BGS Meeting 21st April

Under Ray Butcher's guidance, we seem to be making much better progress on Mr Witt's Sonata...well almost in time for the Federation meeting. The Sarabande, which was proving a challenge, appears to be under control.



However we need to have a commitment from all members to be on deck for the 28th of June. Ray will provide more details about the program, venue and times. We need to BGS members to indicate their intention to attend plus the part they will be playing. Please confirm your attendance by emailing me at aferrier.305@lgflmail.org.

The second part of the evening was devoted to the Student Recital organised by Gary Ryan and presented by his final year students, Manus Noble and Aimee Owen. Manus and Aimee provided an entertaining evening for all members with a program that ranged from traditional favourites from Scarlatti and Villa Lobos to exciting and imaginative compositions by Berkeley, MacCombie and Gary Ryan.

For those members who couldn't make the evening, you missed a great experience. But we have taken pity on you and we can, at least, give you a flavour of what you have missed on our new TV channel (BGSTV). I believe there is a couple of DVD's of the whole concert somewhere around....

Stay tuned for another Student Recital later on in the year..

If you have enjoyed this presentation leave a comment here.

Once more the evening wouldn't be complete without acknowledging and thanking Trevor for attending the catering. As Denis was about to undergo the surgeon's knife, the management of the evening fell down to 'yours truly' assisted by Steve Pearson.

As I write this report, Den has had his operation and it has been a complete success. He is also up and moving about as well, which is great news. (I also believe that he has had a great time sampling drugs and pain killers that would, in normal circumstances, be illegal but we'd better draw a veil over that). We look forward to seeing him at the next meeting doing the odd cartwheel..

Update

Contrary to what is on the Bromley Guitar Society Diary, we won't be hosting a Wealden visit next May. We have, with Ray Love's approval, decided to postpone the Wealden visit for a date after the Federation Meeting (possibly July). Our apologies for any confusion! We will keep you informed..

Lute Society Update

1. CONCERT AT ST GEORGES BLOOMSBURY [between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road tubes]

Sunday 26th April 4pm Setts of fantasias & sonatas by Purcell and his contemporary Matthew Locke Chelys EnembleAdmission: Free, retiring collection

2. DORSET GUITAR SOCIETY
Dear Guitar EnthusiastsTime for DGS April Newsletter.http://www.dorsetguitarsociety.org.uk/Newsletters

3 MUSIC AND GRAPHIC ARTS EVENT

You are most welcome to attend this international event on interpreting the relationship between music and the graphic arts.

Reframing Musical Artworks: the Future for Music Iconology STUDY DAY
Saturday 25 April 2009, Stewart House (32 Russell Square), Room ST 274/5

10:00 Arrival and registration

10:30 Welcome and Introduction

10:40 Richard Leppert:
Music, Visual Culture & Political Economies of Order, Disorder
& Violence

11:45 Simon Shaw-Miller
Music as Musical Icongraphy

2:00 Debra Pring
‘A short and vanishing illusion: The Negotiation of Meaning in
Edwaert Collier’s ‘Still Life with a Copy of Wither’s Emblemes’

3:05 Florence Gétreau
Spirit and body: creative inspiration and its visual expression in
composers’ and instrument makers’ portraits

4:20 Antonio Baldassare
Do we need a turn? The history and art of viewing music
iconographic images

5:20 – 6p.m. Round-table (all participants) and Conclusions


Advance booking advised. £10 waged (concessions free).
Email music@sas.ac.uk to register. Full booking details at http://www.music.sas.ac.uk/
Institute of Musical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Tel: 020 7664 4865


________________________
Prof. Katharine Ellis
Director, Institute of Musical Research
School of Advanced Study
University of London
Senate House
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HU
Tel/Voicemail: 020 7664 4866
http://www.music.sas.ac.uk/
Offices now at Stewart House (32 Russell Square), 2nd floor, Room 277


4. BRITTEN’S NOCTURNAL ON LUTE
Those who were there remember a performance of Britten's Nocturnal After Dowland at one of our Lute Society summer weekends. In the bar afterwards someone described the performance as demonstration that the guitar could be played perfectly without nails. I suggested it had proved the opposite and a lively debate ensued. When looking through a catalogue of CDs on the Alpha label I was reminded of this conversation when I discovered a CD of the Nocturnal played on lute. Although this wouldn't be for me others may be interested. Forgive me rattling on if you already know this recording but just in case not the details are below this Email.All the best, Ray Black

CD TITLE: Britten and Bach. Come Heavy Sleep

ARTIST: Edin Karamazov

WORKS INCLUDED: Britten's Nocturnal and Bach's Partita II. BWV 1004LABEL DETAILS: Alpha 056. 3 760014 190568

A note from our Chairman

Our stalwart chairman is on leave while recovering from an operation. We hope to see him back at the helm very soon and we want his partner, Theresa to know that she has our deepest sympathies for having to put up with him while he gets better.

