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News From Previous Versions

John Walker Retires

John Walker retired from the Organ Club and Festival Concert Circuit at the end of 2006. In fact, his final concert at Gt. Yarmouth Organ Society took place on 13th December 2006 - exactly 25 years ago to the very day that John performed his first Organ Club Concert, which was at Banbury Organ Club in 1981.
John will continue to play and enjoy his music and says: "I may one day return to playing concerts but - to be absolutely honest - at this stage I feel this is very unlikely. Most certainly I intend to take considerable time out from the pressures of travelling and playing in public. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Clubs and Audiences in the Organ World that have supported me so wonderfully over the past 25 years. I will be staying in touch with the many friends I have made."
John will also continue to maintain his website: www.digitalorchestra.co.uk In addition to the Gallery pages which comprise hundreds of photographs spanning John's entire musical career, there is also a full page of MP3 Music Tracks which can be downloaded for FREE - you can then listen to and appreciate numerous examples of John's music, taken from the many recordings he has made over the years.
2.12.06

John's New Angle
'You Tube' Venture
'You Tube' is a broadcast yourself facility web site and John Walker hopes that his use of this site may lead to some interesting developments. Already he reports that there has been a tremendous interest in his YOUTUBE video, having had far more 'hits' than his website over a comparable period.

Direct Link to John on YOUTUBE

Updated 19.7.07

Music Licensing Laws Closing Societies !
We have had disturbing reports that the Licensing Act, 2003, is responsible for closing some electronic organ and keyboard societies. We reprint below a letter we have received from someone who is very concerned about the matter:-

"I have downloaded copies of the letters on your KEYBOARDNEWS website - and the first distinct problem arises from the fact that in November 2003, the Government agreed to waive licence fees for village and community halls. Very recent changes in legislation has "removed the need for Designated Premises Supervisors so now all village and community halls may apply for a Permanent Licence". There is a distinct contradiction in terms!
Secondly, the PEL Act (2003) allows noisy, recorded music and giant screens to function unhindered - strangling our small organ and keyboard clubs in red tape - the result of which is that week by week, Clubs are having to close through no fault of their own. I would have thought that allowing large screens to be put up anywhere does nothing to reduce crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance and the protection of children from harm - the very basis on which and why the Act was passed. Yet we organ and keyboard club people are mostly made up of retired folks, our concerts finish at a reasonable time, children are accompanied by parents and we are anything but noisy and a nuisance.
This morning, I started contacting Organ Societies/Keyboard Clubs via the list provided by the Organfax website - and all the people I spoke to this morning - 7 Club Chairmen - are very supportive and acknowledge that legislation has to change. The information and a Petition Form is being sent out either by e-mail (Microsoft Works) or by post from today onwards.
The work that you did back in 2002/3 was extremely creditable - thank you for doing that. In OKC Magazine in July and August, Penny Weedon (and others) raised concerns and as a result, we have worked together to bring about a National Petition which we are asking Societies and Clubs to sign by way of support and then be submitted to their MP.
We would be delighted if you will consider joining forces - even though you may not be directly affected by PEL legislation at venues you have the pleasure of visiting.

This is a very disturbing matter and we would like to have views and comments from organ societies who have been adversely affected by this law. We believe, with respect, that our MP's are not aware of our organ-keyboard societies as we know them - or of the older and responsible members who attend them. It is time to put matters in order. Please email:-
Comments to keyboardnews.com & keyboardchat.com
Ver: 120 - 5.10.06

Catalogue Replaces Magazine

The Organ1st magazine has now been replaced by a catalogue covering organ-keyboard CD's and DVD's. The wheel has turned a full circle because the magazine started off as a catalogue around ten years ago. The sale of recordings has always been the core of the business at MSS Studios and the new set up is said to be more cost effective.
The press release leading up to the final edition can be found in our magazine section ORGAN1st press release .
If you live in the UK you can get a free copy of the catalogue by filling in the form on the Organ1st website The postal address for mail orders only is:-
MSS Studios, Rhiwlas,Cae Deintur, Dolgellau, Gwynedd LL40 2YS (UK)
Issue 3 of the catalogue is now out.

Fake Players
The Follow Up
Our item on fake players created a stir in the electronic organ world with an immediate response from many readers. In this version we print what we hope are balanced comments from what many of you had to say. More than one professional player said it was about time that the deception should be highlighted to make enthusiasts aware of what is happening before their very eyes.
We applaud the efforts of Paul Daniels and other 'magicians' for their stage illusions - but at least we know that it is all an act in the art of deception. When it comes to fake organ players it is also an act - the difference is that the player does not say so. The player sets out to deceive the audience by attempting to appear better than he (or she) actually is. Clever it may be - but then the art of deception often is.
Short cut to article.
Ver: 117 - 21.9.06

Singing Organist
Although Angie Diggens loves playing her electronic organ, she has decided to concentrate on singing - something that many have told her she does best.
Pictured here is Angie with Ian Griffin at the 60th birthday party of keyboard enthusiast, John Pyart, who saw them both perform together at the February at Lyme Bay Keyboard Festival.

