Phil, from Littleover in Derbyshire, is a multi-talented performer who, apart from being a top class keyboards exponent, is a qualified IT professional.  He has played as supporting act with the late Joe Loss and his Orchestra as well as with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, and he made full use of his talents and experience to provide an evening filled with a splendid variation of music and styles to suit most tastes.

The distinguished voice of Richard Burton grabbed the attention of the audience as Phil began with Eve of the War (from War of the Worlds).  By way of contrast, the piano sound came to the fore with Ballade pour Adeline – a 70s hit for Richard Clayderman – followed by Winifred Atwell’s Black and White Rag. 

A selection of Beatles songs, including She Loves You, Yesterday and Hey Jude, provided further variation whilst Amor, El Cumbanchero, Cavaquinho and Brazil were included in a swinging Latin American medley. Next came a piece which Phil could almost call his own – an exquisite performance of the beautiful theme music (by Vangelis) from the film Missing – before the Hammond sound was employed for Green Onions, a 60s hit for Booker T and the MGs.  Clint Eastwood fans would no doubt have been delighted by the stirring theme that followed, namely from the spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Another change of style introduced The Prisoners’ Chorus from Nabucco (Verdi), followed by the familiar James Last composition, A Morning in Cornwall, and to end the first half Phil produced an excellent performance of the Poet and Peasant Overture (Von Suppé).

The concert was resumed with the lively Valencia, then Phil promptly reduced the tempo with Bilitis – a Francis Lai composition which, with added lyrics, provided a hit for Elaine Paige, under the title of The Second Time.  Another Booker T hit, Time Is Tight, was followed by another Vangelis film theme, Conquest of Paradise and an unfamiliar Classical waltz, Hellmesberger’s Ball Scene.

A swing medley included Mack the Knife (with chorus), Danke Schoen and Hello Dolly before Phil produced his ‘pièce de résistance’ with a clever rendition of Duelling Banjos, from the film Deliverance, reproducing the competition between a banjo from one speaker and a guitar from the other!  Continuing the film association, a selection of James Bond themes were then heard, including Nobody Does It Better, Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only and Diamonds are Forever.  Ennio Morricone was the next composer to be featured with the performance of Chi Mai – the theme for the 80s television series, The Life and Times of David Lloyd George.

Originally from Barnsley, Kevin has performed at many of the country’s major musical venues, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London, as well as the Opera House and Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.  In 1997, he was appointed Resident Organist at the North Pier, Blackpool, where he entertained many thousands of holidaymakers until 2005.  During that period he was also one of the team of organists at the Tower Ballroom. 

One of Kevin’s main interests is the history and construction of the theatre organ and, after leaving his Blackpool appointments, he was responsible for installing two Wurlitzers at a steam and organ museum on the outskirts of Scarborough.  His expertise as an organ restorer and musician proved to be a winning combination; consequently, in 2008, he was appointed General Manager and Resident Organist at the ‘Scarborough Fair Collection’.

The second half began with Play Fiddle Play – a descriptive piece of Hungarian Gypsy violin style music which Kevin interpreted so well – followed by the familiar sounds of brass of the famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band with March Of The Cobblers (from the film Brassed Off) and Bette Midler’s well-know hit, Wind Beneath My Wings.  Following a medley of Glenn Miller favourites, Kevin introduced some memories of the Tower Ballroom with a brief Wurlitzer-style selection and fittingly made reference to the MBE recently awarded to Phil Kelsall, Resident Organist at the Tower Ballroom for the past 35 years.

To wind up proceedings, Kevin opted for a number of show tunes from stage and screen, ending with a brilliant performance of music from Phantom of The Opera.  After such an excellent evening an encore was inevitable – and the guest player duly obliged with Devil’s Gallop, the theme music from the radio programme, Dick Barton-Special Agent.  A special concert, a special performer ... and a very satisfied audience!

Performing for the Society’s May concert was JANET DOWSETT (from Spencers Wood, near Reading) – a talented lady who combines a career as a performer with that of a teacher, on both organ and keyboards, and as a Senior Examiner for the London College of Music. 

Launching the concert with Red Roses for a Blue Lady, Janet continued with a selection of well known Henry Mancini film themes – Baby Elephant Walk, Moon River and The Pink Panther Theme – followed by the familiar Elizabethan Serenade.  Two Trevor Duncan compositions were then introduced, namely The Girl from Corsica and the Dr Finlay’s Casebook signature tune.

