Category: concerts

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Bangor Mini-Fest and New Season

Bangor Mini-Fest:

The festival was held on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August at The Hamilton Hub, Bangor. We had 17 participants including guests from Dublin, Galway and Dundee. The venue was excellent. Sean was our tutor on Saturday. It was great hear him back playing again after a long break. Brian, insightful and artistic as always, was our tutor on Sunday. Following an inform members recital the festival concluded with a short but most enjoyable recital by Brian.

The New Season Begins!

The first regular meeting of the society will be on Sunday 11th September at 3pm at the Ulster College of Music. All the COVID restrictions have been lifted, so there is no limit on numbers attending. Membership subscription will be payable on or before this date. (Thanks to those who have already paid.) Please see below.

Membership Subscription:

We are reverting to normal fees this season. The good news is that the committee has agreed to keep the membership subscription unchanged – now for more than 10 years – and despite current inflation:

£20.00 for individuals
£25.00 for families
£15.00 concession

Paul has requested members to pay by bank transfer, if at all possible, as this cuts down a lot of administration hassle for him.

Regular Society Meetings:

The subsequent autumn meetings are planned as follows:

9th October
6th November
4th December

There will be two Zoom meetings, mainly to accommodate those members who are overseas or just cannot travel to regular meetings. But everybody is welcome to sign in. The dates are 23 rd October at 3pm and 27th November at 3pm. More details including the Zoom link to follow closer to the time.

Christmas Lunch:

The Christmas Lunch has been booked for Sunday 11th December at Rockmount Golf Club. As usual the function room will be available after lunch for an informal members recital and associated seasonal craic. Again, more details to follow closer to the time.

Ensemble:

So far, eight members have signed up for the ensemble. Everybody is welcome to join, so if you are interested, please contact Keith.

Best wishes for the new season!
Robert

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announcements concerts ensemble festivals performances

Ards Guitar Festival 2022

Happy to report that the Society will be performing at the Ards Guitar Festival again this year for the first time in a while.

Find out more at here.

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announcements concerts ensemble festivals meetings

Coronavirus Cancellations

Dear Members and Associates,

I don’t think anybody will be surprised to learn that we are going to have to cancel our forthcoming meetings on account of this virus proliferation.

The committee has agreed the following:

Sunday 5th April: Portstewart meeting – cancelled

Sunday 3rd May (originally planned for Sunday 10th May): AGM – cancelled. Until we can rearrange the AGM, the committee has agreed to continue in a caretaker capacity.

Sunday 14th June: Regular meeting – to be decided later, but unlikely to go ahead

Sunday 28th June or Sunday 4th July: Barbecue – to be decided later, but unlikely to go ahead

Also – Wednesday 1st April: Ards Guitar festival – cancelled; ensemble rehearsals – cancelled.

At this stage we intend to proceed with the Bangor guitar weekend at the end of August, so if you have not done so, please contact Keith or any other member of the committee, to register your interest.

Best wishes to you and yours. Keep well and keep playing your guitar!

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concerts ensemble festivals meetings performances

North Coast Events & Derry Festival

For anyone visiting the North Coast this Summer, there are a couple of events of note coming up:

Music at Mussenden Temple

Our member Damien O’Connor will be performing on Sunday 18th August 12noon to 2pm. Link

Portstewart

Keith and Robbie will be performing at Warke’s Deli on the Promenade, Portstewart on Saturday 27th July 4pm till 5pm.

Guitar weekend in Derry

The programme is shown below. If you wish to come it’s not too late; please contact secretary.cgsni (at) gmail.com!

CGSNI DERRY MEETING
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin
37 Great James Street
L/Derry BT48 7DF

Sean Woods and Isabel Martinez

Sat 24th Aug

9am Access to Building

10 – 10.15am Welcome and housekeeping

10.15- 11am Technical workshops Sean/Isabel

11am Tea/Coffee

11.15- 12noon Technical workshop Sean/Isabel

12noon- 1 pm Cluster Groups Split into three groups and with Sean and Isabel circulating between the groups

1pm – 2 pm Lunch Break

2pm – 4pm Ensemble (Sean)

4.15pm Members recital

5 pm Close

7.30 Concert performance by Isabel Martinez in the DDCF Church, Northland Road.

—

Sunday 25th Aug

9am Access to Building

10am Sean/Isabel Masterclasses (2 x 30min)

11am Tea/Coffee

11.15-12.15 Masterclasses (2 x 30min)