Best Wishes
Everyone in the organ-keyboard world wish Angie the best of luck for her singing future
Angie has made a good start, thanks to the promotional skills and the enthusiasm of her mother, Julia, when she got to the finals of ITV-1 'Stars In Their Eyes'.

A Personal Message From Angie
During my time on the organ circuit, I have met a lot of people and visited a lot of places. This has been a great experience for me and I have enjoyed every minute of it. But after much consideration, I have decided to concentrate purely on my singing. Due to this, I will no longer be available for organ concerts from mid January 2007.
Thank you to the clubs who have booked me to play over the last few years. We will keep you informed on my website, KEYBOARDNEWS.COM and ORGANfax as to what I am doing and if and when I return to the organ circuit for clubs that want to book me. I still have several concerts around the UK for people to come and see me.
www.angiediggens.co.uk
Updated. Ver: 116.1 - 11.9.06

ANGIE IN SHOW BUSINESS
Angie's new CD

New CD
As promised, here are the follow-up details of Angie Diggen’s CD on the Brevan label launched at the Virgin Megastore at Colchester on 8th November.
The CD marks the change in direction in Angie’s career as mentioned on page 2. All tracks are vocals with mainly songs from musicals. The music comes from backing tracks that are widely available for singers – there is no mention of any musicians’. The professionally made production would therefore have more appeal to organ-keyboard enthusiasts if the backing had some significance. As the recording is meant to appeal to the public at large, this point would be irrelevant to them.
Angie Diggens- Showtime

We are informed that the CD, order number: BREN 105, is available from Virgin Record Shops at Ł6.99 or by post from: JAN Promotions, 1 Field Way, Wivenhoe Colchester, Essex CO7 9HG for Ł7.99, which includes post and packing.
It is also available from: www.brevanrecords.co.uk The publicity notes state that a percentage of sales benefit Cancer Research UK.
Angie's determination to get into show business is shown by the photograph on the right, dressed for a Country Music production planned for 2007. www.nashvillenightsanddixiedays.com

Updated: 16.11.06

Find A Keyboard Web Site For Us
Down below you will find a web site we discovered on the ledgendary Charlie Kunz. It has music and video clips and is well worth looking at. If you find another web site of a keyboard/organ player that you think is equally good (we mean the site - not the player), please let us know and we will highlight it in these columns. We will give a free gift cassette to the person submitting the most interesting web site.
Ver: 115 - 3.9.06

Great Site For Charlie Kunz Fans

The Charlie Kunz web site is one of the best keyboard artiste sites we have come across. It contains many video clips and sound tracks and is certainly worth looking at if you are a Charlie Kunz fan. One of our readers have reminded us that several organ-keyboard players often include a Charlie Kunz medley in their organ society shows, these include:- Elizabeth Harrison, Jean Martyn and Steve Lowdell. No doubt you know of others.
The Charlie Kunz web site includes his biography and reveals that he was a church organist in his younger days. At the age of 19 he had his first band, long before he became a solo piano player. Although Charlie died in 1958 at the age of 61, his CD's are still selling well and can be obtained from MSS Studios
The Charlie Kunz Story
Revised. Ver: 113 - 20.8.06

New Web Site for Theatre Organ Sounds
Reg Rawlings has just launched a new web site for his Theatre and Electronic Organ Samples. Reg and his business partner, Dave Woods, have sampled a number of Theatre Organ installations around the UK., including the the famous Blackpool Tower WurliTzer. Demo sounds can be heard on the new web site: www.totaltransformation.co.uk
Short cut to demo page
Viewers are reminded that any sound samples on the Internet are only as good as the speakers you are listening to. However, we have been informed that anyone with good speakers will be very impressed with these demo sounds. We were!
Ver:106 - 17.7.06

Horses Love Keyboard Music
An established horse and pony specialist has discovered that these animals love music - and keyboard music in particular. It was noted that certain types of music has a calming effect on horses and ponies. During training sessions the animals were easier to control and responded better to instructions. The observations were made at the HOOFIT Stables who specialise in horses and ponies for all age groups. Many of the ponies they have sold have won their riders awards with the International Mounted Games Association. The HOOFIT web site: www.hoofit.co.uk shows many pictures of these music loving ponies and horses. It you have a member of your family who loves horses then this site is certainly worth a visit.

For a full report on this subject see the article in our magazine section. Quick link to item.

Debate on Lead Pipes Continue
One of our readers has written in with his comments on lead organ pipes. There may be more to this subject than meets the eye. What do you think?
Read all about it in our magazine section. Quick link to item.

Email Bookings Increase
It is interesting to know that the number of organ-keyboard society secretaries booking artistes by Email has increased over the past few months. Apart from the saving in postage, the quick response and time saving is appreciated by all concerned.

Following the concern by one of our readers about no acknowledgements and Emails being wrongly addressed, the foregoing should be considered:-
To know that your Emails are received there are two ways of getting notification:-
The first is take advantage of the free service offered by MSTAG - to get details of this Click here.
The other is to select TOOLS on your Email page (Outlook Express) then OPTIONS. Select RECEIPTS and tick the appropriate box. The person receiving your email will then be asked to send you a receipt.

