News 2012
New Songs
I've written a number of new songs recently and I have decided to start some web pages to introduce them to everyone.
The background to them and lyrics as well as videos of me singing them can be found on my New Songs page


1. The Banbury Lady
My first offering is a historical / mythical song about the tale of the Banbury Lady and it is about to be videoed.
 
2. Always In My Heart
This is a song about the loss of a love one and how important it is to be with them while they are around and show them you love them because one day you'll have to let them go and keep your feelings in a precious place in your heart.


Birthday Bash Concert - thanks for coming!
We had a great time at the Birthday Bash Concert at the Duke of Cambridge! I just want to thank Bob and Linda at the pub for putting on such a great BBQ and thank-you to the rest of the Kindred Spirit band and everyone who came along and shared our special day. I had the most wonderful 50th Birthday celebration I could have wished for. Even the weather was lovely. Also - thank-you for all the super birthday cards and presents!
A special well done to Catherine Dimmock for her excellent playing!

This was Catherine's first proper band gig with the usual band set. She is already doing well with the material and all the improvising, which is a new skill for her. Playing with this kind of band and getting used to the "on-stage" sound is bound to be a shock for a new comer to this too. Just imagine what she is going to be like once she has played a few more gigs, is even more familiar with our material and the whole improvising thing! Wey hey! I'm really looking forward to all our forthcoming gigs!

       The MONSTER Birthday Cake!


 


Kindred Spirit

 

Come up and see me (Make me smile)

 

Freebird


Fox Inn   Jubilee Party
Kindred Spirit Band - suppt "Transatlantic Sessions"
Sunday 3rd June, 6.30pm - 9pm

This turned out to be a completely mad band gig! The street was shut for a street party - so we had to unload the gear in a nearby road and carry it round in the pouring rain, then go and try and find somewhere to park and walk back. We discovered the marquee in the garden was leaky - holes in the roof and a dodgy side where the roof canvas kept forming a puddle and had to be drained - so dangerous to have electric gear swithched on! The pub was too small and packed to play inside. We were running round like headless chickens trying to decide what to do, then the landlady suggested erecting a gazebo inside the marquee, which we did, after which it was a scramble to get everything set up and squash ourselves in! We had very little time but did our best to plug in and sound check and amazingly were ready to start with 5mins to spare!! We had a really fun time playing together. It was "seat of the pants" stuff with Richard having only properly played half a gig with Kindred Spirit before and it was Catherine's very first gig after two rehearsals with me (and some homework on her part)! Didn't they do well!


Odiham Jubilee Picnic      
The Bury, Odiham Village, Hants
Monday 4th June, 4.15pm

Catherine Dimmock and I played on a lorry trailer stage, in the Bury,  a historic and picturesque, traffic-free square, in Odiham, bounded by the parish church and listed buildings. We got the crowd going - especially the Air Cadets (they know who they are)!

It was lots of fun and the weather held out - hurray!










 


New Flute / Sax Player - Catherine Dimmock
Catherine will be our new flute / sax player from September this year. She is a terrific player and friendly, fun personality!
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Annie Parker for her wonderful flute and saxophone playing, since 2002.
Read more about Catherine's background below:-

Catherine Dimmock

Catherine teaches Flute/ Jazz Flute (also piccolo, alto and bass flute),
Saxophone/ Classical Saxophone (jazz included),Clarinet, Recorder and Fife.



Qualifications include:-
- MMUS in Music Performance, 2010, University of Surrey
- BA (Hons) Music and Drama, 1st Class Honours, 2008, Kingston University   London (It was here that she spent her second year abroad at San Francisco State University and learned a lot from world - renowned professionals on the flute and saxophone as well as in music theory and drama).
- Grade 8 Flute
- A Level Music, GCSE Music



In terms of experience, Catherine says, "As a performer, I have played with a vast number of orchestras, wind bands, flute choirs, jazz bands and choirs. I have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of the Rehearsal Orchestra; Buckingham Palace with the National Youth Music Theatre; at The Rose theatre as a pit musician, as a member of a stage band for a musical, as part of the Kingston University Symphony Orchestra and as a solo concerto winner with the Kingston University Chamber Orchestra; The Royal Albert Hall on various occasions; Guildford International Music Festival, performing on flute, with a guitarist; and Ontario Conference Hall, California, with the San Francisco State University. I have toured across the UK as well as around San Francisco and southern California. I have also worked as a session musician for student projects in the UK and USA and have completed a Masters module in studio production. I am currently a member of an orchestra in Lewisham, Harmony Sinfonia - www.harmonysinfonia.co.uk as well as being a member of the National Flute Orchestra."