12.15-1pm Cluster Groups

1pm Lunch Break

2pm – 4pm Ensemble (see below)

4.15pm Members recital

5 pm Close and disperse

—

There are two pieces for the Ensemble:

  • Faure Pavane (transcribed by Ed Mitchell)
  • “The Tree on the Moor” Gary Ryan (written for the 2012 City of Derry Guitar Festival)
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concerts ensemble performances rehearsals

AGM and Arts Care Festival

Dear CGSNI Members

Our Annual Meeting takes place this Sunday 12th May at 3pm, This will involve the presentation of Reports from the Chair, the Secretary and the Treasurer and the election of a Committee for the coming year. If you have any issues you would like to discuss please get in touch with the Secretary before the meeting.

Following the meeting there will be a members’ recital. This will be an opportunity for the ensemble to play through its repertoire before our performance the next day (13th May) at the Arts Care festival in Belfast City Hospital, and include the quartet and duet pieces. For anyone wishing to support the performers the concert is at 7.30pm in Seminar Room 3 in the Cancer Centre located on the first floor. Go straight ahead when emerging from the lift and follow the corridor in front of you. The concert will be shared with students from the Ulster College of Music who will perform during the first half of the evening.

The next day (Tuesday 14th at 8pm, Outpatients Department, BCH Tower Block) Keith, Robbie, and Steve White (Keyboard) will play a recital of well known music by Mozart, Schubert, Vivaldi, Purcell, Pachelbel, Bach and Telemann. Again your support would be much appreciated if you are interested.

Regards,

CGSNI Secretary

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announcements concerts ensemble festivals performances

Ards Guitar Festival 2019 – Gary Ryan

Hi folks,

The Society will be performing in support of Gary Ryan at this year’s Ards Guitar Festival on Wednesday 3rd April at 8pm in the Queen’s Hall in Newtownards. This is sure to be a great recital, so make sure you book your tickets now to avoid disappointment. Gary will also be hosting a guitar workshop on Thursday the 4th of April at 11am.

More information and tickets can be found at the Ards Guitar Festival Website

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Derry Guitar Weekend 2019

Hi all,

Robbie and Keith met with Sean Woods on Tuesday to discuss what can be done this year in terms of a self-funded festival.  The dates would be 24th and 25th August, the Bank Holiday weekend. Sean has some money set aside from a private business donor which could be used to bring over a professional guitarist.  Both Carlos Bonell and Matthew McAllister have offered to support the Festival and Sean is optimistic that one of them would come and give a recital as well as teach.  Otherwise the format would be similar to last year i.e. technical teaching, cluster groups with professional guitarists in attendance, ensemble, members recital.

Sean will also contact the same venue we used last year (Irish Language Centre, Great James Street) to confirm that we can get the same premises at the same price.

Once again, the cost of the festival would depend on the number of participants but if we can achieve similar numbers to last year the fee for the weekend would be £60.  This should cover at least the hire of the premises and Sean’s fee.

Please let the Secretary (Keith – email secretary.cgsni gmail.com) know whether you would be interested in attending.  If we can get a reasonable number of commitments at this stage then Sean can contact a professional musician to attend the festival. It goes without saying that the more support the festival can get, the stronger it will be.

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announcements concerts ensemble meetings performances

Sunday 13th & Monday 14th Events Galore

Hi all,

A quick reminder of the two events this weekend.

First our monthly meeting this Sunday 13th May at the usual time and place of Ulster College of Music at 3pm.

Secondly, on Monday 14th May the society ensemble will perform with the UCM Ensemble as part of Arts Care’s Spring Arts Festival at the Belfast City Hospital, 7.30pm. Flyer with more info attached.

Hope to see you there,

Declan

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concerts performances

Brian Keenan Concert

Hi all

Brian is giving a guitar recital this coming Thursday evening, May 3rd, at the Crescent Arts Centre. He will be playing the Concierto de Aranjuez with Sam Moreland and all also be playing Electric Counterpoint by Steve Reich on electric guitar

Here’s the link to tickets etc https://crescentarts.org/whats-on/a-guitar-recital-with-brian-keenan
Not to be missed!
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announcements concerts ensemble festivals meetings performances rehearsals

Next Meeting & Ards

Hi all,

Our next meeting will take place this coming Sunday 8th April in the usual spot of Ulster College of Music at 3pm. This is a regular meeting and we’ll also have the Ensemble playing in preparation for their performance at the Ards Guitar Festival, which happen the following Wednesday.

Hope to see you all there,
Declan