KingStreet:

Craig:

Jandyt:

Dave had tried to get a Steinway piano from Steinway

Good place to get a Steinway piano from if you ask me.

 

Craig

In fairness, we did have access to a "real" piano, so I don't want anyone to think Steinway either let us down or shunned us - but there were two other factors I didn't think of initially that meant my digi piano was a better choice.  

1.  Over the weekend, the piano was moved four times - a real piano would get tuning problems, more so in an air conditioned unit prone to getting very warm overnight. 

2.  To showcase the Beolab's, the digi piano was used via Lab 8000's, Lab 9's and Lab 5's at different times - and so the speakers got a demonstration too.

It sounded great - and although the students on Friday were maybe used to something that felt a little better under their fingers, they all thought it sounded fine.

Nice piccies Andy - although I know your flash was quite busy, so no doubt there are more to follow .  I have a load here, but they are all about 2mb, and so too big for here.

To be fair Dave the digi piano sounded very good through the Beolab 9's. Even though you had to use the headphone connection to connect to the Beosound 3000. First time I have heard a pair of beolab 9's too.

 

Craig

Thanks for the clarification Dave, I never thought to ask you the reasons at the time.
Also, if I post any inaccuracies (not counting Ian's previous career) don't be afraid to chirp in and correct me.
At the end of the thread, if there are any particular photographs you want to add, you could email them to me and I will add them, you have my email address, I think.

Andy T.

Murray had brought with him, five of his pupils between 11 and 15 years of age.
This was quite an event for the youngsters, as they had not played to an audience in this manner and they had little or no experience of playing on anything other than a grand piano.
Also, they had to get used to playing without weighted keys, but touch sensitive ones.
Neither of them would have played through Beolab 9s.
First up, this young lady introduced herself. Her name is Eleanor, and I think she was just 11 years of age, bless!

Amongst the tunes she expertly played, was an extemely jazzed up version of "My favourite things"
Craig and I just looked at each other in awe! Brilliant.

Next to take center stage was young Luke.
He played four pieces for us, from Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Bartok.
Here he is getting his seat to the right height.

Murray sat next to him to turn the pages, as he effortlessly sailed through Mozart's Sonata in F

A little bit more demanding was Bartok's  "Mikrokosmos"
Just look at the concentration on his face, At one point, he hit a duff note and contorted his face so much, that I thought he was going to burst into tears, but he just got on with it.

Great pictures Andy, when are you adding some more, it's been 4 days now.

 

Craig

 

I saw some new pictures yesterday evening, but they've clearly been lost in the server crash earlier today...

Robert 

That explains my missing post then.

 

Lovely thread again Andy. 

Thank you. I did add half a dozen photo's yesterday but alas, they have been lost. Took me about an hour and a half, with text and research.
Yes I do do research, to make sure I spell things correctly and don't tell porkies!
More tomorrow hopefully.

I haven't forgot guys, but I am a bit reluctant to keep adding photographs to this thread until I get the say-so from Lee/Van etc.
I don't want to clog up the server.

Andy T.

Our next soloist was Mary Anne from Longridge.
Mary Anne lives just 8 miles from me, in the same village as Beoworld member, Wogga. She had dressed up in her best, pink frock, and treated us to some Rachmaninov, though I can't remember the name of the piece.
I spoke to her mother who was just brimming with pride, and with just cause!

Young Daniel here, looking very dapper and aged just 13.
Daniel played 4 pieces for us. One was Blake's Tocatina, another was by Beethoven and his last piece was written by a composer who is not quite as famous yet, Daniel Chappel (himself)

Here's Daniel concentrating as his hands cross over each other.

For me, the star of the evening was our final artiste, Elizabeth, who was also the oldest of the five. I think she is 16.
Elizabeth played a piece with Spanish influence (Patagonian village) and also the more familiar "Pathetiqe" sonata.
It would not surprise me in the least to see Elizabeth appearing on the TV in the near future.

After they had all finnished, Dave thanked Murray and all the musicians for a wonderful evening of musical entertainment, and presented Murray with a bottle of Champagne.
Our very own Jack (sonicnozzle) is in the foreground here.

Jandyt:

Our very own Jack (sonicnozzle) is in the foreground here.

 You sure thats not John Parrot? 

Mark, your Father-in-law keeps turning up everywhere I go, bless 'im

He was at King Street both nights!

Jandyt:

Mark, your Father-in-law keeps turning up everywhere I go, bless 'im

He was at King Street both nights!

If it was John Parrott, I should have asked him for a sub, seeing his prize earnings to date are £3,149,525.00p

Jandyt:

For me, the star of the evening was our final artiste, Elizabeth, who was also the oldest of the five. I think she is 16.
Elizabeth played a piece with Spanish influence (Patagonian village) and also the more familiar "Pathetiqe" sonata.
It would not surprise me in the least to see Elizabeth appearing on the TV in the near future.

Have to agree with Andy, without doubt the star of the evening. For someone so young she played with such a passion it was truely amazing. To be fair all of the pupils were very good though.

