February 2012 Newsletter                       

January Concert
On Wednesday 18th January we welcomed Alan McPike, from Ayrshire, who was playing to our Society for the first time. Alan is a very experienced musician, who is well known to some of our members, and his outstanding talent goes before him! He creates all his music live, “on stage”, and his complex arrangements need tremendous dexterity to produce the polished performance, which we all heard. His feet and hands were excellent. The good thing about our Society is that we try to get the best artistes available in any particular field of music. Alan is a “big band”, “jazz” and “swing” man and his performance showed he is the absolute best in those styles. His replication of “Big Bands” and of both the Hammond organ and concert piano was fantastic. The audience particularly enjoyed his “Disney Medley” and “Misty” in the first half, and Alan had us “dancing in the aisles” after the interval with his “Irving Berlin Medley” and “Autumn Leaves”. The highlights were his sensitive rendition of “You Raise Me Up” and his rousing encore of “Strike Up The Band”. The audience fully appreciated the music on offer and this was evident by their rapturous applause throughout the performance.
The concert was extremely well attended - keep up the good work!    Well done Alan.
Supper Dance
Our Annual Supper Dance will be held in Thornton Golf Club on Friday 13th April 2012, with dancing once again, to the Steven Carcary Band. As this venue proved to be ideal for us at last years dance, which was a great success, it was decided to return to the Golf Club again this year. Tickets are priced at £13 and this includes an excellent hot buffet. You can book tickets at our February and March concerts or contact Ann Dick on 01334 652897, but all tickets must be paid for at our March concert on Wed. 21st March.
Web Site
Our web site www.feos.org.uk is up and running again after some upgrading and updating of information. It is now ready to accept any new input from you, such as comments, musical items for sale and wanted etc. Any new information would be welcome, please send it to George Taylor at www.info@feos.org.uk
Festivals
There are many Organ and Keyboard Festivals taking place around the country over the next few months ie., Scarborough in July, York in Feb. and Nov., Blackpool Extravaganza in May, Hayling Island in July and at Pontins site at Pakefield in Suffolk in April, May and Sept. If you require more information about them contact the secretary, George Gibb Tel. 01592 264820, or email georgegibb@blueyonder.co.uk
February Concert
Our next concert is on Wednesday 15th February 2012 and we have a return visit from David Harrild who has 30 years experience in the music business. Born in South East London, he gradually developed a passion for music and loved having a go on the school piano. His parents bought him his first organ at the age of nine, a Bontempi from Woolworths. However, his persistent practicing soon stretched his parent’s tolerance until they could stand it no more, so he was given the option of attending lessons and a new organ. After a year’s tuition he discarded his teaching books, preferring to play by ear, that way he could progress to more exciting material than “Merrily We Roll Along. Inspired by his idol Harry Stoneham this encouraged him to form a Trio consisting of Drums, Tenor Sax and Organ. The trio became very popular with Working Men’s Clubs, Bowls Clubs, Masonic Ladies Festivals, Social Evenings and Dances. David never carries music with him due to his ability to play by ear, meaning that he can choose his material, listen to it once or twice and then he is able to play it. He is well known around the country for performing at Music Festivals as well as Organ and Keyboard Clubs. David now travels the country with the very latest in technology from Yamaha and TRX organ systems for which he is the UK Product Specialist. 
David is a very popular musician and plays great music to suit all tastes.                          
   David Harrild  

 

 

January 2012 Newsletter

www.feos.org.uk

December Concert

On Wednesday 7th December we were pleased to have a return visit by Brett Wales.

Brett is a very accomplished international artiste and he played a wide range of music for us in his own very special style. He was playing a Wersi “Louvre” organ, which is the “top of the range” instrument”, and when coupled to his high quality speakers, we were able to fully appreciate his skill. As usual, his arrangements were cleverly done and showed the full capabilities of the wonderful organ.

We were given a wide and varied programme ranging from “Rock and Roll” to “Country and Western” and from “Classical” to “Christmas Music”. It was all “foot tapping” stuff and helped to get us into the “Christmas Spirit”. Since Brett records CD’s regularly, his programme is always fresh.