Judging by the enclosed letter, he is on the mend...

London Mandolin Concert 17th May

The First London Mandolin Festival is holding its first concert celebrating London's rich history of mandolin and guitar orchestras. With over 40 players this may be the largest mandolin orchestra to perform in London. 

The program will show case the range and beauty of mandolin music from baroque to contemporary, irish to greek.

Conducted by mandolinist and double bassist Dave Griffiths and featuring guest mandolinists Paul Marquisse and Frances Taylor and guitarist Steve Smith.

Performance will  take  place on Sunday 17th May

Two concerts 4:00-5:30pm and 7:00 to 8:30pm at the Church of our Most Holy Redeeemer, 24 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell EC1R 4QE

Studnets £5, Concession £7, Non Concession £9

For further information please email londonmandolinfestival@googlemail.com. Check http://londonmandolinfestival.org.uk for more details

 

News from the Lute Society

1. FURTHER REVISION TO TIMETABLE FOR LUTE SOCIETY MEETING ON APRIL 18TH
Chris Egerton's talk will be followed immediately at 12 by Luke Emmet and Kevin Drake playing duets, and then there will be an extended break from 12.30 to 2.15 beginning with Chris Egerton leading a guiding walk to Gallery 41 of the British Museum, to see the newly restored Warwick cithole.
Brian Jordan can't come this time, but bring your chequebook anyway - the new book of 70 Easy Pieces, and a full range of French Lute Society editions specially brought from Paris will be on sale.
10.30 Coffee

11.00 The world's earliest guitar? The Warwick cithole, a 14th century instrument recently restored in the British Musuem, a talk by Chris Egerton

12.00 Mini-recital, of lute duets played by Luke Emmet and Kevin Drake
12.30 Extended break, beginning with a guided walk to see the Warwick cithole in gallery 41 of the British Museum.

2.15 Annual General Meeting; agenda and minutes as circulated with December Lute News

3.15 Mini-recital, of baroque guitar music by Bartolotti, played by Gordon Ferries 3.45 Tea

4.15 The Lute Society recital, Jakob Lindberg plays 13 course baroque lute, music by Kellner, Bach, Reusner, and Scottish tunes.

2. MICHAEL LOWE ON RADIO 3
Lute Society member and lutemaker extraordinaire Michael Lowe will be doing a round-up of the latest lute releases on CD Review this Saturday 11th April from 10am on BBC Radio 3 - 90-93 FM, on digital and at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3. Do tune in!


3. CORRECTION TO HAMPTON COURT EVENT NOTICE
I'm writing because Liz Kenny has advised me of an error in some publicity that was distributed to the Lute Society and promulgated in its newsletter.Liz, along with the countertenor Robin Blaze, is giving a concert at Hampton Court Palace in early May: not however on the 8th as first advertised, but rather on Saturday 9th. On the 8th there will be a concert of Tudor vocal music by The Brabant Ensemble under my direction, which I hope might also be of interest to some Lute Society members. Correct information about the series of which these concerts are a part is now available at http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/WhatsOn/TudorMusicFestival.aspx.

The concert organizers and I would be most grateful if you could kindly passon this correction to as many members as possible.

Best wishes,Stephen Rice
stephen.rice@ntlworld.com

Dr S J RiceAHRC

Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts

University of Southampton

4. CONCERT IN HAMPSTEAD
Passacalles, Chaconnes and Follias
Yair Avidor will be playing a Spanish and French solo programme for baroque guitar and theorbo with music by Gaspar Sanz, Santiago de Murcia, Francesco Corbetta and Robert de Visee.
Sunday 12 Aprl 2 pm at Burgh House Museum, Hampstead
New End Square 3 minutes from Hampstead Tube Station http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/
£10/ £8 on the door or from 0208 340 2230

5. NEWS FROM THE FROLICK
Dear Friends and Frolick Fans,
It's finally Springtime! And the new The Frolick website, is here.
http://www.thefrolick.com/
With fabulous new picture Gallery and a Video gallery with our new promo video (EPK) and individual songs from The Frolick with Calliope. Those of you who have not yet been able to see us live can finally take a peek, and see photos from our live shows.
www.thefrolick.com/Gallery.html and www.thefrolick.com/Video.html
We have gained two fabulous new band members: Catherine Martin, the excellent violinist and concert master of the Gabrieli Consort, and the world renowned harper Frances Kelly. Biographies of all our members can be found at www.thefrolick.com/AboutUs.html.
We hope that you enjoy your trip around the The Frolick's Official Website and look forward to seeing you soon.
all the best
Emma, Andrew & The Frolick
Emma Curtis & Andrew Maginley
Directors
The Frolick
+44 7768 878764 (Emma)
+44 7726 772900 (Andrew)
info@thefrolick.com
http://www.thefrolick.com/

