22nd November 2021 concert detail Chris Stanbury
BOKC was pleased to welcome Chris Stanbury who by all accounts gave his usual brilliant concert performed using his Yamaha ELC-02 Stagea organ.
From the 1st half
Chris started with At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal, followed by Closest Thing to Crazy, Thunder and Lightning Polka, A Rock and Roll Medley, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The One Note Samba, Radio Themes Medley including Nellie the Elephant !, Max Bygraves Medley, A Selection of Rhumbas, then Swinging Shepherd Blues. The first half ended with a superb Sixties Medley, ending on A Whiter Shade of Pale.
From the 2nd half
The second half started with the Theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark, followed by On A Clear Day You Can See for Ever, a Ted Heath Medley: Hot Toddy / East of the Sun, a Dusty Springfield Medley, a brilliant performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, followed by Hoagy Carmichael’s Skylark, some Sambas including Tico Tico, then Meditation from Thais, finishing on a foot tapping Dreamboats and Petticoats Medley. For his encore, Chris played the Thunderbirds theme.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Chris Stanbury, Essex, Live music, mountnessing, steve morl, wephoto
Mark Thompson 27th Sept 2021
Live performance has returned to BOKC, The club welcomed Mark Thompson and his Yamaha EL90 to our stage on 27th Sept 2021. Covid still with us, this first tentative concert brought a not unexpected low turnout but Mark produced an evening of quality music of broad appeal. The interval saw a ‘costume’ change to a lively almost orange suit which alone drew applause from the audience. Mark’s commentary between his music contained much to amuse the audience. and the evening concluded with his call to encore.
27th Sept was amidst the fuel crisis, hopefully Mark found fuel for his return home.
Some music from the first half
When you’re smiling, Love (Nat King Cole), Roll out the barrel, Wonderful tonight, Somewhere out there (American tail), the cross hand boogie, El Comanchero, Jurassic park theme, Home alone theme, Somewhere in my memory (home alone), Music for VE day, Alexander’s Rag time band, boogie woogie bugle boy, When the saints come marching in, Sleepy shores (André reeve)
Some music from the second half
Anything goes, lady & the tramp, Diamonds & Pearls, And the waltz goes on, Thinking out load (Ed Sheeran), Trish trash polka, Spanish dance (shostakovich), A medley 1950 -1970s – I will survive (Gaynor), My Girl, Living doll (Cliff) do wah diddy diddy (Manfred Mann), Here come my baby, The wonder of you (Elvis), Hit the Road Jack, Mac the knife, When you’re smiling, A Rock Roll medley – Dancing the night away,
Encore we’ll meet again.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: brentwood, Brentwood organ and keyboard, concert review, Live music, Mark Thompson, steve morl, wephoto
Visiting us 28th October 2019 Chris Jones
Chris’s interest in music began at 11 with piano he moved to the electronic organ at 13 and by the time he was 14 he was performing for Orpington organ society and his school. Later work found him a role as Deputy organist at the Streatham Ice rink. In 1985 Chris met David Lingwood at the first Caister Keyboard Festival and then after he turned professional. He has played for many societies all over Britain and at most major festivals. In 1991 he worked as Showroom Manager for Wersi at their UK headquarters in Purley in 1994 for GIG Sounds in Streatham, South London in 1995 at Rose-Morris in the West End. In 1996 he was offered the job as Manager of Roland Friday Keyboards, but in January 1997 Roland Friday sold the retail business to Music Land. Chris continues to work for them on a part time basis with David Harrild.
Chris’s musical tastes cover a broad spectrum, though he is particularly keen on Musicals, Marches, Romantic Ballads and Latin American.
Posted in Newsletters Tagged with: BOKC, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Chris Jones, Live music, mountnessing, steve morl
Concert review 24th June 2019 Kevin Grunill
Kevin arrived with what some were heard to have described as; an elderly Technics FN3. The instrument setup on the stage had no trailing wires or additional speakers. Despite its perceived age the instrument appeared neat and traditional. Once Kevin was playing it was obvious it could fill the hall with sound. The FN3 was coupled to his PC and he used the Hauptwerk Paramount 450 Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ to give Blackpool sounds. We heard a good evening of musical variety interspersed with not a little humour. Kevin’s style of play is distinctly his own and all music is concluded to a slowing crescendo, a little unusual for a romantic melody. An enjoyable evening concluded with an encore comprising an appreciated medley from Les Miserables.
