Three evenings and one afternoon of total guitar enjoyment are being played out in Barton upon Humber at the beginning of June at The Ropewalk’s first ever Guitar Festival.
Taking place from Thursday June 2 until Saturday June 4 the three day guitar fest has been put together by the Festival’s musical director Mark Keable of mtm promotions aided by Ropery Hall’s Liz Bennet.
The Festival could not get off to a better start on Thursday, June 2, with the appearance of Martin Taylor whose inimitable style has seen him recognised as the world’s foremost exponent of solo jazz guitar playing.
“As well as being a true guitar innovator, he is also a master concert performer, dazzling audiences with his solo shows, which combine virtuosity, emotion, humour, with a strong stage presence and I think that all those who come along to Ropery Hall will not be disappointed,” said Mark.
While Martin Taylor is the undoubted headline act of the three day festival those going along to Ropery Hall on the final two days of the Festival will not be disappointed.
“On Friday we have Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley along with Dave Swarbrick, formerly of Fairport Convention, returning to the Ropery Hall stage but I am also sure there will be a very warm welcome to Steve Tilston, one of this country’s greatest song-writers with many of his songs considered modern folk-song classics and covered by the likes of Fairport Convention, Dolores Keane, John Wright and others,” Mark went on.
On Saturday another newcomer to Ropery Hall is the Steve Skaith Band. Steve was the singer and co-writer of Latin Quarter which had a 80s hit single, Radio Africa but after a stay in Mexico he has now returned to the UK with his own band.
The band will be playing in the Saturday afternoon session along with an old favourite, Paul Liddell, and the Marcus Bonfanti Trio who are at the moment basking in the knowledge that Marcus has been nominated in two categories – Best Male Vocals and Best Guitar – in the British Blues Awards 2011 which will be announced at the Newark Blues Festival in September.
Saturday evening brings the Festival to a close with the appearance of old favourites Walter Strauss and Ezio along with Chantel McGregor who is making a rare appearance as a solo artist.
“What better way to bring the Festival to a close than with such a line up,” said Mark.
Walter will be making his penultimate appearance in this country during his current UK tour and he is unlikely to disappoint his many friends in Barton.
“It’s rare and exciting to witness such artistry and technique on the guitar. Walter layers on highly articulated melodies and harmonies, rhythms and counter-rhythms giving the impression he is magically playing several instruments at once while EZIO with its two lead guitarists, Ezio Lunedei and Mark Fowell, form a perfect unit” Mark revealed.
Chantel normally appears with her rock blues trio, the Chantel McGregor Band, but during the final session there is a rare opportunity to hear this outstanding performer as a solo artist.
Tickets to see Martin Taylor cost £15 or £17 in advance and for the remaining two days there are several ticket options including packages for both Friday and Saturday performances, the two sessions on Saturday as well as the individual sessions.
To view all the details including ticket prices and timings please go to www.roperyhall.co.uk
Spring Awakening
In the Box Gallery this month we have been inspired by the weather, and have put together a display celebrating spring. The focus is on the rebirth of nature, selecting pieces which represent the bloom of new flowers and joyous animals. The range of work within the exhibition is from a variety of makers working in different crafts all embodying our theme of spring.
Here is just a selection of the pieces we have on display in the Box Gallery.
Paul Collinson | Gary Saunt | Kat Saunt | Steve Upton
This exhibition shows work by a group of East Yorkshire and Hull based painters whose practice involves, either incidentally or wholly, the used of photography or computer software.
This can be in the organisation of the idea, the capture and use images as subject matter, or in the very creation of the artwork itself.
What all the painters do have in common is that need, the “agitation”, to produce something that has a presence.
Obviously my specialisation is in ceramics, but over the last 3-4 years I have diverged into 2D abstract and flitted back and forth between the two often combining techniques across both. A constant theme throughout has been the printed letter/text and the interplay between positive and negative space therein. The older letter bottles are relief printmaking in clay and from them blossomed the larger industrial 2D abstracts onto old metal shelves and disused wooden pallets. Another ever present has been my trusted blowtorch, which has enabled me to produce interesting surfaces and textures in the clay through forced drying and also letting me introduce dirt into the painted surface in the form of trapped carbon. It is important for me to be true to the material and allow it to be inherent in the final pieces.
Topics and style vary, from heavily textured, distorted pots, to letters bottles discussing elements of jazz, to political and social commentary and stuff about bikes? The large abstracts initially explored the rhythms between the letters but then began to migrate into the self-portrait in the form of big selfies and some of these themes then translated back into the pot form.
Throughout my career my work has cycled back to the same themes – surface and form – and these are essentially what this exhibition is about.
Customisable jewellery by Jackie Selcraig
Jackie Selcraig does not abide by the taught rules of creative design, for her it is very fluid and unstructured. Governed instead by play Jackie begins by siting down and experimenting with the composition of the bits and pieces she has collected over the years. Enjoying mixing colours, textures and materials, the aim is always to create something different, unique and unusual.
Modjool started with the Build Ring, since then, it has grown into a whole family of interactive jewellery, attracting fashion conscious customer eager to take advantage of the versatility of the range. Modjool is a system of statement jewellery, which features ranges which can be worn individually, mixed and matched or combined magnetically. The wearer can adapt the appearance by simply changing colour, shape, size, material or style all within the same jewellery collection.
Shape is bold, geometric, statement jewellery. The pendants can be magnetically attached to any of the colourful Click Range using a special bail.
Build is fun customisable jewellery. The silver ring and necklace base pieces can be transformed by adding a variety of colourful beads and stoppers. You can create a different look every day. Mix the colours up or choose a neutral palette for something more sophisticated.
There’s something about the contrast of textures of the different metals and etched parts that is so compelling. Metal is not always a hard shiny intractable thing – it can have a softer look, have variable colours created by the act of heating, can be a way of drawing in the air.
Jill Stewart was brought up in rural Northumberland, surrounded by nature and colour, always noticing the tiny details that surround us. After city adventures and unsuitable jobs, she started to make things, and developed unique ways of working in brass, copper, silver and titanium. The clocks developed after she was challenged to make larger items than jewellery, and to really develop a colour palette using the effects of heat on different metals. After cutting out the shapes, a large flame is used to solder parts of the design together, but also makes copper go beautiful unpredictable shades of dark red, and changes the look of other metals, especially the etched parts. The handmade look is important, that you can tell an actual person worked closely with their materials here, not absolutely sure how each process would turn out.
Harrison’s Garden
If John Harrison had a garden, how might it have looked?
In 2017, artist Luke Jerram took that thought and turned it into an amazing and imaginative exhibition that has been touring the UK. His idea was to create a ‘an imagined garden’ of clocks clustered into species, forming ‘flowerbeds’, ‘islands’, ‘pathways’ and borders’. Luke’s array of around 3000 timepieces has now visited the beautiful National Trust properties of Nostell Priory, Gunby Hall and Penrhyn Castle.
And in January 2019, Harrison’s Garden will reach its final destination at The Ropewalk. Bringing Harrison’s Garden home has been organised by the Better Barrow Community Project and Luke has kindly offered to donate the clocks to their fundraising cause to erect a statue of John Harrison. The clocks will be auctioned at the end of the exhibition – for further information visit betterbarrow.org
Harrison’s Garden was originally commissioned by Connect! and presented over 5 days at Devon’s Thelma Hulbert Gallery in 2015.
