TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! to see Classic Banjo played at its best.

[thereallyniceman]

Chris Sands - Classic Ragtime Banjo

Wednesday October 22nd 2014

Cecil Sharp House, London

 

"Classic" Fingerstyle banjo was the sound of the Edwardian Britain. From the 1890's to the First World War, this tuneful and joyful music was massively popular on the concert stages, the music halls and in the parlours of Britain and the US.”

 

Chris Sands is the undisputed world virtuoso of the style today, and this is an extremely rare opportunity to hear him playing in a concert setting.

 

Chris Sands had personal tuition from probably the greatest of all UK Classic Banjo players, Tarrant Bailey Junior. He has inherited the style, skill and techniques from TBj, who was personal friends with the likes of Joe Morley and other major players of the era, so this is the nearest you will ever get to seeing the style played as it was by the greats.

 

In this extraordinary event you have the chance to rediscover the glories of the rags, cakewalks, marches, jigs reels, polkas and popular songs that had your great grandma feeling frisky and which are ready to captivate and charm the twenty first century.

 

The sensational young banjo player, and Royal College of Music graduate, Elias Sibley, will accompany Chris.

 

Concert Details:

Date: Wednesday October 22nd 2014

Location: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY.

Trefusis Hall. www.cecilsharphouse.org

 

Doors Open: 8:00pm

Tickets: £10.

Available in advance from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/288553

[Greg Adams]

Why do I have to live so far away?!

[thereallyniceman]

Good luck to everyone concerned... please write a review for us after the Concert!

[Russ Chandler]

Well I thought that was a pretty astonishing concert - what an amazing pair of musicians Chris and Elias really are!

For those who couldn't make it you can hear an edited version of the concert tonight at 8pm and again tomorrow at 9am online at Resonance 104.4 FM Radio - http://resonancefm.com/listen

Would love to hear what other people at the gig thought. In the meantime here's a breakdown of what was played...

Set 1:

• The Wimbledon Winner (Sands)
• Georgia Medley (Morley)
• Two Heads Are Better Than One (Sands / T. Bailey Jnr)
• Return of the Regiment (Grimshaw)
• Chim Chim Cheree / Over the Waves Medley(Sands)
• South Pacific Medley (Sands)
• The Snap (Sands)
• Going for Gold (Sands)
• A Gay Gosoon (Ossman)
• Summertime Rag (T. Bailey Jnr)
• Sarabande (J S Bach arr Bernard Sheaff)
• Anti Political Correctness Rag (Sands)

Set 2:

• Peach Blossom (Morley)
• Jazbos Holiday (T. Bailey Jnr)
• Syncopatin' Shuffle (Lawes)
• Cute & Catchy (Lawes)
• Magnolia Waltz (Morley)
• Bill Symonds - I've got to dance till the bad gets through! (G. A Spink)
• Freckles (Morley)
• Whistling Rufus (Mills)
• Bollington Banjo Rag (T. Bailey Jnr)
• Nola (Arndt)
• A Brass Band Contest (Prior)
• Yankee Doodle Medley

[Richard William Ineson]

Yes a wonderful evening of banjo music, and made more enjoyable by the many banjo fans who had made the effort to attend. I went along with Anthony Peabody and much to our surprise, bumped into Rob Murch (all the way from Cornwall) with his mate Gareth, outside the Pizza Express in Camden, just before the concert started.The opening number was Chris Sand's 'Wimbledon Winner' which I had not heard before and is probably my favourite piece of the evening, then followed a varied selection of old favourites and more new, to me, banjo pieces, which Russ has listed above. Elias Sibley, whom I have not heard play for some time, gave an assured interpretation of Sheaff's arrangement of a Bach Sarabande, and another highlight was Chris's playing of the old Ossman favourite 'Bill Symonds' which is not often played nowadays, Elias took 'Nola' at quite a pace and gave a creditable performance of this rather difficult showpiece; 'Morley's' neglected 'Magnolia waltz was also played with some verve and revived my own memory of playing this solo back in 1963, since when, it faded from my repertoire, but, having heard it played again, I might revive this gem of a waltz. The evening ended with the obligatory encore which was Chris's arrangement of popular melodies, entitled, Yankee Doodle Medley' again a perfect example of banjo playing at it's best. Elias played a 'Davidson' resonated banjo, an unusual choice for the classic repertoire, but a perfect foil for Chris's more mellow, wood hooped Weaver. Nice to be back once more between the hallowed walls of Cecil Sharpe House, the beer was good and the music most enjoyable. Well done to Russ Chandler for organising this very welcome feast of banjo playing. Just got to get back to Whitby now.

[Trapdoor2]

Started "Magnolia Waltz" last night (converting to TAB). I do like waltzes...and Joe had a good feel for them. Sure wish I could have been there, sounds like it was a great time!