Internet Magazine That Fills The Gap
KEYBOARDNEWS.COM and KEYBOARDCHAT.COM - it's the one and the same site for keyboard players and enthusiasts. The magazine section, under the heading of Keyboardchat.com has many items of long lasting interest. We are pleased to say that some organ-keyboard societies have reprinted snippets in their newsletters. We think that it is a good thing to liven up some newsletters, especially the ones that are dull and boring. All we ask is that the source should be mentioned.

Keyboardchat - Our Magazine Section
In our magazine section we have tributes to star organ-keyboard players that have sadly passed away this year, a photograph of the Porthcawl Male Choir who performed at the recent Lyme Bay Keyboard Experience, a report on the Music By The Sea special event - plus follow-up items from our front page.

MAGAZINE SECTION
Click here for list of Feature Pages

Unions
Pros and Cons
Pros
In our magazine section we take a look at the Musician's Union and Equity and how they benefit artistes. We highlight some facts that are not generally known.

Cons
Do Unions have restrictive practices that affect organ-keyboard players and artistes? We intend to look at facts and rumours in a future version - together with the views and experiences of readers.

Our magazine feature on Unions
Magazine contents

New Page - Lyme Bay Reviews
You will find all the reviews on Lyme Bay on its own feature page. This is just a start of things to come.

Lyme Bay News and Reviews

Pipe Organ News
Do we value pipe organs in Cathedrals,Theatres and other venues? Are they under threat from a crazy Euro directive? Do you know the locations of Cathedrals with pipe organs?

The answers to these questions can be found on our Pipe Organ page in our magazine section.

We Want Your Views and Comments
Here's an easy way to send us your comments:-

We look forward to hearing from you.

The MCPS collects royalities for composers - but where does the money come from? Read why a licence should be obtained for making CD's that are being made for sale to others, and the risk some artistes take when they overlook this.
MCPS and Licences

Have You Written Any Music?
If you have then you could make yourself some money - that's if somebody wants to play and record it. Read about how you could benefit from royalties.

What is the difference between the PRS and the MCPS - and is there any connection?
To find the answer and what they stand for click here.
No need to ask the audience or phone a friend!

See what is in store for you when you
Click here

Nick Swift and his team will be attending the next Lyme Bay Experience

What's Missing On Television?
The following is a list of programmes broadcast on British Television - all have a common factor. We are not saying the list is complete - there is something missing.

British Comedy Awards
BAFTA Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Sony Radio & Television Awards
British Soap Awards
National Television Awards
British Television Advertising Awards
Television & Radio News Awards
Brit Awards
British Television Drama Awards

There are the OSCARS and the EMMY awards - all in recognition of individuals or groups who have excelled in the world of show business.

Well, what is missing? It's the musicians' who provide the music for all the shows - and in our case, keyboard players. Also missing, as far as we are aware, are the recording engineers and the people who provide the programmes. In our opinion, these people deserve recognition in the same way as television script writers and producers are acknowledged.

Until television fills the gap we must be content with the awards that ORGANfax and Keyboardchat.com are organising at the Lyme Bay Holiday Village in Seaton, Devon. Known as the British Keyboard Player Awards, it acknowledges those who have entertained us over a specific period. Yes, many players have appeared on television - including Harry Stoneham who for a long period was the MD on the Michael Parkinson show long before it moved to ITV. However, we must not revolve our lives totally around the small screen - 'live' entertainment is a thing we must really value in this changing world.

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Winners of the previous awards

NEWS - Electone Society
Chris Stanbury bought his Yamaha Stagea from Singapore because it is not available in the UK. This is because Yamaha in the UK are taking more interest in marketing single keyboards. The society want to keep interest alive in Electone Instruments - Electone being the name that Yamaha coined for electronic organs some years ago.

However, to make the site more appealing, an interest is also taken in other brands of electronic organs - so it should have a broad appeal. Visit The Electone Society and read all about their aims and objectives.

Yamaha's Singapore Web Site

Click here for list of Magazine Pages

Including features on: Klaus Wunderlich, Tony Back, Lenny Dee, Barton Hall, Music & Pain, Playing for Dancing and much more.

Musical Emporium
Click for details.
Alan Ellis will be attending Pakefield

Holiday breaks with a difference
Click for information

Click here for list of Feature Pages

Click for details of the best keyboard festival venue
Click here

Cinema Organ Quiz 1 & 2
These now appear in our magazine section See contents menu.
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St.Audries Bay Electronic Organ Festivals
St. Audries is known for its small intimate crowds where everybody gets to know each other. Hosts are appointed by the organiser, Mary Randle, and Richard Bower is lined up for the future. . You can get more information by telephoning Mary Randle on 01984 632515 or from the links below.
Click here to visit the web site.
To email Mary Randle for more details Click here

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Carillon Studios - Festival News

John Romero (left) has run several successful hotel-based organ-keyboard festivals at Eastbourne. They are said to be very cosy and friendly events. To find out more about future events Click here

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