Our April Concert
Our April concert started with Colin Ensor playing Whistling Rufus, Try A Little Tenderness, Pigalle, I Won’t Tell A Soul, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, You Are Everywhere and Goodnight Irene. Phil Sanderson was our next player, starting with Danny Boy, Fields Of Athenry, How Great Thou Art, You Fill Up My Senses, Dont Cry For Me Argentina, In My Liverpool Home, You Raise Me Up, Dublin City and Isle Of Innisfree. Bill Agnew then took to the stage playing Road To The Isles, Only You, What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For, Cuckoo Waltz, Who’s Sorry Now, Dark Town Strutters Ball, Sweet Rosie O’Grady, My Wild Irish Rose, Da Do Ron Ron, Red River Valley, Blaze Away. Basil Berry followed Bill, playing Only Make Believe, Old Man River, Cant Help Lovin’ That Man Of Mine, All The Things You Are and finally finishing with Long Ago And Far Away. It was time for John Lennox to entertain us. First he played Two Ladies, If You Could See Her Through My Eyes, then continued with a selection of tunes from Cabaret. Bill Agnew and Shirley Seed took their places on stage and entertained us with Waiting At The Church, Lily Of Laguna, Strolling, When You’re Smiling, Lambeth Walk, Birth Of The Blues, When I’m 64, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, High Lily Hi Low and Down By The Waterside. Graham Driver was our next artist, starting on his melodion. He played Weasel’s Revenge, The Pullet, Cuckoo’s Nest, Blubell Polka, Statten Island. He then changed to his 5-Row accordion and gave us Road To The Isles and Old Man In A Garrett. It was my turn to play now so I tried a medley consisting of Cruising Down The River, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, Old Bull And Bush, Lassie From Lancashire, My Girls A Yorkshire Girl, A Gordon For Me, I Belong To Glasgow and Keep Right On To The End Of The Road. My final piece Danny Boy I played for Linda Walsh because she had bought me a bag of crisps earlier and I knew it was one of her favourite tunes. To finish the evening, Tom Bennett played Happy Wanderer, Starlight Express, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Memory, Phantom Of The Opera, Tulips From Amsterdam, Snow Waltz, Cuckoo Waltz and Now Is The Hour. We all drifted home about 11.30 after a great night of entertainment. David Batty
Internet Scam
It has come to my attention that someone is collecting adverts of accordions for sale on the Internet and then collating these into a list of accordions the person purports to own. These are then offered for sale as a list of around 50 accordions with the contact details of the actual owners removed. I can’t imagine this person getting any money from anyone as I don’t think people will send off money to someone without first seeing and playing the accordion mentioned in the adverts, but I think it’s worth mentioning as someone might fall for it. The scam came to light after one of our own members received the list of accordions for sale and noticed that one of the accordions mentioned was an exact copy of their own advert from the Internet.
Fleetwood Tram Festival
On Sunday 20th of July I recommend you visit Fleetwood for Tram Sunday. This is a feature packed day of vehicles, entertainers, morris dancers, fairground rides, stalls, Folk Musicians, Army Displays and so much more. Definitely a date for your diary.
Walter Perrie New CD
Walter Perrie has recorded 28 tracks and will choose from this list for selecting tracks for a new CD he plans to release in the near future. I will let you know further details, and which ones he chooses to appear on the CD.
This Wednesday
This Wednesday we see the welcome return of Harry Hussey as our guest artist. Harry doesn’t come with a programme, instead he gets the audience to shout out what they want to hear, then proceeds to play these requests. If you have an old tune you would love to hear, then make sure you’re at this concert. Doors open at 7.30 for an 8pm start. Make sure you turn up early for a good seat. Please bring your family and friends. I will see you on Wednesday. David Batty
Two Accordions For Sale
120 bass 4 voice Piermaria Piano Accordion in black with full midi in excellent condition with soft carrying case. Musette tuned with 11 treble and 5 bass couplers. Also has treble and bass mikes fitted. £1800 ono. Also For Sale is a 120 bass 4 voice Marrinucci Piano Accordion in black with case. Plays fine but would benefit from a service. 11 treble and 3 bass couplers £375 ono. These accordions belong to a professional player in Leeds. Telephone Chris on 07747 025995
NAO Festival At Blackpool
This event was always held in Scarborough, but this year it moved to Blackpool. There were over 450 entries for the 2008 UK Championships, which was held in Blackpool from April 25th to 27th. There were Trade displays in the Metropole hotel, an opening gala concert, competition throughout the Saturday and on Sunday morning. There was a Ceilidh on Saturday evening on the end of North Pier in an open air/partly covered area which left plenty of people keeping their coats on. The festival was a great success so hopefully it will remain at Blackpool for many years to come.