Amongst music played by Kevin;
Make em laugh, That’s entertainment, Make the world a little younger, the city of my dreams, red rose café, Misty, I’m in the mood for love, The pie in the face polka (Mancini), the wind beneath my feet (Bet Midler), The lady is a tramp, Dancing cheek to cheek, A medley of music from stage and screen, Somewhere over the rainbow, Doe Ray Me (Sound of music), Phantom of the opera,
After the interval
March of the high school cadets, Neil Sedaker – The hungry years, An ‘American collection’, Mac the knife, A big Band medley, Harry Warren’s – This Heart of mine, in both celebration and commemoration of ‘D’ Day, Aces high, Anchors away, The great little army – Marches. Further medleys in the Blackpool style and that of the theatre organ. The evening concluded with a selection of waltzes but of course Kevin returned for his encore of Les Miserables.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, kevin grunill, Live music, steve morl
Concert review 20th May 2019 Mathew Bason
Mathew’s concert immediately followed our 2019 AGM and that alone was probably enough to subdue us all. The second half of the evening with Mathew on the stage with his Weiltmeister in hand brought the evening to life. His piano accordion (Weiltmeister) playing added to his already established high level of performance on his Roland 350C Dual Keyboard (and pedals plus separate Yamaha P-105). Mathew also gave us a moving sung rendition of “Bring Him home” accompanied by his Ipad!!
Mathew is not a stranger to us and his name is synonymous with that of an accomplished entertainer, in that he did not disappoint.
Amongst Mathew’s music we heard:- Make ‘em’ laugh, in love for the first time, Perfect – Ed Sheeran, A medley to the world of dance and Bigband, A feline collection, (as Mathew called) including the aristocats, A well sung by Mathew, rendition of; ‘Bring him home’. A selection of Viennese music, blue bell polka (On the Weiltmeister), Samba de Orfeu from Black Orpheus, Grieg – Norwegian Dance no. 2. March militaire, All of me – John Legend, A country and Weston medley, Rhinestone Cowboy, Ring of fire.
Called for an encore Mathew Played the Radetzky March – an all time favourite at the proms!
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: A concert - The Organist Entertains, BOKC, brentwood, brentwood organ, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, concert, Live music, Mathew Bason, mountnessing, steve morl
Concert Review 15th April 2019 – Peter Shaw
A low turnout audience of forty seven at Mountnessing Hall for Peter Shaw’s performance. Peter had withdrawn from performing and it had been some years since he visited us, those club members who were unable to attend his concert this time missed a quite entertaining evening from an accomplished performer. Peter has a surprisingly youthful voice and during the evening used it singing a well applauded version of ‘This is the moment’ and Burt Baccarat’s ‘The look of love’. His performance at the keyboard included many styles and favourites. It must be said that he has returned to public performance with a very listenable repertoire.
Some of the music played by Peter included;
A little night music, send in the clowns, Burt Baccarat’s The look of Love, we heard a thirty minute medley of assorted musicales and films such as; jungle book, Pinocchio-when you wish upon a star, Chity Chity bang bang including ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and many others. Other film music included, Life is a Cabaret, Singing in the rain, I could have danced all night, On the street where I live, wouldn’t it be lovely, Get me to the church on time, Many ABBA songs, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicales including; Les Miserables, Phantom, Joseph and more. Music from Westside story.
After the interval there was; Bye Bye Blackbird, American Patrol and many other tunes to compile a Big Band medley. A personal tribute to the late Chiho Sunamoto of Gabriel’s Oboe. When my little girl is Smiling from the Drifters. Julio Iglesias ‘Hey’ Shubert’s Ave Maria. A Jazz medley, Frank Sinatra medley. Tribute to Alan Haven. An energetic series of March themes including, Thunderbirds, The Battle of Britain, 633 Sqn and the Dam busters.
Peter was recalled for the encore for which he chose ‘When you’re are smiling’.
Posted in Concert Review Tagged with: BOKC, Brentwood Organ Keyboard club, Live music, mountnessing, Peter Shaw, steve morl
