Rally Reviews
BMG Federation Rally Reviews
All photos by George Woolgar unless otherwise credited
EL SUPREMO’Sis THOUGHTSofON THEperformances BMG BASH was
2014 that I wanted to hear. This
I begin with a confession, which that I missed quite a lot the competition
because I foolishly went to the Spanish Guitar Centre in Bristol, and bought a stack of music that had to be played through in
my hotel room. Alas, the time flew by……. I am sure you will understand.
I did hear enough however to be convinced that standards are getting higher and members are showing more originality
than they used to. I was very pleased to have entries for the two new prizes I had come up with. I had been hoping to hear
Dowland, and to hear a lute, and my hopes were perfectly fulfilled. In future I would like to see people playing renaissance
music on cittern as well. Any plectrum picker would find it easy to master, it has a sound all of its own, and there is plenty of
repertoire easily adapted for it. It is also quite easy to make and there are a few on the market at affordable prices, not many
of them very authentic however.
I had also been hoping to hear some Bach, and got that too. I had never heard of the Suite in G by Witt, performed
by the Corinium Players, and that was a big bonus. I particularly admired the absolutely steady and note perfect playing of
the young lad on the contrabass guitar, who provided the engine of the piece and got clarity, tone, and volume out of an
instrument that is usually quite thunky.
There were several such treats. Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble had two admirable mandola players elegantly filling out
‘Under Paris Skies’ ………
………… and I loved the first mandolin and first guitar of London Mandolin Ensemble.
I will always enjoy the memory of Lindsay of Fretful Federation conducting the remarkable Machine II with a spanner, and I
do always enjoy the playing of Chris, their first mandolin. Is he as cool as he seems? I suspect he might be.
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