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Some Thoughts on Page-turning Dr D J Henry, Nottingham Until
such time as technology can provide the recitalist with a slim computer
screen designed to sit on the music desk and to display scanned pages
sequentially, he or she must rely on the occasionally-capricious support
of a page-turner. From the performer’s view, a reliable page-turner is a jewel beyond price; from that of the recruit the call to assist may come as a mixed blessing. One may feel valued as a capable score-reader, nimble turner of pages or even an occasional drawer of stops, and the opportunity to observe the performance of the great and good at close range can be enlightening. But the need to concentrate and the dread of mis-timing the page turn, or worse, turning two pages can be quite taxing. Whether to stand to the right or the left of the player or to turn from the bottom or the top of the page must be a matter of preference depending on the height of player and turner. The bar at which the page is turned must depend on how far ahead the player reads and this is best established at the outset. The pace of the turn should be rapid but deliberate and, having turned, the assistant should remain in place, inobtrusive but alert, even when the last page has been reached. It is always possible for a page to dislodge especially with an antique, cherished, though ragged score and the disappearance of the assistant can influence the concentration, the sometimes quite intense concentration of the performer. At the conclusion of the piece the page turner may initiate the applause – especially if the work is obscure and the audience uncertain of the end, and while the recitalist is acknowledging the ovation the assistant should quickly replace the score with the next one. It
is a mistake, even with the best of intentions, to cancel stops which
have been left drawn, especially Great and Pedal Combined. To be
observed doing so can induce a shocked response from the anxious
performer. *
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