Following the success of BPC members and families/friends playing in the atrium of Southmead Hospital earlier this year, Matthew G. has booked the grand piano for us again from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs on Saturday 29th Nov 2025.
We are planning for the music to have a Christmas theme.
Come for the day or just drop in and play!
Further details will be sent at the beginning of Nov and names taken of the people who are planning to come.
It’s never too early to start practising those Christmas pieces !
Nurry Lee the Concert Pianist will be holding a day of masterclasses on Sunday October 19th 2025 at Leonora’s house in Keynsham.
If you would like to book a place please email Leonora at leonora.bristolpiano@yahoo.com by 28th Sept. If you have a preference for a morning or afternoon slot please state this when booking and this will be accommodated as possible. – Participants are welcome to stay all day. Tea and coffee will be provided and lunch will be ‘bring and share’.
Payment in full (£45) will be required by 5th Oct together with details of the piece you will be bringing to play. Payment details and venue address will be sent with confirmation.
I have recently moved to a flat at Albert Mill, Dapps Hill, Keynsham, BS31 1US.
Albert Mill is a beautiful heritage site and is open to the public for one weekend, the 13th and 14th of September, as part of the Bristol Open Doors promotion.
On Sunday the 14th, between 10 and 4pm, I have arranged to borrow the Keynsham community piano for the day for pianists to play as part of the open day event.
There is an open invitation to all piano club members to visit and play the piano. It will be quite informal and hopefully good fun, (duets also welcome). You will all receive a warm welcome, plus free light refreshments!
Hoping to see some of you on the 14th, please contact me if you need any further details.
Best wishes, Simon Hazelwood. simon.hazelwood@live.co.uk
Ps. The best way to the Mill is to park in one of the many Keynsham car parks and either walk along the high street past the Civic Centre, or follow the river from the park. It’s around 5 minutes from Keynsham High Street.
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
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)
Our first masterclass of 2025 repeated the successes of last year’s events. It was led by pianist and teacher Helen Reid, who showed again that she was not just an excellent pianist but also an inspiring, engaging, and insightful teacher. As participants put it afterwards:
“[there was] lots of excellent musical/piano wisdom” – “[Helen] was great – gentle but intentional, sincerely encouraging and with lots of very useful practical and inspirational tips for teaching and playing alike.”
The workshop was held on Thursday 10 July at the home of Simon and Jill Scott, where we benefited from being able to play their superb, and newly restored, Bösendorfer 225 grand piano.
As usual at Club meetings, participants offered a varied programme, with works by composers ranging from Bach to Florence Price and her pupil Margaret Bonds:
Fran – Bach: Invention No.8 in F; Galuppi: Sonata in D, 1st mvt (Adagio) Ruth – Schubert : Sonata in A minor Opus post. 164 D 537 Kay – Debussy: Reverie Robin – Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water Simon S – Fauré: Nocturne No.11 F♯ minor Jean W – Florence Price: Fantasie nègre No. 1 in E minor Jean A – Beethoven: Sonata in A♭ Op.26, 1st mvt (Andante con Variazioni)
About Helen Reid
Helen Reid (see https://helenreidpiano.com](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.
Future events
The Piano Club is planning another masterclass in November, with details to be announced soon – watch this space!
William Howard, who has also led a masterclass for the Club, will be running his course “Creative Practising – How to Keep Your Piano Practice Fresh” again this year on 25–27 October at Jackdaws – see https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/events/3705/
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)
Bristol Piano Club 