Dear Yorkshire Gig Guide. I think this is a really fantastic story about people from Yorkshire getting together to celebrate the region, as well as a great music project, so I really hope you can feature this.
Thanks so much.
Katherine Alvarez
· Eduardo Niebla, world class virtuoso guitarist and composer who has made Yorkshire his home for the last 10 years, is soon to premier his stunning new collection of pieces entitled “MY YORKSHIRE ROAD” celebrating North Yorkshire’s landscape, culture and heritage on
· SAT 23RD JULY at Holy Trinity Church Ripon
· SUN 24TH JULY at the Ryedale Festival
· It features a wonderful line-up of musicians from the region and beyond from fishermen’s choirs to brass bands, to folk musicians, guitarists and percussionists,
· with lyrics by Ian McMillan.
· It’s a wonderful getting together of musicians from Yorkshire and beyond by the internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Eduardo Niebla.
·
“MY YORKSHIRE ROAD” by EDUARDO NIEBLA
A stunning collection of pieces by Eduardo Niebla celebrating North Yorkshire’s landscape, culture & heritage
CONCERT PREMIERES
Sat 23rd July 2011 7.30pm Holy Trinity Church, Kirkby Road, Ripon HG4 2EY Tickets £12 - 01765 640338 & from Alan Matthews & Hays Travel Ripon
Sun 24th July 2011 3pm The Ryedale Festival Joan of Arc Hall Botton, near Whitby YO21 2BJ Tickets: £12 - 01751 475777
www.ryedalefestival.co.uk
Eduardo Niebla, virtuoso flamenco jazz guitarist and composer, has come a long way from his birthplace in Tangiers and childhood in Girona Spain to reach North Yorkshire, his adopted home for the last 10 years. And it is this incredible international life, as well as the very heartfelt quality of his compositions, that makes Eduardo’s new commission “MY YORKSHIRE ROAD”, a piece celebrating North Yorkshire’s landscape, culture and heritage, especially vibrant.
Included in the composition are a great line-up of musicians from Yorkshire and beyond:
· Ripon City Brass Band
· Men of Staithes (choir, formally known as the Staithes Fishermen’s Choir)
· Rock Up and Sing! (choir based in Harrogate)
· Bryony Griffith & Will Hampson (folk fiddle / vocals & melodeon)
· Lyn Geddes (folk singer & guitarist)
· as well as
Eduardo Niebla (guitar & composition) and
Carl Herring (guitar accompaniment) &
Roberto Ares (drums / percussion)
· Ian McMillan (Yorkshire poet & writer), who worked with Eduardo on a film at the Yorkshire Planetarium and a piece for the Ripon International Festival, is writing the lyrics
· and the piece is being conducted by
David Lancaster.
Eduardo wanted to include musicians who are traditionally associated with Yorkshire and to create new music directly inspired by its amazing landscape, its sea, its powerful elements and the lives of people within it: he’s been travelling from the tops of Twistleton Scar near Ingleton (see photo above) across the Dales and Moors to Staithes, recording and working with the musicians, whilst all the time making an inward and very personal journey: “This is a wonderful occasion to bring musicians together from all over Yorkshire with so many talents to share some music and some wonderful lyrics by Ian McMillan and to celebrate the region.”
The result is a wonderfully alive musical celebration which will be premiered on Saturday 23rd July 2011, 7.30pm at Holy Trinity Church Ripon and on Sunday 24th July at The Ryedale Festival, 3pm Joan of Arc Hall Botton near Whitby.
The commission is generously supported by the Dales LEADER programme, Business Link Legacy Fund, Arts Council England, North Yorkshire County Council and Creative North Yorkshire.
ABOUT EDUARDO NIEBLA
This commission follows the launch of Eduardo’s 23rd album “MY GYPSY WALTZ” to acclaim at Celtic Connections Glasgow and the Queen Elizabeth Hall London earlier in the year, part of a distinguished recording and performing career over the last 4 decades which has seen Eduardo appear at the Tbilisi International Jazz Festival Georgia, the Jaipur Festival India, the Odessa Jazz Carnival Ukraine, the San Isidro Fiesta Madrid, the Olympic Games Greece, Glastonbury and the Brecon International Jazz Festival, as well as concert tours to South Africa, Jordan, Lebanon, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Spain & Ireland.
