Our August Concert

Our first player at our August concert was Alan Gelling playing The Carousel Waltz, Lovely Stornaway, Snow Waltz and These Are My Mountains. Guy Hindley was our next player. He played The Ploughboy, Winster Gallop and Dorset Four. Ann Parker then took to the stage playing Yodelling Polka, Bel Viso and Beautiful Days. Our next player Gerard Dawber played Take The High Road, Scotland The Brave, Edelweiss, Spinning Wheel and I’ll Tell me Ma. After Gerard, Harry Davies gave us renditions of Any Dream Will Do, Memory, Spanish Eyes and Stranger On The Shore. Leading up to the first break was Tom Bennet who told use a joke before playing Tristesse (also known as Chopin’s Study in E), and A Nightingale In Berkeley Square. After the break, Colin Ensor started us off with Once In A While, Un Gamin A Paris, Crazy, Le Denicheur and Lovesick Blues. It was then Rebecca Parker’s turn to play. Rebecca played Moon River, which we know she plays well, but then she surprised everyone with her debut of Glamour Girl which was played with great skill and timing. Rebecca had a number of people approach her at the end of the night saying how well she had played it. John McCormack then gave us Du Du Leigst Mir Im Hertzen, Neopolitan Nights, Ungrateful Heart and La Cumparsita. After I had played Triste Sourire, Sailors Hornpipe and Can’t Help Falling In Love, it was time for Graham Driver to take us up to the second break with Portabello Hornpipe, Murphys Hornpipe, Weasels Revenge and Jacquline Waltz . After the break and the raffle,Tom Bennett played Whiter Shade Of Pale. We ended the evening with Colin Ensor playing a selection of tunes which took us to just after 11pm. As usual, our local players’ nights are always a good fun night where we seem to let our hair down and this was no exception. We went home at 11.30 inspired by all we had heard. Our next night features the talents of Walter Perrie and Tom Cowing, make sure you don’t miss it. David Batty

 

The Big National Ceilidh

This is a unique nationwide event which is staged in aid of charity. It takes place on Thursday October 18th. The Big National Ceilidh is a night when, in cities, towns and villages all over the country, thousands of people will simultaneously be dancing to the music of live bands. Each event will be locally organised and distinctive, but the proceeds from all the events will be given to a single charity, WaterAid. The website www.bignationalceilidh.co.uk has been set up so that bands can register and you can see where the events are being held. Details of each ceilidh will then appear on the site, and you will soon be able to find out about other events taking place near you and across the country. The website also includes more information about the event as a whole, on how to send proceeds to WaterAid, and advice for running a successful evening. Further information, including suggestions and images for publicity materials, will be introduced in due course. For further information email: david.oliver@thesagegateshead.org

 

RTE Europe

On: RTÉ Europe (0142) On Saturday 22nd September 2007 RTE Europe (Sky 0142) starting at 16:15 through to 16:30 is the programme A Musical Interlude which looks at one musical instrument a week. This programme features the button accordion with Paudie O’Connor and Joe Burke.

 

This Wednesday

This Wednesday we see the welcome return of Walter Perrie and Tom Cowing to the club as guest artists. Walter and Tom last played at the club together a long time ago, I think it was in 2000. Concerts featuring Walter are always well attended so I would advise you to arrive early for a good seat. Why not bring along family or friends and give them a treat. Doors open at 7.30 for an 8PM Start. I will See you on Wednesday…. David Batty

 

Steve Roxton On The Radio

For many years, Steve Roxton has been the resident accordionist on Talk Sport Radio. Recently, he got his own intro and a regular Thursday afternoon spot around 3.50pm or just a little later. Listeners to the radio email or call in and suggest difficult tunes for Steve to play on the accordion and to add to his act. The radio station announces the tune he will play a day or two beforehand and lets him know, then on Thursday his challenge is to play about a minute of it to end the hour long programme. The tunes chosen for him to play so far on the accordion are Michael Jackson – Thriller, Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger, Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven, and this week it was David Bowie’s Space Oddity. You can see that it’s an unusual bunch of tunes for him to play and it certainly is a challenge to play these each week. The good news is that Steve always has a little chat on the radio and mentions where he is playing. He then gets people coming in to his shows saying “It’s you”, then then explain they have been listening to him on the radio. This is all good exposure for the accordion as Talk Sport is a national radio station which is also heard all over Europe via satellite. The station broadcasts on 1053 and 1089 MW or for much better reception you can listen to channel 0108 on Sky Satellite.

