St James's Piccadilly - 22 June 2009

[James]

I hope everyone going enjoys this concert. I enjoyed the concert in Finsbury Circus Gardens very much last year despite the wet and windy conditions and I'm sorry I can't make it again this year.

I'm sure Steve, Stuart and Grant will have some great pictures to give us a flavour of the event.

[Joe]

Looks like a good group of HWI'ers will be there on Monday to support Ian and Fiona.

You'll wish them well from all of us, won't you.

St James's does have a very rich and detailed history. Isn't that where a labyrinth maze is? Don't go round in circles too much ...I'm looking forward to your photos and reports!


Joe

[roger]

Hi Joe,

Well yes, it seems it does have a labyrinth. Although I have been to the venue two or three times, I was unaware of it and still don't know exactly where it is located but Uncle Google led me here.

Sure, we will wish Fiona and Ian well for you. We will if we don't get lost on the labyrinth anyway!

Roger

[Martin]

According to the concert notes at St. James's, Fiona will be performing all her own material. Should be a great performance.

Martin

[grant]

Hello Roger and everyone

Jun 20, 2009 18:18:43 GMT @roger said:

Well yes, it seems it does have a labyrinth. Although I have been to the venue two or three times, I was unaware of it and still don't know exactly where it is located

Umm, would like to do that sometime. I assume it is located where the undercroft would normally be.

Best wishes
Grant

[James]

Jun 20, 2009 18:42:26 GMT Martin said:

According to the concert notes at St. James's, Fiona will be performing all her own material.

All her own material? With at least 4 CDs to her name that would be a very long concert

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

From Fiona's website:

Fiona will be performing a selection of pieces from her last two CDs alongside some brand new compositions. She will be accompanied by Ian Tilley on piano.

I'm hoping Fiona and Ian will have a few copies of 'Fire and Light' with them.

See you tomorrow,

Richard

[Mark]

Hi everyone

I am so sorry but I won't be able to make this concert today after all. I am sure it will be enjoyable so have a good time and pass on my best to Fiona and Ian.

Best wishes
Mark

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

Fiona and Ian gave a brilliant recital at St. James's Church this lunchtime. There were eight of us from HWI in attendance, and we all had a great time. I'm just going to give a brief report, starting with the set list:

• The Piper's Son
  
• Far Away
  
• Tchavolo Swing
  
• House by the Harbour
  
• Whisper Waltz
  
• Turkish Fantasie
  
• Memories of Martin and Mary
  
• Cathedral Tango
  
• Tangissimo
  
• Encore: The Willow Tree

All the numbers were written by Fiona except 'Tchavolo Swing', which was her arrangement of a piece by Tchavolo Schmitt.

This was the first time Fiona and Ian had performed as a duo, and they seemed really pleased to see so many familiar faces sitting in the front pew. It was rather humid in the church, so Fiona decided to leave her shoes in the dressing room. She played a good mix of styles, ranging from contemporary classical to Celtic, and she was certainly dancing in front of the piano during the up-tempo numbers. The audience only numbered about fifty including us, but they were all very enthusiastic and wouldn't let Fiona and Ian leave the stage until they played an encore. Fiona said she wasn't expecting such a warm reception.

CDs and DVDs were on sale after the performance, and business was very brisk indeed. Fiona and Ian stayed for quite a while chatting to everybody after the show.

Our photographers were snapping away, so there should be plenty of photographs and some more reports to come later. Meanwhile I must thank Fiona and Ian for a very enjoyable recital.

Richard

[roger]

Thanks to Richard for the early report. Yes, that certainly was a magnificent concert and, from our position in the front row, an absolute delight to see.

Fiona and Ian certainly gave each of us a very warm welcome as we arrived one by one. It is supposed to be us who like to see them, not the other way around!

I have a really delightful story to relate this evening but, for now, here is the programme that was given out before the concert. As you will see from Richard's post, there was a slight variation towards the end.





Roger

[Mark]

Hi everyone

Many thanks Richard & Roger for your reports and the scan of the programme, Roger. It sounded like a wonderful performance - just wish I could have been with you - just couldn't make it.

Looking forward to your 'delightful story' now Roger.

Best wishes
Mark

[roger]

Hi Mark,

We did mention to Ian and Fiona that you had hoped to come but couldn't make it. And yes, we did pass on the various messages that other members have requested and they were both genuinely grateful. In fact, within the last few seconds, I have just received an email from Ian which I now quote in full:

Hi Roger,


It was really great to see you all there today, thanks so much for coming. FIona has just forwarded me a message for you, perhaps you could post it on the forum?


Anyhow, very best wishes and see you soon.


Ian




Begin forwarded message:


From: Fiona Pears
Date: 22 June 2009 18:02:07 BST
To: Ian Tilley


Dear Roger,


I would just like to extend to you all my heartfelt thanks for coming to our concert today.


It was such a joy to see all your faces in the front rows... Every time I felt the nerves coming on I could see you all smiling and I felt very much at home.


