Chris plays in the AAM ensemble and is a member of the IAC. She wrote this article recently for an accordion magazine...
Not many people’s idea of paradise is a room full of accordionists. But that was the reaction of an early member of "Accordions at Morley" ten years ago. She walked into her first session and said “I think I must be in heaven!’ Judging by their reaction to this year’s tenth anniversary concert on June 30th, the audience there felt the same. The Principal of Morley College, in her speech afterwards, remarked how everyone had a smile on their face. She was impressed by the music too.
The concert programme had an American flavour. The full orchestra played a Suite from The Threepenny Opera arranged by Ian Watson and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Ivan North, another member of the ensemble, played his own arrangement of Dill Pickles Rag. "Accordions at Morley" leaders Ian Watson and Julie North, playing as Duo Esprit performed several duets. Only a new quartet, The Accidentals, broke the geographical consensus, with Russian songs arranged for accordion orchestra by Renato Bui.
Accordions first appeared at Morley in the 1940s when Matyas Seiber, the distinguished refugee composer taught composition there and composed a number of works for the accordion. The club was delighted to be involved in the College’s celebration of the centenary of Seiber’s birth a couple of years ago.
Accordionists like celebrations. After this summer’s concert we celebrated our own anniversary with a party and, of course, an accordion-shaped cake!
Chris Gowdridge