Chris Stanbury
Vienna Concert
January 7th 2012
Chris Stanbury plays an evening of music in Vienna Style
Once Chris had set up his Yamaha Stagea organ, the team managed to put the flowers into place.
The evening opened with Vienna Life, this was originally written for the violin, but was fully orchestrated by Chris. He then 'livened' things up with the Thunder & Lightning Polka with the lightning flashes appearing on the side screens.
Moving away from the Strauss family, Franz Lehar made an appearance with Vilja which also featured some beautiful choir voices, then we heard the Merry Widow Waltz whilst the Hungarian Rhapsody opened with some piano sounds - as was originally intended.
"Spring in all its splendour rises, ah all hardship is over", these two lines are from the lyrics written for Voices of Spring by J.Strauss II, written in 1882 for orchestra and solo voice. Who says separation and divorce are a modern curse, Strauss was engaged six times!!; and married three times, the Annen Polka was written for his first wife Anna.
A composer with a relatively short life was, of course, Mozart, the Rondo Alla Turca was accompanied by pictures of Andre Rieu.
Daniel Watt kindly stood in to help out on the video cameras. As well as controlling the live video Daniel had prepared the video clips to go with the music a big thank you Daniel.
We did not have a spare crown, but nonetheless we enjoyed the Emperor Waltz, composed in 1889 by J.Strauss II and originally entitled Hand in Hand; it was to be used as a toast at a meeting between Emperor Franz Joseph and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Chris then played out the first half with the overture from the Marriage of Figaro.
Suitably refreshed and the raffle drawn, Chris opened the second half with Wine, Women & Song and Roses From The South.
Following that we had a lovely selection from the Sound Of Music, before we had some more music by Strauss, this time Artists Life and One Day When We Were Young.
The Perpetuan Mobile - one of Andre Rieu's favourites was next, swiftly followed by Shostakovich's Second Waltz and the Pizzicato Polka, before it was time to head to Vienna, City Of My Dreams.
Brahms composed a rather nice Hungarian Rhapsody No.5, which preceded the Military March in D by a certain Mr. Franz Schubert.
Time once more to enjoy memories of the Circus Renz. There were three more pieces to follow without which the evening would not be complete, that's of course, the Blue Danube complete with blue background, the Trish Trash Polka, was Keith trying to remind us it's only seven months till Wimbledon with all those balls dancing round the stage? And before we even had to ask for an encore, the sounds of the Radetsky March filled the hall.
It was a really good evening, wonderful music, beautifully played,