New website
Welcome to this opening blog for our new-style website
The site will take a little time to shake down but it marks a coming of age for us. The charity, which EMGO has now become, is taking over responsibility for the site from our MD, Nigel Gatherer, who has cheerfully managed it since our earliest years. So, thanks to Nigel and thanks to those of our members who are now setting up this new version.
But, if there’s one thing this blog must do, it’s to ask you to look slightly to the right. That’s where you’ll and see details of our upcoming concert. It’s on Saturday 26 November (starting 5-30) and our joint performance with Da Capo Alba will be in the historic Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile. We’re assured it has a super acoustic
So, be there!
At the concert, EMGO will premier a new suite arranged by Nigel, A Nathaniel Gow Suite. Da Capo Alba for their part will treat us to a performance of a major orchestral piece in the mandolin and guitar repertoire, the wonderful tone poem, Song of the Japanese Autumn, by Yasuo Kuwahara. And lots more delights.
EMGO continues to develop. We have at last – we do hope – secured a player in the bass register. The arrival of a cellist in our midst is providing that deep, blending, sound and pulse which we have lacked most of our years.
And this year we extended our activities when we carried the mandolin and guitar orchestra sound further north in Scotland than ever before. Well, that’s our claim – not in the Guinness Book – and are there others to contest it?. This was in July when we made our first “tour of Scotland” concert trip. We played 2 sessions in Newtonmore, at the Highland Folk Museum, and next day played to a warm and welcoming audience in Abernethy Auld Kirk, Nethy Bridge. Our sound seemed to be really well received – and we all had a great weekend. A nice touch was that three friends from the Dortmund Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra joined us, adding their skills to our programme.
Events for 2017 are firming up – all to be revealed anon. One thing we hope to do is to set off on the next leg of our “tour of Scotland”. Plans are a-hatching to head to the far west of Argyll. In fact this trip could very well witness a mandolin and guitar orchestra concert further west than ever before in Britain – and, more importantly, introduce new audiences to our music.
Contacts with like-minded groups in Europe are also increasing; we’re very hopeful that a leading ensemble will make its way to Edinburgh next year and perform in the Fringe Festival
For these things and more – watch this website!
Last, but by no means least, mention must be made of a concert in Glasgow this week – Friday 21 October at 7-30. Da Capo Alba, our sister orchestra based in Lanarkshire, will be performing in the New Auditorium of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with their special guests, the Youth Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra of the State of Brandenburg and Berlin. This orchestra brings together the cream of young musicians in Berlin and its hinterland. All who love our sort of music should be there!