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BPC Christmas Booking @ The Chocolate Factory, Keynsham
Come along and entertain the residents in their retirement home with light-hearted musical fare on Sunday afternoon, December 20th, 2026. Contact Leo for further details nearer the time.
Bristol Piano Club – May Meeting
Twenty of us attended the Club meeting at Brian and Dorette’s for another afternoon and evening of music making and socialising. We welcomed two potential new members – Jeff and Ilaha, enjoyed the playing of newish members Julie, Natalie and Nickie as well as the contributions of other seasoned veterans! Many thanks to Brian and Dorette for their amazing warmth and hospitality.
| Bristol Piano Club Playlist – May 2026 | ||
| Performer | Composer | Piece |
| Mark | Debussy | Sarabande from Pour le Piano |
| Charles | Fauré | Nocturne No.4 in E♭ |
| Peter | Strayhorn/ Ellington | Take the ‘A’ Train |
| Jason Rebello | Dark Avenger | |
| Anne | Haydn | Adagio in G major from Piano Trio No.2 |
| Julie | Bach | Fugue in G, BWV 902 |
| Samuel Wesley | Waltz from Sonata in B ♭ Op.5 No.2 | |
| Fran | Lennon | Imagine |
| Bach | Prelude in D major, BWV 925 (from 18 Kleine Praeludien) | |
| Natalie | Debussy | Clair de Lune |
| Richard | Brahms | Intermezzo in A, Op.118 No.2 |
| Nickie | Nickie Hart | Flight of the Eagle & Dancing Butterfly* |
| Brian | Rachmaninov | Prelude in E♭ Op. 23 No.6 |
| Strayhorn | Chelsea Bridge | |
| Brian & Charles | Richard Strauss (arr. Otto Singer) | Der Rosenkavalier, Concert Waltz |
| * http://www.nickiehartmusic.com | ||
New Piano Club Masterclass with Helen Reid for October 2026
Join other Bristol Piano Club members for an informal masterclass to be led by Helen Reid, one of Bristol’s leading teachers.
When: Friday 16 October 2026, 10:00–16:00
Location: Stoke Bishop, Bristol (venue details provided on booking)
Fees – Members: £50 (playing), £12 (observers);
Fees – Non-members – £60 (playing), £12 (observers). The non-member fee includes a complimentary BPC membership for the remainder of the year.
Lunch: participants should bring a packed lunch
Up to eight places are available for pianists who will perform a piece of prepared repertoire. The teaching sessions will be approximately 30 minutes long per pianist, and will focus on interpretation, performance, and technique, but all participants are welcome to offer other topics for discussion during the day.
Up to eight places are available for pianists who will perform a piece of prepared repertoire. The teaching sessions will be approximately 30 minutes long per pianist, and will focus on interpretation, performance, and technique, but all participants are welcome to offer other topics for discussion during the day.
In addition to the participants, there will be places available for a small number of observers at £12 for the day.
Helen Reid (see https://helenreidpiano.com) is a former BBC Young Musician of the Year keyboard finalist, and currently pursues a busy career teaching and performing around the UK. As well as performing as a soloist, she is in demand as an accompanist, and regularly performs with the Bristol Ensemble and other chamber groups. Helen works with advanced piano students, both privately and at the University of Bristol.
Helen has given recitals all around in England, at venues including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Fairfield Halls and Blackheath Halls, London, St. George’s, Bristol, Cheltenham, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and the Aldeburgh and Buxton Festivals. She has performed in Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Performances have included Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and the world premiere of David Matthews’ Piano Concerto at Dartington International Summer Festival, a work written for Helen.
To reserve a place or for further details, do not reply to this email but contact Club member Mark Ware at mark@markwareconsulting.com or on 07973 824378.
(NB, the fee shown is provisional, assuming the full number of 8 attendees; it may be slightly higher if demand is lower, and will be finalised as soon as numbers are known)
April 2026 Meeting
Leo and Paul’s kitchen/ music salon was at peak capacity yesterday afternoon for an amazing afternoon of piano music on their magnificent Yamaha grand. We welcomed Kim to the Club for a trial meeting and are pleased to announce she will be joining. Thanks to everyone who brought food and drink to the buffet and, most of all to Leo and Paul for being such warm and generous hosts!
