Contemporary Music Opportunity
News and Meetings
An invitation from Simon Hazelwood
Dear Bristol Piano Club members.
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.
August 2025 Meeting
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 | |
July 2025 Piano Club Meeting
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) |
Advanced Piano Course begins this autumn in Bristol
Piano masterclass with Helen Reid
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/
June 2025 meeting – Ernest at the piano
Piano Club June 2025 Meeting
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 |
Thank you from Keynsham Concerts
Keynsham Concerts ( Leonora, Paul, Simon H. and Chris ) would like to say a big thank you to everyone from Bristol Piano Club who came along to support the piano recital given by the international, award winning pianist Leon McCawley on Saturday 7th June. Leon played a Yamaha concert grand in the beautiful parish church of St John in Keynsham where the acoustics were first class. The programme included pieces by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin and Frank and was of outstanding pianistic quality – ending with an encore by Rachmaninov to a standing ovation. We hope that Leon will return to play for us again in the future.
Places available at Stowe Summer School for Pianists, Aug 9 – 15, 2025
There are last minute places available at the Stowe Summer School for Pianists – just 10 weeks away. Join some of your Bristol Piano Club members there along with 60 others from all round the world. There are great tutors, you take part in three masterclasses with the options to perform in student concerts as well. Superb accommodation in the grounds of the old palace of the Duke of Buckingham. You will meet some very inspiring people and experience some amazing piano playing. Plus an opportunity to play on some Steinway grands.
Bristol Piano Club 