Clacton Arts & Literary Society

‘The Glenn Miller Story’

The final presentation of the 2010/2011 season ensured that the society’s programme ended on a high note with a foot tapping evening from Sue Greenaway and her seventeen piece band, ably assisted by singer and compere Tony Jacobs and guest singer Eleanor Keenan. This new show told the fascinating story of Glenn Miller and put his music in the context of the Swing Era by celebrating some of the other contemporary classic big bands. Sue, an accomplished Saxophonist and member of various big bands has brought  together a musical ensemble of accomplished musicians who displayed their skill in a programme crammed full of Glen Miller standards in the first half and a selection from the repertoires of other Big Bands in the 1940s and 1950s in the second half.

The programme began with a rousing version of ‘Sweet Sue’ which segued into that Miller standard ‘Little Brown Jug’ comprising some effective solos from individual members. The number ‘Russian Patrol’ was another showcase number with some very good band solos and it was very evident how much the band was enjoying performing. The band’s zenith in the first half was ‘Bugle Call Rag’ which featured a stunning drum solo from Neil Bullock…

The second half continued the rousing high standard and we were fortunate to hear a trumpet solo by Annette Brown on ‘Star Dreams’ which was excellent and this number was a precursor to ‘Charmaine’ with a nice arrangement of slurpy saxophones from the front row. Sue herself gave an impressive solo on ‘Poinciana’ and the programme culminated with that well known composition ‘In the Mood’ which was a fitting finale to the evening and generated a justified encore.
The musical prowess of Sue and her Band was indeed impressive and it was gratifying to see and hear seventeen musicians who so obviously enjoyed what they were performing. The singing credits to Tony Jacobs and Eleanor Keenan were well deserved, although perhaps some more involvement from Eleanor might have been preferable. This was a great end to the current season and members left with a spring in their step ready to face the chill Clactonian winds.
The evening was sponsored by GCS Alarms of Clacton.

Robert Pearce
Locum Press Officer

‘Weird Creatures’
 

The Society’s 15th Presentation last Monday evening was entitled ‘Weird Creatures’ and featured Nick Baker, Biologist, Naturalist and TV Presenter. Nick is well known from the BBC programmes ‘The Really Wild Show’ and ‘CBBC’s Spring Watch’ and more recently Channel 5’s ‘Weird Creatures’. Nick’s love of insects and reptiles began at an early age and his naturalist leanings were formalised when he attended Exeter University and achieved a good degree in Biology. Having worked at the university he left to begin a career in television and as a writer.

Nick’s engaging personality and the early rapport with members drove the evening on at a good space and we were treated to a series of images, videos and anecdotes surrounding some of the weird creatures that are so dear to him. His hunt in the cave complex of Postojna in Slovenia for the Olm was told amusingly, and he has the ability to impart considerable quantities of information about particular species. Similarly his search for the Hellbender Salamander (one of the largest amphibians found today) was interesting and the images shown confirmed its placing as a weird creature.

From a personal viewpoint it was Nick’s visit to Mexico City and Lake Xochimilco to search for the last wild Axolotl that encapsulated the importance of such expeditions. The Lake(now reduced to a turgid foul smelling canal) is the only wild home of this amphibian and whilst it is facing the ever increasing encroachment of humans from Mexico City, the creatures are also under threat from the introduction of African Tilapia and Asiatic Carp which are used as food fish.

Nick’s presentation style is very engaging and he easily imparts explanations as to why these animals appear so weird to us and how their appearance and habits are actually born out of an evolutionary need to tackle some unique habitats and solutions. This is delivered with a generous helping of irreverence and humour which cannot hide his love for these creatures. The evening was an unqualified success with its amalgam of adventure, conservation, and just bizarreness.
The evening was sponsored by Tendring Reuse & Employment Enterprise.

Robert Pearce Locum Press Officer

An evening of musical delights 21/2/2011.

