Concert 25th January 2019 – Elizabeth Harrison
It was a cold winter’s night not at all like the last time we were visited by Elizabeth on a warm summer’s night in 2017. Our January night concert was attended by an audience of 54. Elizabeth began by introducing herself as a farmer, a driver of big machines and goods vehicles. We learned about Cows, how they order themselves singularly for milking and we learned that Elizabeth and her boyfriend, also a farmer, whom previously we heard about in 2017, were no longer 26 miles apart…? This brought an amused chuckle from the audience. The evening was to be punctuated by her delightful and light sense of humour delivered with an accent that somehow seemed so right for a farmer. And so the music started for an audience already amused. Unusually, Elizabeth performed facing us; throughout the evening she punctuated her performance with facial expressions that were themselves quite entertaining.
As before her music was silky smooth. Elizabeth is an accomplished entertainer with a performance repertoire that included something for everyone. Amongst the evenings music were the following; A selection of waltzes, Housewives choice, Blaze away, Pack up your troubles, when you’re smiling, Run rabbit Run, My old man said follow the van, Hello Dolly, A selection of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, Non Stop – original ITN news theme,
Contemplating & Remember Chiho Sunamoto, Elizabeth dedicated and played – If I loved you
Elizabeth continued with, When Irish eyes are smiling, A selection of Scottish themes, Runaway, Prelude in a classic style, From Nicholas & Alexandra ‘to beautiful to last, Here in my heart, I could have danced all night, we’ll meet again. Elizabeth was re-called for an encore, The theme from the Battle of Britain Film concluding the evening to rapturous applause.
Elizabeth’s instrument was a Roland AT350C Dual Keyboard and pedals, plus the new Theatre Organ in a box V3
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, Elizabeth Harrison, Live music, mountnessing
Concert Review – 26th November 2018 – Steve Allison
Sadly due to the untimely passing of Chiho Sunamoto the club was at a loss for an artiste to perform at our concert of the 26th November until Steve Allison revealed that he was available for the evening.
Steve gave us a night of music that was distinctly his own. Very much he seemed to favour ‘marches’ and if you were a lover of this style then it would have been your night. There was though variety but each segment of the evening contained music that Steve had no doubt deliberately grouped, due to perhaps, being able to maintain a tempo or backing. However the evening contained music that at some point would have appealed to all. Without him we would have been turning all away at the door. So a big thank you to Steve for entertaining us for the evening.
Some of the music we heard included.
A medley to commemorate WW1 The songs of the troops. ‘If’, A quick step medley in the style of the tower ballroom. One moment in time, A selection of ‘Spanish holiday music’ Angel in blue,. Misty, Unforgettable, Games lovers play. Barbaretta march, (Bridge to far) A selection of waltz’s, A samba, Oh my beloved father, Theme from the battle of Britain, aces high, Every thing I do, Solitaire.
Steve was recalled to provide an encore for which he produced a medley music in an ‘Um- Pah’ style.
All in all . Our thanks to Steve who rescued the evening.
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Chiho Sunamoto
Sadly we learn of the untimely passing of Chiho Sunamoto after an inspirational personal fight with a long term illness. Many amongst her audiences will have been oblivious to her poor health as despite those health issues she continued to provide first class keyboard performances along with her husband John.
Chiho would have been our artist for 26th Nov 2018 and as a club we will hold her in thought at that evening’s concert.
Our condolences and expression of sympathy go out to her husband John and all her family facing this tragedy together.
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Concert Review 20th August 2018 – Mike Hall
It was the last concert of the summer for the year and we welcomed Mike Hall who opened the evening with a Jungle Book medley. We had to agree it was some years since he had played for us, a fact that he didn’t fail to point out. Mike is an advocate of the Orla range of Instruments and with him he brought two, the GT8000 and a smaller portable keyboard the KX10. During the evening he made a point of talking about these instruments and their abilities. No doubt instruments enthusiasts appreciated the detail. His music, as we would expect included variety of style and form, this of course means you cannot please all the people all of the time. Overall it was a good evening’s entertainment. We listened to the music he produced and when Mike offered to play whichever instrument, we the audience preferred, it was obvious most of us were quite surprised by what we were hearing from the smaller portable KX10, an impressive instrument, It was called for time and again. At least two members of the audience have since gone looking for one themselves.
Some of Mike’s music included. A jungle book medley, Take a chance on love, A big Band Gershwin Medley, a ‘Pipe’ organ medley, Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree’ ‘Eye level’ from Van der Valk, ‘Thinking about the things we used to do’, Smokey and the bandit – eastbound and down, The Candy man, The Kyle of lochalsh, Psalm 23, Dream – Johnny Mercer, Mack & Mabel – I won’t send roses, 76 Trombones in the hit parade, A rock and role medley, The Odd couple.
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Concert Review 25th June 2018 Ian Griffin
It was the 25th of June, perhaps the first month of hot weather of; ‘the long hot summer of 2018’. Our artist for the evening Ian Griffin had travelled from Wales to entertain us and was, he said, returning to Wales at the end of the performance.
We listened to an evening of good and varied music and of course a helping of welsh humour. Ian took the trouble to explain details about the instrument he was playing, its history development and other nuances, The speakers he explained were ‘Bose’ a prestigious US manufacturer but, like so much today, now made in.. China.
Some of the music we heard included:- To begin, I will go where the music takes me, I love how you love me, (Bobby Vincent) This time tomorrow. Hits from Dusty Springfield, Steve Wonder, Neil Sedaker – miracle song. There were big band, musical and orchestral sounds including, I got you under my skin, it had to be you, born free, softly as I leave you, if I were a rich man, as long as he needs me.
As before for us, Ian opened the second half up to ‘The audience choice’ for an hour he played our choice of music without a written note of music or script, just our request notes passed in the interval.
For an encore he played us out to Ski Sunday.
A thoroughly good evening that surely included something for all and played on Ian’s Ketron.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Ian Griffin, Live music, mountnessing
Concert review 21st May 2018 – Michael Wooldridge
Artiste’s instrument – Customised 3 tier bespoke Rolland Atelier with a Paramount Virtual pipe organ provided via his laptop.
Although not a large audience to greet Michael he did provide an evening of solid musical entertainment enjoyed by most. Amongst the music we heard were:- Get Happy, the wind beneath my wings, A medley of Wurlitzer theatre organ music, a medley of the UK’s ‘successful’ Eurovision wins. (We had just had the 2018 event on TV) followed by yet more medleys from Gershwin, Latin America, Jazz.
After the interval we returned to 76 Trombones, and more well filled medleys from Flanagan and Allen, a classical collection, Abba (to which many sang along too) a collection of Tommy Steele hits, concluding with a medley of Glen Miller Big band sounds. In all the music we listened to was an accomplished performance it could though have been better appreciated by a larger audience to help create atmosphere.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, bokc.BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Michael Wooldridge, mountnessing