 


Richmond May Fair
12th May 2012, 2.15pm,
The Green, Surrey, TW9 1QJ

Fab photo by Rhys Griffths

What wonderful weather we had - especially considering how awful the weather was both before and after that weekend.
See the band's performance of "Horse with no name" on the You Tube below:-

 


Woodclyffe Hall, Wargrave, Berkshire
Kindred Spirit Band Concert

In aid of the "Operation Hernia" charity
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Support
from local artistes



This was a brilliant success, with more people wanting to come than tickets available and over £1000 raised for the charity!

Organiser, Barbara Sears (pictured above right) says

"Thank you so much for last night.  Please thank all in Kindred Spirit for me.  It was a wonderful night and I have had lots of great feed back from people today.   I think you have quite a few new fans.  The only complaint was it should have gone on for longer as they were so enjoying it – best type of complaint to have.The best news is that we raised £1340 for Operation Hernia with £420 of that being raised by the raffle."

                      
   

Elaine and Andrew Prince appearing on Radio Wey
Friday, February 10th, from 11am, on the Mandy Morrow show

We had a lovely chat with Mandy and Andrew jammed along on his Chapman Stick to my new song "Wolves at the Gate"!

A "listen again" download will be coming here soon.

 


Kindred Spirit appeared on One World Radio
Kindred Spirit were featured live on "One World Radio", based in Havant, on Thursday, 2nd February from about 9pm. One World Radio is a web based radio. Listen below if you missed it! It was lots of fun with some mad chat and Elaine even got a massage from Chrissie!
 

 

Part 1

Part 2



Kindred Spirit Concert - Cranleigh Arts Centre

Saturday, 25th February

This was at cracking night at Cranleigh Arts Centre (near Guildford). We should have some photos and videos of this event coming soon.


















 



Track Record

I've just added a complete track record of gigs, festivals, workshops and recordings with old photos. Have a look at:-
Track Record



Real Ales with Real Live Music!

We have recently been looking at getting some more bookings in pubs serving real ales (after several bookings in pubs where the beer and the pubs themselves were rather unappealing)! The idea is that pubs who appreciate quality beers in a nicely kept pub often have happier managers and attract a more discerning customer, who might also appreciate real live music (by this I mean without recorded backing tracks) like ours. The pubs coming up, where Kindred Spirit are going to be performing, which have a reputation for serving a particularly good quality range of real ales (either because they were targeted for a gig because they were listed in a CAMRA magazine or that we have been there before and can vouch for this personally) will be marked on the pub guide with an extra "real ale" symbol (see below).



Coming up so far we have (See the Gigs 2011 page for the performance dates):-

Olde Hanwell, The Fox Inn, Green Lane, London, W7 2PJ,  Pub Guide 
Twickenham, Ailsa Tavern
, 263 St. Margarets Rd., Middx., TW1 1NJ,  Pub Guide
Iver, The Bull, 7 High Street, Bucks, SL0 9ND,  Pub Guide 
Reading, Queen Victoria, Hare Hatch, Berkshire, RG10 9TA,  Pub Guide 
Twickenham, The Fox, 39 Church St, Middlesex, TW1 3NR,  Pub Guide
Guildford,  Cricketers
, Aldershot Road, Surrey, GU3 3AA,  Pub Guide
Guildford, The Row Barge, 7 Riverside, Surrey, GU1 1LW,  Pub Guide
Farnborough
, Prince of Wales, 184 Rectory Rd.,  Pub Guide  Beer Festival October
Guildford, The Bricklayers Arms, The Green, Shamley Green, Surrey, GU5 0UA,  Pub Guide
Shepperton, Barley Mow, 67 Watersplash Rd,  Pub Guide 
Reading, The Eldon Arms, 19, Eldon Terrace, Berkshire, RG1 4DX, Pub Guide
High Wycombe, The Belle Vue, 45 Gordon Rd., Bucks, HP13 6EQ,  Pub Guide  
 

Check out a new web site for real ale enthusiasts; Real Ale Hunter.



The "Happy Bunny"

Since introducing the Real Ale Tankard award to pubs serving a good range of well kept real ales we have realised that there are also many pubs which have good beers and possibly only one real ale, are friendly comfortable places to be and which offer a high standard of services and facilities - like good food. We feel that these pubs also deserve recognition and have come up with the "Happy Bunny". Have a look at the Pub Guide and see which pubs now have a "Happy Bunny"!


 

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