Drumbeat March 2009
ACTION IN OUR VILLAGE by Harland Walshaw
If you came to the wonderful concert by the Georgian Choir Mtiebi last summer, or either of the puppet shows we have put on for children, or most recently Pip Utton’s brilliant one-man play about Charlie Chaplin, or the concert by Noel Harrison that everybody so much enjoyed, then you have attended one of the events provided for us by Villages in Action. In fact we have presented seven VIA performers in the last couple of years, and their quality has been outstanding. These are acts that would normally have been beyond our means, but through this scheme we can book them at a very low cost.
Villages in Action is funded by the Arts Council, by Devon County Council, and by five of the Devon rural Districts. Luckily for us, East Devon is one of them. Let’s hope that their funding survives the recession. Every year, a Devon Village Hall hosts an evening, when the Villages in Action Director, Roger Werner, takes us through the new season’s menu of acts that are available. The promoters from all the participating villages, over 100 of them from Holcombe Rogus in the north to East Portlemouth in the south, from Uplyme in the east to Lewdown in the west, assemble for supper and to choose from the menu of events. One of the acts will be present to entertain us and show off their wares.
We then send in our bids – we are each allowed up to four performers per year. The Villages in Action team – Roger and his assistant Jill Greig - then spend a hectic few weeks organising a series of tours for some 40 acts. And finally we are given our allocation. All the organisation is done for us, and all we have to do is to sell the tickets to you, our audience.
You will have a chance to enjoy Villages in Action again very shortly. Kosmos, who toured for them two years ago, proved so popular that they were invited back for another tour. Read on and you will see that they are soon to appear in our Village Hall. Don’t miss them!
The Patrons of Villages in Action are the writer Michael Morpurgo and our most recent performer, Noel Harrison.
YES, KOSMOS ARE COMING...
Perhaps you’ll have noticed that since the turn of the year we’ve staged two seemingly sharply contrasting events. Pip Utton’s hauntingly imaginative portrayal of Chaplin; and Noel Harrison’s The Windows of His Mind, gently tuneful and spiced with amusing anecdotes. However, both shows involved old – or at least aging – men looking back over their lives as entertainers.
But now we’re about to offer you something radically different, where the emphasis will be on youthful music-making. On Sunday 5th April we invite you to come to see and hear the much praised KOSMOS Ensemble, another in the series of events we are staging in association with Villages in Action.
Kosmos explore the boundaries of Western Classical music with Eastern European, Gypsy, Balkan, Klezmer and Tango with contemporary influences. “ A talented and vibrant string trio.....the bold fusion of different folk music styles and genres, combined with the superlative musicianship of each player, makes each performance an exciting uplifting journey.... amongst the brightest of the rising stars in Britain, Kosmos are truly exceptional.” Further Education News
As well as live broadcasts on Classic FM, performances at the Royal Albert Hall and the Leeds International Concert Season, Kosmos has thrilled audiences at festivals and music societies across Europe. They are proud to be part of the late Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now! Scheme, which promotes the benefits of live music for all. Kosmos’ debut CD “Mazi Mazi” has recently been released to critical acclaim.
The doors, and licensed bar, of Lympstone Village Hall will open at 7pm for the KOSMOS concert which starts at 7.30pm on Sunday 5th April. Tickets cost £7 and are now on sale the Post Office, or phone our ticket hotline on 01395 263928.
NOEL HARRISON – WE WERE HOOKED admits Jacqui Doak
As I walked up the hill to the village hall I was trying to recall Noel Harrison to mind, not having had time to read the Drumbeat write up to remind myself, the only thing I could remember was the chess scene in the Thomas Crown Affair, and that was more Steve McQueen than Noel Harrison. So I was not sure what to expect when the show started.
I was a little surprised when a slim aging man took the stage but my surprise soon changed to appreciation and sheer enjoyment, as he transformed into a charismatic entertainer, painting pictures of a unique life which he allowed us to briefly share for one evening and as he entertained us with a mix of beautiful songs in so many different styles, so the years dropped away from him and glimpses of his life began to take shape.
His voice with its haunting quality, that was not only a joy to listen to, but to actually hear every word enounced perfectly, whether in French, Flemish or English was a bonus and his guitar seemed an extension of him and whether he was casually talking about his friends, most of whom were well known celebrities, or singing and playing so naturally, by the end of the first half as he left the stage we were hooked and could not wait to hear more.
The second half, when Noel returned to the stage in cowboy shirt (‘I had it on under my jacket all the time’ he said disarmingly) and cowboy hat, was if possible, even better, as we laughed as his house burned with his tribute to the fire brigade in Nova Scotia or his tale of wind whistling up the floorboards in Ashburton. As the show came to an end I think we were all surprised at how quickly the evening had gone, the mark of a true performer. Thank you Lympstone Entertainments for giving us such exceptional evenings on our doorstep.
A CONCERT FOR ALL THE FAMILY by John Welton
The Clarion Clarinet Quartet play music in a wide range of styles from Jazz to the Classics. Our May concert for Lympstone will be designed for an all-age audience and will include Leopold Mozart’s delightful ‘Toy Symphony’ (listen for the first Cuckoo of your summer) as well as some jazz, some light classics and a very entertaining version of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ for Clarinet Quartet and Voice. At a typical Clarion concert you are likely to hear up to six different sorts of clarinet, from the high pitched E flat clarinet down to my bass clarinet which is so large that it has a bell that rests on the floor. Little Billy Goat Gruff will be represented by the tiny E flat Clarinet while the Troll is appropriately matched by the deep notes of the Bass Clarinet. The other members of the Quartet are Richard de la Rue, John Walthew and Barry Parsons.
Pupils from St Peter’s School will be joining the Quartet for part of the concert and we hope to see lots of Drumbeat readers, plus their family and friends, there too.
The Clarion Clarinet Quartet’s Concert for the Family will be held in the Parish Church, by kind permission of the Rector, at 7.30pm on Friday 8th May. Tickets will go on sale at the Post Office from 6th April, or you can ring our ticket hotline NOW on 01395 263928.