 

NAO NW Championships

The Blackpool and Wyre Accordion Festival and the National Accordion Championships North West Area are to be held at Marine Hall, Fleetwood on Sunday 25th of November 2007. The adjudicators for the competition are Frederick Parnell, Mavis Parnell, Raymond Bodell, Wendy Farran and Ken Farran, There are also sections for Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Voice. The evening will end with a presentation concert with the CIA and CMA World Champion. Julian Gonzales and a guest orchestra will also feature in the concert. For more details of the competitions or of the concert, contact the event organiser Gina ranelli on 01253 778764 or 822046.

 

Weaver Valley 25th Anniversary

The Weaver Valley Accordion Band is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a concert featuring Pearl Fawcett-Adriano with support from The Weaver Valley Accordion Band who will be performing pieces from their new CD which was recorded earlier this year. The event will be held on Friday 28th of September 2007 at The Frodsham Community Hall, Fluin Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire. The event runs from 7.30 to 10.30pm. Tickets are £6 from Chris Green on 01925 757660, 07759 211362 or email tchggreen@hotmail.com.

 

Keyboard For Sale

Yamaha E403 keyboard for sale. This keyboard is in excellent condition and looks as new. It comes with a top quality soft carrying case. Telephone Jay Ward on 01253 859367.

 

A to Z Of The Accordion Vol 3

This new book is largely in the style of the previous volumes, though this time some of the pictures are in colour. It includes several lengthy, in-depth articles and biographies, including Leyland Accordion Club and other Accordion Clubs, Accordions – Then & Now, Accordion Festivals Revisited, Accordion Tunings, Accordions in the Theatre, The Art of Busking, The Art of Conducting (Brian Jenkins), Bal Musette, Irish Ceili Bands, Fiddler on the Roof (Rosemary Wright), From Russia With Love, Memorising & Aural Training (Gerald Crossman), The Musical Heritage of Thomas Hardy, Practising (three archive articles, by Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Toralf Tollefsen and Ken Hacking), Record Reviews, Roland Virtual Accordion (Mike O’Regan), Scottish Dance Bands, Stockport Accordion Club, Tales & Trivia, Vocal Accompaniment (Jack Emblow), Why Not Use Those Couplers, The White Heather Club, Writing & Arranging (G. Crossman), plus various others. Biographies include: Ronald Binge, Wolmer Beltrami, Craig Bradley, Charles Camilleri, Lindsay Garvin, Gorni Kramer, John Leslie, Jean-Louis Noton, the Petulengros (Langtons), and many, many more. Peter Ayers, Julie Best, Johnny Coleclough, Norman English, Jean Hanger, Raymond Jones and Heather Smith have all written/contributed their own stories. The price is £15 + £4 postage and packing and is available from Rob Howard, 42 Avondale Road, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9NY. Telephone 0161 480 8858 email robaccord5@hotmail.com

 

Alan Venn Weekend

Alan Venn is holding another of his Organ Keyboard and Accordion events from the 1st to 5th of October 2007, in the Annan Hotel at Llandudno. This features Andrew Seddon and Ian Wolstenholme on keyboard, and Harry Hussy on Accordion. You can ring Alan on 01204 840279 for more details.

 

Charity Event

Last night (Saturday) I was in a Charity concert for a 2 year old girl who needs life saving surgery in the USA. I was the third act in the second half and I was pleased that it went very well. I had about six or seven people stopping me on the way out and saying how much they enjoyed my performance. The official photographer for the event came up to apologise to me because he was singing along and so forgot to take my photograph. If he hadn’t mentioned it then I wouldn’t have known that there was an official photographer at the event! Some of the other acts were a Tenor, a Soprano singer, Flanagan and Allen act, some young girls dancing. One of the highlights for me was Wrangler who were a trio on guitar, mandolin and voice. I would thoroughly recommend you have a listen if you hear them playing near you.

 

Jimmy Shand Day

The 6th Sir Jimmy Shand Tribute Concert at St Andrews Town Hall, Fife, was again a sell out. Jimmy Shand Junior started the proceedings by presenting a cheque for £1,345 to two local charities for the handicapped. The performers included accordionists Jimmy Shand Jr, Ian Holmes, David Cunningham, Jack Stalker, Ian McCallum, Billy Anderson, Sandy Anderson, Gordon Pattullo, Dugald Jenkins, Kevin Cheyne, Bill Stewart, John Carmichael, and Ian Cruickshanks. Most of the music played were tunes associated with or composed by, the late Sir Jimmy Shand.