| Bristol Piano Club Playlist April 2026 | ||
| Performer | Composer | Piece |
| Simon S | Alban Berg | Sonata op. 1 |
| Eric Coates | Green Hills of Somerset & The Sleepy Lagoon | |
| Anne K | Mozart | Fantasia in D minor |
| Field | Nocturne no. 16 | |
| Kathryn | Chopin | Barcarolle, op. 60 |
| Richard | Tchaikovsky | April from The Seasons |
| Jean W | Wild/ Gershwin | ‘Somebody Loves Me’ from Seven Virtuoso Etudes after Gershwin |
| Kay | Fauré | Andante Moderato, no. 5 from Eight Short Pieces, op. 84 |
| Simon H | Gibran Alcocer | Idea no. 10 |
| JS Bach | Sarabande from Partita in C minor | |
| Nicky M (Nickie Hart) | Nicola Melanie Manning | ‘Charlotte’s Web’ & ‘Soulful Echoes’ |
| Boyang | Pachelbel | Canon in D |
Presented by Keynsham Concerts
Programme:
Solo Piano
Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor
Chopin Andante Spinate and Grande Polonaise Brilliante Op.22
Hamelin en Avril a Paris
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Piano and Violin
Zimmer Pirates of Caribbean Arr. Bramwell
Shore Lord of the Rings
Horner Avatar Arr. Bramwell
Powell How to Train your Dragon Arr. Bramwell
Djawadi Game of Thrones Arr. Bramwell
Tickets available at
https://buytickets.at/keynshamconcerts1/2142260
£20 & £1.25 booking fee
Or from Leonora, Simon and Chris. Tickets also available at the door on the evening of the concert.
Bar Available.
International Concert Pianist Nurry Lee with guest Violinist Yoonseo Oh Saturday July 4th 2026 at St Johns Church Keynsham BS31 2BL – 19.00hrs for 19.30 – 22.00hrs.
Presented by Keynsham Concerts
Programme:
Solo Piano
Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor
Chopin Andante Spinate and Grande Polonaise Brilliante Op.22
Hamelin en Avril a Paris
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Piano and Violin
Zimmer Pirates of Caribbean Arr. Bramwell
Shore Lord of the Rings
Horner Avatar Arr. Bramwell
Powell How to Train your Dragon Arr. Bramwell
Djawadi Game of Thrones Arr. Bramwell
Tickets available at
https://buytickets.at/keynshamconcerts1/2142260
£20 & £1.25 booking fee
Or from Leonora, Simon and Chris. Tickets also available at the door on the evening of the concert.
Bar Available.
Piano Recital by International Concert Pianist Allan Schiller – St Johns Church Keynsham BS31 2BL 13.00 – 14.00 hrs. Thursday 2nd July 2026
Presented by Keynsham Concerts
https://www.allanschiller.co.uk/
Programme:
Chopin……..Three Grandes Valses Brillantes op. 34
Schubert……..Two Impromptus in A flat and E flat D.899
Grieg…………..Five Lyric Pieces……. Little Troll. Gade. March of
the Dwarves. Butterfly and Wedding Day at Troldhaugen
Albeniz ……….Three pieces from Suite Espagnole…..Sevilla, Cadiz
and Aragon
Tickets available at https://buytickets.at/keynshamconcerts1/2138250
Cost £10 + £1.25 Booking Fee.
Or from Leonora, Simon and Chris. Also available on the door on the day of the concert.
Club Meeting, March 2026
The meeting of the Bristol Piano Club was a lovely musical occasion. We welcomed potential new member Nicky who delighted us with a couple of her own compositions! Musical performances ranged from Handel and Bach through Beethoven and Chopin to Gershwin and Bartok – to name but a few! Followed by congenial conversation and tasty savoury and sweet dishes – to the accompaniment of an entertaining selection of on-the-spur duet pieces.
We look forward to the April meeting at Leo and Paul’s in Keynsham.
| Bristol Piano Club March 2026 | ||
| Performer | Composer | Piece |
| Peter | J S Bach | Two-part Invention no. 13 in A minor |
| Piazzolla | Milonga del Angel | |
| Julie | Dussek | Rondo from Sonatina in Eb Op. 19/20 |
| Anne | Alanna Crouch | Nocturne |
| Diabelli | Sonatina Op. 151 no. 4 | |
| Brian | Chopin | Waltz in Ab major, Op. 69 no. 1 |
| Natalie | Chopin | Waltz in B minor, Op. 69 no. 2 |
| Steve | Gershwin | ‘Do It Again’ |
| Jean | Bartok | Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm nos. 1 – 3 |
| Nicky | Nicola Melanie Manning (Nickie Hart) | Fond Farewell and Summer Meadow |
| Richard | Beethoven | Sonata Op. 10 no. 2 F major |
| Chris | Handel | Suite in D minor, Allemande and Courante, HWV 437 |
| Simon H | Martha Mier | Red Rose Rendezvous |
| Charles Tebbs | Airships | |
Fully restored 1980’s Steinway A grand piano
One of the UK’s foremost piano technicians and restorers (a friend of our chairman) expects to have a 1980’s Steinway model ‘A’ grand piano ready and available for sale in about a year’s time. It will be ‘as new’ mechanically. The piano is 6′ 2 ” long. Not sure what the price will be but it will certainly be a lot less than new. If you think you could be interested contact Simon Scott for more details (or use the contact address on the website).
Bristol Piano Club 