Author: psychicalwaysa53a93fa7b

Many congratulations to Bristol Piano Club member Nancy who has just gained a MMus with distinction from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Her examination recital included Ravel’s Sonatine, Chopin’s Barcarolle and Schumann’s Humoreske. We look forward to hearing one or more of these at a meeting in the near future!

I’m very sorry to have to inform Club members of the death of Ernest Woolford. Ernest died in hospital on Tuesday following a fall. He was ninety nine and had been one of the first members of the Club some twenty years ago. I recall reading about his performances at Liszt Society meetings over fifty years ago, never imagining that I would meet him many years later at a residential Chopin weekend, then at an EPTA conference and, latterly, over several years at the Piano Club. He achieved a level of playing that very few amateurs ever manage and had played many major piano concertos with orchestras as well as much of the solo literature from memory in recitals. Following a stroke a couple of years ago he had to restrict his playing to his left hand alone. I’m sure that those who heard him will always remember the astonishing courage and character displayed in those performances. I’ll post more about Ernest at a later date. His funeral is likely to be in early November. I’ll pass on details when I get them. He will be sorely missed at our meetings.

Simon S.

Recital

Local concert pianist and founder of the Schubert Ensemble William Howard is giving a recital at the Victoria Rooms, Whiteladies Road, Bristol on Friday, October 24th, 1:15 – 2:00 pm.

The programme consists of Janáček’s 1905 Sonata, Judith Weir’s The Art of Touching the Keyboard, Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor and  Ballade No.4 in F minor. 

£5 admission charge (UoB students and staff can attend free of charge, with presentation of valid UCard). The admission charge can be paid in advance via the University online shop page or in person on the day of the concert, via card payment.

Please note, cash payments are not accepted.

Doors close promptly at 1.15 pm. Latecomers will not be admitted.

Masterclass

Sunday, 18th January, 2026, 10:00 – 5:00. An informal piano masterclass workshop day with William Howard, one of Britain’s leading classical pianists, open to all piano enthusiasts. Up to nine places are available for intermediate and advanced pianists who wish to perform prepared repertoire. Non-playing observers are also very welcome.

The teaching sessions will be approximately 30 minutes long. Each will focus on interpretation, performance and technique although participants are welcome to offer other topics for discussion during the day.

Performing participants £75 (plus booking fee) to include tea and coffee.

Non-performing participants £40 (plus booking fee) for the whole day, or £20 per half day session (10am-1pm or 2pm to 5pm).

To book your place please email office@tetburygoodsshed.co.uk or telephone the office on 01666 505496 directly.

Please note places are limited to nine participants for the day.

When booking please give your age, approximate level of ability (e.g. Grade 6 to 8, Diploma, Professional) and the work that you would like to play (this can be done nearer the time if you have not yet decided).

If you are under 18 years of age, an accompanying adult can attend the day free of charge.

A record number of us, thirty-one actually, met in Cheryl and Bryan’s lovely Failand house for the September meeting. This was a very special event because we were saying a big thank you to Leo for becoming our president in January 2023 and then guiding us through a sometimes difficult transition period as the increasing popularity of the club forced a move to use the occasional external venue with all the extra administration that that involved.

And as if that wasn’t enough Leo initiated highly successful Club Masterclasses with mainly local concert pianists and teachers as tutors; community engagement events with Club members playing in Keynsham High Street, at Southmead Hospital and St Monica’s Cote Lane retirement home; and Keynsham Concerts – classical concerts in Keynsham locations with internationally known performers such as Nurry Lee and Leon McCawley.

Wow! what a huge achievement! We are immensely appreciative of Leo for all she has done, and for her huge personality, exuding warmth and welcome. And of course to Paul, her husband, who has been such a quiet bedrock of support throughout all these changes.

Leo and Paul will remain members of the Club and continue to attend and host meetings for which we are very grateful indeed!

And now a huge thank-you to Cheryl and Bryan and family for making such an enormous effort to host our mammoth meeting – providing their beautiful Kawai grand for us to use, finding thirty-one sitting places, and catering for the bring and share meal afterwards. A truly memorable afternoon and evening.

Bristol Piano Club September 2025
Performer	Composer	Piece
Chris	James Horner	For the Love of a Princess
Graham and Margaret	G. Hengeveld	Langzame Foxtrot and March
Cheryl	Manuel Ponce	Intermezzo no. 1
	Francis Lai	Emmanuelle II  theme
Peter	Debussy	La Terrasse des Audiences du Clair de Lune, no. 7 from Bk 2 Preludes
Kathryn	Janacek	The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away (From An Overgrown Path)
Simon S	Reginald King	Tropical Moonlight
Simon H	F. Weatherly	Danny Boy
	Stanley Myers	Cavatina
Jean A	Albeniz	Sous Le Palmier
	Grieg	Halling
Gerard	Rachmaninoff	Elegie op. 3 no. 1
Brian	S. Lyapunov	Berceuse in F# major, Transcendental Studies no. 1
Boyang	Chopin	Nocturne in C# minor, no. 20 (post.)
Juliana	Chopin	Ballade in G minor, no. 1
Richard	Brahms	Intermezzi nos. 1 & 2 from Op. 119
Jonathan	Brahms	Intermezzo Op. 118 no. 2
Simon S	Reginald King	Song of Paradise

A dozen of us gathered at Len and Marion’s lovely house in Dursley to enjoy a couple of hours of fine piano playing, delicious food and excellent conversation under the parasols in their incredible garden. The weather was superb, as it has been for most of our Club meetings this summer. Our grateful thanks to Len and Marion for their wonderful hosting and, of course, Marion’s home-grown fruit crumble!

