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REVIEW FROM ALAN ASHTON
In February I was delighted to accept an
invitation from Festival Producer Cled Griffin to join his production team
at the new venue in Lyme Bay, Dorset - the location which has now replaced
the Barton Hall site, the home of the very first Organ Festival staged
back in December 1980.
I would have no hesitation
in recommending this former Warners' Holiday village in Lyme Bay, and for
a variety of reasons. The accommodation was clean with constant hot
water for either a bath or shower, and the concert hall was spacious, well
appointed and with no bar too close to distract the performances.
The choice of food was imaginative in it's presentation and quantity; the
kitchens were presided over by a young female head chef. The dining
room was spotlessly clean with all the tables laid out correctly with good
quality cutlery, and waiters and waitresses provided a brisk and friendly
service. Our waiter was a young French guy who we learned was
awaiting the results of some very tough examinations to hopefully set him
on his chosen career of that of a Gendarme. He even came into the evening
concerts, admitting to us the following morning that he had no idea what
to expect ... his perception of organ music being confined to the pop
music keyboard scene. What delight it was to see both him and his
girlfriend sitting attentively throughout the performances by
Andrew Nix
and Tony Stace. Incidentally, what a fantastic pair of artists. The
pleasure they derive from entertaining a crowd of like minded people comes
across in their musical abilities. Back to the
facilities at Lyme Bay. The Fitness Centre proved to be better equipped
in many respects than the one my wife attends locally three times a week.
What impressed us both was that the Management seem to adhere to
strict codes of practice, and even though my wife was au fait with the
equipment she proposed to use, a 30 minute induction course by a trained
staff member was enforced. Cled Griffin had invited a freelance Cameraman
to make video of the weekend, and wishing to include shots of the
fantastic pool area he was politely informed that he could do so providing
there were no children in the pool area. Trained and attentive life guards
were on duty at all times. We all might have differing views on the rules
and regulations that now govern what we can and cannot do in life, but the
Lyme Bay Management are to be congratulated on their implementation.
My roles at the Festival were threefold.
One, to act as lighting engineer for the concerts, but which,
disappointingly for me, fell by the wayside because the computerised
lighting board was on it's last legs awaiting, so I was reliably
informed, replacement. As such, it provided it's own random and
bizarre combinations of lighting effects despite hoping it would do that
which it was expected. After the initial shock of watching the entire
lighting board going into free fall mode by replicating the landing of a
spaceship, I abandoned use of it and relived my formative cinema days by
operating the spotlight!
Secondly, I was on hand to do the
interviews and act as sound engineer for the video cameraman, and am now
living in fear and trepidation of appearing on the next edition of "It'll
be alright on the night". How I wish I could have turned the tables
on Martyn Victor, the cameraman, and filmed him attempting to
capture part of Tony Stace's concert. Tony's facial expressions were
priceless and the audience enjoyed every second of his embarrassment, in
one of those never to be forgotten concert moments. Finally, I presented
a couple of musical quizzes which, much to everyone's surprise proved to
be popular enough to be requested again in future events.
With the Organfax team in attendance to
enlighten people on the wonders of digital camera work, Pat Willcocks
looking after all the artistes' record sales, and a number of exhibitors
who were more than happy to demonstrate new and used instruments, I'd say
that Cled and Sylvia Griffin could be justifiably proud of their first
event at this friendly new location.
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