Both myself and Matt are looking forward to our next event
"A touch of brass" Being a brass player in the UK usually
means a stint in a band! I was fortunate enough to be
involved with bands from an early age (see left - Barnard
Castle 198?).
The
concert is an evening of music from the baroque to the
modern day - the first half will feature a cut down
performance from us - then after a short break The mighty
Croy will take the helm under the direction of the brilliant
Kenneth Blackwood.
It's the first time I have
been involved with a programme like this and thinking from
an audience perspective there will be something for everyone
and with that amount of brass it's guaranteed to be a
great night.
And best of all its free! but you need to pay to leave! a
retiring collection for Croy Silver Band and Croy Youth
Brass.
SUNDAY
30TH NOVEMBER 7PM BURNS & OLD CHURCH KILSYTH
20th Oct - Grant The bookings are getting busy over the coming months with
recitals due in Kilsyth, Paisley and Richmond as well as a few still
to be finalised.
Coates memorial was an excellent night - the highlight for me was
the great comments about the Night Sun Journey piece which were
really positive. My constant feeling really not to good and coughing
meant a trip to the doctors the next day only to find out I had a
mild pneumonia. The antibiotics seemed to have cleared that up.
Whilst I have been
tucked up coughing and generally moaning, Matt put together a little
montage from the night.
17th Sept - Grant
After a busy
month or so getting back to work and more importantly back
to my diet - we may need to change some pics on here!
The next date in the diary is
Sunday 5th October 7pm in Coates Memorial - Paisley, Tickets
£7. The programme is the trumpet shall sound however there
maybe a new addition - depends on whether Matt likes it or
not!
We look forward to seeing
you all there!
25th July - Grant There are 2 new clips added to the
Media Page including a live
audio from the last recital in Yorkshire.
16th July - Grant
At last time
to write up the blog!
The last few weeks have been really hectic, with rehearsals
and concerts hence the lack of blog entries!
The Richmond trip was a great success, last Friday I gave a
masterclass at my old school and hats off to them there is a
great standard down there!
Then Sundays recital went really well, the audience were
great which really makes a concert a success.
I think Matt
enjoyed himself - the words "Yorkshire Beer Festival" at the
local wetherspoons meant there was some serious sampling to
be done!
I would also
like to take this opportunity to apologise to the owners of
the little black cat that matt adopted. Whilst Matt was in
his happy place he somehow managed to sneak a cat into his
B&B without realising. He assumed it belonged to the B&B but
was told in the morning that "they didn't own a cat!"
- meanwhile Mr Bigglesworth the cat strolled off into the
distance like the littlest hobo!
14th June - Grant
After a fairly
quiet few weeks the next set of dates are creeping up on us
- next weekend is a busy one with Matt's first Concert at
Thomas Coates. It's a great venue and the organ can be
frighteningly loud!
Then on July 13th we're heading down south to my old neck of
the woods for a recital at St Marys Church in Richmond.
2003 was the last time I did a
recital back home, I think we are both looking forward to
this one and if Matt plays well I may even take him to the
Theakston brewery on the way home!
06th June - Matt It is hard to believe that
my first month at Paisley has come to an end.
To say that I am enjoying the post would be a major understatement!
The people are superb, and have made me feel very welcome. I do miss
Alloa West Church though, being somewhere for six years you make a
lot of friends.
The choir is beginning to grow, we are in double figures now! We
still maintain full four-part singing and have a very high turnover
of music - three anthems per service, definately keeps me on my
toes. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining us, do
please get in touch...
Well, I promised Grant a concert appearance before long - and I
shall give my first concert there on Sunday 22nd June, 7pm - which I
am delighted to say will include some items for trumpet and organ.
The choir will also be performing.
We spent an afternoon at the church recently, I think Grant has
fallen in love with both the organ and the acoustic! Hopefully we'll
get some more clips on the web soon so that you can get a taste for
the acoustic for yourself!!
05th May - Matt Well, that is me started my
new organist post - quite a change from Alloa West. The organ is a
fine four-manual Hill instrument of just over 3,000 pipes, am sure
we will be able to get a clip or two on YouTube shortly!
After the concert on Saturday night, and my first service last
Sunday - I am already being asked when my first concert at the
church will be... and not just by Grant!
