OrganFax

Having now performed at most of the festivals around the UK in the recent year, we have decided to give you some insight into a 'weekend in the life of the Foley family' as seen through the eyes of their tutor, Richard Bower.

First published in the Spring issue (2006) of M@H, we hope you enjoy reading this.

Meet the Foleytribe

My name is Richard Bower, a professional keyboard player for over 20 years. I met the Foley sisters for the first time a little over 3 years ago, and was immediately aware of something special - a young lady of 13 years who played with a confidence and musicality far above her age. Imagine my surprise when it transpired that there are 2 other sisters, both of whom also now play to a standard beyond their years.

The girls live between Dartmoor and the sea in South Devon, along with parents John and Sue. I have the pleasure and privilege to coach these talented young musicians, seeing them when my busy diary, and their ever-busier diary allows. As a trio, Sarah, Adele, and Lydia are known as the Foleytribe. They are wowing audiences throughout England with a keyboard and organ show featuring solo performances from all three sisters, duos, and as a grand finale, all three sisters on stage performing Riverdance! - More of that later...

Sarah is the eldest of the trio, at the age of 17. Along with her music studies, Sarah is also taking "A" levels in Music Technology, Performing Arts, and a City & Guilds qualification in Sound Engineering at her local college. Just as an aside, she's also attained grade 7 Alto Sax and has directed the music for her college pantomime, and a college publicity DVD. By some ironic typecasting, Sarah also starred in the college Christmas pantomime - as an ugly sister...

Middle sister Adele is 13. Although still a year away from starting her GCSE's, the workload from school keeps her busy. Music, of course, is high on her list of subjects. Along with her keyboard and organ playing, she's also a dab hand on flute, achieving grade 4 in 2005. Adele is a terrific organ and keyboard player in her own right; in fact she's taken over one of Sarah's regular bookings! Keep it in the family...

Lydia is the youngest at 8 years of age. Despite only playing keyboard for a little over a year, she is showing signs that the musical Foley magic is with her. She's now playing organ too, in fact Lydia now plays a solo number or two on organ when the girls are performing. Reaching the pedals is a bit of an issue - sliding off the edge of the organ bench before the end of the song is still a strong possibility!

Saturday

The weekend starts with the 75-mile drive down to Devon. This trip is the first since the A303 has been re-opened after the seemingly endless closure at Marsh. Traffic is light for a change, and I arrive at Bluebell Cottage in just over 90 minutes.

Tea, gossip, more tea, more gossip and Marmite toast account for our first half-hour together. Sarah and I share a liking for Marmite. We do, however, disagree on how it should be eaten. I like it thinly spread on my toast - she has it on in slabs!

John and Sue leave Sarah and me to start the day's work. Before we draw breath, Sue arrives with another mug of tea, and a glass of milk for Sarah. Once the beverages are put aside, the lesson commences.

I'm not sure if what happens over the next three or so hours ARE a lesson... Sarah is now very much her own player, with the ability to take my input on board, and then tailor it to sound like her. I help Sarah with her arrangements, suggesting things, giving hints and making comments, but it doesn't feel like a lesson. It's more like sitting in with someone of equal ability, sharing knowledge and experience. If someone watched the session without knowing who the teacher was, I'm not sure they would be able to tell who was "teaching" whom. That said, what we're doing together clearly works. Sarah Foley's playing is rapidly starting to scare me...

We have three tunes in progress at the moment. The first, Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" will be finished today. This arrangement had an inauspicious start two weeks ago. We didn't have the music for it when Sarah suggested doing it, and I'd never heard the tune. After a very fast dash to the local Tesco's, getting there just as the shutters were coming down, we bought the CD. Upon first playing the track off the CD, John said, "What's that rubbish?" Undaunted, we worked together, picking out the tune and harmonies. Sarah's great ear meant that within an hour the tune was nailed, the chords and bass line following soon after. Sarah now almost always sets her own sounds, and she really did a great job of giving this tune a Celtic feel. Today it's time for my main input, as we fix the drum parts. This done, John and Sue return (with tea) to listen to the first performance. John declares that it's "very alright". I take the opportunity to remind him of his comments two weeks ago. John's reply? I'll leave that to your own imagination...

The second tune today is completed. We've made an updated arrangement of famous German organist Klaus Wunderlich's tune "Cornflakes". The sounds and drum parts were fixed last time, so it's just a matter of listening to Sarah's performance, and tidying it up. Again, she's done a great job with the sounds, really capturing the European organ sound - not too easy on a Japanese organ! The arrangement sounds great, and the tempo is really swift. At the speed this is moving, it's more like "Bran Flakes". I suggest that it shouldn't go any quicker, and then we agree that the arrangement is complete.

Lunchtime beckons. Meals are always a family gathering, so we discuss the morning's progress. Conversation is light-hearted and lively over cheese and biscuits, with tea of course. Sarah slopes off for a Marmite roll.

