Time to update the website!

Our fans must think we've stopped playing, as we've not uploaded anything here for ages. My apologies! We're still playing away, though with a slightly altered personnel.

Our dearly loved Bridget sadly passed away in summer 2018, and we're still feeling her loss keenly. But she'd have wanted us to go on playing, so here we are.

We have a couple of new members, but no photos of them yet, so watch this space!

In the meantime I've added a link to our Soundcloud page where you can hear a few of the tracks we've recorded over the years.

A visit to Derwent Vale Primary School

We had a last-minute booking recently, to help a school which was doing a whole week of music-related activities.   It seemed like exactly the right thing for us to do, to help promote live music.

Only four out of the six of us were able to be involved, so arranging some of the music for a quartet was required.   We knew that this was going to be a half-hour-long gig, and that the audience would include children from age 4 or 5 up to 11 years old, so it was going to have to be a varied programme full of short pieces, to allow for possible limited attention span in the younger members of the audience.

We played a sort of 'potted history' of music, starting with a 13th century Ductia, followed by 14th century Trotto, and so on, with each century represented by one or two piece of music.  Here's the programme:

Ductia  (anon)   1200s
Trotto   (anon)   1300s
Scaramella (Josquin des Pres)   1400s
Tallis's Canon   (Tallis)   1500s
Spagnoletta (Praetorius)   1600s
Ha Ha (Rathgeber)    1700s 
Rondo (from 2nd Terzetto by James Hook)   early 1800s
The Blue Danube Waltz (Strauss ... just a little bit of it!)   late 1800s
The Golliwog's Cakewalk  (Debussy … just a little bit of it!)  1900s
Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter films (John Williams)   2000s

The children in our audience were wonderful!    They were very well-behaved, sat still and listened with all their ears, and joined in where we needed them.   The piece by Rathgeber has places in the music where one has to shout ''Ha Ha'', or whistle twice, or stamp feet twice, and they obliged very enthusiastically, being directed as to which was required, and when, by Liz, who held up signs for them.

I think it's fair to say that we would welcome the chance to do this sort of thing again, for other schools, not necessarily as part of a special week of music.   Please contact Ally at ally@pipinghot.org.uk  if you would like us to visit your school!

A few forthcoming gigs

These will be posted on our diary page as well, but please look out for us at:

1. The Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth on Friday 8th November, when we'll be playing at the Glittering Ball for the Cockermouth Georgian Fair.
2. This one's just for Women's Institute People, I suppose, but we'll be playing for Plumbland WI on December 4th.
3. Friday 20th December we'll be at St Kentigern's, Aspatria, and I believe there'll be a serpent-player involved in proceedings too! Watch this space for further news.

Concert for Isel Church Bells June 8th 2013

Piping Hot played some music to help raise some money for the new bells at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Isel, which dates, in parts, from about 1130 AD.

It's the most beautiful, atmospheric little church I know of, close by the River Derwent (and therefore in danger of flooding, as the parishioners know to their cost). The graveyard, lit on a summer's evening by a low sun through what is really a wildflower meadow with gravestones, looks like the perfect place to spend eternity.

Last night we were joined by two of the next generation of recorder virtuosi - Frances and Alannah, who played with members of the group on Feed the Birds and Oom Pah Pah. As well as our large family of recorders, we also played flutes, clarinet, accordion and guitar at various points during the evening. We are nothing if not versatile!

The audience was delightful. They can come back any time!

We started with a couple of little surprises, which might be more commonly heard at Christmas time. Of course, our previous attempt to entertain the Isel community was last December, when the electricity supply failed and we gamely played on by candlelight in the freezing cold, while a few very brave audience members sat stoically and listened. Most people failed even to arrive at the church, however, because of the fearsomely icy roads. 

So that concert was curtailed halfway through. The next tune would have been one perfectly suited to a concert in aid of bells, so we thought we'd carry on last night where we left off in December.

(You can see more photos of the beautiful churchyard, and the famous bells by clicking on this link . The bells will be dedicated by the Bishop of Carlisle on Tuesday, June 11th.)

PROGRAMME

First half
Ding Dong  - traditional, arr. Val Hetherington
Hush, Hush, Hush - traditional Austrian Christmas song
Volte 11 and Volte 12 - Michael Preaetorius (1571-1621)
Pase el Agoa - Villancicos (Cancionero de Palacio)
Galliard: 1000 Ducats in the bag; Pavane: Tausend Dukaten - Tielman Susato (1500-61)
Galliard: Muy Linda - Anthony Holborne (1545-1602)
Divertimento - J.B.Vanhal (1739-1813) arr Klaus Bjerre 2003
Serenata - Brian Bonsor (1926-2011)

Second half
PIPING HOT WITH FRANCES & ALANNAH 
Feed the Birds - from Mary Poppins
Oom Pah Pah - from Oliver

Oranges and Lemons - trad. arr. Rachel McConkey
Scots Songs Medley - arr Ally McGurk. Mostly trad apart from "Keep Right On" by Sir Harry Lauder.
North Country Medley - trad. arr. Rachel Hecht McConkey
Paper Doll - Johnny S.Black arr. D. Bloodworth
By the Light of the Silvery Moon - Gus Edwards (1879-1945)
Circus Medley - various composers, arr. Rachel Hecht McConkey
La Java Bleue - Vincent Scotto (1874-1952)

Looking forward to tonight at Isel

We're looking forward to revisiting Isel Church this evening, after our previous attempt to entertain you was frozen out last Christmas. It's a lovely venue, and on a summer evening, with the late sunshine streaming through the windows, it'll be a real treat.

