OrganFax

Yamaha's top European demonstrator, Peter Baartmans is helping with the UK launch of the Tyros 3 this month. Peter is reputed to be one of the worlds finest keyboard performers, and tours all over the world presenting Yamaha instruments. The tour dates with Peter are listed below.





Mon 6 Oct Cranes Music Worcester 01905 23023

Tues 7 Oct Music Unlimited Ilminster 01392 251846

Wed 8 Oct Bonners Music Superstore Uckfield 01323 639335

Thurs 9 Oct Musicland Swanley 0208 698 0915

Fri 10 Oct Allegro Music Chelmsford 01245 283527

Mon 13 Oct Colbecks Sutton Coldfield 0121 3213909

Tues 14 Oct One Man Band Banbury 01295 266788

Wed 15 Oct Millington Music Sheffield 0114 280 8040

Thurs 16 Oct Rimmers Music Bolton 01204 526623

Fri 17 Oct Edinburgh Organ Studios Falkirk 0131 556 8445

& Andy Simpson Falkirk 01786 449555

Korg have announced a new Operating System, Version 2.0, for their award winning Pa2X and Pa800 arranger keyboards. It is due to be released in November 2008. As is becomming the trend with Korg products, the upgrade will be freely downloadable from their PA keyboard website.

The upgrade is set to bring a number of new features to the keyboards, including new sound generation technology called DNC (defined nuance control) - possibly designed to compete with Yamaha's Super Articulation 2 sounds found on the new Tyros 3. The update will also bring the ability to view scores on the Pa2x and Pa800's screen.

More information about this update can be found here.

Those familiar with QVC will know that keyboards are often part of the Yamaha Hour presentations. So tune into channel 640 on Sky at 11.00p.m. to find out which of the Yamaha demonstrators has been picked this time for the programme.



You will find here a selection of products often found on the show.

From numerous exhibitions and shows over the last year, Hammond Organ UK not only discovered just how many people want to see and hear the new instruments but also, how many wanted to know just how to create and use that very exclusive Hammond sound and performance technique. Complete beginners and accomplished musicians alike have all been anxious to learn about Hammond, especially how to achieve those iconic B3 jazz and blues styles.



If you are interested in the Hammond sound and live in the Leeds/Bradford/Huddersfield Area then here's your chance to get in on the act as they are running a promotional show at The Holiday Inn Leeds-Brighouse, Clifton Village, Brighouse, HD6 4HW on Saturday Oct 11th.



Please check with Barrie Freeman at Hammond for more details of this and following events.



Hammond Organ UK

PO box 364

Lymington

SO41 1AA

info@hammondorgan.co.uk
The Hammond Website

Tel: 07802 157586

Michael and a star cast can be seen every Tuesday and Wednesday (until 22nd October). The show starring 'Supersonic' Syd Little and stars from the Black and White Minstrel Show have had rave reviews. The house was completely sold out last week and they even had to add an extra matinee performance, yesterday Wednesday 1st October.



If you can't make it down to Eastbourne to see this great show, you can catch it on tour (under this title or Music Music Music) with their matinees at the Ashcroft Croydon, Beck Hayes and Gaiety Ballroom Southsea on 8th, 9th & 10th October resepctively.



For more details please visit their website.

Jean Martyn was presented last week with the first in her families next generation. The arrival of Anya means that Jean has become a Grandma for the first time. She was born on 25.09.08 and weighed in at 6 lb 10 oz.



Jean says she is "Beautiful.... with long piano fingers!!!!!"

Sarah Foley has notified us that she has recently moved and now has new contact details . Sarah and her boyfriend have a new home in an upmarket section of Torquay. She is now handling her own bookings and asks would existing or potential bookers please now phone her direct on (07525) 179775.



If you would like more information about Sarah please visit her website.

A short film has just been released on You-Tube aimed as a plea for help to save the wonderful Wurlitzer at Eston, Middlesbrough. Filmed by local lady, Sarah Mcmillan at Chris Powell's concert last week, Chris and the committee urge anybody with a little spare time to come forward and help take the Wurlitzer on into the future and ensure the preservation of this wonderful piece of heritage.

Watch this video here...

'Tributes' is Chris Powell's latest offering featuring the stunning Roland Atelier AT-900C. All the tracks come by way of tributes to some of the music industries most iconic artistes, instrumentalists and composers.

Tracks include:

Mamma Mia Sing; Masquerade; I Won't Last A Day Without You; Top Of The World S'Wonderful; I've Got Rhythm; Fascinating Rhythm Gabrielle's Oboe; Volare Elizabethan Serenade; Happy Music When You Tell Me That You Love Me Have You Met Miss Jones; It Was A Very Good Year; Mr. Bojangles; Things L.O.V.E; Sheik Of Araby Highland Cathedral Living Doll; Summer Holiday; The Young Ones The Second Waltz Down By The Riverside; Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey American Trilogy

For more information about ordering this product please visit his website www.chrispowell.org.

For everything that is the world of organist "Brett Wales" you can now go to his new web site, www.BrettWales.com. His biography, photo gallery, concert list and much more can all be found on the new site. Bretts CD's are available from the online shop and you can even join the fan club from the web site.

