THE second Piano workshop organised by the Gorleston St Andrew's Competitive Festival Committee has been hailed a success by both tutors and participants.

THE second Piano workshop organised by the Gorleston St Andrew's Competitive Festival Committee has been hailed a success by both tutors and participants.

The day's events were accommodated in Andrew Giller's Old Granary Studio at Maypole Green on Saturday .

Chairman Margaret Jermany said: “The day began with recitals by Oliver Sapsford (violin), accompanied by Paul Miller, and Andrew Greenwood (piano). Oliver played pieces by Kreisler and Novacek and Andrew's recital included works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Bonsor. Both recitalists' performances were well-received by the appreciative audience.

“The afternoon coaching sessions for the various piano ensembles were given by members of the Derby Quartet: Beate Toyka, Gillian Bithel, Richard Hodges and Peter Gould. A lively stomp, arranged for 12 hands piano and a large variety of percussion instruments, was also practiced, the six pianists being coached by Gillian Bithel and Peter Gould and the percussion group being led by Beate Toyka and Stella Calver, co-ordinator of the Festival.”

The event concluded with concert performances by the participants and the Derby Quartet. The concert began with an enthusiastic rendering of the “Piano and Percussion Stomp,” which was followed by several competent performances of the ensemble pieces then the Derby Quartet performed Stomp Time Rag by Scott Joplin, arranged for eight hands by Koenig, Octo-paganini by Peggie and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, in an arrangement for five hands by Robert Hurst. The Quartet finished the recital with Bolero, fanfare for eight Hands, and with all four members seated at one piano.

Margaret Jermany gave a vote of thanks to the Derby Quartet, all the young people involved in the Day's events, their families and friends who had supported them, and to the members of the festival committee who had worked hard to make it a successful venture.

She added: “The committee acknowledges the sponsorship of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Seachange Arts Fund in helping to give to local young pianists this opportunity of the added dimension of ensemble playing, coupled with expert professional coaching.”

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