New Accordion Club
Accordionists Colin Milner and Harry Kipling started a new accordion club, known as the North Yorks Accordion Club, at Bradley’s Coffee Shop & Wine Bar, 13 High St, Market Weighton, York, North Yorkshire YO43 3AQ. The first meeting took place on Wednesday April 9th. For further information email: henrykipling@fsmail.net
Accordion International Festival
‘Accordions International’, a new festival held at the Dunes Conference Complex, Pontins Holiday Centre, Blackpool, from May 9th to 13th, was said to be a great success. Organised by Heather Smith, this festival followed a similar format from when Tom Duncan used to share with an organ and keyboard festival, an arrangement that worked well for all concerned then, and again now that Heather has revived the idea. The evening concerts included many first class performances, with guest artistes Paris-Moscow Duo – Domi Emorine and Roman Jbanov – adding much humour to their virtuoso playing. Italy’s Giancarlo Caporilli, whose repertoire seems endless, played flawlessly, and supplemented his stage appearances, which included a demonstration of the MusicTech Digital 50 accordion, with several impromptu sessions at the trade show. The UK guest artistes Stefan Andrusyschyn, Harry Hussey, Bert Santilly, and Romano Viazzani also turned in excellent performances. Highlights included Stefan Andrusyschyn’s performance of ‘Winter’, from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, and the duets in which he accompanied his wife, operatic soprano Denise Leigh.
Workshops led by Heather Smith, Romano Viazzani, Bert Santilly, Brian Jenkins and Adrienne Sharpe, and a master class by the Paris-Moscow Duo were all well attended and successful. The final concert featured sets by the workshop weekend orchestras and bands, a highlight of which was the elementary orchestra’s performance of ‘Moonlight Serenade’.
Directed by Romano Viazzani, who played a Roland FR7 using its clarinet voice to great effect, and also featuring Marj Howard on trumpet, the ensemble really captured the sound and style of Glenn Miller, complete with all musicians standing up, Miller-style, second time through.
People could visit the trade shows of both the accordion and organ/keyboard festivals, which benefited all the retailers. A visitor to the organ/keyboard event from Germany, who had travelled by car, was so delighted to discover the presence of the accordion festival that he treated himself to a brand new accordion from one of the trade displays. I didn’t mention this festival before the event because I was not sent details of it prior to the event.
Guido Deiro
The Complete Works of Guido Deiro’ is a 192-page music book, edited by Henry Doktorski and published with the permission of Count Guido Roberto Deiro by Mel Bay – a collector’s item. The book contains 45 pieces, including marches, waltzes, polkas, foxtrots, mazurkas, tangos, etc, and edited exactly as Guido Deiro played on his records. Also included are 54 historic photographs, 8 historic sheet music covers, facsimiles of two early Deiro pieces, and an 11-page biography of Guido Deiro.
A project five years in preparation, this book is a beautiful, handsome, engraved, scholarly urtext edition, measuring 11.75 tall x 8.75 wide x 0.5 inches thick. Published April 2008.
New Fintan Stanley DVD & CD
The Fintan Stanley DVD and CD are on their way and should be available before the end of May. I have produced a CD version for those people who don’t have DVD players. I might have copies of these items at the concert night but its more likely that they will be ready for the next practice night.
Roland V Accordion Weekend
A Roland V Accordion Weekend and Accordion Teaching Week takes place at the St Audries Bay holiday centre, Somerset, from September 6th to 13th. The festival includes numerous concerts and a trade show, and the organisers are John and Jackie Romero. The teachers, demonstrators and performers include Pearl-Fawcett Adriano, George Syrett, Harry Hussey, Gennaro Fiondella, Karen Street, Eddie Jay, Romano Viazzani, Angie Lukins, Trevani, Rosemary Wright and John Romero. For further information email: jr@carillonstudios.co.uk
New Callum McKinnon DVD and CD
Callum Mckinnon, the tartan trouser wearing accordionist/singer who has been our guest artist, entertaining us so well with 90 minutes of well known singalong tunes, will shortly have his own DVD and CD of the live performance he produced at Leyland. I may have copies of these at the next concert night. If not then ask at the next practice night.
Guest Artist booked
I have booked Stefan Andrusyschyn as our guest artist at Leyland. for the 16th of July 2008. Stefan plays a great mixture of light classical tunes through to Figaros Aria, Misty and many more great pieces. I am looking forward to seeing Stefan making his debut at Leyland.