Welcome to Clarinerd Central, folks.  I just received the first Vandoren BD5 Alto Clarinet mouthpiece to reach North America, and it is as excellent as it’s “brothers.”  Rich, powerful, resonant, free-blowing, and just really pretty.  Very flexible….you can sound as sinuously sweet as a soprano clarinet or big and woody like a bass clarinet or anywhere in between.  Just in time for the launch of the British Columbia Clarinet Choir next month!  First meeting of the primary players is scheduled for early September and the first rehearsal is set for the Chan Centre on October 28th.  I expect a lot of eyebrows will be raised at how amazing an alto clarinet can sound and what it can add to any ensemble.  The Backun Cocobolo bell on my alto doesn’t hurt a bit….