Below is the programme for the 2010 Second London Mandolin Festival Concerts. The theme for the 2010 Second London Mandolin Festival is "Rumba: Rhythm + Dance" where the Rumba rhythm is featured in 4 of the orchestral pieces out of 6. Will you determine the 2 the pieces that do not contain the Rumba rhythm?? All works were performed by the combined mandolin orchestra unless otherwise specified


Dieter Kreidler (1943 - ), Rumba fur Zupforchester (Rumba for Plucked String Orchestra)

Kreidler is a well known figure with our German counterparts, the BDZ (Bund Deutscher Zupfmusik), being a director of the BDZ and composing pieces for plucked string ensembles. This piece is popular within plucked string orchestras here in the UK and serves as a good example for variations of the Rumba rhythm 123 123 12 and 123 12 123.


Ann Carr-Boyd (1938 - ), Mandolin Music

An Australian composer, Ann Carr Boyd studied composition in London with Peter Racine Fricker and Alexander Goehr. She currently resides in Sydney but will make the flight to see her work performed at the London Mandolin Festival concerts. Mandolin Music is one of her many works once described as a beautiful idiomatic work composed of nine moving parts.


Peter Hoch (1937 - ), Baska Voda

Baska Voda is a modern work featuring an Accordion solo and percussion accompaniment. Many participants of the festival are still guessing why the piece is called "Baska Voda" whether refering to the Slavic city or a more literal translation from the Slavic languages. What will your interpretation be?


Eduardo Angulo (1954 - ), De Aires Antiguo
Travis Finch on Mandolin, Emily O'Hara on Guitar

Eduardo Angulo was born in Argentina and studied composition at The National Conservatory of Music of Mexico in Mexico City. He wrote 'De Aires Antiguos' as a tribute to his mother and father. The piece features the Huapango rhythm, a juxtaposition of three beats against two. Angulo describes this rhythmic device as 'always together, always a continuation of one another. Just Like my parents.'

Emily O'Hara is a classical guitarist and composer, and recent graduate of Trinity College of Music in London. Since graduating, Emily has had a thriving career; playing in venues such as the London Palladium (2008/2009) and touring Northern Ireland with the musical Little Shop of Horrors (2009). As well as the classical guitar, Emily also has a passion for Jazz and Latin.


Robert Aylies, Les Joyeux Mandolinistes (The Happy Mandolinists)

This piece is dedicated to Alan Headon and Michael Bratter who both enjoyed playing this piece. Originally set as a small ensemble piece, the orchestra unanimously voted to perform the piece as a full orchestra. True amateur players, both Alan and Michael has touched many of the players part of the orchestra and know that both are still playing with us in spirit.


(3PM) Traditional arr Gennaro Fiondella, Nostalgico
(6PM) Michael and Claude Geney, Hervin
(6PM) Toni Jacque and Corinne Bideaux, Tangorine
Brenda Thompson, Jayne Buckingham, Valerie Coe and Stuart Sparkes on Accordioin

As gratitude for the services of the accordionist Brenda Thompson, we have invited the Thurrock Accordion Club and Fairkytes Accordion Club to perform several short pieces. The accordion clubs in London are unfortunately also facing problems where members are ageing and not being accepted as "proper" classical musicians. We hope this performance will help support them find new players and change mindsets about accordion groups.


Richard Charlton (1955 - ), Dances for Mandolin & the Moon

Born in the UK, Charlton moved to Australia at an early age. Charlton has mostly composed for Guitar ensembles but in recent years has been requested to compose for mandolin orchestra. This piece made its international premier at the 2006 BDZ Zupfmusik Festival in Bamberg, Germany.


Yasuo Kuwahara (1946 - 2003), Song of Japanese Autumn

Kuwahara is well known in the mandolin world as a solo mandolinist and composer for mandolin orchestra. As the name suggests, this piece depicts the different faces of a rainy autumn in Japan.


Elke Tober-Vogt (1957 - ), Klezmer Suite

Elke Tober-Vogt is active in music within Germany teaching youngsters and conducting orchestras as well as composing and publishing music. Watch out for this grand piece which is a mixture of several traditional Klezmer pieces featuring a violin solo introduction, a clarinet solo, accordion solo, tuba accompaniment, and percussion accompaniment. The violin used in this piece was hand-crafted by Michael Bratter's father. Michael Bratter being of Jewish origin, will recognise the pieces in this suite, and we dedicate this piece to him.