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The programme for today is:-
Saturday 26 July
Temple Methodist Church at 7.30pm
Mevagissey Male Choir
Mevagissey is a small, picturesque, working fishing village with a population of approximately 2,500 people and lies on the South Coast of Cornwall, midway between Plymouth and Falmouth. Now firmly on the tourist map, Mevagissey is the very epitome of a Cornish fishing village, with its twin harbours nestled in the corner of a sheltered bay, and its narrow, winding streets, lined with cob and slate fishermans' cottages, all converging on to the quayside.
Mevagissey also boasts one of the largest and most successful Male Voice Choirs in the County, with almost 70 singing members. Male Voice Choirs are traditionally very popular within Cornwall, there being some 33 federated Choirs in the County numbering approximately 1300 singers out of a total population of nearly half a million.
In 1974 a group of 16 local men, the majority being from Percy Mitchell's boatyard, got together and formed the choir we know today. Testament to their durability is the fact that 12 founder members of that nucleus still sing with the Choir and continue to take an active part to this very day. The Choir also boasts several Father and Son combinations and even a Grandfather, Father and Son! Nowadays, members come from the length and breadth of Cornwall to attend practices and concerts.
The Choir gives approximately 25 concerts per year throughout England, raising several thousand pounds annually for both local and national charities. Periodically, the Choir is invited to travel overseas to give concerts, and venues include St Michael's Cave, Gibraltar, the majestic Teatro Batazar Dias, Maderia plus venues in USA, Canada, Ireland and Western Europe, notably France, Germany and Holland. This year will see the Choir performing its 800th concert.
Closer to home, concerts have been given throughout the County and the rest of England, with venues including The Eden Project, Truro Cathedral, The Hall for Cornwall, Dartington Hall, Devon, The Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Abbey and Parliament Gardens, London, to name but a few. At home in either a small village chapel or a great cathedral, the Choir recently took part in the International Male Voice Choir Festival (2005) held at the Hall for Cornwall, Truro, and against stiff opposition from many European Choirs, Mevagissey Male Choir came 5th overall and 2nd (just 1 point behind the winning Choir) in the Best Cornish Choir category.
Much of the Choir's success is down to their excellent Musical Director, Graham Willcocks. A former Choir member, Graham comes from a musical background, including barbershop, so it is no surprise that the choir has its own successful barbershop quartet. Graham is now in his 10th year as Musical Director and has stamped a unique style on the choir, demanding high results throughout. The Choir is also extremely lucky to have a long standing accompanist in Brian Mitchell, known throughout Cornwall as an excellent organist, and a true Son of Mevagissey. A young and extremely talented musician, Mathew Fox has recently joined the team as assistant accompanist. He will no doubt add considerably to our depth of support.
The Choir has several CD recordings of their own, with another in the pipeline, and have also assisted on several other records for artists such as Jackie Leven, a professional recording artist, the rock band King Adora (punk meets Male Voice Choir!) and provided the backing on a track for an album by Ralph McTell who had a massive hit with "The Streets of London".
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Exmouth Shantymen For children of all ages Longboat Cafe 2.30pm
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The Exmouth Shanty Men sing with gusto! They muster every Tuesday evening at the Beacon Vaults, Exmouth, except when they don't, where they sing their hearts out, tell tall tales, drink fine ales and dream of better weather. Their live shows are heady concoctions of lusty deck songs, heartbreaking ballads and all manner of larks and tomfoolery. Audiences would do well to stay away as the jiggery and indeed the pokery of this motley crew are infamously infectious. The lads appear in character, in period dress and almost in control of their faculties, and they are fast becoming ambassadors for the county of Devonshire (God help it). They appear at festivals and concerts across the South West and raise money for local charities and the RNLI as well as other causes related to the sea. The crew are: Rigger Mortiss, Alfredo Heights, Albert Truss, Sam Manella (ship's cook), Gunner Drinkitall, Curly Quill (Bosun), Lewis Cannon, The Anchorman, Tug the Cox, Rob the Cabinboy, Sirrius Erra (Navigator), of the Good Ship Malarkey, It's easy to see how seriously they take things. As their First Mate, Seymour Cleavage says: “We be proud of Exmouth and we wants to celebrate our maritime history and to keep alive the traditional sea songs and tall stories from the age of sail, so we does." (Seymour and all the crew only ever speak in the present tense. To communicate in any other tense or idiom is a keel-hauling offence, apparantly). The Exmouth Shanty Men made their debut on main stage at The Exmouth Festival last year and went down a storm. They have since appeared at many events and have been invited to appear in Germany next summer, or Austria, or Australia, or anywhere that's a long way away. The boys also recorded their first album of songs "Rolling Home" before a packed and very excited live audience at The Manor Hotel, Exmouth last year. The CD contains 17 rollicking songs of the sea and is available for sale at only £10. The Exmouth Shanty Men also host a monthly Exmouth Folk Night – the first in 25 years - at The Manor Hotel on usually the third Tuesday each month and they invite local acoustic and roots performers to come along for a traditional night of music and song.
