Concert review 23rd July 2018 Brett Wales
The long hot dry summer of 2018 continued, Brett Wales our musician for the evening was greeted on stage by an audience of 36 Members and 15 guests. Brett who travelled down from Nottingham introduced himself and with a laugh and a joke set about producing an evening of music worthy of a much larger audience. The performance was full, lively and encompassed many styles. Performers like to turn themselves out attired to impress. Brett played the first half of the concert wearing a dark shirt light jacket and with his hair swept and tied back, he immerged after the interval to whistles cheers and other applause. There was Brett in a flamboyant move suit and a crimson tie, quite a surprise. After the performance ended Brett was of course recalled for an encore itself a medley all received to great applause. Brett’s instrument – a Wersi sonic. Some of the evening’s music -Gladiator, On a street where I live, when your smiling, How can you mend a broken heart (BG’s), Blanket on the ground, Intermezzo (Cavalier Rusticana), Day by Day, A Helios organ tribute, ABBA medley, I left my heart in San Francisco, Pirates of the Caribbean (Zimmer), the lady and the tramp. Interval This old house, River dance Ballet, ToTo Africa, Bohemian rhapsody (Queen), In a Persian Market (Albert Ketelbly), William Tell (Rossini), Fulsome Prison Blues (Johnny Cash), Sound of silence (Simon and Garfunkel), I can’t help falling in love with you, One moment in time (Whitney Houston), Equinox (Jean-Michel-Jarre) He’ll be coming round the mountain, Encore – A medley!
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Brett Wales, Live music, mountnessing
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 October 2017 – Rod Pooley
The evenings were drawing in, how fast the year is passing. Our guest for the evening was Rod Pooley. He opened with a sense of humour that continued throughout. “It was good to be back in Essex after such a long time… and the only way is??” Of course many replied “ESSEX…” He was, he thought a young man when last he performed for us, there was a bit of friendly banter between him and our booking secretary about how he came to be overlooked for so long and then the concert began with, ‘windmills of your mind’. Followed by “Charlie Chan”. Between each piece thereafter Rod continued with his humour which never failed to raise a laugh, he was himself the brunt of much of it. We listened to the realistic sound of ‘the big band’, ‘orchestras’ film music and much more. Some titles from the evening were, ‘O Mio Bambino Caro’, ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ ‘All I ask of you’ and ‘Home’ by Michael Bublé. The evening was very well received by all with much applause. Rod commented that he hoped he wouldn’t need to wait another 14 years to be asked back again.
I am informed that, for those who like to know these things…
The instrument that Rod was using was the TRX Organ system based on Yamaha Tyros 5 with Hammond pedals.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert – The Organist Entertains, BOKC, bokc.BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, Essex, keyboard, Live music, mountnessing, Rod Pooley
Concert Review 25th September 2017 – Alex Payler
25th September and summer was over, the evenings drawing in and maybe that was why the turnout for our concert by Alex Payler was so disappointingly low. We even delayed the start of the evening hoping for a few more attendees.
Alex provided a captivating performance of live music with varied genres. He performed on his very capable Yamaha. There surely ought to have been content to please all. The evening opened with a lively rendition of Palladio soon contrasted by the minuet from the L’arlesienne suite by Bizet. As the evening progressed we heard music from film, stage, TV and the classics. Perhaps the style of his music should described as orchestral rather than Hammond, how the listener appreciated what they listened to would depend on their preference of style but the performance itself was absorbing, rounded and accomplished. At the end of the evening Alex was applauded and an encore requested for which he played Brazil by Ary Barroso
Alex’s instrument was the YAMAHA Electone Stagea ELS-02C. As well as being the first pro-player to import this very special instrument into the UK, he is now one of the leading exponents of this particular model in the world.
Alex’s concert content
PART 1 [Approx. Running Time—1:00Hr]
PART 2 [Approx. Running Time—1:00Hr]
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, Alex Payler, BOKC, bokc.BOKC, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, mountnessing
Concert review – Matthew Bason 24th July 2017
Our concert of the 24th July 2017 was the first with the new start time of 7.45pm, at least that was the intention. There had been an accident on the nearby A12 with the road effectively blocked all the way to Chelmsford, diverted traffic was then passing outside the hall. The audience was arriving for the night’s performance yet there was no Matthew Bason! To the relief of all though he did appear after an extensive diversion and the concert started only five minutes later than intended.
Multi talented Matthew gave us a taste of his “One-Man Musical Variety Show”. During the evening he not only played the Roland atelier AT350 punctuated with his own brand of humour, but a Yamaha piano, the accordion and we listened to his excellent singing voice. Matthews rendition of bring him home brought part of the audience to their feet. Mathew introduced differing stiles into his music; we heard music played on his Roland emulating a Hammond, a selection of gospel music, Classical, orchestral, and film music, to mention a few.
Matthew introduced us to Helga whom he produced form a suitcase, Helga the Piano accordion. On Helga he played for us his Brexit medley collection each piece relating to an EU country. The medley included, Tulips from Amsterdam, O soli Mio, amongst others.
Amongst just some of the music played by Matthew were. Blue tango, blue waltz, blue bossa, Misty, Amazing Grace, I’m all shook up, lets twist again like we did last summer, Brahms lullaby, 12th street rag, A selection from Abba including, Dancing queen, Mama Mia, tragedy, and thank you for the music. Other pieces included, the Rudetzky March. Hebrew slaves, Duke Ellington’s Caravan, River Kwai march, Bring him home, A homage to Dean Martin (who would have been 100 this year) included among others, Every body needs somebody, and sway. We also heard, somewhere over the rainbow, all the things you are, and Circus Renz.
Matthew’s “One-Man Musical Variety show” certainly fulfilled its promise of variety and was well applauded.
Matthew’s Roland Atelier AT350 and Yamaha Piano
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: BOKC, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Live music, Matthew Bason, mountnessing