With their demeanour, in another life I’m convinced that David Watkins(harp)
was a kindly woodcarver(named Giuseppe!?) working away in his damp little
basement room(in Scandinavia) and that Michael Bochmann (violin) was the
result of his ?????labourios endeavours!

`Ah, the musings of an old gal with warped mind!?`
Seriously, their great musical dexterity and minute attention to detail was
breathtaking in the extreme and their solo presentations/ interpretations
were inspired! These wonderful artistes with much genuine humility and their
ability to coax incredible musical sounds from their instruments gave us an
evening we will savour for a long time to come. The dazzling finger work and
bowing of Michael (who informed us that his violin, made in Italy about 300
years ago, had a very varied life and was now safely and proudly in his
possession!) and the beautiful and sympathetic tones of David at the harp,
who told us that his much coveted instrument was willed to him by his
teacher- all enhanced this lovely evening.

They were joined by Jane Leslie McKenzie (who told us coyly that she was not
about to reveal the age of her instrument!?)-slight in stature but with a voice
that could `charm the birds from the trees` and easily be heard (un-amplified )
many blocks from the theatre, even on a foggy winter’s evening!
I must admit that this combination of instruments initially made me wonder
what we were `in line for` and how they would fill an evening’s programme-was
I ever pleasantly surprised!

A very varied programme with some music that we knew well(the Swan, Ave
Maria etc) and others pieces that the musicians themselves arranged for
violin and harp which we were glad to be introduced to-I particularly liked the
trio’s poignant `Dido’s lament`(used on each Remembrance Day service from
the cenotaph, in London.)

The choice of curtain backdrop colour (nothing to do with the society) was a
little unfortunate (red or blue would have been better) as, from where I was
sitting, the harpist occasionally looked like he was playing an imaginary
instrument as the gold was exactly the same as the harp-but this didn’t really
detract from what was another exceptional night at the Arts and Lits.

Jennifer Kersey.

John Pilkington The Princes Theatre, Clacton-on-sea 14/2/2011.

Right from the very first words he uttered, we could see this
was indeed going to be a very exciting evening-we were not
disappointed!

The much travelled and well respected John Pilkington told us
about just one of his many adventures – `the axis of evil`, this
one that took him through lands of the Middle East.

Always volatile and a hotbed of discontent these countries proved
little problems for our intrepid explorer!

His sheer enthusiasm to share with us, with the aid of projected
images, shone through the whole presentation.

A very humble man with a great deal of knowledge and respect
for others and their diverse habitat gained from his journeys into
places where the tourist never really goes.

Another memorable evening provided by Clacton `Arts and Lits`-
quite different from the previous musical one, but with just as
much merit.

Jennifer Kersey.

Anthony Stuart Lloyd-now there’s a good old Welsh surname-big in stature-mammoth in talent!
With a voice borne on the wings of angels from the very heart of Heaven and a disposition that is genuinely as `umble as is humanly possible, this mighty man served up a delightful feast of diverse music of all genres.

Sympathetically accompanied on the piano by the very talented…Sharon Richards, who gave several solo musical interludes ranging from the beauty and tenderness of Debussy(the girl with the flaxen hair) to a deep and moving composition by a French composer entitled `Litanies of France`-her final piece being a jazz exercise by outstanding pianist-Oscar Peterson.

During the first half a paper clip, probably falling from a gantry above, entered the piano and lay across a string giving it a slightly `harpsichordal sound` whenever played-the pianist and vocalist, despite numerous attempts were unable to establish exactly where it was so they pressed on until the interval when it was found and removed.

I tend to think that it was from somewhere far more mundane-the piano tuner’s lunch was probably wrapped and secured in a plastic bag by this clip and he carelessly discarded it-we must be ever thankful that a half eaten cheese sandwich was not also found in there!!
Anthony’s anecdotes about his homeland and family soon established him a an entertainer of the finest calibre not at all afraid to have a laugh at his own expense and his light hearted view of opera and the characters involved was very refreshing and further endeared him to us.

Another truly memorable night –let’s hope it is not too long before they visit us again.

Jennifer Kersey.