Newsletter - November 2002

Articles

Stephen Kenyon - Fifth Anniversary Concert

On Saturday 26th October, Stephen Kenyon gave a confident and relaxed performance in St Mary’s Church, Dorchester.

He produced a varied programme, beginning with music written just over a century and a half ago. Fernando Sor’s Six Petites Pieces Progressives Op. 47. The allegretto (ii) was reminiscent of the jolly hunting tunes in the William Tell Overture by Rossini. The andante (iii) was gentle. The Cantabile was warm and expansive. The c1830 Staufer Guitar induced dreams with its soft angelic tones and rippling waves of sound.

Moving on next to Fernando Sor’s Mozart Variations’ Op. 9, with richer harmonies and a whistling bird tune. The cheerful ending of each well executed variation, pattered and tripped up to the nest.

The Reverie Nocturne Op.19. by G. Regondi, was played with romantic sensibility and Olympian mastery. This Victorian Song without Words sang reassuringly of shared, happy memories. The vibrant tremolo conjured up warm summer breezes. The fast descending diminished chords filled the air with echoes from the past.

The second half began with a unique and personal voice. Stephen Kenyon, maintaining the composer/performer tradition, performed Maumbury Rings. The P. Bernabe guitar filled the church with insistent, intense tremolo. The bass counterpoint chiselled elegant circles. Stephen then performed Dancing Ledge, happy, energetic and dance-inspired. This well-balanced combination of pieces (1998) was played with speed and dexterity. Remembered Seas (2002) moved through the dynamic range with exquisite control. This most recent creation weaved a dark fabric, infiltrating the mind, knocking on hidden skylights with repeated high staccato notes. Refusing to let go until the last sparkling, salty droplets had been squeezed into the silence.

The Scottish Suite (1997) describes folk music in a more contemporary language. Stephen played the Hornpipe (ii) with commitment and panache. The Lament (iii) was a pliant and lingering landscape. The Jig (iv) is in a 6/8 time signature juxtaposed with hemiolas, giving it a Celtic Rock impetus.

A compelling encore, the Canzonetta (May 2001) exploited the guitar both technically and in its rich sonorities.

An enlightening evening in the spacious St Mary’s Church Dorchester.

Gillian Tolliday

Member of Quartetto Concertante and Stromenti String Quartet

Other photos from the concert and party can be found here.

Quote of the Month

What really took my fancy was Stephen's sea-weed green jacket, the bejewelled waistcoat and the shining silver dog chain. The ultimate accolade was Sarah's triple chocolate cake crowned with shimmering silver balls.

Gillian Tolliday

New Members

A warm welcome to two new members this month. Eammon Hunter from Bournemouth and Dilly Andrious from Broadstone.

October Meeting

We warmed up with a couple of ensemble studies that Stephen has written for us. We also did this in the September meeting but the little grey cells had forgotten all about it.

The purpose of these exercises are to train us to use our ears as well as our eyes and become more globally aware.

1. Ears - Using our ears to enable us to play the notes of a chord simultaneously, on the beat and not arppegiated. It seemed to me that this was much more difficult at a slow tempo.
2. Eyes - Not glued to the music but eyes looking up at the conductor. One of the studies was designed so that we all got a whole bars rest every alternate bar, which obviously gave us no excuse for not looking at the conductor. It is a very important skill to learn how to look up without losing our place.
3. Globally aware - No, not the whole world but yes, the whole orchestra. To be aware of what the other parts are doing and also to recognise when we have the tune or something that needs bringing out. A dissonance for example, don’t play quieter but emphasise it as we need to hear that clash!

I found all this very useful and I am sure that if we do a little of it regularly we will all improve tremendously.

We then carried on with the pieces that we started last month. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart and Calistoga by Colin Tommis. Both pieces seem to be coming along nicely.

A few people have expressed concerns about Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. This is quite a challenging piece so please don’t despair if you are experiencing difficulties. There are simplified parts available - in fact a few people already have them. The other approach is to just play the notes that you can. If it wasn’t sounding good we would of course have scrapped the piece but I want to tell you that Stephen commented after the last meeting that it was sounding rather brilliant already!

After coffee performers were:

• Matthew played Allegro no. 26, from the Butterfly opus 50. by M. Giuliani
• Howard played Pavanas and Caprichio by G. Sanz
• Chris played Tastar de Corde , Recercar and Piva by Juan Ambrosio Dalza
• Stephen Played Remembered Seas and Scottish Suite written by himself.

A very well attended meeting this month. If we carry on like this we will have to hire the large hall!

Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place on 17th November 2002 at 2 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. in the small hall.

Please bring with you all your past orchestra music including the workshop music as Ann will be collecting it all in. We are going to have a play through Kalimba which some of us played at Ellie’s workshop. If you attended the workshop you may find yourself on a different part to avoid having to change places. The parts are all very similar and it is a great fun piece. Would you all please bring with you a man sized handkerchief to place under the strings so that we can get the muffled Kalimba effect.

Could I ask you all to have a think between now and Sunday about the December meeting. Traditionally we bring family and friends and food and drink. Usually we play maybe Christmas Carols or pop songs together and also perform not just guitar pieces but poems, songs etc. Last year was not very well attended. Are we getting bored with this tradition? Do we want to carry on as before or do something different? One suggestions was to just have mince pies and tea and then go out for a meal after the meeting. Suggestions please!

HAGO Charity Concert - 12th December

Havant Area Guitar Orchestra (hago) plus novice ensemble (the Workshop) are playing a Christmas Concert for Charity on Thursday December 12th at Bedhampton, just near where the A3M and A27 branch. Although it's a long way for members to travel, they are assured a warm welcome if they do.

The concert includes Christmas and other ensemble music ranging from traditional carols through to music from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. HAGO are raising money for a Cancer Lab for QA Hospital Portsmouth, and for the MRI Scanner at St Richard's Hospital Chichester. Anyone can reserve tickets by visiting www.hago.org.uk (Tickets are £4.50 if reserved, £5 on the door) and include sherry and mince pies.

Future Meetings

Concert Diary

Saturday 23 November - Concert 8 p.m.
Southampton Guitar Society
Lorenzo Micheli
The Point Dance and Arts Centre, Eastleigh
Box office: 023 8065 2333 £8 (conc. £6)

Thursday 5th December - Lunchtime Recital 1.05 p.m.
Lighthouse - Poole’s Centre for the Arts
John Mills
The Studio
Tel: 01202 685 222 - £5

Thursday 12th December - Concert 7.30 p.m.
St. Nicholas Church Centre, Bedhampton - just a few minutes from the A27
Havant Area Guitar Orchestra
Christmas Charity Concert
The concert will feature all abilities of guitar, from beginners upwards, and there will be a mixture of ensemble, solos, duets and orchestra.
Tickets on line at www.hago.org.uk

Friday 13th - Sunday 15th December
Urchfont Manor, Devizes, Wiltshire
Raymond Burley & Cornelius Bruinsma
Weekend course
Tel: 01380 840495 Fax: 01380 840005

Important Dates for 2003

Kinson
Sat 8th February - Fiona Harrison - Concert
Sun 9th February - Fiona Harrison - Workshop

Kinson
Sat 10th May - Member's Concert

Dorchester
Sat 21st June - Fabio Zanon - Concert
Premiere of Stephen Kenyon’s Guitar Concerto no 1.

Derby
Sat 4th October - Workshop & Concert with John Mills
Kinson
Sat 11th October - Workshop & Concert with John Mills Dorchester
Sun 12th October - Concert with John Mills