Kilve Residential Weekend, March 2010
Comments by participants

The evening arrangements seemed to work out - using Cook-Hurle was an improvement on using the bar, and then using the main hall on Saturday was an improvement again because more people/everybody could sit comfortably. The short dance session was fun, and again, it contributed to the notion of trying something different and offering people more variety.

The showcase was the best one I've been to (in my short experience). I think that the mixture of very practiced pieces from the workshops and the bands, with the impromptu/endearingly wacky input from Rollo was really enjoyable. Also, the idea of sending out music before the weekend and on arrival was a good innovation. Just playing those two tunes with Paul at the end of the showcase, with everyone joining in and making great big noise was a great way to end.

I liked the idea that people can opt in and opt out of a variety of activities as it suits them - getting the most out if the weekend according to their own interests. Zak's talk being a perfect example - something new, many people turned up to hear it, learnt about something they had no previous knowledge of, met Zak who seemed like a genuinely nice bloke, and it added a totally different and unexpected element to the weekend.
Alan Streeting

We spent most of the weekend in Paul Barrett’s Intermediate Band and we enjoyed it greatly. The music was very attractive and it was difficult enough to be interesting and very satisfying when we all got it together.
Lorna & Denis

I really enjoyed Paul Barrett’s Intermediate Band. The four pieces of music were varied, challenging and those playing smiled a lot – even when we were being gently chided by Paul. The group put in a lot of effort, Paul smiled and joked his way through and we achieved a good standard at the Sunday showcase when we had such a limited time to ‘perfect!!’ the pieces. As a base player the ‘Policeman’s Lot is not a Happy One’ was great and probably should have been called ‘Paul Barrett’s Lot is a very Happy One’.

Lots of choices of workshop were available and some of us went into more than one to try out other styles etc. The workshops led by Keith Kendrick (English and NO … music), John Morgan (Duet) and Brian Peters (Anglo) all went well and we have received many positive comments from satisfied squeezers. Brian Peters was disappointed that there weren’t more Anglo players and we hope that next time we will have more interest as this group tries hard to incorporate sessions for systems and tastes. There has been positive feedback about the short ceilidh, the talk by Zac and room changes for the evening sessions. This will all be discussed at the next committee meeting. Having the tutors for the ceilidh band seemed to be very popular too.
Mal

Kilve March 2010 Advanced Band

I always look forward to the Advanced Band at Kilve because the material we have to play is invariably challenging and it really forces you to> concentrate. This year was no exception. We had five pieces: three by Mozart, and two by Claire Wren. The Advanced band consisted of ten players: six trebles, two baritones and two basses. While this was a small ensemble, we were able to split the parts into two or three players so that a good balance could be achieved.The two Wren pieces were "Pleheim Plage" and "The Search". The former was a somewhat relaxing exercise in reproducing gentle waves on a sunny beach (imagine the Padstow Lifeboat on a millpond) before heading into a bar filled with traditionally French music, then back to the beach. A sort of French version of Sidmouth I suppose. The second piece was a shock when first played. Even disturbing and turbulent. Being in 7|8 time it never actually resolves but the rhythm is insistently trying to resolve throughout the piece. Together with the crunchy harmonies it was very unsettling. By the way, Claire had thrown in a couple of bars of 3|4 to make sure we were awake, watching, and "on the ball". Tricky stuff indeed. With only a few sessions to play through the pieces, it is never going to be possible to achieve a polished performance in the Showcase on Sunday afternoon. A situation not helped by a degree of tiredness brought on by the occasional sherbet in the bar on Saturday night, and staying up till 2am. Fortunately Oliver (who is 12) went to bed early and was therefore a lesson to us all in his dedication to the cause of making music. Having the composer locate the cause of the wrong note (either in pitch or timing) to a single player and then glare at said cause down the length of a sharp pointed stick always concentrates the mind I find. Fortunately Mozart was long dead and no trouble at all.

We are very fortunate to have such a talented composer in Claire, who can not only write interesting and challenging pieces but can also transform a scratch band into something of a cohesive unit over a few days. Being part of that experience as a player was immensely enjoyable and I hope that those of you who heard the results on the Sunday afternoon got at least a small fraction of that pleasure when we played for you.
Adrian Waters

It was with eager anticipation that I travelled to Kilve in March this year, not only looking forward to meeting old friends, and concertina-ing for the whole weekend, but also knowing that John Morgan had been booked to tutor the duet concertina workshops. Having attended John’s sessions at Witney last year, and thoroughly enjoying his sympathetic style of teaching, I looked forward to trying to consolidate some of what I had learnt, (despite naughtily, not having done much practice as I mostly play English), and I wasn’t disappointed. We had a totally varied group of abilities, and John cheerfully tried to cater for all, despite coping with a lot of merriment, quips, and lots of amusing remarks about Welsh leeks etc., which helped to lessen the angst about playing treble & bass clef together, at least for those of us who were less able. We started on a piece concentrating on tune on base clef, with harmony on the treble, moving over to play the tune on the treble clef with corresponding harmony on bass clef. This was an excellent exercise for those with weaker left little fingers (or pinkies according to Paul McCann).

We then had a few tunes ranging from a lovely Welsh lullaby, to a grand Finlandia, and then a lively Gill’s jig which tested us all. Some of us who couldn’t keep up for the showcase in the last tune, (ME), relegated ourselves to rhythmic chords, but our more able members of the group kept the flag flying. Anyhow we were given plenty of scope for consolidation at home – I’ll just have to make more time to practice. It wasn’t all concentration, as we had a lively bunch of participants, who provided some amusing tales. I thoroughly appreciated John’s sensitive style of playing and teaching, and would look forward anytime to repeat the experience. Altogether, it was a really enjoyable weekend, and thanks to all who organised it.
Rosemary Gadd