Xuefei Yang Concert Ur First Professional Demonstrate the Different Concert of the New Techniques and Styles of O Season Got Off to a Playing
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email: [email protected] Volume 13 Issue 1 web site: www.westsussexguitar.com November 2007 Xuefei Yang Concert ur first professional demonstrate the different concert of the new techniques and styles of O season got off to a playing. Bach’s Suite in E cracking start with the major demonstrated Bach at amazing Xeufei Yang. The his best – bright and concert Hall was filled to sparkling, then stately and capacity with many extra majestic through to joyful. chairs being required. Some Sor’s Variations on Mozart’s of the audience had travelled Magic Flute was played with from all over the South of great conviction and never England to see a concert of dragged as can sometimes some of the best pieces in the happen. The pieces by guitar repertoire. Xuefei had Albeniz – the haunting forsaken her usual Greg Asturias, the romantic Smallman guitar for the Cordoba and the vibrant evening and played a Jose Sevilla were all vividly Ramirez Elite Model 2006 guitar. brought to life. The more recent South American Xuefei was born in Beijing and has played the pieces by Barrios, Villa Lobos, Lauro and Morel guitar since the age of 7. She is credited with many were executed with great dexterity and exhibited a firsts – the 1st guitarist from her country to study wide range of dynamics being strong and powerful classical guitar in the West; the 1st Chinese student and then extremely delicate. Some pieces were to receive an international scholarship from the played so quickly that the fingers could not be seen Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. to move – presumably strobed by the lighting or too Xuefei has given concerts all over the world – fast for the eye to see! However, the interpretation China, Hong Kong, of the music was always paramount in the playing. New Members Macau, Spain, Xuefei rewarded the enthusiastic applause from the We extend a very warm Australia, Taiwan, audience with two encores – the oriental Spring welcome to the following Japan, Portugal, Breeze by Deng and Li, and La Cumpasita by new members: Singapore, Holland Rodriguez. A truly wonderful tango played with so Gerald Griffiths from and the USA. It much panache and greatly enjoyed by all. I cannot Woking, Surrey. was therefore a help but think of Jack Lemmon and Joe E Brown’s Blair, Susan & Cameron great honour and dance sequence in the film Some Like it Hot Forrester from Eastergate. privilege to have whenever I hear this piece. Julie Bishop from Billinghurst her return to It is not often that I buy cds, but on this John & Sammy Brown from Bognor Regis for occasion I bought Xuefei’s Romance de Amor and it Middleton-on-Sea. our opening is the best buy I have made in a long while. I just Julian, Stenia & Ross Barnes concert of the cannot stop playing it! Xuefei is one of those from Watford, Herts. season. musicians who just ooze music. I am sure she could Andy Smith & Sue Evans The programme have carried on playing all night without repeating from Alton, Hants was a selection of any piece. It is truly a privilege to be able to see and We hope you enjoy varied pieces hear such world class performers in our small recital many happy evenings at which gave Xuefei hall. Let us hope that it will not be too long before the Club! the chance to ably Xuefei returns to play for us again. Page 2 Good Vibrations Xuefei, Sasha & the Emerys Xuefei & Daphne Snocken Paul Thomas starts off the new season Peter Watkin Andy Smith makes his debut Mitch Callow Karim Bedda Tom’s farewell Tony Poulett Steve Hines Chris Childs Opening Club Evening 8th Sept 2007 Good Vibrations Page 3 West Dean International Guitar Festival ight of our club members attended the skills. The age range was from 16 to 90 within West Dean International Guitar Festival which there were quite a proportion of guitar teach- E this August. I am very grateful to Karim ers honing their skills. A key element of the course Bedda and Patrick Butcher for giving us all some was graded guitar ensembles and an all embracing insight as to what goes on there. guitar orchestra led and conducted by Gerald Gar- cia. Other activities included Master classes, Rep- Karim Bedda ertoire Classes (Student Concerts) and Informal With some financial support from the club I was Student Concerts (for the more self conscious), pri- able to attend West Dean's International Guitar vate lessons and the Learning Zone where the Festival towards the end of the summer holidays. teaching team make useful presentations on aspects of guitar playing. The festival lasted a week, in which we were all The teaching