6. IFORD FESTIVAL
Every summer the Iford Festival takes place in the exquisite Peto Garden of Iford Manor in Wiltshire. As an early music enthusiast, we though you would be interested to hear about the following events in the 2009 Festival Season.
Early Opera Company Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea July 10,11,14,15,17, and 18
The Garden of Earthly DelightsA 'pleasure garden' promenade-style evening featuringThe Daughters of ElvinSoloists from the Early Opera CompanyJuly 12
For full details, booking information, and to join the mailing list, please visit our website at http://www.ifordarts.co.uk/, or telephone Iford Arts on 01225 868124.

7. BELSIZE BAROQUE CONCERT
Belsize Baroque is delighted to invite you to a concert on 17th May at St James’church, West Hampstead, at 7pm. It will be directed from the violin by dynamic young director Jane Gordon, and feature the music of JS Bach, JB Bach, Muffat, and Avison. Details attached and also on our website http://www.belsizebaroque.org.uk/

8. LUTE SONGS AT FINCHCOCKS
Soprano Alessandra Testai and lutenist Robin Jeffrey are giving a series of mini-recitals of songs and cantatas with a Spring theme, through Easter Sunday and Monday at Finchcocks Musical Museum, Goudhurst, Kent .
For details see http://www.finchcocks.co.uk/
Alessandra Testai and Robin Jeffrey are also giving a series of short recitals for Sonnet Sunday at Shakespeare's Globe on April 19th, Shakespeare's birthday.
See http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ for details.

Craig Ogden and Gary Ryan Concert at Beechwood

Absolute corker of a concert last night!!

Set in the chapel at Beechwood Independent School, Craig Ogden and Gary Ryan delivered an exciting conference program with a great mixture of the old and new. The evening started with a duet of 'old favourites' from the 17th and 18th century including Drury's Accords,that old stand by 'Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home' (Dowland), Sonata K377 in E minor (Scarlatti) and a rarely performed piece Sonata No 84 in A major by Soler. Through their excellent performance of these pieces, Craig and Gary stamped their authority on the the evening with some great pieces following.

Gary, then took over with a flawless rendition of Sarabande and Double Bouree and Bouree (Bach) which was followed by a vibrant Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Tarrega), an old favourite which one never gets tired of listening. Excellent classical guitarists have that innate ability to control the aural 'light and shade' of a piece and this was conveyed in the warmth of Gary's performance.

Craig, too, was brilliantly effective in managing the right balance of aural light and shade with his stunning performance of a piece by his student (!!) Callum Dewar. Simply called Sonata, the piece was a highly complex and challenging study which certainly belies the age of the composer (20 years old). Callum Dewar is a composer to definitely look out for in the near future.

The first act finished with a performance of Gary's composition Generator, which, like most of Gary's compositions 'pushed the envelope' out incorporating a range of tunings, and performance techniques that were challenging. The piece represented the inner workings of an engine combined with a human element. It certainly painted a great aural picture. The starkness of the piece put me in mind of Fritz Langer Metropolos.

Interval gave me a chance to restore the blood supply to my backside which had suffered from the rigours of the hard seating in the vestry where the concert took place. (A restorative glass of red manage to help as well).

Craig opened up the second part of the program with a trip to sunny Spain with a wonderful performance of Sonatina (1st Movement) by Torroba followed by Asturias (Albeniz) and Soleares(Turina). I haven't heard Torroba's Sonatina performed for years- in fact the last time I heard it was at a Narciso Yepe concert sometime in my deep dark past. I loved it then and thoroughly enjoyed hearing it again. It is a challenging piece for the average 'pluck and strummer' like myself so I certainly could appreciate Craig's flawless interpretation..

Gary joined Craig on the podium for another series of duets. The Spanish theme continued with two De Falla pieces (Millers dance and Dance of the Corregidor). Then it was off to South America for a performance of Machados Sambalanca and a highly amusing piece Xaranga do Vovo (My Grandfathers car) complete with a bycle horn to add to the effect.

Gary then followed with a composition based on his experiences in America (Rockweed) and a highly evocative and moving piece called Lough Caragh.

Craig then joined Gary for a performance of another Ryan original called 'Bazaar' which was written to capture the mood of a Moroccan market. Lots of percussion, and sound additions from other sources which included flying ping pong balls , pens and teaspoons which caused some alarm for the audience in the front row. Just as well there were no Health and Safety Inspectors around!!

It was an evening of great music and laughter with two first rate guitarists!!

Special thanks to Ray Love and the Wealden Society for organising this concert.