Leyland Accordion Club - 10th March 1999
Our March meeting started with everyone having to keep quiet, this was a difficult task to achieve but we managed it. The reason was that the BBC were filming interviews between 7pm and the club starting time of 8pm. These, along with the film taken from 8pm to 9pm were used the following Tuesday on Northwest Tonight when they broadcast our three and a half minutes of fame. After the interview with Jeanette Postlewhite was over we were ready to start. Our first player was Basil Berry, Basil was followed by Tom Bennett, I then joined Tom playing Plaisir D'Amour as a duet before I played The Sailors Hornpipe and Whispering Hope. I am sure you were as surprised as I was to see how close the cameraman got during the filming, I thought I was going to hit my fingers on his camera if I started playing any further down the keyboard. I was followed by 8 year old Julie Langton, Julie was told to ignore the camera and it was as though someone had suddenly made it invisible, Julie did not care one bit that two men, one with a woolly thing on a stick were rotating around her as she played. She must have nerves of steel. Well done Julie.
Gina and Romany Rye
Johnny Coleclough followed Julie playing his new Midi system. Our last player before our guest artist appeared was George Hicks. It was time for our Guest Artists Gina and Romany Rye, Gina opened with the Star Wars Suite which became the opening music on our broadcast on TV the following week. Then Norman joined Gina singing Spanish Eyes, then it was Gina's turn to do the vocals to Besame Mucho. Next came two instrumentals from Frosini, Bel Fiorie and Bel Viso. Gina was again joined by Norman for I Who Have Nothing before playing another two instrumentals in the form of Serenade by Tosselli and Italian Mazurka by Migliavacca, this was an arrangement by Gina. Two more vocal arrangements came first from Norman with For Ever and Ever and then Gina with Quizaz Quizas. Next came a selection of instrumentals starting with El Cumbancero, Tico Tico and Minute Waltz. Two of my favorites from Gina's repertoire came next when she played Romanza and The Theme From the DeerHunter. This may be because I like playing these on my guitar and also hearing John Williams playing them much better on his. Gina continued to the break playing Dizzy Fingers. I had to disappear during the break because I had to do a Radio Interview, the club was far too noisy for this and so we had to disappear downstairs and sit in the Highfield where it was quiet. Thanks to Tom Bennet and Jay Ward who I believe took over from me serving the tea and coffee, I remember someone taking over and I am sure that the credit has gone to the right people. After the break we continued with our local players, we had excellent performances from William Langton, Nina Suscenco and Andrew Figg. It was time for Gina and Norman to continue with their second half. The first piece was Preludio by Volpi followed by an accordion 'standard' Luci e Ombre by Pizzigoni. Norman now joined Gina singing Impossible Dream and Sweet Sixteen. Gina then continued with two Frosini pieces, La Mariposita and Carnival of Venice. This was followed by two Fugazza pieces - Prelude an Fugue and Puppazetti. Norman again joined Gina for Too Beautiful To Last before Gina Sang the Theme from The Titanic before playing three instrumentals, Espana, Jolly Caballero and Cuckoo Waltz. We were close to the end now and we just had time for Gina to play and sing Return to Sorrento before finishing with Gitanareas. This had been another wonderful night, we had a great crowd in as usual and as requested in the last newsletter we did pack the place to the ceiling. I would like to thank Gina and Norman for providing us with some great entertainment. I have to apologise for not providing more details of the local players tunes on this page but I have misplaced my list and as I only started this newsletter Late on Sunday night I am short of time, I have to have the whole thing done, printed in envelopes, labelled, stamped and in the post at 4.15pm later today (Monday) I am typing quite fast as there are quite a few words in any one of these newsletters and I like to put them in the right order. I look forward to seeing you all this Wednesday 14th April 1999 when we have an evening full of local talent promising to give us another great night out.
David Batty
Our Internet Website
Our Internet Website has had 10,925 visitors as at 12th April 1999, that's 1251 visitors since last month. There is a nice trend in the ever increasing numbers of visitors to the site, there is so much on there now that it would take hours for anyone to read everything, watch our TV, listen to our concerts and listen to all the music on there. I am going to record our May meeting featuring Walter Perrie for broadcast over the Internet via our Website. Our BBC debut is now on the site and has been seen by many people worldwide who can sit and watch it on demand. After our TV broadcast, there were many people trying to find us because the BBC forgot to say where and when we met, I have therefore added our phone number to Directory Enquiries and the local library and tourist office have been receiving requests for information about us. Quite a few people logged on to our website and found us that way. I recently received an email from Perth Accordion Club saying that our Ian Carter has now reached Perth and although their club does not meet while he is there, he will be getting together with the clubs organiser for a drink. Ok Ian you can come back now.
