2006 event reviews
GATLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2006
Reviewed by J. L. Mather (with additional material from P Turgoose)
The second annual Gatley Music Festival was held between 12th and 18th March 2006 and comprised nine concerts and a Festal Evensong for the Opening Ceremony.The Evensong was presented by the choir of Saint James parish church under the direction of the acting musical director Brother Dominic.The choir sang beautifully throughout.
Monday evening’s concert was given by the Cheadle and Gatley schools: Cheadle Primary School, Gatley Primary School, Lum Head Primary School, Prospect Vale Primary School and The Kingsway School and included a range of choral presentations, solo duet and instrumental contributions.
A large audience of mums and dads enjoyed every minute of the evening. Congratulations are due to pupils and staff alike from all five schools for their hard work and the quality of their music.
I particularly admired the courageous selection of African Songs by Prospect Vale and their rendering of “What shall we do with the grumpy teacher?”
Tuesday evening’s concert by John Turner recorder and Pamela Nash harpsichord took place at St James Church.I had hoped that children might have been brought to hear how the recorder sounds when played by an expert. Equally well I imagined that the possibility of hearing the harpsichord in a major role would prove to be popular.Alas I was mistaken and perhaps because of the wet and cold weather we did not attract a very substantial audience.A substantial audience no but discriminating oh yes! All the playing was greeted with rapturous applause.
John Turner is and has been for many years one of the leading recorder players, a performer who totally transforms the popular concept of the recorder as a beginner’s instrument into one of immense range and brilliance.I found myself uplifted by the Largo, Larghettos and the Adagio.
Pamela Nash made her first appearance at our concerts, making a great impression on us all both as a solo artist and in combination with the recorder. So impressive was her playing that I was not too surprised to hear one member of the audience attempting to persuade her husband that they should sell the piano and replace it with a harpsichord.I particularly enjoyed Scarlatti’s two sonatas and Les Barricades Mysterieuses.
If I had to choose the piece of music I enjoyed most of all it would be Elis Pehkonen’s Hymn to the Sun, a simply exquisite piece of descriptive music which stretched the recorder to the very limit. Another evening of lovely music.
One of the Wednesday evening’s concerts unhappily had to be cancelled due to the illness of several members of the Trafford Light Orchestra and we send our best wishes to the leader of the orchestra struck down by a heart attack.
Some of us found refuge in the acoustic concert presented in the Red Lion with the wonderfully talented acoustic songstress Lucy and the Caterpillar. Singer songwriter Dave Green from Wigan who is a Genuine contender for future, fame and fortune and Stockport's very own master craftsmen The Spinning Fields. We also had a suprise guest appearance from the brilliant Warren Gaskell,who stepped in when one of the other artists was delayed.An audience of around 30 - 40 was a great turn out for a weds night in Gatley and they were treated to some of the best local acoustic music around. A big thanks to Andy Callen of The Spinning Fields for providing the PA and Mics.
Thursday evening brought us to the Gatley Synagogue and the Halle Oboe Quartet under the leadership of Hugh McKenna and guess how many musicians there are in an Quartet? Wrong Hugh brought a Quartet with five musicians and I still have not worked that out.Hugh meanwhile is trying to work out how to pay five with the fee for four: two violins, a viola, a cello and the oboe. The Hall of the synagogue proved to be ideal for this concert as the acoustics were superb and the temperature was very comfortable.
Hugh had chosen a range of music Benjamin Britten, Mozart, Finzi, Mendelssohn and Malcolm Arnold which was all vigorously applauded by an appreciative audience.Well done Hugh!
One of Friday evening’s two concert’s was held in the United Reformed Church at Elm Road and was given by the Tintwistle Brass Band
The opening march, Melody Shop, captured our full attention as it crashed out full blast from the very first note. “By Jove” I thought “That were a good start!” Brass bands generate plenty of sound in all circumstances but even the aficionados found the volume a touch overpowering and the audience gradually retreated to the rear of the church.Nevertheless the programme contained considerable variety of volume as well as rythmn and featured various members of the band such as “Sweet and Low” , “Shine as the Light” unlike much Brass Band music was apiece specially written for this genre and I personally enjoyed that more than any other.
The concert ended with a rousing medley from Faust and there was little doubt they had all enjoyed “a reet good blow” and so had we all.
At the Horse and Farrier additional musical fare was provided to mark St Patrick’s Night in the form of The Beer House Boys, A small but perfectly formed group of musicians and singers who treated a very packed pub to hits from the 50’s,60’s and 70’s.Including some traditional Irish songs, and as the evening drew to a close we were treated to 3 songs from one of the bar staff much to the collected audiences approval.
Saturday’s bill of fare was a traditional jazz concert held at Gatley Golf Club where an audience substantially of the gray haired variety recalled their youth as they tapped their feet and applauded vigorously the music of The Harlem Hot Stompers.What could be better than an evening in the warmth of the golf club, in easy reach of the bar surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts? Answer a hotpot supper and that’s exactly what we provided.
The Red Lion presented rock night and the place was bouncing to the music of local upcoming rock band The Uzi 2’s. The wonderfully upbeat melodic rock of Sheldon from Merseyside, and the multi-influenced rock / blues of Gatley’s very own Astroband.Despite a later than scheduled start, due to the rugby, a very large crowd had gathered by 7.30 and all had a great evening especially the young lady who won the I-pod in our raffle.
A very special thanks to Jim Lawley, Tom Duffy and Stu Baggaley of Astroband for providing the PA, Drums and Mics for the Red Lion Gig.
Cheques for a £1000 will be handed to Christies Hospital’s Graseby Pump Appeal and to St Ann’s Hospice to pay for a syringe driver.
Many thanks to all who supported the Festival and these two worthy causes.
Festival sponsors