team comprised: John Mills, able to meet likeminded guitarists from all over the Gerald Garcia, Andrew Gough, Fiona Harrison, world and improve tremendously in our own play- Helen Sanderson and Vincent Lindsey-Clark. Mas- ing and technique. It was definitely worth it, from ter Classes were presented by: David Russell, Berta outstanding professional concerts, to individual les- Rojas and Xuefei Yang. sons and ensemble practice. We ended the course Even more impressive were the evening con- with a final concert, with each ensemble playing, certs given by David Russell, Berta Rojas, Xuefei culminating in the guitar orchestra giving a grand Yang and The Modern Guitar Trio. The trio com- finale. Everybody gained so much from the experi- prising Vincent Lindsey-Clark, Roland Gallery and ence (myself included) and I would recommend the Roland Chadwick who get together to play their opportunity to any guitar lovers out there. own compositions. (The trio were compered by the humorous, slightly Anglicised, antipodean Roland Patrick Butcher Chadwick. He’s been living in the UK for the past On application to attend the course, the students 10 years) declare their level of skill and are then grouped ac- Those present from the WSGC were: Karim Bedda, cordingly. There were about 70 students on this Patrick Butcher, Diana Green, Linda Kelsall- event. The festival caters for beginners through to Barnett, Tony Poulett, Richard Prior, Chris Sweat- the higher end of the spectrum of guitar playing man and Victoria Walker. Editor’s Piece nd so our new season is in full swing again son for the juniors and Gary Ryan for the seniors. and the summer seems but a distant mem- Do not forget Gary is giving a concert on Friday A ory. Every successive year seems to be our 16th November. We are also very fortunate in hav- best ever and I am sure this coming year will be no ing Richard Smith over from America to play for exception. We have already had two professional us on Sunday 25th November whilst on his Euro- concerts – Xuefei Yang and Craig Ogden/Paul Tan- pean tour. You can bring friends and neighbours to ner which have set the year off to a good start. We both these concerts with impunity since it is not have had the AGM where the existing committee necessary to be a guitar aficionado to enjoy these. were all re-elected and we are currently investigat- Richard will bring an entirely new repertoire to the ing obtaining charity status for the Club. We have a classical guitar. Among his pieces are Sousa couple of reports this time on the West Dean Guitar marches (complete with guitar doubling as a snare Festival. I know West Dean from its gardens, and drum) and When You Wish Upon a Star all played various horticultural festivals – Chilli, Tomato and in harmonics – really wonderful light music. You Apple, but I have to confess that I have never been cannot afford to miss either of these concerts. to their guitar festival A few reminders: Please make sure that you The WSGC Festival will soon be upon us. have renewed your membership, otherwise you will Good luck to all entrants. We are very fortunate in no longer be entitled to concessions when you having two excellent adjudicators – Helen Sander- (Continued on page 6) Page 4 Good Vibrations Introducing Your Committee e continue our series of order or at the same time. I also man- introducing the commit- aged to fail my music "O" level quite W tee to you. comprehensively at around the same Jez Rogers: My name's Jeremy (Jez) time but fortunately managed to pass Rogers and for my sins I am your the majority of the others. club treasurer. It's my job to temper Twenty five years went past........... the artistic aspirations of the club with Much beer had been drunk, bikes fallen a sprinkling of reality, which loosely off and many slaps round the face re- translated means I play the role of ceived. Occasionally once in a while Scrooge. I am neither a professional "Romanza" would be coaxed out of an musician nor an accountant, which old guitar found lurking in the kitchen makes me the ideal candidate for the at various student parties. I went to job! quite a few of these having stayed up in Hull after Not being rich or famous enough to survive graduating from university. Eventually I met a with out working, I earn my guitar strings as an ana- woman who didn't slap me too often. lyst/programmer doing all sorts of highly boring I found myself back in Bognor, married with things with computers. Occasionally these skills turn 4 children, 2 step children, 2 cats, a rabbit a gold out to be useful for other purposes, such as looking fish and 6 chickens. Following a visit from the local after the club's website and (eventually) computeri- foxes, the chickens have given way to ducks.