Nina Suscenko - Accordion Teacher
Nina Suscenko, who many of you have seen playing her button accordion at the club is now taking on students for Piano or Button Accordion, Piano or Free Bass Accordion. Nina has been a Conductor, Player, Teacher and composer in the Ukraine. She has been playing since she was 5 years old. She spent Four years at Music College, 5 years at Kiev (Capital of the Ukraine) Academy of Music. 15 Years playing with a television orchestra and on Radio stations in the Ukraine. Nina Lives in Bradford and can be contacted on 01274 403797.
Wyre Accordion Festival
As promised/threatened, I attended the recent Wyre Accordion Competition and arrived about 8.56am on Sunday Morning, I was in the buskers section and found out that I was first to play at 9am. Once the doors were closed and my name called out I sat down in front of the small crowd who were assembled to watch and/or take part in the various sections. With a nod from the Adjudicator I started playing American Patrol, then, about 1 minute in to playing, a girl in a blue sweatshirt opened the fire exit and, deciding not to enter, let the door go and passed control to the big spring who's dedicated task in life was to make sure that the door slammed shut, this it did very well. I nearly jumped off my chair, but I was pleased that I carried on without any problems. There were about forty of them wearing these sweatshirts so further identification was not possible and I could not return the complement when she was playing later. The second piece I played was my Sailors Hornpipe Medley and then ending with a Johnny Cash Medley. I now had only one more section that I had entered and this one came next. After playing Whispering Hope and Now is The Hour I had to wait until 6pm for the results. I sat in listening to some of the players and looking at Music World and Geoff Holter's trade stalls until it was time for the results. We all assembled in the big room for the awards and I found that I was awarded 83 marks in the buskers section which earned me second place and 81 Marks in the Late Starters 1-3 which although was a Merit was not good enough for a placing. This did not matter, I was happy. I had a metal thing (shield/badge/award) in a box engraved Wyre Accordion Festival, Second Place 1999. This was a practice session for getting the first place next year, that's what I told Tom Bennett who would not enter this year but has told me that he is entering next year. I told him to look at my second place medal because that's as far as he will be able to get as I have my eye on first place, he told me to get used to second place because he will be in it next year. Watch this space. I think I had better start practicing now. The day went well, everyone enjoyed themselves and there was lots of socialising going on, the only bit that spoiled it for me and a few others near me was that during the awards at the end, we were subjected to these blue sweatshirt wearing children screaming as loud as possible and making all sort of very loud childish whooping noises each time a name was called out that they recognised in any way, I and quite a few of those around me were wishing we had sat elsewhere, possibly somewhere like Blackpool. I went home with a headache but a small price to pay for a good accordion day out. As I said last year when I first attended this competition, this is not an elitist competition, there are sections for all levels and abilities and if I can get somewhere then there is hope for all of you. What more encouragement can I give you, have a go next year and receive a written report on your playing, it's informative and more important it's fun to take part, see you there next year.
Our Practice Night
Our last practice night was well attended and we enjoyed some good practice, we met a few new people who came to visit us after seeing us on TV and became members. We look forward to welcoming them to their first clubnight this week. If you see someone you don't recognise at the club then I hope you will take time out to talk to them and make them feel welcome. I know that many of you do this already and this is one of the reasons that people say that they feel they have been coming to the club for ages when it is only their second or third time here, they feel they are not outsiders which they had expected but are a part of the club from their first visit. Following our last club night 'The Highfield' have purchased 30 more chairs which are a welcome addition to our room. Why not bring a friend to this month's meeting? we can then test the rooms capacity !!!!
BBC North West Tonight appearance
Our TV Debut was recorded last month and we were surprised to see it appear less than a week later on the following Tuesday. I had just got in from the hospital when I checked my answering machine to find out that it was due to be broadcast in three minutes time, I hurriedly grabbed a blank tape and recorded it for conversion to a tv/sound picture for broadcast over the website. In bringing the broadcast forward a week early the BBC forgot to mention where or when we meet and they did not give any phone number or other contact details for us. I hurriedly registered 'Leyland Accordion Club' with directory enquiries but this took about three days for the number to appear on their computer. In the meantime Leyland Library and the local Tourist Office were receiving enquiries from people asking where to find us. I emailed the producer at the BBC asking for some details to be broadcast the following day but received no reply so far, I then contacted the BBC by phone asking the same but they did not want to broadcast the fact that they had missed these details out. Despite this we did receive a few new members and adverts I place later on may tie in with people remembering seeing us on TV. The broadcast was well received over the Internet and we have had many emails congratulating us on getting the accordion on TV. Following this I have just had two other good ideas and will be following them up over the next few months.
Our next Practice Night
Our next practice night is on Wednesday 28th April 1999. On practice nights the doors open a little later than normal club nights, I aim to get there between 7.30 and 7.45. for an 8pm start, we finish at 11pm as usual.
LAC 1998 - Volume 2
Our second tape was due to be released this Wednesday, I don't think it will make it, since last month I have had to deal with illness, an operation, hospital visiting and now six weeks of physiotherapy and trips to the hospital. I will have it ready in a couple of weeks time though, ready for our next practice night and the following clubnight.