From the first half
Pick of the pops theme, Katie Melua – The Closest Thing To Crazy, Thunder & Lightning polka, Rock around the clock, Lets twist again like we did last summer, Sleigh ride, Oh come all ye faithful, Mike Oldfield – In Dulci Jubilo, We three kings, We wish you a merry Christmas, medley of carols, Sound of Music – a medley, The swinging shepherd blues, Puffing Billy (BBC Uncle Mac), Nelly the elephant, Coronation Scot, Dick Barton, Davy Crockett, Things ain’t what they used to be, You need hands, Tulips from Amsterdam, Perfidia, More Kai Winding, 60s & 70s Medley, -Telstar, Apache, Pretty woman, A whiter shade of pale,
Chris Stanbury 12th Dec 2023
Chris played the Yamaha ELS-02X Stagea organ, fully integrating its many orchestral sounds. He entertained with an extensive mix of pieces and a smattering of festive ones, perhaps not as many as there may have been, the audience not too excited about Christmas yet, but then it was only the 12th of December. There was much to listen to, music and humorous commentary. The pieces played drew enthusiastic audience applause and some to their feet cheering for an encore – Thunderbirds are go.
From the second half
The Raiders March, Raindrops keep falling on my head, Ding Dong merrily on high, Good King Wenceslas, God rest ye merry gentlemen, Deck the halls, A Disney medley, When you wish upon a star, ‘Heigh Ho’ – Snow White, Someday my prince will come, I wanna be like you. Can You Feel The Love Tonight, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, Out of the blue, Bohemian Rhapsody, (Brazil) Tico Tico, Juke box jury theme, Lets dance, Bobby’s Girl, Happy birthday sweet sixteen, Encore – Thunderbirds are go.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Chris Stanbury, Live music, mountnessing, steve morl
From the first half
Anything goes, Hello Dolly, Unforgettable, The show must go on, A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley, Sweet Caroline, Histoire d’un amour, Budapest, Wonderful Tonight, A medley of Dixie music, My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from “Titanic”), A Latin medley
Mark Spafford 21st November 2023
New to us at BOKC, Mark has not performed for us before, it was a first for us and him. Neither knew what to expect. The music he played on a Yamaha Genos without pedal board or reliance on multitracking. His style included arrangements perceived then as uniquely his. The music was broad spectrum diverse in its appeal. Some well applauded, it was enjoyed, but much as would be listening to an LP record. At the beginning of the afternoon he had announced he would play for us, as…. ‘after all we were there to hear music’. We listened to his music but without comment or introduction. In terms of entertainment, at the end of the performance one left with Marmite in mind, you loved it or you didn’t.
From the second half
Hallelujah, Bye bye blackbird, Oh when the saints go marching in, Always on my mind, Atlantis, (Ghost) Riders in the Sky, Apache, Take Me Home, Country Roads (sung along too), Skaters waltz, Big band medley, When You Wish Upon a Star, Perfect, A medley of Rags, I wanna be like you, and other jungle book songs, Fields of gold, A Jive medley including – Johnny be good, Encore – In the mood.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Live music, Mark Spafford, mountnessing, steve morl
From the first half
When you’re smiling, Love, Beer barrel polka, A River Dance medley, Just the way you are, Stand by me, When you told me you loved me, Five finger boogie, I’m still standing, The white cliffs of Dover, Cheek to Cheek, Somewhere in time, Besame Mucho, Perfidia, Mumb
Mark Thompson 26th Sept 2023
Mark Thompson, with us 22nd Jan 2018, then we missed him on 23rd March 2020 due to the pandemic but he returned to be with us 27th Sept 2021 and was our first performing artiste post the pandemic lock down. Mark, an appreciated musician by many, 26th Sept 2023 brought for us his usual great concert filled with sound, music and not a little youthful humour with a northern air. A change of suit for the second half rippled a few cheers from the audience, shall we say it was a little ‘brighter’! than that worn in the first half. Mark’s music performed on his trusty Yamaha EL90. Overall an afternoon of well applauded entertainment
From the second half
Rag time band, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, When The Saints Go Marching In, And The Waltz Goes On, Czardas, Medley 1950s – 1970s, My girl, Living Doll, Do You Wanna Dance, There goes my first love, The wonder of you, Come fly with me, My way, Crocodile rock, La Bamba, Go Johnny go, and a medley of more Rock and Roll
Members of the audience rose to their feet and called for… ‘More, more’
The encore – We’ll meet again.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood organ and keyboard, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, Live music, Mark Thompson, mountnessing, steve morl
Concert review 24th June 2019 Kevin Grunill
Kevin arrived with what some were heard to have described as; an elderly Technics FN3. The instrument setup on the stage had no trailing wires or additional speakers. Despite its perceived age the instrument appeared neat and traditional. Once Kevin was playing it was obvious it could fill the hall with sound. The FN3 was coupled to his PC and he used the Hauptwerk Paramount 450 Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ to give Blackpool sounds. We heard a good evening of musical variety interspersed with not a little humour. Kevin’s style of play is distinctly his own and all music is concluded to a slowing crescendo, a little unusual for a romantic melody. An enjoyable evening concluded with an encore comprising an appreciated medley from Les Miserables.
