Toucan Play...

The concert last night evolved in a rather extraordinary way for two musicians from Huddersfield.
They actually first met in Lima airport, Peru!
Robin spotted Simeon, submerged beneath a pile of flute cases, and likewise, Simeon rightly surmised, with incredible deductive powers, that Robin was also a musician, as he was sitting with his guitar flight case.
The two struck up a conversation and found they were destined for the same place.

Here they are, later in the trip when they were in Costa Rica:



Last night the venue was full, with some members of the audience travelling quite large distances, as they had previously seen the pair play when in South America.


The programme was eclectic, with Simeon playing a wide variety of flutes and pan pipes in a combination of duets and solo performances.

Programme:

Entracte - Jacques Ibert Robin Hill/Simeon Wood

Fairie Queen - Trad. Robin Hill/Simeon Wood

She Moved Through the Fair - Trad. Robin Hill/Simeon Wood

Malaguena - Trad. Robin Hill

Un Dia de Noviembre - Leo Brouwer Robin Hill

Tango En Skai - Roland Dyens Robin Hill

Gabriel's Oboe Theme - Ennio Morricone Simeon Wood

Devotion - Simeon Wood Simeon Wood

Concerto in D - Vivaldi Robin Hill/Simeon Wood


INTERVAL

Sonata in D - Christian Gottlieb Scheidler Robin Hill/Simeon Wood

Grasping the Thistle - Simeon Wood Simeon Wood

Adagio: Concierto de Aranjuez - Rodrigo Robin Hill

Rakes of Kildare - Trad. Robin Hill/Simeon Wood

Danza Brasileira - Robin Hill Robin Hill


ENCORE

Improvisation - Robin Hill & Simeon Wood (Chinese Flute)

The concert was a great success and both musicians look forward to playing together in the near future.

Classical Guitar at the Proms...I'm Afraid Not...

I have been scouring the schedule of the BBC Proms for any sign of the classical guitar. I'm afraid to say that over the entire season there isn't one classical guitar performance.
This makes me both sad and angry.
Sad because it is such a beautiful instrument that seems to have an uphill battle to be heard.
Angry, well, there are many reasons.

There are so many fantastic guitar concerti to choose from, surely there was something that could have been fitted in the schedule.
If fear of the unknown is the cause, then how about one of the most popular concerti ever written?...the truly beautiful, 'Concierto de Aranjuez' or the 'Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre' by Rodrigo. Or, maybe, some Vivaldi or perhaps a little Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Malcolm Arnold, William Walton or Leo Brouwer?

For the really adventurous programmer perhaps an old favourite allied with a new composition. We have a number of concerti from which to choose, and what a coup that would be, the composer performing his own piece. Oh, and he's British....maybe that's the problem. But this isn't about sour grapes.
Whilst it would be fantastic for Robin to perform there, just to see any classical guitarist, would be great. When have Pepe or Angel Romero, the Assad Brothers or Xuefei Yang ever been heard at the Proms?

I recently read a report proclaiming the guitar had taken over from the recorder as the instrument of choice for school children. We should be capitalising on this. As there is currently concern about the future of classical music in general, and the need to introduce the younger generation to the whole area, surely we have missed a golden opportunity to present one of the most popular and versatile instruments in the world.
Any child in the early stages of learning an instrument needs to see and hear what can be achieved.
How many more families would have 'tuned' in for a guitar concert to encourage their offspring with their chosen instrument?

BBC Radio 3 used to feature the guitar on a weekly basis through its programmes, 'The Classical Guitar' and 'Guitar Encores', now we are lucky if we hear it from one month to the next.

Whatever the reason for this...it is a great tragedy that the guitar is again ignored and neglected by the BBC.

Potholes, Starbucks and Robin Hill Recordings

Let me show you how my warped mind works. I read a headline in the paper, 'Councils filling 1 million potholes a year.' Well, we know from our musical experience that there are '4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire', which made me think the others are evenly distributed across the country.
From that my mind wondered to Sir Paul McCartney and his new signing with the coffee shop chain Starbucks.
In fact, as Starbucks recently announced, they are launching a new label called 'Hear Music' as a joint venture with Los Angeles based Concord Music Group.
What a coup for them all.
To sign McCartney must have been their dream come true, especially with an album due out in early summer. (As yet untitled.)
If they are looking to expand even further, then look no further.
All we need is the orchestra and recording studio and we're ready!
There are so many fantastic concerti waiting to be recorded for both solo and duo guitar, composed by such eminent composers as Rodrigo, Vivaldi and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Robin has performed many of these, either as a soloist, or with the Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo.
If Starbucks are feeling particularly adventurous, then why not try some new compositions, some of which have been premiered, and some as yet unheard.
Oh, and while they are at it, I take my coffee strong with just a little milk...