 

Craig

Craig:

Jandyt:

For me, the star of the evening was our final artiste, Elizabeth, who was also the oldest of the five. I think she is 16.
Elizabeth played a piece with Spanish influence (Patagonian village) and also the more familiar "Pathetiqe" sonata.
It would not surprise me in the least to see Elizabeth appearing on the TV in the near future.

Have to agree with Andy, without doubt the star of the evening. For someone so young she played with such a passion it was truely amazing. To be fair all of the pupils were very good though.

 

Craig

Quite right Craig - all the kids who played were inspiring. 

I just got back from a week hiding in a barn in Fryup Dale ( North Yorks Moors - very nice ) whilst trying to learn some Mandolin - bought whilst a bit too "happy" at 1am in the Hobgoblin tent at last years Cambridge Folk festival - and whilst I can now struggle through a few standards, when I think how accomplished and talented the Chets pupils are, its quite humbling.

Andy - nice work, as always, with the photo thread - interested to see the pictures of the blur that was Martin Simpsons left hand. 

Hi Dave and all.
Please forgive me for being so tardy with this thread. So much going on at the mo, and next week I'm off to France with Peter to collect some B&O equipment. We'll be paying a visit to Lee, Tim Jarman and others on the way down, so promises to be an enjoyable week.
I used to be quite good on the mandolin Dave. Good practice is to play along with some Dublinners tracks like "The leaving of Liverpool".
It's all in the wrist mate

Anyone living in the North West who came along and enjoyed Martin Simpson ( or anyone who didn't for that matter  ) may be interested to know he is playing nearby, at Bury Met , next Thursday.  The Met is a fine venue, and only a couple of minutes from the M60. 

 http://themet.biz/diary/?id=marti1213902000

Accompanied by Andy Cutting so this will be a night to remember - although it maybe won't sound as good as the in store event here, as we won't be providing our Beolab 5's for Martin and Andy to play through !! 

More info below.  Highly recommended if you live in the N West, and like to hear a good song well played.

Winner of best album and best original song in the 2008 Folk Awards, Bury Met regular Martin Simpson has had a phenomenal twelve months which have seen rave reviews and soaring sales of his album Prodigal Son. Joined by accordionist Andy Cutting, BBC Radio 2's Folk Musician of the Year 2008, this is a night of top class musicianship.

 From quaytickets :

Martin Simpson has continually added new colours to his palette, expanding on his primary musical interests in British, Anglo-American and Afro-American traditional forms and building on the foundations and expressiveness laid down by Harry Cox, Blind Willie Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Percy Webb and Blind Willie McTell. Gradually, hesitantly at first - with the full flush of 20:20 hindsight - he found a singing voice to complement his voice on the guitar. An influx of songs from Bob Dylan, Bob Franke, John B Spencer, John Tams and Richard Thompson, not to mention his own compositions on albums such as Bootleg USA (1999) and Righteousness & Humidity (2003), showed other sides of his musical character. Still, the basic rule of engagement remains: that of balancing the traditional and the contemporary. That said, with The Bramble Briar (2001), he concentrated on British story-telling of traditional kinds, whether derived from the tradition or tradition-based material from the likes of Peter Bellamy, Cecilia Costello, Louis Killen and Cyril Tawney. Andy Cutting is a rarity. A musician's musician: a soulful and technically outstanding melodeon practitioner with an ear for a fine tune. Many of his tunes have been purloined along the way: some considered contemporary classics on the folk scene. But then, Andy is also a warm and emotive performer, modestly engaging his audiences with his self-deprecating wit and then flooring them with downright staggering musicianship. There are few melodeon players who put so much feeling into their playing, whether it be a set of dance tunes, or accompaniment to a slow English ballad

Craig and I left at around half past ten and meandered back to my car. On the way, we discussed what we would do tomorrow.
Tomorrow's concert with Martin Simpson wasn't due to start until eight, with admittance at seven or half past, so we had plenty of spare time in the morning and afternoon. We decided to come to Manchester early and do a bit of sight-seeing. Manchester Cathedral for sure, and I have always wanted to go in the Town Hall. Apparently there is a wonderful floor mozaic there, with bees on it, symbolising industry.

We crossed over the River Irwell and paid at the car-park pay station which is directly over the river.
I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of the river, but there were two car-park men in a little yellow kiosk. They would be sure to know, after all, they spend a third of their life on top of it!
"Excuse me mate" I said through the glass, "What's the name of the river?"
A big black man  replied "Twenty-four hours."
He obviously mis-heard me so, shaking my head and pointing  rapidly down to the river beneath the cobbles under my feet, I said loudly "Name----River?"
"Open all time, twenty-four hours"
"No, no, no, no" I said, still shaking my head.  Well, he eventually came out of his hut and I pointed more obviously at the river and said
"This river,   what    is    it's    name?"
He shrugged his shoulders, looked all round himself in a 360 degree circle, and then, spotting a cast iron plaque on the bridge, said
"Victoria Bridge River!"