Amongst music played by Kevin;
Make em laugh, That’s entertainment, Make the world a little younger, the city of my dreams, red rose café, Misty, I’m in the mood for love, The pie in the face polka (Mancini), the wind beneath my feet (Bet Midler), The lady is a tramp, Dancing cheek to cheek, A medley of music from stage and screen, Somewhere over the rainbow, Doe Ray Me (Sound of music), Phantom of the opera,
After the interval
March of the high school cadets, Neil Sedaker – The hungry years, An ‘American collection’, Mac the knife, A big Band medley, Harry Warren’s – This Heart of mine, in both celebration and commemoration of ‘D’ Day, Aces high, Anchors away, The great little army – Marches. Further medleys in the Blackpool style and that of the theatre organ. The evening concluded with a selection of waltzes but of course Kevin returned for his encore of Les Miserables.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, kevin grunill, Live music, steve morl
Concert review 20th May 2019 Mathew Bason
Mathew’s concert immediately followed our 2019 AGM and that alone was probably enough to subdue us all. The second half of the evening with Mathew on the stage with his Weiltmeister in hand brought the evening to life. His piano accordion (Weiltmeister) playing added to his already established high level of performance on his Roland 350C Dual Keyboard (and pedals plus separate Yamaha P-105). Mathew also gave us a moving sung rendition of “Bring Him home” accompanied by his Ipad!!
Mathew is not a stranger to us and his name is synonymous with that of an accomplished entertainer, in that he did not disappoint.
Amongst Mathew’s music we heard:- Make ‘em’ laugh, in love for the first time, Perfect – Ed Sheeran, A medley to the world of dance and Bigband, A feline collection, (as Mathew called) including the aristocats, A well sung by Mathew, rendition of; ‘Bring him home’. A selection of Viennese music, blue bell polka (On the Weiltmeister), Samba de Orfeu from Black Orpheus, Grieg – Norwegian Dance no. 2. March militaire, All of me – John Legend, A country and Weston medley, Rhinestone Cowboy, Ring of fire.
Called for an encore Mathew Played the Radetzky March – an all time favourite at the proms!
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, Live music, Mathew Bason, mountnessing, steve morl
Concert Review 15th April 2019 – Peter Shaw
A low turnout audience of forty seven at Mountnessing Hall for Peter Shaw’s performance. Peter had withdrawn from performing and it had been some years since he visited us, those club members who were unable to attend his concert this time missed a quite entertaining evening from an accomplished performer. Peter has a surprisingly youthful voice and during the evening used it singing a well applauded version of ‘This is the moment’ and Burt Baccarat’s ‘The look of love’. His performance at the keyboard included many styles and favourites. It must be said that he has returned to public performance with a very listenable repertoire.
Some of the music played by Peter included;
A little night music, send in the clowns, Burt Baccarat’s The look of Love, we heard a thirty minute medley of assorted musicales and films such as; jungle book, Pinocchio-when you wish upon a star, Chity Chity bang bang including ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and many others. Other film music included, Life is a Cabaret, Singing in the rain, I could have danced all night, On the street where I live, wouldn’t it be lovely, Get me to the church on time, Many ABBA songs, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicales including; Les Miserables, Phantom, Joseph and more. Music from Westside story.
After the interval there was; Bye Bye Blackbird, American Patrol and many other tunes to compile a Big Band medley. A personal tribute to the late Chiho Sunamoto of Gabriel’s Oboe. When my little girl is Smiling from the Drifters. Julio Iglesias ‘Hey’ Shubert’s Ave Maria. A Jazz medley, Frank Sinatra medley. Tribute to Alan Haven. An energetic series of March themes including, Thunderbirds, The Battle of Britain, 633 Sqn and the Dam busters.
Peter was recalled for the encore for which he chose ‘When you’re are smiling’.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: BOKC, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Live music, mountnessing, Peter Shaw, steve morl