Highlights of the evening were his exciting version of “Flight of the Bumble Bee”, the excellent rendition of “Roses from the South” and his wonderful “trademark” arrangement of “Duellin Banjos” which he played as an “encore”. The audience appreciated his choice of programme, which included “something for everyone”, and also liked his “easy-going” manner and humour. This was evident by the applause at the end. We are sure we will have Brett back to entertain us in the future. Thank you all for attending.

Subscriptions

Any member who has not paid their annual subscription so far, can now pay for half price subscription (£5) to cover the second half of this concert season, January to April. Concert entry fees are still £4.

Web Site

Our web site has been undergoing some upgrading recently and as a result has had some out of date information on it for a while. However, by the time you receive this newsletter, it should be up and running again with all information updated and ready to accept any new input from you, such as comments, musical items for sale and wanted etc. Any new information would be most welcome and can be sent to our webmaster George Taylor at www.info@feos.org.uk

January Concert

Our first concert of 2012 will be on Wednesday 18th January at 7pm and brings us a Scottish artiste and professional musician by the name of Alan McPike who comes from Ayrshire. He has been playing professionally since he was 14 and over the years since has played all the usual stuff; pubs, clubs and dances, etc. Having started on the organ, he then went over to keyboards because, at that time, he felt that the variety and scope was much wider. Alan has quite a varied and busy career, as he does tea dances in Troon Concert Hall (which are packed every week), a jazz gig, also working in nightclubs, clubs and pubs playing up-to-date dance music and backing for cabaret, etc.

He has toured with Martin Taylor, the wonderful jazz guitarist and also has gigged with various other “names”. He has never done the organ festival circuit, but he says that it has never really held him back as he is very well respected in Scotland (even if he does say so himself). When he was young, he was inspired by hearing Oscar Peterson playing and became hooked on jazz, (jazz piano being his first love), but he also developed a love for wonderful songs and wonderful lyrics seldom heard now. His dream was to be an organ demonstrator and he used to buy all the LP’s of the great players and listened, learned and picked up tips. Alan is the owner of http://www.standardstrax.com which is dedicated to providing exclusive backing tracks of classic standards and swing songs as well as jazz and big band versions for the discerning vocalist looking for something different. His three keyboard set-up consists of mainly Yamaha instruments + sampler’s, drum kit and Roland PK5 bass pedals. Nowadays, Alan plays a very diverse selection of music simply to keep “gigging” which keeps him fresh and “on his toes”. He is very popular in the west of Scotland and we hope you will come along to meet him and hear him play.

December Newsletter

 

