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
Concert review 23rd April 2018 Andrew Nix
Another good concert with our Artiste for the night Andrew Nix. The audience numbers for the evening were disappointing perhaps due to another event, Seacroft. It was also the first night for the club renewals for 2018 – 2019.
True to the character portrayed in descriptive comments about Andrew, he did have a true Yorkshire sense of humour very much in evidence throughout the evening. We enjoyed a ‘two for the price of one’ evening with Andrew as both keyboard musician and comedian. Some of the music we herd included. With sword and lance, a buddy holiday medley, a medley of traditional Irish songs, When Irish eyes are smiling, Fire Dance, and an Irish gig. Then there was you, a Sigmund Romberg Medley, Music Box Dancer, Pretty Face Polka, and the Lambeth Walk. After the interval we heard the Beer barrel polka, Roll out the barrel, Good Morning Good Morning, Somewhere over the rainbow, wedding of the painted doll, Impossible dream, A Beatles medley including Money cant by you love, Yesterday, Hey Jude, then Fly me to the Moon and finally a Dixieland medley. There were calls from the audience for even more and so on the spot of the moment Andrew produced a medley of snippets from many other well known tunes. In all a very good evening.
Andrew’s instrument was a Roland Atelier
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: Andrew Nix, BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood organ and keyboard, concert, Live music, mountnessing
Concert review 26th Feb 2018 Janet Dowsett
It was a cold winter’s night with snow on the ground outside and this no doubt contributed to the disappointingly low turnout of about 28 club members seated in the audience. Those that came were treated to a great concert with a good variety of music and sounds.
After the concert Janet told us that this will be her last visit as she is retiring from travelling for concerts, but she is keeping up her other musical activities.
Amongst the music played for us by Janet were: Red Roses for a Blue Lady,
On A Wonderful Day Like Today/Who Can I Turn To? Hot Toddy, Selection of Abba Songs, Nimrod, Radio Theme Tunes, Alfie, Glenn Miller Tunes, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines/633 Squadron, Mary Poppins Selection, Sometimes When We Touch, Gilbert And Sullivan Tunes, Selection From Oliver,
Concluded by
Time to Say Goodbye
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Concert review 22nd Jan 2018– Mark Thompson
Our evening concert began with Mark at his keyboard sat facing us attired flamboyantly in an all blue suit. With a big smile he went straight into an opening rendition of; Give me sunshine, a great hit and signature tune for Morecombe and Wise. Mark gave us Music of many genres and a helping of good humour. In the first half of the evening we heard; What a Wonderful World/The Bare Necessities, Jazz n Samba, You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling, I Just Called to say I love you, The Last Waltz, Bumble Boogie, Brazil, The Prayer, Ratpack Medley, Sleepy Shores, Devil’s Gallop, Dance Macabre, and In the Hall of the Mountain King. For the second half of the evening the blue suit was replaced by a very red one and Mark played for us: Theatre land, Voices of Spring, Thinking Out Loud, Gypsy Rondo, The Nearness of You, Hit the Road Jack, Mack the Knife, Theme from ‘Somewhere in Time’ a 60s Medley, Crocodile Rock, La Bamba, & Johnny B Goode for a much requested encore we heard; My Way.
During the evening Mark gave us a quite a few humorous jokes, a very accomplished performance with surely something for everyone. It wasn’t surprising really to see several members of the audience rise to their feet and applaud him.
Mark entertained us on a Yamaha EL90
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Concert review 18th Dec 2017 – Steve Hubble
Well what a to-do? Nearly the Christmas concert that never was. We arrived intending an early start to accommodate the Christmas festivities only to find Mountnessing hall had no power. No one had told the committee or any of us that the hall had a system that cut power on excessive noise. This had been tripped at the last event in the hall. Eventually we found the hall caretaker and all was reset.
Steve Hubble’s concert; very well applauded, much humour and yes from his play list we knew it was Christmas. He stylised his music by introducing his own arrangements of recognised pieces. Expressed opinions were that it was a very good concert. Just a flavour of the music we heard. Gabriel’s Oboe, Grease lightning, the theme from the film – Ice Castles, Switched on Bach, I’ve got you under my skin, A Pans Pipe style rendition of, The lonely shepherd, Tom Jones’s ‘Just help yourself’, The look of Love, A Christmas assortment began with Steve’s favourite, Barry Manilow’s ‘Because its Christmas’, It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Slay Ride’ The Snowman’ Jingle Bell Rock, Santa Claus is coming to town, Silent night, Winter wonderland. The theme from the Christmas film – Home Alone, Chris Rea’s, Driving home for Christmas.
Jean and her team provided an assortment of Christmas fare for our enjoyment during a shortened interval this. It was a good evening!
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