Leyland Accordion Club, Leyland, Lancashire, England. If you came to this page via a search engine then you have just found one page of our archive of 160+ monthly newsletters which may contain the information you are looking for. You can also click HERE to go to the main site which contains a wealth of text files, audio streams, video, musical information, items for sale, notice board and contact information for the UK accordion scene For Accordion CD's DVD's Music Books and other items for sale visit our shop at |
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| Leyland Accordion Club - 17th May 2006
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Our May ConcertOur May concert started with Colin Ensor playing The Maigret Theme, I'll String Along With You, Charmaigne, Try A Little Tenderness and Sweetheart Of All My Dreams. After that strong start, it was left to Basil to keep the standards up, which he did admirably with his renditions of Sweet Georgia Brown, Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter, Ain't Misbehaving, Strangers In The Night and One Day When We Were Young. It was then time for our guest artist George Syrett and Rodney McNamarra to make their welcome return to Leyland. They started off their first half with 12th Street Rag, Once In A While, Return To Sorrento, Hava Nagila, Danny Boy and then a Scottish medley. All the tunes so far had been played on acoustic accordion, now George plugged his accordion into the midi system which he used for the rest of his first half. The entertainment continued with Moon River, Fascination, Spanish Eyes, Amazing Grace, You Are My Sunshine, Luci E Ombre, Under Paris Skies, Chanson D'Amour and On The Sunny Side Of The Street. After playing a Richard Galliano number, George continued with a couple of tangos: La Cumparsita and Jealousy. It was getting close to the break now and time for Hello Dolly followed by a medley of Anchors Away, Scotland The Brave, Blaze Away, Cuckoo Waltz, Snow Waltz, Anchors Away, and finally, to finish the first half, Moulin Rouge. After the break, Ann Parker played Yodelling Polka and I played a medley; which was suddenly blasted out by pop music when someone used the jukebox in the bar without realising that the speakers in the function room were switched on. I carried on and played over the top of the din until Rebecca and Natasha went to the bar and had the music switched off. It was now time for the return of George and Rodney for their second spot of the evening. This started with Moonlight Serenade, You Made Me Love You (Accompanied by George deliberately singing out of tune!), On The Sunny Side Of The Street and When I'm Cleaning Windows. The next tune, The Stripper, did not have anyone getting up to dance! Moon River was followed by a march and then Blaze Away. When The Saints was then followed by Rodney doing a two or three minute drum solo to a great round of applause. The entertainment continued with The St. Louis Blues, Tico Tico and When I grow Too Old To Dream. Y Viva Espana was then followed by George singing and playing One Cornetto! La Patanka led to Will Ye No Go Back Again, Bluebell Polka and The Can Can. Things started to wind up now when George played Auld Lang Syne, The Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen, Highland Cathederal and an unknown polka. The Petite Waltz was followed by The Sharpshooters March, Show Me The Way To Go Home, New York New York and finally Now Is The Hour. We had enjoyed a great evening's entertainment from George and Rodney but it had not ended. George invited a few of us on stage to join him for a finale. Colin, Myself, Tom and Ann then joined George and Rodney playing You Are My Sunshine, Show Me The Way To Go Home, Scotland The Brave, Donald Where's Your Trousers, Snow Waltz and finally a German drinking song featuring actions from the audience. We had so much fun and entertainment that it would be a crime if I leave it for too long before I invite George and Rodney back again. David Batty |
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George Syrett Website
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This WednesdayThis Wednesday we look forward to another of our local players nights. For those of you who haven't been to a local players concert before we have a concert featuring our own players each giving us a ten minute performance. We have a break at around 8pm and another at 9pm. During the breaks, we have tea and coffee on sale. After the second break the raffle is drawn. Local players don't forget your accordions on Wednesday, we look forward to hearing you playing. The doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. I look forward to seeing you there.