By way of complete contrast – and an innovation as far as the Weyhill audience was concerned – Janet then performed a collection of Chart No.1 hits – one from each of the past twenty-five years – titles of which became the cause of much audience head-scratching!  However, Janet relieved the listeners’ obvious frustrations by revealing the titles once she had completed her selections, these ranging from The Power of Love (Jennifer Rush) in 1985 to Everybody Hurts (the Helping Haiti single) in 2010. 

Next on the agenda was Deep Purple (an erstwhile hit for Nino Tempo and April Stevens, as well as later inspiring the name of the famous British rock group), followed by what Janet referred to as her show-based Diva Selection – All That Jazz, Cabaret, Wouldn’t It Be Lovely and On My Own – to lead up to the interval.

The concert resumed with Dizzy Fingers – providing Janet with a little digital exercise – followed by Leroy Anderson’s delightful Forgotten Dreams.  It was then once again time for the audience members to test their respective memories as Janet performed a medley of themes from a number of televised police dramas, from both sides of the Atlantic – the selection being detected as Hawaii Five-O, Morse, Cagney and Lacey, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, Perry Mason and Mission Impossible (the latter featuring a truly authentic base pedal sound).

Guest artiste for the Society’s April concert was RICHARD MONKS, from Williton in Somerset – a young player equally adept on both electronic and pipe organs.

A concert of varied styles and sounds was particularly refreshing in that it included a good number of pieces not previously performed at Weyhill.  Richard set the entertainment in motion with the march, Semper Fidelis, followed by a James Last composition, Music From Across The Way.  The familiar sound of the Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer was introduced for Blackpool Belle – a song about a train which took people from Bolton to Blackpool for a night out!

Richard then took the audience back to the 60s with the popular instrumental, Telstar – a hit for the Tornados – then, by way of complete contrast, performed the Shostakovich Waltz No 2.  Moving forward to the 70s, Sing, the Carpenters’ hit, was next to be performed and, to the accompaniment of a roaring Spitfire engine, Ron Goodwin’s film theme Aces High ensured that everyone was kept alert!

The accordion sound was next to be heard, with a song called Topsy – dedicated by its composer to a playful kitten – followed by another ‘new’ song, Popular, from the musical Wicked and a bouncy little number called Chihuahua.  Richard then played a Rock’n’Roll selection, including Neil Sedaka’s Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, followed by Love Is All – a 1969 hit for Malcolm Roberts – and a typical Wurlitzer medley leading up to the interval.

The excellent range of music continued in the second half, commencing with the Weyhill March (the Club’s adopted signature tune) and a selection from Mack & Mabel.  Richard then selected Xanadu, a hit for Olivia Newton-John, and produced the sounds of the bagpipes and military band for the ever-popular Highland Cathedral. 

Cherokee and Undecided provided something for fans of Big Band music and the James Bond Theme was followed by the Nancy Sinatra song, You Only Live Twice, from the film of the same name.  Stevie Wonder’s hit, I Just Called To Say I Love You met with approval whilst a couple of tunes in the style of James Last – Orange Blossom Special and Coming Round The Mountain – set the toes tapping.  

Weyhill’s Fairground Hall had a slightly more contemporary flavour than usual when 26-year-old guest artiste ROBERT NEW performed for the Society’s February concert.  Furthermore, such was the enthusiasm shown by this talented player that he continued well into ‘extra time’.  

Robert, a resident of Portsmouth, studied music production at Brighton University and went on to sign a song-writing and music publishing deal with Sony-BMG and Warner Bros.  Apart from his organ/keyboard work, he is involved with a local band and a project for a film soundtrack.

The Society’s May concert saw the welcome return of TONY STACE, one of the most popular performers on the electronic organ circuit.  Tony, from Catterick in North Yorkshire, entertained yet another near-capacity audience with a wide selection of music, augmented by his own special brand of cheeky humour and glittering attire.

As the evening drew to a close, there was just enough time for a couple of Winifred Attwell numbers – Jubilee Rag and the Coronation Rag – followed by The Last Waltz (Shostakovich).  Inevitably, an encore was demanded and Tony duly obliged with a comprehensive Al Jolson medley to send everyone home in a happy frame of mind.