The afternoon's project is to start arranging the epic ballad "Music". I have various recordings of organists playing this fabulous piece, so we listen to those for a while. Whilst it's always useful to hear other player's arrangements of tunes, it's also important to hear the original, so last reference is to the John Miles original. Most of the next couple of hours is taken up with learning the tune, discussing sounds, and planning drum patterns. Something tells me that this arrangement will turn out to be "very alright".

It's time now for Adele to replace Sarah in the hot seat. A mug of tea arrives during the transition. The session with Adele is more of a lesson in the pure sense, but she's recently starting to have much more of an input into the arrangements. It won't be too long until the sessions with Adele are much more like a meeting rather than a lesson.

I like Adele to play me something before we start work. Today she chooses two of her latest pieces, both of which have just been recorded for her first CD. A powerful version of Disney's "Circle of Life" is followed by a sparkling "Night Fever". Both tunes are really nicely played. Adele really is getting there.

Today's project is to finish off an Elton John medley. This has been a challenge for Adele, as at least two of the tunes are technically the hardest ones we've learned together. She's done a great job with learning the tunes, so now it's time to fix the sounds, make the drum patterns and arrange the bridges between the songs. Firstly we decide on the order of the songs. The running order for the medley is: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues", "I'm Still Standing", "Your Song" and "Crocodile Rock".

We spend the next couple of hours working together, making sounds and drum patterns for these songs. Today is the first time that Adele has really made a big contribution to setting the sounds. She is a little nervous at first, not knowing how I'll react to her saying "maybe this sound would be better there". I reassure her that it is just what I want to hear from her. It's just an indication that she's starting to be more confident in her ability. Adele's playing has improved so much in the last year. It comes to pass that Adele ends up setting most of the sounds for the medley. John and Sue pop in to the room to hear the results of the session. I enjoy a big smile at Adele's efforts.

The ten-minute warning for dinner comes just at the moment when the work for this session is finished. It's now down to Adele to practise what we've worked on today. This medley will help her to achieve our aim of having an hour of concert standard material before the summer. It's only the end of January, and we've almost attained that objective. The session finishes with Adele playing a great arrangement of "Isn't She Lovely" for me, and then it's time for dinner.

Dinner at Bluebell Cottage is always a lively affair. There's Sarah and John trying to steal each others bread roll, Adele trying to escape eating anything green, and young Lydia glaring at me because she hasn't had her lesson yet... The Foleytribe is a vegetarian family, not only meat-free, but fish-free too. When I first started visiting the Foley's, this was a concern. It needn't have been. You never go hungry with one of Sue's meals, despite John's mock-criticism from the safety of the far end of the table!

After the meal, Lydia's glare turns into a beaming smile as we go through to the lounge for her session. She's only started playing organ recently, and she really loves it. The short session starts with Lydia playing me "Scarborough Fair". Very nicely played it is, too. Her tune from last time, "For Once in My Life" is performed through without an error, and without sliding off the organ bench in the quest to play the C pedal. Why it that the pedal played most often is is the one that's furthest away? For me at 6ft tall, it's not something I ever worry about, but for an eight-year-old it's a matter of vital importance...

I give her lots of well-earned praise, and we start on another tune - "Something Stupid". "Dedicate this one to Daddy," I suggest. Giggles all round. Lydia takes on her new task with gusto. She plays me one more tune, managing even more pesky C pedals, and then leaves the room beaming the same smile as before.

Tea arrives, along with Sarah. "Fancy a jam?" She's not talking about food... We spend the next half-hour or so knocking seven bells out of several well-known jazz pieces, at SOME volume. It's a good thing that Bluebell Cottage is detached. I sometimes wonder how far away our jam sessions can be heard. It's rumoured that the furthest away so far is Wiltshire. The session finally comes to an end, curtailed by the road manager (John) starting to dismantle the keyboards whilst we're still playing. There's a show on tomorrow... The hard work of a concert day doesn't happen on stage. The hard work is breaking the equipment down, travelling and setting up again at the venue. Once the concert is over, it's the break-down, the packing-up and the travelling home again. A long-distance two-hour concert can often result in a fourteen-hour day. The concert is the easy bit.

Sunday

The sisters are in concert today. Looking at the equipment being loaded into a Ford Galaxy and a trailer, I'm not sure if I'm watching the Foleytribe or Status Quo. Once everything is loaded, we leave for the venue. It's fairly local today, so we're there in under an hour. At the venue, an organ, two keyboards, speakers, microphones, leads, stands, John, Sue, Sarah, Adele and Lydia are disembarked out of the Galaxy and the trailer. Oops, I forgot to mention the most important pieces of equipment - clothes and make-up! These take up more room than the organ. How many costumes can three people wear in two hours? It must be a girl thing...

Set-up is achieved in an hour. John and Sarah have this down to a fine art now. Sarah's sound engineering course is showing its influence, as she adjusts the sound to suit the room. Once all the sound checks are finished, it's sandwiches and coffee all round. After the meal Sue, Sarah, Adele and Lydia start with the serious stuff - getting dressed up. John and I leave them to it, as our references to "backstage at Crufts" don't seem to be appreciated!