It is true to say that performing is addictive.... Watch this space
for our 2008 concert dates!!
05th May - Grant
After an
excellent leaving concert on Saturday in Alloa west, Matt
has taken up his new position at Thomas Coates Memorial
Church in Paisley.
Good luck Matt - when are we doing a recital there?
28th April - Grant I woke this morning with huge bags under my eyes - and I've been
falling a sleep all day.
What a week, Anything Goes since last Tuesday and Stevens Recital on
Sunday.
Anything goes went great, I have finally upgraded my trumpet so I
have had a week of experimenting with backbores (trumpet geek week!)
Stevens recital went
well and with around 150 people in the audience the feedback was
great - still it didn`t beat the American woman who after anything
goes said "boy you blew the hell outta that horn!"
I have a few nights to chill and catch up on paper work then its
back to it with an appearance at Matts leaving recital on sat then a
gig the following few weekends!
Our 2008/2009 Programme is out and mp3 samples will appear soon. The
wedding page will be done soon.
30th March - Grant
Next Concert -
Kirk of the Holyrood Grangemouth Sun 27th April 7.30pm One of my pupils who I teach for his 2nd study on trombone is
raising funds so he can attend the International Organ Summer School
this year.
After years of attending summer schools and courses I know how hard
it is financially to attend, so after a quick chat to Matt we
both agreed that a recital in Stevens church with the ticket money
going towards paying for the course.
We have an exciting
programme planned that is based on our 2008/2009 set programme with
music from 15th century to the modern day.
I will try and put up a
preview over the coming weeks!
16th March -
Grant
7 Days - 600 Miles - 2
Rehearsals and 6 Concerts!
What a week! it`s 11.30pm and I`m just in from the final concert of
the busy week, I should be tired but I`m past that and at the
hyperactive stage!
The show "Anything
Goes" with
Clydebank Musical Society was great, the cast were excellent and
I have to say it was one of the best shows I have played in! The
band were great company, conductor excellent and the casting was
superb! Even backstage the cast were really nice and friendly.
From Blow Gabriel Blow
to Brahms in under 24 hours -
Ayr choral union where again on form and sounding great in a
concert of Brahms - Just the thing to loosen the lips!
I think I have time to
start looking at some interesting recital repertoire now - watch
this space!
Trumpet & Organ/Piano
The festive and
uplifting sound of this combination is well known in works like
Purcell's Trumpet Tune.
Repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary including highly
virtuosic transcriptions and elegant reflective slow melodies.
Grant and Matt also
perform recitals of a wide range of repertoire for Trumpet and
Piano.
Our Facebook Fan page
9th March 2008 -
Grant
Sorry for the delay in
updating this blog, The year started out quietly and since Alloa
Tower I`m up to my eyeballs!
The Alloa concert went really well, I was dreading it as I had a
major head cold and was working in Dumfries the same day. Matt did a
great job on keyboard and when I get the chance I`ll put a
highlights mp3 online.
The last few weeks have
also been busy working towards the Scottish Championships with Croy
Silver Band, the final result was an admirable 3rd place! Well done
Guys! and Gals!
Whats next on the
agenda - apart from finalising a Recital with Matt in Grangemouth,
this week I`m playing in Anything Goes at Clydebank and then with
Ayr Choral Union on Sunday. Next week I`ll be a zombie with bruised
lips! Still it keeps me out of trouble till the sun comes!
1st March 2008 -
Matt I must admit that it is the first time I have had the
opportunity to play in a concert on the 29th February, and the
fantastic location of Alloa
Tower hosted us both for a varied concert.
A full house greeted us for the evening, with music ranging from the
Baroque to the 20th Century. We also managed to fit in a wee bit of
cheese, and it was all well-received by the masses.
Playing a keyboard instead of a piano/organ is always a difficult
prospect, I envy Grant who is able to give concerts anywhere on
exactly
the same instruments! Organs/Pianos vary so much, and although this
wasn't the best of instruments for the concert - none could knock
the really authentic sounds of harpsichord, chamber organ and piano
that it could produce.
A good evening, and a great curry afterwards - the antidote to all
concert work! My thanks again to Grant for a super concert, and to
Elaine for turning pages so enthusiastically and well - not a job
that I'd want!!
Watch this space for details of our next projects...