Playlist

Bristol Piano Club August 2025
Performer	Composer	Piece
Anne	Bach	Sinfonia in G minor no. 11
	Bortkiewicz	Pensees Lyriques no. 2
Graham	Maria Theresia von Paradis	Sicilienne
Richard	Schubert	Impromptu in Gb major op. 90
Simon H	Bach	Preludes in C major and B major Bk I, WTK
Ann Heymans & Liz Rymer	Vaughan Williams	Fantasia on Greensleeves
	Fauré	Berceuse and Tendresse from Dolly Suite
	Percy Grainger	Country Gardens
Margaret	Cecile Chaminade	Prelude – Album des Enfants op. 123 no. 1
	Tchaikovsky	No. 9 from Album des Enfants op. 93
Jonathan	Debussy	Arabesque no. 1
	Schumann	Arabesque, op. 18
Peter	Bartok	For Children V.2: Peasant’s Flute, Teasing Song, Mourning Song. Mikrokosmos V. 6 – Ostinata
Simon	Chopin	Fantasy, op. 49
	Ivor Novello	And Her Mother Came Too! , We’ll Gather Lilacs

Twenty five members of the Club met at Graham and Margaret’s lovely house and gardens in the countryside to the north of Bristol. Apart from a brief shower (when the marquees proved invaluable) the weather was perfect. The beautiful Bechstein was put through its paces with music ranging from Bach to Piazzolla and much in-between. With the French doors open the music wafted out into the garden. Folowing the ‘formal’ playing sessions members enjoyed a buffet meal at outside tables. Once again Graham and Margaret proved themselves excellent and kind hosts and we are very grateful to them.

Performer	Composer	Piece
Simon S	Eric Coates	Last Love
Mark	Rachmaninoff	Etude-Tableaux in G minor, op. 33 no. 5
Brian	Soloviev-Sedoy arr. Cliburn	Moscow Nights
	Rachmaninoff	Prelude in D major, op. 23 no. 4
Richard	Chopin	Polonaise in Ab major, op. 53
Charles	Bach	Fugue in Ab major (WTC Bk II)
Kathryn	Albeniz	El Puerto from Iberia (No. 2 Bk I)
Steve B	Gershwin	Somebody Love Me & Who Cares
Ernest (playing his own LH arrangements of both pieces)	Rubinstein	Melody in F op. 3 no. 1
	Shostakovich	2nd mvt from Piano Concerto no. 2
Simon H	Piazzolla	Milonga Del Angel
	Chopin	Mazurka in A minor, op. 67 no. 4
Peter	Zequinha Abreu	Tico Tico
Peter & Barbara (saxaphone)	Jerome Kern	All The Things You Are & Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Boyang	Paul de Senneville	Mariage d’Amour (Marriage of Love)
Simon S	Scott Joplin	Solace
Jan	Bach	Gavotte in G minor (English Suite no. 3)

Around twenty five of us met at Simon and Jill’s for over four hours of music and food. The newly restored Bösendorfer was put through its paces and hugely enjoyed. Many thanks to Malcolm McKeand of Falmouth for his many weeks of hard work and superb craftsmanship which were much appreciated! Ernest will be receiving his birthday telegram from the King in a couple of months and a very special part of the afternoon was his playing of his own arrangements for left hand of pieces by Rubinstein and Shostakovich for which he received a standing ovation! Chopin featured especially strongly with performances of his Fantasy, G minor Ballade, a nocturne and mazurka. There was also music from China and Japan. Members were able to enjoy their meals at tables in the garden and listen to the music wafting out. Despite it being the hottest day of the year so far the usual high standard of music making appeared to be unaffected.

Playlist

Performer	Composer	Piece
Nancy	Ravel	Menuet from Sonatine
Peter	Beethoven	Bagatelle op. 119 no. 4 – Andante Cantabile
Boyang	Joe Hisaishi	Summer (from Kikujio’s Summer)
Mark	Mozart	2nd mvt Sonata in A minor K 310
Kathryn	Rachmaninoff	Prelude in G# minor, op. 32 no. 12
Ruth	Schubert	1st mvt Sonata in A minor op. post. 164 D537
Kay	Debussy	Rêverie
Anne	Tchaikovsky	October (from The Seasons)
Steve W	Debussy	Rêverie
Steve B	Chopin	Nocturne in C# minor, op. 27 no. 1
Cheryl	Francis Lai	Theme from Emmanuelle 2
Brian	Scarlatti	Sonata K69
	J B Lully	Gavotte in D minor
Jonathan	Zequina de Abreu	Tico-Tico
Simon S	Chopin	Fantasy in F minor, op. 49
Jan	Bach	Gavotte from English Suite in G minor
Ernest (playing his own LH arrangements of both pieces)	Rubinstein	Melody in F op. 3 no. 1
	Shostakovich	2nd mvt from Piano Concerto no. 2
Juliana	Rachmaninoff	Moments Musicaux in E minor op. 16 no. 4
	Chopin	Ballade in G minor op. 23
	Hailying Li (arr.)	Flute and Drum at Sunset (Chinese ancient song)
Simon H	Chopin	Mazurka in A minor, op. 67 no. 4