November Concert
On Wednesday 16th November we welcomed back Ian Griffin from Wales who, as we all know, forms the
"other half" of the "Keyklix" duo with our own Richard Bower. Ian is a true professional with a wide range
of musical interests and, on the night, he played with two identical Ketron keyboards linked together, along
with Roland foot pedals. The sound was amazing when heard through the high quality "Bose" speakers.
He gave us a wide range of music, ranging from "Country and Western" to "Songs from the Shows", all
played to his own arrangements. Ian had a good rapport with the audience, and to give them "some say" in
his programme, he asked that requests be submitted during the interval. He then proceeded to play "non
stop" during the second half giving a diverse selection of tunes , including "Misty", "Bring Him Home",
"The Black Hills of Dakota" and "As Long as You Need Me". The audience particularly enjoyed a moving
piece entitled "What Colour is the Wind" composed by Charlie Landsborough. All his arrangements went
down really well with the appreciative audience and he finished with his normal "play out" song – "My
Way". Ian provided a very good evening's entertainment and we thank all those who attended the concert.
Subscriptions
Member's who have not paid their subscriptions for this season, please note that they are due to be paid by
31st December 2011. As an incentive to those members, they can renew their membership for half the
normal fee since we are almost half way through this season of concerts. Half price membership fee is £5,
or £21 including entry to 4 concerts (January to April 2012). A membership form is enclosed for those
members. Entry to concerts is still £4.00, (£6.00) for non-members and is still very good value.
Please remember to use your complimentary tickets. If you have already used the ones you had and would
like a few more, just ask at the table on entry to the hall at any concert. Attendances have dropped slightly
over the last two concerts and we must try and encourage a few more people to come along.
Organ/Keyboard Tuition
If anyone is looking for organ/piano/keyboard tuition, Alan Cunningham is a professional musician, and is
available for tuition. You can contact him on 01592 770068 or email:- alanc.music@btinternet.com
Web site
Our (Feos) Web Site www.feos.org.uk is still available for any information about the society. You can use it
for items for sale or wanted or make a comment. Send information to George Taylor at info@feos.org.uk
Scottish Cinema Organ Trust
The Scottish Cinema Organ Trust's Christmas concert is on Sunday 18th December 2011 at 2.45pm at
Pollokshaws Burgh Hall. The guest artiste is Andrew Nix, from Selby, Yorkshire, who will be playing on the
Mighty Wurlitzer cinema pipe organ. Phone:- Pollokshaws Burgh Hall on 0141 632 5811 for details.
December Concert
Our next concert is on Wednesday 7th December 2011 and we are looking forward to a return visit from our
guest artiste Brett Wales. A great professional organist with an international reputation, his concerts are
always something to be enjoyed. Brett comes from Nottingham and like all the best musicians, has played
the organ since he was very young, in fact even demonstrated Wersi Spectra organs at 12 years old.
Following his school work and musical tuition he gained experience playing with other musicians and bands
in his local area. Eventually, experience in orchestrations, arrangements, stage presence and professionalism
were to turn musician into performer. Brett has been involved with Wersi Organs as a demonstrator for
many years now and will be playing his superb arrangements on one of their top of the range models.
Brett Wales
The committee would like to wish all members a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

November

Newsletter

October Concert
On Wednesday19th October we welcomed back Tony Stace who had kindly agreed to “step in” for Pete Shaw who had, unfortunately, broken his leg and could not play. Tony showed all his formidable talents, both musical and story telling, and made sure that we all knew the “running time” of each piece! However, his humour only enhanced our appreciation of his range of music, which was wide and varied in style.
The programme started with three rousing Sousa marches and thereafter ranged from his own version of “Hooked on Classics” through “Rondo Alla Turca” to “Trumpet Tune and Air”. As a “showpiece” number, he performed Rossini’s “La Danza” whilst wearing mitts on each hand. This was impressive, bearing in mind the intricacies of the music. He played selections from “Phantom of the Opera” and “Orpheus in the Underworld” which went down very well with the audience, but three pieces stood out in his programme, namely “Missing” by Vangelis, a Viennese Waltz composed by Andre Rieu and Tony’s own “Buddy Holly Selection”. The audience were truly entertained and warmly showed their appreciation throughout the concert for a great entertainer.
Organ/Keyboard Tuition
If anyone is looking for organ/piano/keyboard tuition, Alan Cunningham is a professional musician, and is available for tuition. You can contact him on 01592 770068 or email:- alanc.music@btinternet.com
Web site
Our (Feos) Web Site www.feos.org.uk  is still available for any information about the society. You can use it for items for sale or wanted or make a comment. Send information to George Taylor at info@feos.org.uk
Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival
Richard Bower and a few members represented Fife Electronic Organ Society on Friday 21st October at the “Regent Rock’s” event at the Regent Cinema in Leven. This was part of Fife’s contribution to the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. After a few teething problems, the first rock band, “Contact Point” finally got started and played for about an hour. Richard followed with a selection of easy listening music on the Tyros 4 keyboard for around 45 minutes which was much appreciated by the rather small audience. The band known as “The Swank” played for the rest of the evening. Fife TV recorded the event and did an interview with Jack Graham who also went round the audience and handed out complimentary tickets and details of our concerts. Our thanks go to Richard Bower who travelled all the way back late the night before after playing at a venue in Blackpool and not arriving back to Fife until after 3am. 
Members Playing Night
This evening was enjoyed by a small group of 19 members on 2nd November, when we had five budding musicians who brought along their keyboards to entertain us. They were, Jonathan Murphy, Jack Graham, Jeff Farrance, James Lillie and Eric George. They treated us to a wide range of music including Coulters Candy, Scotland the Brave, Heartaches by the Number, You are my Sunshine, a Hoagy Carmichael selection, Themes from Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Godfather, Ghost Riders in the Sky, Apache and an Abba selection.      November Concert