We have just received late news of a concert tomorrow, Sunday 28th September. Matthew Bason will be playing a concert at the Social Welfare Hall, Harworth at 2.00pm. This is to celebrate the thirty five years that the Christie organ has been at the location. There will be refreshments and a dance show included. Please note parking at the venue is free.



Originally installed in the Regal cinema Durham and opened on March 27 1934 with Herbert Maxwell at the console. Herbert Maxwell broadcast the organ on several occasions. The two manual console operated 7 units of pipes viz: Tibia, Diapason, Tuba, Viol, Clarinet, Vox and Flute. Numbered 2912, it was installed by Blacket & Howden, organ builders of Byker. The organ was purchased by Harworth Organ Enthusiasts in 1972 and opened on 30 September 1973 by David Hamilton and Robin Richmond.



Address: Social Welfare Hall, Whitehouse Road, Bircotes, Doncaster, DN11 8EF.

Contact: Mick Mason (Secretary) Phone: 01302 744584



For a map to find the venue, visit the Cinema Organ Society website.

Johnny Lee Leslie was crowned Roland V-Accordion Senior UK Champion at last weeks competition at St Audries Bay in Somerset. Following last years competition in London, EMF and Roland UK ran a whole weekend dedicated to the Virtual Accordion. The event started with a full day of demonstrations and master classes and culminated in Sundays competitions. Roland demonstrators Romano Viazzani, Karen Street and Eddie Jay were on hand all day and then played for a two hour concert which comprised of various solo's, duets and trio numbers. A fabulous evening which was topped with a very special group performance of "In the Mood".



For those not acquainted with the V-Accordion we should explain that the instrument has no reeds, unlike the traditional accordion, and that all the sounds are electronically generated. This means that as well as traditional accordion samples the player has access to many other sounds, many of which come from the Atelier organ range.



Competitors came from all over the UK and as far away as Scotland and Ireland. Sundays competition day started with Hamish Munro winning the beginners section (trophy and £20.00). Rene Maris won the elementary section (trophy and £40.00), Stephen Best the intermediate section (£60.00 and trophy) and Gennaro Fiondella the advanced section (£100.00 and trophy).



The afternoon saw the two championship classes for which Soraya O'Connor won the Junior section and the prize of a FR2 accordion. Johnny Lee Leslie won the Senior Championship and a prize of a FR7 accordion and an all expenses trip to Rome in November to compete in the World Championships. The prize for this competition is 5000 Euros.



International accordion star Gary Blair then took the stage on a V-Accordion to finish the night with a celebration Ceilidh. For more details and pictures visit the emf website .

Please note that due to circumstances beyond their control, the North Staffs Organ & Keyboard Club has after almost 18 years, had to change the venue where they hold concerts and all other events to the Wolstanton WMC, Hight St., Wolstanton, Staffs. as from 2nd October 2008.

In addition they have changed meeting nights from the first and third Tuesday in the month to the first and third Thursday in the month.

Kindly note that due to having to re-arrange the programme, the first concert at the new venue on 2nd October features Sarah Foley, this is followed by John Bowdler, on 6th November, and Alastair Keenan on 4th December.

The Club is very excited to have been able to obtain these alternative premises at such short notice, which offer a very high standard of comfort and decor and very much hope all members will continue to enjoy the facilities of the Club at the new venue.

For further details please contact Tony Lawton 01782 858907 or Malcolm Wild 01782 544271

Rumors of the new Tyros 3 have been around almost as long as the Tyros 2 and it's fair to say that the success of the two previous Tyros keyboards places a lot of pressure on Yamaha to once again raise the bar in arranger keyboard quality.

The Tyros 3 is officially launched on the 1st October, and for quite some time now Music-Tyros.com has teased us with demo samples and incrementally completing jigsaw puzzle picture of what Yamaha's new flagship arranger will look like.

But now, Yamaha have lifted the veil on the Tyros 3 and Music-Tyros.com is now open to visitors!

A simple guided tour of the new instrument awaits you as Martin Harris takes us through some of the Tyros's new sounds and backings.

But does the keyboard live up to the hype surrounding it? We can only wait and see; Martin's skillful demonstration of the new styles, sounds and effects packed into the redesigned body of the Tyros have certainly got us interested!

Watch this space for exclusive articles from Yamaha; not to mention the inevetable review of Yamaha's Tyros 3.

More news in from Andrew Nix and Tony Stace - T & A Events...

"In July, a capacity crowd experienced another fantastic organ / band festival at Mill Rythe Holiday Village, Hayling Island. This successful weekend was organised by T&A Events in conjunction with Swift Music. Tony Stace and Andrew Nix (T&A Events) were so engrossed by the superb atmosphere of an enthralled audience that on their last night they did not finish the show until just before 1 o'clock in the morning. A standing ovation was inevitable after a weekend of top class entertainment featuring some of our top stars of the organ world.

As a result of their success, Tony, Andrew, Nick and Margaret have announced that there will be two similar style events at Mill Rythe in 2009. For comfort, they have decided to reduce numbers by 50 places for future festivals. This coupled with a high level of advance bookings and interest means that early booking is advisable.

The first of these will be a Valentines spectacular on February 13th to 16th 2009 and the summertime weekend will be July 17th to 20th 2009. The full board tariff for either of these events will be £169 pp. Book direct with Mill Rythe on 02392 460044."