Worcester Classical Guitar Society
News
GO Live!
The guitar orchestra is back.
28th November, 7.30 pm
Worcester Arts Workshop
The end-of-year concert is a melting pot of influences combining the best of the orchestral works with the finest presentations from the individual members. GO Live! celebrates the guitar as both a solo instrument with orchestral effects and an ensemble instrument in an orchestral setting. The music as always comes first, but in the hands of gifted performers and with the rich abundance of resources at its disposal, the guitar must be seen and heard to be believed!
Joining the WCGO and the WYGO this year, the cultures of Spain and Latin America are well represented by the soloists with works from Tarrega and Brocá (Spain) along with Ponce (Mexico), Morel and Villa-Lobos (Brazil) with a little Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Italy) thrown in for good measure!
Find out more, go to » In Focus
Special offer on tickets for mailing list subscribers
Subscribers to our mailing list are entitled to 20% off the price of all tickets if reserving their tickets for up-coming GO Live! (WCGS end of year) concert, before Sunday 22nd November. Subscribe today to receive notices of forthcoming concerts and events and further discounts for concerts in the future.
You can reserve tickets for GO Live! by calling 01886 832715 or by emailing us at tickets@worcesterguitar.co.uk
Please note: tickets are limited in number and available on a first come first served basis and so we encourage everyone to place their reservations early.
WCGS goes national
The WCGS recently flung open its doors to the other sixty odd classical guitar societies in the UK, publicising this website and introducing the New Artist’s Scheme to the wider community of promoters and players. We have found several new friends in the process and we welcome anyone who would like to get in contact with us to share news, views or stories of what’s happening with the classical guitar in your area. At the moment we are focusing on the UK but eventually we hope to reach the international community and share links worldwide.
Emanuel Segre
Emanuele Segre
In rolling out the website and the New Artist’s Scheme, we were very fortunate to come across Nigel Harris of Derby Classical Guitar Society. Nigel admits to being a one-man operation up there in Derby but this doesn’t stop him from putting on regular concerts for some of the most respected players on the planet. Negotiations are well under way with Nigel to bring the Italian virtuoso, Emanuele Segre to Worcester for a workshop with the WCGS in May 2010, Nigel is even promising to reform the Derby CGS ensemble for a special mass ensemble class featuring players from both societies. We can’t wait!
Štěpán Rak
Štěpán Rak - genius of the guitar, will be performing at the recital hall of the Birmingham Conservatoire on Friday 7th May, 2010. It is one of only a handful of dates he will be playing in this country and this concert is being produced by the WCGS in association with the guitar department of the conservatoire.
"There is no real purpose in the course of this brief review for juxtaposing adjectives acclaiming his brilliance, technical mastery, and what-not. Those who have heard Rak 'live' in concert will know what I mean, while those who have not heard him in such a setting, cannot fully appreciate the magic and wizardry involved. Go to his concert, listen with your ears and with your heart, and the you'll understand."
David Norton, California 1990
Watch this space for details! In the meantime check out Štěpán's MySpace page which includes several tracks including, 'Irish Tea' (in praise of tea), 'Saltarello' from 6 Early Dances, 'Song for David' and 'Digeridoo'... a small sample of this prodigous and highly imaginative composer's output.
Other News
Danielle Saxon Reeves &
Mark Willetts: Dodici Corde
Dodici Corde Guitar Duo
Future NAS artists, Dodici Corde perform a concert in aid of St Johns Church, Kates Hill, Dudley, later this month. The duo specialise in "authentic" guitar recitals and will be performing duets from the early Romantic repertoire on original 19c guitars.
Featuring the music of Sor, Diabelli, Coste, de Call among others.
The Quality Hotel Ward Arms,
Birmingham Rd,
Dudley, DY1 4RN
Thursday 26th November 7.30pm.
Tickets £6 (includes a glass of wine and nibbles)
from 01384 357634
www.savestjohnschurch.zoomshare.com
The Midland Fretted Orchestra
Our friends over at the Midland Fretted Orchestra (MFO) have a couple of concert dates lined up and in 2010 are to play host for the British Banjo Mandolin and Guitar Federation (BMG) Rally to be held in Edgbaston. (An event at which the WCGS music director Stephen Begley will be adjudicating.) The WCGS and the MFO have enjoyed a mutual camaraderie for several years now and we are happy to support them in their up and coming events.
The MFO sound is quite unique and these days, quite rare, but the fretted orchestra celebrates a tradition going back many years and if you haven't heard them before, we urge you to go along and listen for yourself!
Saturday 12th December 7.30pm
(Doors and bar open at 7pm)
MFO Christmas Celebration,
The Bonded Warehouse, Canal St, Stourbridge.
For tickets please call 0121 422 7884
Friday 5th - Sunday 7th March, 2010
Plans for the next British Banjo Mandolin Guitar Federation Rally are well underway. The event which is being held over the weekend of 5-7 March 2010 will be hosted by Midlands Fretted Orchestra at Edgbaston High School for Girls, Westbourne Rd, Birmingham.
The Rally is hugely popular with musicians passionate about fretted instruments and attracts people from all over the UK. The weekend promises to be fun-packed involving music workshops and competitions for all levels of player. The Friday night will feature a concert by world famous finger-picking guitarist Gordon Giltrap for which tickets are now available - telephone 0121 422 7884.
On Saturday 6th March, workshops will cover slide guitar, finger-picking guitar, classical guitar; plectrum banjo, zither-banjo, bluegrass banjo, classical mandolin, jazz mandolin, folk mandolin and mandola. There will be a host of well known names at the rally, including Gordon Giltrap (finger-picking guitar), Craig Ogden (classical guitar), Howard Shepherd (plectrum banjo), Frances Taylor (mandolin) and members of the CBSO.
There will also be opportunities to interact with other players of fretted instruments in workshops such as Bluegrass, Blues, British Folk, Latin, Duet Coaching, Composing for Fretted Instrument Ensembles, Lutherie, Instrument Care/Set Up and Mass Senior Orchestra. Alongside these workshops there will be an opportunity for players from Fretted Youth Ensembles to take part in a day of workshops with other young players from across the Midlands. This event is being tutored by Craig Ogden and will culminate in a performance by the massed fretted youth orchestras at the end of the afternoon. There are still places available for ensembles to take part, for more information please contact Danielle Saxon Reeves » daniellesaxonreeves@yahoo.co.uk Telephone 01384 893 987
On the Saturday night a dinner at the Apollo Hotel on Hagley Road will be followed by an open stage event where all players are welcome to get involved. This will be followed by a Ceilidh with Witchazel Family Band.
The Sunday of the rally provides an opportunity for fretted instrumentalists to take part in competitive music making, with contests held for soloists, small ensembles and fretted orchestras who are all competing for historic trophies belonging to the Federation.
The full syllabus booklet with all details of the weekend and a booking form is available to download from » www.banjomandolinguitar.org
All rally events are open to non BMG Federation members.
For more information please contact Alan Reeves, telephone 0121 602 6597
British BMG Federation website » www.banjomandolinguitar.org
Midlands Fretted Orchestra site » www.m-f-o.co.uk
Page updated: November 14, 2009