Happy 80th Birthday, Trevor!!
Congratulations and Best Wishes to Trevor on July 29, his 80th Birthday.
We all admire this modest, unassuming, kind and generous man, who has worked quietly in the background, for BGS, for more than 20 years. Trevor is held in the highest esteem by those of us fortunate enough to know him, and this very special occasion gives us an opportunity to offer our thanks to him.
Trevor has made an outstanding contribution to BGS, both as our “Caterer-in-Chief” and as a contributor to the monthly meetings and annual festivals. His loyalty and integrity are examples to us all and we will never forget the superb spread that he laid on for FGS Day in 2011. He is a
fine ambassador for both the classical guitar and its repertoire. We have all appreciated not only his playing, but also his vocal contributions to our meetings (“In the Bath” and “I Wish They Would Do It Now”) come to mind, as well as various Christmas Carols.
Trevor has supported FGS days, Beckenham and Maidstone Festivals and The Beechwood Easter Course. He has organised and supported Tom Kersten’s London Guitar Orchestra, Gerald Garcia’s Conway Hall Guitar Course and Betty Rowe’s Midhurst Singing Course, the latter two for the past ten years.
As if these efforts were not enough, Trevor still finds the energy to cycle many miles every week and is a member of Meridian Cycle Club in Kent.
We all hope that Trevor has many more years of good health and music-making. Our love and best wishes to him for Many Happy Returns.
Pluck ‘n Strum Monky Business and other proceeedings..
After our expression of horror at the idea, the Chair abandoned his original suggestion of jumping out naked from a birthday cake for Trevor’s Birthday and penned the above lines on behalf of all the BGS membership instead. For which we were all very grateful….especially Trevor!!!
And Mrs Chair’s preparation of the Birthday cake was deeply appreciated by us all as well as the ‘Birthday boy’.
Despite the heat there was enough members on deck to provide Trevor with an early birthday greeting along with a busy night of Monky Business ensembles, ably led as usual by John Mann (much to your correspondent’s relief)
Solo Items included
• Rosita (Tarrega) performed by Trevor Pike
• Waltz (Carulli) performed by Marion Davis
• Aint She Sweet (Traditional) performed by Colin Baker
• La Chanson d’or fe’e from Black Orpheus (Bonfa) performed by Freddy Carvalho
• Spancil Hill (Traditional) performed by Vince Chittendent
• Aria con Variazioni (Frescobaldi) performed by John Mann
Your correspondent will be taking a break from the next August meeting but will be back on deck in September.
Summer Guitar Weekend Carlos Bonnell
Summer Guitar Weekend
Fri 8 - Mon 11 Aug
Tutor: Carlos Bonnell
STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
Resident: £365 Non-resident: £290 Code: 14/335
A new summer weekend course for guitarists of intermediate and advanced standards (approximately Grade 6 and beyond). The deeply experienced Carlos Bonnell, known the world over for his concert work as well as his teaching, takes charge, offering no more than ten classical guitarists the benefits of his wisdom and, of course, heaps of friendly encouragement.
The residential course fee includes comfortable accommodation and all meals, while non-residents take lunch and supper. En-suite accommodation is available for a reasonable supplement.
Benslow Music is renowned for its accessibility (just 30 minutes from London King's Cross by train), its tranquillity and its home-from-home friendly hospitality. It's the perfect place for a couple of days’ intensive work in a mutually supportive atmosphere.
If you know of anyone who may be interested please help spread the word and pass this email on.
We look forward to welcoming you to Benslow Music very soon.
Kind Regards
Vicky Carlton
Benslow Music
Hitchin
Hertfordshire SG4 9RB
0044 (0)1462 459446 • info@benslowmusic.org • www.benslowmusic.org
Fri 8 - Mon 11 Aug
Tutor: Carlos Bonnell
STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
Resident: £365 Non-resident: £290 Code: 14/335
A new summer weekend course for guitarists of intermediate and advanced standards (approximately Grade 6 and beyond). The deeply experienced Carlos Bonnell, known the world over for his concert work as well as his teaching, takes charge, offering no more than ten classical guitarists the benefits of his wisdom and, of course, heaps of friendly encouragement.
The residential course fee includes comfortable accommodation and all meals, while non-residents take lunch and supper. En-suite accommodation is available for a reasonable supplement.
Benslow Music is renowned for its accessibility (just 30 minutes from London King's Cross by train), its tranquillity and its home-from-home friendly hospitality. It's the perfect place for a couple of days’ intensive work in a mutually supportive atmosphere.
If you know of anyone who may be interested please help spread the word and pass this email on.
We look forward to welcoming you to Benslow Music very soon.
Kind Regards
Vicky Carlton
Benslow Music
Hitchin
Hertfordshire SG4 9RB
0044 (0)1462 459446 • info@benslowmusic.org • www.benslowmusic.org
June Meeting and Federation Guitar Societies Massive 'Pluck n Strum!!'
Ah, Dear Fellow P and S (Plucker and Strummers- far and wide)
June has arrived- our nemesis month in a way as it means that the FGS day will shortly follow ( as night follows day...and so it turned out to be!!).
