Ian Griffin and Rhiannon Evans

November 7^th 2009

We had all been looking forward to the evening with great anticipation for some time. Ian is an old friend of the club, having been the first organist who ever played for the club, but 30 year old Rhiannon paid her first visit to us. Her father and grandparents were heavily involved in music. She started singing at 9years old and did her first professional solo at age11 (!!) with a male voice choir. She has sung in several European countries and performed for the British Ambassador in Prague in 2000.

Ian's set up consisted to 2 keyboards, the Ketron XD9 and the SD5 below - and what beautiful sounds we were going to be treated to. Ian opened the concert with Candida; a song once recorded by Glenn Miller, demonstrating the lovely piano, organ and string voices on the Ketrons. My Mother's Eyes and My Prayer were both part of the next medley, set to a turquoise/cerise background by Keith.

Dressed in a lovely brown satin dress, Rhiannon made her first appearance singing I Could Have Danced All Night (very appropriate as I had just seen My Fair Lady at the Cliffs Pavilion), continuing with Jerome Kern's Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man before closing with Memory from Cats. It was soon apparent what a rich voice Rhiannon is blessed with, her microphone technique is sound and her phrasing excellent. It is very refreshing to have a player who does not stick to the "normal" repertoire, with Ian playing us a tune in Big Band style and also recorded by both Dean Martin and Robby Williams - A Kick In The Head. Slowing the tempo we had a truly wonderful rendition of Solitaire, yes memories of Neil Sedaka came flooding back.

Changing style and tempo and delighting us with sounds of the steel guitar, whistle and the banjo we heard Oh Lonesome Me, giving Keith to play with some multicoloured shapes. A haunting slow ballad featuring a song about a blind child talking with her Dad about the colour of the wind and relating this to her life, sung by Charlie Landsborough: What Colour Is The Wind?

Was it really nearing time for refreshments? But not before we had a medley of showtunes; Somewhere - Tonight - I'll Be There - Phantom Of The Opera - Music Of The Night - Take Me Back To The Green Hills - If I Were A Rich Man and to conclude Goodbye.

The second half consisted of some 25 songs consisting entirely of requests: Summer Wind - Wind Beneath My Wings - Misty - Crazy - Rhiannon singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow (now dressed in a beautiful turquoise dress with delicate white embroidery) - back to Ian with Born Free - Nessun Dorma - The Way We Were - I Won't Send Roses - I Dreamed A Dream - El Condor Pasa - Lara's Theme - Chi Mai - The Lady Is A Tramp - Once In A While - Wishing (sung by Rhiannon), Ian continuing with No Matter What - Raise Me Up - Titanic - Rhiannon singing As Long As He Needs Me with great feeling - finishing with a rousing rendition of My Way by Ian.

As is usual an encore was called for and Ian and Rhiannon played us out with Time To Say Goodbye, what a way to finish the evening.

We not only had a record turn out for a November evening, we had - without a shadow of a doubt - also enjoyed one of the best concerts of the year with two talented artists giving us an unforgettable evening.

To hear Rhiannon and Ians music click here

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.