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Accordionist Johnny GrandeAccordionist Johnny Grande was a founder member of Bill Haley and the Comets, playing accordion or piano on a string of singles: ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’, ‘See You Later, Alligator’ and, most famous of all, ‘Rock Around the Clock’ that changed the face of popular music in the mid-1950s. Johnny Grande was born of Italian parentage in South Philadelphia, and initially pursued non-musical careers driving coal wagons and as a detective agency clerk. In his spare time, he played the accordion with country or polka bands performing at Pennsylvania's Sleepy Hollow Ranch. In the late 1940s he joined Bill Haley’s backing band, the Four Aces of Western Swing, soon to be renamed the Saddlemen. At this point, Haley was a Country & Western singer, but in the early 1950s the singer and band introduced a swing style that became known as ‘Rock 'n Roll’. In 1954, Bill Haley and the Comets, as they were then known, began a brief but spectacular period as best selling recording artistes. In 1956, Haley and the Comets starred in the film ‘Rock Around the Clock’, in which Grande appears playing accordion in the band. The arrival of Elvis Presley in 1956 saw Bill Haley quickly eclipsed from the pop music scene, and Grande left the band in 1962 to teach music, and later become a restaurateur. In the late 1980s, after Haley’s death in 1981, Johnny Grande reformed the band as ‘Bill Haley’s Comets’, and began touring and recording once more. Johnny Grande, died aged 76 on the 3rd of June at his home in Clarksville, Tennessee. |
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Our Picnic
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Our Website
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Accordion On Radio
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Coppull Folk FestivalI have been working too hard in the last few months/years so I decided to have visit a few folk clubs, festivals and events to get out a bit. Last week, I attended the Coppull Folk Festival with Colin Ensor, we were attracted by the Saturday night act The Houghton Weavers. We went down on Saturday morning to see what it was all about, arriving about 11am we found a place to play and were soon joined by the organiser of the festival who talked to us and listened to our playing for about half an hour or more. Later we enjoyed the organised guest artists until teatime, when we rushed home for an hour before returning for the evening concert featuring The Houghton Weavers as the headline act. They were supported by a group that were unable to attend, due to illness, and so when I arrived back at the festival, the organiser asked if I would play on stage prior to the Houghton Weavers spot. I agreed to his request and myself and a woman on a guitar were the two acts to replace the missing band. She was on first singing and playing the guitar. I was on second and was pleased that the crowd seemed to enjoy the accordion from the cheers and whistles I got after the tunes I played. After my spot, I was replaced by The Houghton Weavers who had been watching from the sides of the stage. The concert was excellent. It was the first time I had seen them live and it was much better than listening to their records and CD's. One of the Weavers, Steve Millington, who plays the accordion, spoke to me and later asked if he could join Leyland Accordion Club. He is now a fully paid up member. Steve trained as an engineer after leaving school and later worked as a diver with The Manchester Ship Canal company. Steve is the group’s keyboard, Accordion and bass player (not at the same time!!) and is an excellent musician and arranger. Over the years, he has played in many groups including a spell with 10cc and the country band “Poacher”. He says his best experience was working with Poacher in the middle of the South American jungle! And his most embarassing moment occured on a live T.V. show at Wembley arena when he fell over in front of the cameras! Steve is putting a Leyland Accordion Club sticker on his accordion case. His case was prominently displayed during the Weavers concert so I hope in future it points a few accordionists to our site where they can join forces online. even if they are too far away to visit the club. I'm Sorry about the cramped picture above but there was only about 8 feet between my feet and the stage so it was difficult to get everyone in one shot. We enjoyed an excellent night of entertainment, only leaving the festival in the early hours of Sunday Morning. Now where is my list of forthcoming festivals...... |
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Forthcoming FestivalsThis coming week (the 23rd to the 25th June) the Four Fools Folk Festival is being held at Lostock Hall, Nr Preston. Visit their website at www.four-fools.co.uk to see full biographies of the performers or Telephone Ken and Angie Bladen on 01257 263678 for more details.The Fleetwood Folk Festival is being held on the 1st to the 3rd of September 2006 at various locations across Fleetwood. See www.fylde-folk-festival.com for more details or telephone the box office on 01253 770547 to book your tickets. |
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