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At the Dog and Donkey 7.45pm
Craig Milverton Trio
Craig was born in Bexley, Kent and took piano lessons from the ages of 7 -12, but has no formal jazz training. Craig's main influences are Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans,and his jazz interest was spawned by his father's record collection, initially the Boogie Woogie pianists and then Oscar and Ella.
Craig began performing in public as young as 10 years of age, but it was not until he was 21 that he turned professional. He moved to Devon in 1985 and began gigging with local rock 'n' roll and jazz funk groups. From 1987 to 1991, he toured regularly across the UK and Europe,including 3 Cork Jazz Festival appearances with R'n'B group Junkyard Angels. In 1989, he played a months residency in Zurich with jazz trombonist Roger Mark's Quintet.
From 1992 to 1995, he was with the Pete Allen Jazz Band and toured regularly across Europe and the UK, performing at the top jazz festivals and venues. He played regularly on the BBC Jazz Notes programme. In 1994 he toured across California including performances at the Sacramento Jazz Festival. From 1995 -1998, Craig was part of Terry Lightfoot's Jazz Band. Regular UK and European tours followed. He also toured twice across the Middle East and played two broadcasts for 'Jazz
Notes'. In 1997, he joined Digby Fairweather's eclectic group 'Dig's Half Dozen, and has performed regularly at London's Pizza on the Park.
A CD '12 Feet off the Ground' was released in 1999 on Flat Five Records. He appeared twice as one of the 'Kings of Jazz' on the Oriana cruise ship in 1998 and 1999. He also played as one of the 'Pizza Express International Band' on a two week residency in Istanbul in 1999. The year 2000 saw Craig and clarinettist Julian Stringle perform the first ever jazz concert in Albania in a marble pyramid! The years 2000 -2001 saw Craig performing regularly with the Post Office sponsored group 'First Class Sounds' including a CD 'Making Tracks'.
2002 highlights included a three week jazz cruise in the Caribbean with Digby Fairweather and Jack Parnell, and an extended feature and front cover in May's edition of Jazz Journal International. Craig continues to work in a variety of settings. He is a member of Digby Fairweather's 'Half Dozen', which has recently teamed up with George Melly in the jazz show 'Singing and Swinging the Blues'. He is a member of Paul Lacey's 'Tribute to Ben & Sweets' quintet, with two acclaimed CD's 'Grooving Blue' and 'Mainstream' to their credit.
He also runs three groups of his own.'Threeflow', a trio playing originals and standards in more modern territory,'Three at Last' a drumless trio recapturing the sound and feel of the Nat Cole and Oscar Peterson groups and 'Organ Solar' organ,guitar, drums trio with the emphasis on 'groove' from Jimmy Smith to contemporary jazz.
Craig is also very much in demand as a solo pianist, with his virtuoso ability and comprehensive knowledge of the entire jazz spectrum. He is much sought after as a skilled accompanist to such star vocalists as Stacey Kent and Tina May. His trios are regularly required to back visiting American soloists at festivals and venues across the country including Scott Hamilton, Ken Peplowski and Warren Vache.
Few British pianists have Craigs thorough knowledge and grasp of jazz styles. His love of the music shines through and he is a natural at whatever he plays.
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Lunchtime concert in the Temple Church
Trio Scintillatum (see Thursday at Fairlynch)
Amalia Hall violin
Sophie Williams cello
John Paul Muir piano
Rachmaninov Piano Trio Elegiaque No 2 in D Minor Op 9
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