Ian Griffin is our next concert artiste to visit us on Wednesday 16th November 2011. He comes from Swansea in South Wales.

 

October 2011
Newsletter

September Concert

It was back to the first of our regular monthly Wednesday concerts on 21st September when members enjoyed a return visit from Tim Flint who has entertained us many times before. Although he was not as flamboyant as he has sometimes been known to be, he still appeared in a dazzling jacket that sparkled in the lights. Playing on the Roland Atelier AT 900C, Tim gave us a most entertaining evening with his music, interspersed with stories and funny jokes which had the audience in stitches. He played a wide variety of music, opening with “I’m in Heaven” “Theme from a Summer Holiday”, then on to a Theatre Organ selection with “On a Clear Day”, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, “The Trolley Song and “Hold the Tiger”. “The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana” was well received as was his selection from the musical show “Mack and Mabel”. Tim also included some Jazz as well as Brass Band and Film Theme Music. Others included were “It’s the Nearness of You”, “The Wedding Samba”, and different versions of “Chopsticks” which was very good. “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” and “Dizzy Fingers” brought the concert to a close. It was good having Tim back again and we are sure that everyone enjoyed the evening.

Subscriptions

The Annual Subscription of £10 is now due, for season 2011/2012 and if you have not already paid, please send in your subscription form along with a cheque to the Treasurer, Margaret Foster, 32, Cedar Drive, Glenrothes, KY7 5TL, Telephone 01592 745146. You can also pay the Treasurer on concert nights.

Entry to concerts for members is only £4 which is still very good value these days. Non members pay £6.

Organ/Keyboard Tuition

If anyone is looking for organ/keyboard tuition, Alan Cunningham is a professional musician, and is available for tuition. You can contact him on 01592 770068 or email:- alanc.music@btinternet.com

Web site

Our (Feos) Web Site www.feos.org.uk  is still available for any information about the society. You can use it for items for sale or wanted or make a comment. Send information to George Taylor at info@feos.org.uk

Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival

Fife is taking part in this year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival and Fife Electronic Organ Society is playing a part as well. On Friday 21st October the Regent Cinema, 17-19, Commercial Road, Leven, Fife, is holding a day of events. As part of this, “The Regent Rocks” gig, from 6–10.30pm will feature music from “Contact Point” “Fife Electronic Organ Society” and “The Swank”. Richard Bower will be playing Tyros 4 keyboard for about 45 minutes during the evening. If you can, please do support this cause. Tickets are £4/£3 concession, available at the door or phone the Regent Cinema on 01333 278003.

October Concert

Pete Shaw was to be our guest artiste at our next concert on Wednesday 19th October, but he has had to cancel, as he has broken his left leg just above the ankle and will be in plaster for 6 weeks. Not only has this affected us, but also Dumfries and Stirling Clubs. However, Nicola sprang into action and had the phone lines and airwaves buzzing again, and the result is that our old friend, Tony Stace has agreed to stand in for Pete Shaw. For the benefit of newer members, Tony is a very experienced organist having played for many years now and is always guaranteed to give a good entertaining show with his humorous personality. He usually plays on his Yamaha HX1 and it will be good to meet up with him and his music again.

Members Playing Night

The next members playing night is on Wednesday 2nd November when members with portable keyboards get the chance to play a selection of their choice of music. This is a free evening for everyone and if you wish to play, please phone Nicola Penny on 01592 651540 so that she knows how many will be setting up keyboards.