Since his move to Britain in 1978 Eduardo has collaborated with major artists across the globe including Nishat Khan (sitar), Wajahat Khan (sarod), Adel Salameh (oud), Lol Coxhill (saxophone), Deepak Ram (bamboo flute), Paban Das Baul (gypsy singer & percussionist), George Michael, Craig David and recently Ben Watkins of Juno Reactor (composer of the music for the Matrix films). He was introduced to recording by Tom Newman and has written music for films, documentaries and plays, including for the BBC, and composed music alongside poets Fran Landesman, Mike Horovitz and how more recently Ian McMillan.
Eduardo’s career started from very humble beginnings – born in Tangiers Morocco to Andalucian parents in 1955, the 7th of 11 children and mythically the 7th son of the 7th child. In 1960 after political tensions the family became refugees and settled in Girona, Spain where Eduardo grew up. At 18 he formed the cult symphonic rock band “Atila”, whose albums are now serious collectors’ items, and was rated alongside Paco de Lucia as one of the best guitarists in the Hispanic Peninsula. In 1975 he moved to Paris, where he performed in several exhibitions of conceptual art with the painter Jaume Xifra. In 1978 he reached London, initially as a stepping stone to fly to America, but never left and has since been regarded as one of the outstanding guitarists of his generation. He currently lives in North Yorkshire where he has his recording studio.
- Eduardo is also currently working on a new commission by the Dante String Quartet: a piece for guitar and string quartet which they will premiere at the Dante Festival Cornwall on 15th July 2011.
“A display of supernatural talent….and a spellbinding mixture of flamenco and modern jazz, bursting with passion & verve.” (The Spectator)
“Niebla proves his mastery & composing genius with every touch.” (Die Rheinpfalz)
“No recording can do full justice to the thunderstorm of this musician in full flow – deep booming chords interspersed with lightning percussive effects… his language is full of hot, dark, Mediterranean passion.” (Scotsman)
“Eduardo – virtuoso? Inventive improviser? Yes and yes. And creative composer too. Writer of beautiful melodies, great grooves… he cast a deep engrossing spell over the audience which transported them to other places, to the distant past, to India, Arabia, North Africa, Spain – tracing the link between modern Flamenco and the ancient music of India. And then on to the New World, to South and Central America for the rumba. At the end of the concert he thanked the audience for having been present while the band “searched for those deep places in the music.” Believe me they found them. (Rodd Fogg, London Jazz 2010)
EDUARDO NIEBLA “My Gypsy Waltz” TOUR – UK & IRELAND 2011
Fri 14th January BBC2 The Review Show, 11pm
Sat 15th January Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Sun 16th January Celtic Connections Glasgow – CD Launch
Tues 18th January BBC Radio Scotland – live in concert at Mary Ann Kennedy’s Global Gathering
Sat 22nd January Otley Courthouse
Sat 29th January Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre London – CD Launch
Fri 4th February Gulbenkian Theatre Canterbury
Thur 10th February The Castle Wellingborough
11th February BBC Bristol
Thur 17th February Artrix, near Birmingham
Fri 18th February St. George’s Bristol
Sat 19th February The Theatre Chipping Norton
Fri 25th February Cambridge Modern Jazz Club
Thur 10th March The Lemon Tree Aberdeen
Thu 14th April Killyleagh, Ireland
Thu 28th April Newbury Spring Festival – Education project
Tue 10th May Newbury Spring Festival
Wed 11th May Catstrand, New Galloway
Thur 12th May Eden Court Theatre Inverness
Fri 13th May Universal Hall Findhorn
Sat 14th May An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis
Mon 16th May Isle of Skye, Sabhal Mor Ostaig
Fri 20th May The Hawth Crawley
Thu 26th May Jazz Steps Bonington Theatre Nottingham
Fri 27th May Huntingdon Arts Worcester
Sat 28th May The Plough, Great Torrington
Sun 19th June Sevenoaks Festival
Tues 21st June Norwich Arts Centre
Wed 22nd June Birmingham Town Hall
Thur 23rd June Stephen Joseph Theatre
Thur 30th June Ritmi Rigas International Music Festival, Latvia