The River Derwent flows past the church (rather too close, for those who remember the floods of November 2009), enhancing the beauty of the location. It's a great river - I had a swim in it just yesterday, and the water's lovely! (Why not turn up early and bring your cossie?)

So please come along - the concert starts at 7:30 so you should aim to be there a bit before that. We look forward to seeing you.

If you don't know where it is, try clicking on this link to a map:
Isel Church

Crosthwaite Church, Keswick Thursday April 18th 2013

This gig was part of a series, organised by [and here I quote from the programme notes] "a small committee entitled Music at Crosthwaite which came into existence in  1998 with the aim of providing good quality classical music for the benefit of residents and visitors within the historic centre for Christian worship at Crosthwaite Church, Keswick."

It was a horribly wet night, which probably put some people off coming out at all, so the audience was somewhat smaller than the one at Cockermouth the previous week, but I'd like to think that those who did brave the storm felt their trip was worth it. We thoroughly enjoyed playing anyway, in such a lovely old church.

PROGRAMME
1550-1600
2 Volte                                                                 Praetorius
Pase el Agoa                                                        Portuguese villancico
Tausend Dukaten - Galliard & Pavane                    Susato
1650-1750
2 Little Fugues                                                     JS Bach
Sarabanda                                                           A Corelli (arr B Hilton)
Pavane et deux airs en suitte
         pour les hautbois, fait au
         sacre du Roi 17 october 1610                     Collected by A Philidor 1684
1750-1850
Divertimento                                                        JB van Hal (arr Klaus Bjerre)
Pizzicato Polka                                                     J Strauss (arr J van Goethem/ R McConkey)
20th century
A PIPING HOT COLLECTION OF FOLKSONGS
   Welsh medley                                                    arr R McConkey
   Irish collection                                                   arr V Hetherington
   Scots medley                                                     arr AV McGurk
   North Country Tunes                                         arr R McConkey
Basin Street Blues                                                 S Williams (arr N McConkey)
Paper Doll                                                              JS Black (arr D Bloodworth)

1550-1600
Bergamascas                                                        S Scheidt (arr B Hilton)
Paradiso & Muy Linda
         Pavane & Galliard                                        A Holborne
1650-1750
2 Fugues                                                              GP Telemann
Blasersinfonie No.3, 1st movement                       JC Bach (arr U Herrmann)
1750-1800
Trio Op.133/II
           Allegretto-Andantino-Allegretto                 J Hook
20th Century
By the Light of the Silvery Moon                          G Edwards
Celebration Rag                                                    L Hilling
Serenata                                                              B Bonsor

Concert in Aid of the Macular Society, 13th April 2013

Piping Hot shared the bill with other musical friends. (See below) We had a good audience, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We certainly did!

PERSONNEL

Piping Hot
Ally McGurk, Bridget, Hilton, Caroline Ullyat, Jane Bebbington, Liz Baker, Rachel McConkey: recorders of many sizes, flutes, guitar, clarinet & accordion.

FRIENDS
Peter Warren (guitar)
Helen Hetherington (piano)

U3A RENAISSANCE BAND
Louise Shaw, Wendy Watson, Pauline Banks, Mary Gallagher, Alan Alexander, Coral Price, Jean Hann, Aline Elliot, Lindy Wilson, Margery Brunskill, Margaret Green, Brenda Bryden, Ann Jefferson, Joan Clouston, Sue Hellier, Andrena Hattersley, Trevor Green, Enid Ferguson, Audrey Evans  Bridget Hilton, David Hilton: recorders of many sizes, cornamusen of many sizes, soprano crumhorn, violin, 'cello, trombone & percussion.

PROGRAMME
Piping Hot
Two Fugues                                       JS Bach (1685-1750)
Sarabanda                                         A Corelli (1653-1713) arr B Hilton
Pizzicato Polka                                  J Strauss (1804-1849)

Peter Warren, Jane Bebbington, Rachel McConkey
Trio in G major for 2 flutes & guitar: 1st movement: Moderato                F Carulli (1771-1841)

Helen Hetherington, Jane Bebbington, Rachel McConkey
Sicilienne for flute & piano            Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

Peter Warren
Serenata Española                            J Malats (1872-1912)
Se Ela Perguntar                               D Reis (1916-1977)
Canço del Llandre                             Catalan folksong arr M Llobet (early 20th C)

Piping Hot
North Country Tunes                       arr R McConkey
Basin Street Blues                            S Williams, arr N McConkey
Paper Doll                                         JS Black (1891-1936) arr D Bloodworth
Celebration Rag                                L Hilling

U3A Renaissance Band
3 Pieces from Susato's Danserye 1551          T Susato (1510-1570)
Mohrentanz
Dutsche Tanze - Allemand und Nachtanz
Pass et Medio - Nachtanz der Stross

Peter Warren
Cavatina                                             S Myers (1930-1993)
Prelude No.4                                       H Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Recuerdos de la Alhambra                  F Tarrega (1852-1909)

Piping Hot (alternative instruments)
La Java Bleue                                         V Scotto (1874-1952) arr B Hilton
Bonny at Morn                                      trad Northumbrian, arr S Phillips with descant by P Hill
Just a Little Fond Affection/Keira          Box, Cox & Ilda/ P. Gardner, arr A McGurk
Circus Tunes Medley                             arr R McConkey
Serenata                                                B Bonsor (1926-2011)