Eight o'clock draws near, and as the house lights dim, John and I give a last encouraging few words to the girls. It's really not necessary, but it somehow makes me feel like we've contributed something positive. Sue joins us as we find a seat at the back of the hall. We make it to our seats just as Sarah takes the stage. She's wearing the red sequined number tonight. The concert starts with a lively Latin medley of "Amorada" and "Tico-Tico". As the applause dies down Sarah introduces herself, and thanks the audience for the welcome. I'm always a little on edge when she has a microphone in her hand. Whilst I know what she's going to play, I never have any clue what she's going to say! Sarah has a real presence on stage, and her confidence on the microphone shows. She always has a joke or two, and a funny story about Sue. She has a wicked streak sometimes, especially when she's performing. I'm happy to take some credit for her playing, but accept no responsibility for what she says!

Sarah announces the next number as "Moanin'". This great jazz piece is followed with "Childhood Memories" and the theme from "Once Upon A Time in America". The contrast in style of these two pieces is stunning. "Moaning" features a Big Band sound; "Once Upon A Time in America" is played at a whisper, showing that Sarah has true musicality, as well as great technique. After "Cornflakes" and a medley from "Grease" it's time for Sarah to welcome Adele onto the stage.

Adele starts with Elton John's "Circle of Life" and then plays a medley from "Oliver". I can't help but smile at Adele's performance. She really has improved so much in the last year. After her two numbers, Adele announces Sarah back on stage. Dressed in matching red outfits, they look very fine as they take to their keyboards to play Disney's "Be Our Guest" together. Adele takes to the microphone to welcome Lydia to the stage.

As the two elder sisters exit stage left, Lydia goes through the ritual of perching precariously on the edge of the organ bench. She launches into "For Once in My Life" and succeeds in her twin aims - playing the piece with out any mistakes, AND without sliding off the bench. She really is a star. Lydia thanks the audience confidently, then takes a bow and walks off, to be replaced by Sarah.

Sarah plays two more pieces on organ, tells one of her infamous jokes, and then announces the last number of the first half. This last tune is "Caracena" from Riverdance. Sarah starts this piece on her own, but is soon joined by Adele who walks onto stage clapping. As the audience pick up the beat, Adele sits at her keyboard and starts to accompany her sister. Lydia makes up a trio as she walks onto stage, continuing the clapping. She then joins her sisters on another keyboard and starts to play. This trio arrangement is a rousing end to the first half.

John and I spend the interval chatting with various members of the audience. From the comments being made, it's clear that the show is going down well. Sarah and Adele are milling around too. A quick thumbs-up from me is enough to raise a big smile from Adele. Sue is busy selling CD's. The girls don't stay around for too long, as another session of dressing-up beckons.

The second half explodes into action with "Sabre Dance". Sarah say's that it's "something nice and slow to let their teas goes down!" A rock'n'roll medley follows straight after. The half-time dressing-up sessions has resulted in Sarah now wearing a sequined white number. She thanks the audience for the welcome back, and then plays a Latin medley, followed by "Could It Be Magic". A Classical montage finishes Sarah's solo spot.

Sarah introduces Adele, who is wearing the same white outfit. She plays a lively version of "Night Fever" and a tune that Adele says was written for her - "Isn't She Lovely!" Sarah then joins Adele for a duo arrangement of the sixties hit "She's Not There".

It's time for Lydia's solo spot. Wearing the same white dress as her bigger sisters, she takes to the organ to play "Scarborough Fair". After completing this tune without any pedal issues, she moves over to play to keyboard. Lydia finishes her spot with a disco-style rendition of "Rivers Of Babylon", aided by two dancing girls who come on stage clapping and encouraging the audience to join in. These two dancers look ever so familiar - I just can't place them...

As the applause dies down, Adele and Lydia leave the stage to Sarah. A rousing version of "633 Squadron" is followed by "Misty". It's time for the last number of the night, and what better to finish with than a powerful arrangement of "Lord Of The Dance"? The audience show their appreciation with a long round of applause.

As is traditional, the show finishes with an encore. Sarah plays the last piece, which is "Land Of Hope And Glory". She is soon joined by Adele and Lydia, who are wearing Union Jack hats. The audience claps and sings along, as the girls wave in time to the music. After another long round of applause, the Foleytribe take a well-earned bow. All too quickly the show is over. Now the hard part begins - all the instruments, equipment and clothes need to be packed away, and the journey home started. The gear is packed into Galaxy and trailer in a little under an hour. John and I discuss the night. We agree that it's been "very alright". Before the Foleytribe head home, we all bid each other goodnight. It's like the end credits from the Waltons...

I also head for home. It's been a long weekend, but as always, it's been a lot of fun. Helping the musical development of these three remarkable young players gives me such a thrill; as it's so good to be able to give back some of your own knowledge and experience. They are an absolute joy to work with.

Thank you for sharing this weekend with the Foleytribe. I hope that you have enjoyed your time with us, and that it's given a little indication of the talent of these three remarkable young people. They have bookings for concerts throughout England, so if you have the chance to see them, take it.

Sarah also appears solo at some of the leading keyboard festivals. This gives her the opportunity not only to play, but also to listen and learn from other players - but that's a story for another time...