Unfortunately your correspondent missed the June meeting due to pressing issues on the old domestic front. Now here's a riddle for you- Which comes first- The High Road or the Low Road? Your wife's birthday or the FGS weekend? One of those moral dilemmas which bedevils us from time to time.
As you can see, I decided to take the High Road....but that doesn't mean that a lack of interest in the BGS members welfare so, thanks to our favourite well worn piece of furniture- the 'Chair', we have a few witterings to add for your enjoyment
JUNE MEETING
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the June meeting was attended exclusively by most of the Members who were due to play the following day at FGS Day.
The meeting got under way at about 6:45 pm: we had a coffee break at about 8:00 pm, followed by Members’ contributions, then further rehearsal of Nota Bene until an early conclusion, by mutual consent, shortly after 9:00 pm. We all worked very hard, as did John Mann, and John’s direction of our ensemble was excellent throughout.
Members’ contributions were:-
Marion Davis Landler Mertz
Tessa Protheroe Tombeau Weiss
Vince Chittenden Prelude in E Minor Weiss
Lesley Starey Ballada Tesar
John Mann Gaelic Songs 1 & 2 Nuttall
Danza Brasilera Morel
The stalwart Trevor served us with coffee and home-made cakes at the interval, for which we were most grateful.
FGS DAY
Enfield Guitar Society kindly hosted this event at Holtwhite Sports and Social Club, a new venue set in very pleasant surroundings and blessed with lovely sunshine for the whole day.
Peter Nuttall ran a truly excellent and enjoyable ensemble and made us work very hard to attain his usual uncompromisingly high standards. We had several rehearsals leading to the final performance, which was very much to Peter’s liking. He approved of the “first take” and that is the one now posted on YouTube.
Our Society was well-represented and had the largest turn-out. John Mann led us through Nota Bene, which was well-received and favourably commented upon by many of the audience. Some expressed an interest in learning it themselves and Peter Nuttall was impressed with John’s choice of a quite difficult piece.
Enfield and Oxford Guitar Societies also played, as did the North Bucks.Guitar Club.
Details of FGS Day and the performances are now posted on the FGS site and YouTube.
Thanks are due to Ray Butcher and Enfield GS for yet another fine hosting of this annual event. The refreshments were plentiful and excellently prepared and served by a most charming and dedicated team. As always, a good and fun day out.
Great effort by all the members and a special thanks to John Mann who worked so hard on getting this piece together for us.
Thanks to Ray Butcher for the video. For other highlights please click here.
See you in July!
June has arrived- our nemesis month in a way as it means that the FGS day will shortly follow ( as night follows day...and so it turned out to be!!).
Unfortunately your correspondent missed the June meeting due to pressing issues on the old domestic front. Now here's a riddle for you- Which comes first- The High Road or the Low Road? Your wife's birthday or the FGS weekend? One of those moral dilemmas which bedevils us from time to time.
As you can see, I decided to take the High Road....but that doesn't mean that a lack of interest in the BGS members welfare so, thanks to our favourite well worn piece of furniture- the 'Chair', we have a few witterings to add for your enjoyment
JUNE MEETING
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the June meeting was attended exclusively by most of the Members who were due to play the following day at FGS Day.
The meeting got under way at about 6:45 pm: we had a coffee break at about 8:00 pm, followed by Members’ contributions, then further rehearsal of Nota Bene until an early conclusion, by mutual consent, shortly after 9:00 pm. We all worked very hard, as did John Mann, and John’s direction of our ensemble was excellent throughout.
Members’ contributions were:-
Marion Davis Landler Mertz
Tessa Protheroe Tombeau Weiss
Vince Chittenden Prelude in E Minor Weiss
Lesley Starey Ballada Tesar
John Mann Gaelic Songs 1 & 2 Nuttall
Danza Brasilera Morel
The stalwart Trevor served us with coffee and home-made cakes at the interval, for which we were most grateful.
FGS DAY
Enfield Guitar Society kindly hosted this event at Holtwhite Sports and Social Club, a new venue set in very pleasant surroundings and blessed with lovely sunshine for the whole day.
Peter Nuttall ran a truly excellent and enjoyable ensemble and made us work very hard to attain his usual uncompromisingly high standards. We had several rehearsals leading to the final performance, which was very much to Peter’s liking. He approved of the “first take” and that is the one now posted on YouTube.
Our Society was well-represented and had the largest turn-out. John Mann led us through Nota Bene, which was well-received and favourably commented upon by many of the audience. Some expressed an interest in learning it themselves and Peter Nuttall was impressed with John’s choice of a quite difficult piece.
Enfield and Oxford Guitar Societies also played, as did the North Bucks.Guitar Club.
Details of FGS Day and the performances are now posted on the FGS site and YouTube.
Thanks are due to Ray Butcher and Enfield GS for yet another fine hosting of this annual event. The refreshments were plentiful and excellently prepared and served by a most charming and dedicated team. As always, a good and fun day out.
Great effort by all the members and a special thanks to John Mann who worked so hard on getting this piece together for us.
Thanks to Ray Butcher for the video. For other highlights please click here.
See you in July!