Sat 16 July Marlborough International Jazz Festival
Sun 17 July Sefton Park Palm House Liverpool
Fri 26 August Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Brunton Theatre Musselburgh
Thur 6 Oct Terry O’Toole Theatre Lincolnshire
7 Oct Highlights tour, North Pennines
Sat 8 Oct The Civic Barnsley
9, 14, 15, 16 Oct Highlights Tour North Pennines
Fri 21 Oct Colchester Arts Centre
Fri 11th Nov The International Guitar Festival of Great Britain – The Wirral
Sat 26 Nov Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea
NEW COMMISSIONS EDUARDO NIEBLA 2011
13-15 July Dante Festival Cornwall – PREMIERE of new compositions by Eduardo Niebla for guitar & string quartet
Sat 23 July Holy Trinity Church Ripon – premiere of “My YORKSHIRE ROAD” new piece celebrating North Yorkshire’s landscape & culture
Sun 24 July The Ryedale Festival – premiere of “My YORKSHIRE ROAD” new piece celebrating North Yorkshire’s landscape & culture
NEW TOURS EDUARDO NIEBLA 2012
15 – 18 Feb Devon
25 Feb The Tolbooth Stirling
22nd March Ballymoney Town Hall (Ireland)
Fri 23rd March Mermaid Arts Centre Bray (Ireland)
Sat 24th March Solstice Arts Centre Navan (Ireland)
Tues 27th March St. John’s Theatre Listowel (Ireland)
Wed 28th March Town Hall Theatre Galway
Thur 29th March Linenhall Arts Centre Castlebar (Ireland)
Fri 30th March Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny
Sat 31t March Market Place Theatre Armagh
Friday 20th April 2012 Queen Elizabeth Hall London
Sun 22nd April Wiltshire Music Centre
http://www.eduardoniebla.com
Hi YorkshireGigGuide, Heckmondwike rocked and jived for over nine hours last Saturday in glorious sunshine as Green Park attracted the biggest crowd yet to the 9th Crown of Lights Free Music Festival. This year, for the first time, there were two stages so the organisers could fit in all nineteen bands and acoustic acts. Festival director and MC, Donal O'Driscoll, said, "It was literally non-stop music and everyone seemed to love how we were just switching stages as soon as an act had finished. It was exhausting for us but you could tell the crowd was loving it." 
The event attracted many local families as the organisers make every effort to make the festivals child friendly. Co organiser Peter Earnshaw said, "We noticed a lot more families were staying for much longer this year. It always enhances the atmosphere when everyone can see how much the kids are enjoying themselves."
Due to a reduction in funding there will now be only one festival a year. However Donal was keen to stress, "If it wasn't for the financial support provided by Kirklees Council we wouldn't be able to put on any festival in Heckmondwike. I'm very grateful to them for the funding we've been assured for the next two years but we'd also love to have a sponsorship deal so everything isn't done on a shoestring."
July saw a pre - Leeds Fringe event at Milo's hosted by Leeds Rocks in aid of People In Action. It certainly rocked to the sounds of Aron Boyer, Ally Jowett, Claire Cameron and a host of other local talent. The crowd enjoyed the gravelly voice of Aaron Boyer singer writer with syncopated rhythmic guitaring.
The Leeds O2 Academy was buzzing in exited anticipation of the evening's event. As the winners of last years competition appeared on stage there was a great roar of appreciation from the massed audience. The Penguins did not disappoint. Our hosts for the evening from Radio Aire were Larry and Paul ensured the evening ran smoothly between band changes.
Sprayed Aces
You Had Me At Hello
Vinyl Party 
Neve
The Mexanines
Traffic Wire
Sharp Darts
"Laughs per minute the funniest show at the Fringe" Time Out, 4 stars. 
Based on the classic stage play by J.B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls stars the incomparable Alastair Sim as the inspector of the title. The Birling family are rich, pampered and complacent. It is 1912, and the shadow of the impending war has yet to fall across their lives. As they sit down to dinner one night, celebrating the engagement of the eldest child, Sheila, to prosperous businessman Gerald, a knock at the door announces the arrival of a visitor who will change their lives forever. 
Now in its fourth year, the biggest and busiest mothers and babies show in the North West!
