigh, the jam session that I went to after I got off the plane was an absolute cooker!!!

Cheers to all of you!

Tom.

__________________
Eclipse Artist

Eclipse LS
Eclipse XLR
Bach Strad Flugel Model 183 -
Eclipse Red bell Flugel coming soon

www.eclipsetrumpets.com

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra - www.snjo.co.uk