Stephen Allison
April 3rd, 2004
Concert Pictures
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Steven Allison, dressed very smartly in black trousers, shirt and shimmering waistcoat, was delighted to be entertaining us on his Yamaha EL900 to which he had also linked the PRS9000 keyboard.
I daresay that most of us were not familiar with the first tune, a March, entitled Our Director, played in Theatre
Organ Style. This he followed with another lively number Help Yourself, made famous many years ago by our Welsh friend
Tom Jones. Next a very nice arrangement of the theme music used for ice skating transmissions, Mornings At Seven.
Upping the tempo a little again, a lively medley consisting of Let's Face The Music And Dance Money Can't Buy
Me Love & the Tiger Rag. Time to slow things down again and show off the strings, solo trumpet and choirs on the
organ, a lovely rendition of Angel In Blue, before the Polkadots & Moonbeams shone on us.
Time to move over to the PSR9000 for us to enjoy a medley of Westbank Two (used for the Tony Hart program) When I Fall In Love, Amazing Grace, then I Left My Heart In San Francisco before concluding once more with Westbank Two.
The audience had realised by now that there was very little chat by Steven, but a great deal of most entertaining music. So, moving back onto the EL900 we had a delightful selection of Sambas: Amor, El Cumbanchero, Delicado and to conclude Behind Closed Doors. With that it was time to bring the first half to a close, for which he had chosen a medley of tunes played in Foxtrot style: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes All Of Me Games That Lovers Play and Why? Because I Love You.
With the raffle and refreshments over and Steven having changed into a red sparkling waistcoat for the second half, which also began with a March: The Great Little Army March.
Another well known lady organist lives in Wales, she was brought closer to us with Penny's Serenade and her own composition Weekend Love. Time for some audience participation and a few Singalongs in the shape of Java Babyface Leaning On A Lamppost Sweet Georgia Brown It's A Long Way to Tipperary Pack Up Your Troubles Hang Out The Washing before concluding with Somebody Stole My Girl.
A chance to calm down and hear the PSR9000 again with If continuing with Unchained Melody and a quite beautiful rendition of Abide With Me. The last number gave us a chance to get into the right mood for the next piece: Meditation beautifully played and with the violin really singing. Another composition, which we don't hear too often these days: Sleepy Shores. Bert Kaempfert is known to many of us with his music, hence Swinging Safari on the 9000.
It is said that time flies when you are enjoying yourself, and so it proved to be with the second half rapidly coming to a close. Two beautiful tunes made famous by two ladies, first of all When You Tell Me That You Love Me (Diana Ross) followed by Whitney Houston: One Moment In Time. The last piece of music of the evening was dedicated to someone special in Steven's life: Everything I Do I Do For You set to a lovely rumba rhythm.
We had certainly had a most entertaining evening and the audience would not let Steven go without an encore, he finished off with another March Hollyrood. Thank you Steven for delighting us all with a great concert.
Why not come along to a Basildon Keyboard Club Concert, you will be made very welcome, have a great evenings entertainment, a complimentary cup of tea or coffee with biscuits and of course experience the delights of live music played on top of the range electronic organs & keyboards by the best players.