Ian and I had a wonderful time performing and I am still buzzing from the show. You were all so thoughtful to give me such a lovely card and I was so pleased to see a butterfly on it. It was really beautiful and I will put it up by my desk so that I can enjoy looking at it.


Thanks again to you all for travelling so many miles to see us today. I really hope that we see you all again (rather sooner than later I hope!)


Take care and love to you all.

Fi xx

Perhaps I should explain that it will be Fiona's birthday on Friday. Several of us remembered having seen her on her birthday two years ago but it was Gordon who first suggested that we give her a card. He happened to buy one which included a butterfly in the picture. We had no idea that Fiona loves butterflies but, apparently, she does and so Gordon clearly made an excellent choice.

Thanks for the message Fiona and Ian. We will be in touch concerning photographs for your site in due course.

Roger

[roger]

I post these two photos merely as a taster of what is to follow just as soon as our *real* phtographers get online!

Okay, so I promised you a special story. A few months ago, we reported that Fiona and Ian had got engaged. We now know that they will be married in Christchurch on 29th December and it is hoped that Hayley and probably her family will be able to attend. That isn't the story! This is...

I asked Ian today if he and Fiona would have met if it hadn't been for Hayley. He said it was unlikely. As they are both in the music industry, it is possible that their paths may have crossed eventually but it really was Hayley who brought them together. I think that is lovely and I imagine it must mean a lot to Hayley. But that isn't the story either. This is...

As many of you will know, Hayley's father is a gemologist and Ian asked Gerald's advice concerning the engagement ring. Apparently a ring was designed to their specification and the fact that Gerald was so closely involved is something that I think all concerned will find very meaningful. But that isn't the story. This is...

When Fiona is playing, she has to wear the ring on the *wrong* hand so it doesn't fly off and go into orbit around the venue in the middle of 'Tangissomo'!

And that is the end of the story! Except that, when Steve is able to upload it, you just may get to see the ring!

Roger

[grant]

Hello everyone

What an amazing day it has been!

I very wisely chose an early train to get me down to London this morning as I didn't want to cut my arrival too fine. Good job I did as it turned out, although we ran 15 minutes late pretty much all the way, I arrived at the church at 11.15am - just in time to see Richard disappear inside.

I quickly followed. Fiona and Ian are already inside - Fiona rehearsing; Ian working on sound. There is a sign on the door stating "Rehearsal in Progress" in large red letters, so we hang about outside for a while.

We obviously hadn't read the notice fully, because after a few minutes I read it all - the lower half said "please enter quietly". we waited for a pause in the proceedings and then did as the notice requested.

Both Fiona and Ian were delighted to see us and came over for a chat and we were both hugged warmly by Fiona. Ian had obviously been following the thread as he knew how many of us were going to be there an they both seemed genuinely delighted at the response to Ian's suggestion that "some of you may like to come" (of course we would! We love you guys!! It was also the first opportunity we had had to congratulate them on their engagement, which I was very pleased to be able to do.

By the time the rehearsal ended, all 8 of us were present and chatted for a few minutes until they left us at about 12 o'clock. We took the opportunity to 'bag' both the front pews for HWI and settled down to wait for the concert to begin.

At ten minutes past one, one of the church staff came out to introduce Fiona and Ian and they took their respective places to very healthy applause which sounded far louder than you would expect from a relatively small audience. As Roger has already mentioned, Fiona didn't even bother with shoes, coming out bare foot from the outset.

I don't think I have ever been quite as close to Fiona whilst she played as I was this afternoon. I have never known anyone play quite like Fiona, as I told her before the concert, she can make her violin talk and she is amazing to both watch and to listen to.

I'm sure the concert overran. It never crossed my mind to look at the clock behind me. I was enjoying myself far too much. After a bit of banter with her audience where she asked us to make a choice, Fiona eventually made her own decision as to what the last piece would be, but the audience wasn't ready to let them go yet and they returned for an encore.

I think they were both having a blast and perhaps didn't know what to expect from a short lunchtime concert, but there was no doubt that both Fiona and Ian were touched by the reception they received throughout.

Again there was a choice for the encore so it was down to me to suggest the Celtic one which they played to end their performance and it turned out to be one of my favourites from the afternoon - "Willow Tree".

After the concert I introduced myself to Ian's Mum and Brother who were sitting behind us. Fiona chatted happily with those who had stayed behind whilst Ian did a roaring trade selling CD's and DVD's, whilst Steve, Stuart and I snapped away with our cameras.

It must have been 3pm at least by the time we left the church having been thanked profusely by both Ian and Fiona for being there to support them. Personally, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Best wishes
Grant

P.S. Pictures to follow

[grant]

Hi Roger

Many thanks for passing on the messages from Fiona and Ian; for producing the first photo's of "The Happy Couple" and for relating the story of their meeting and Fiona's ring.

What a great day we all had!

Best wishes
Grant