REVIEW:

Weyhill Electronic Organ society, Ian Griffin

An entertaining evening was enjoyed by WEOS supporters as guest artiste Ian Griffin, from Swansea, made his fifth appearance for the Club. Ian first performed at Weyhill in 2006, as part of a duo, and then at The Lights in 2008, as part of a trio. His popularity ensured that he has since made two solo appearances at Weyhill.

Born in Neath, Ian won a talent contest produced by Swansea City Council at the age of ten. He made his first live performance on Independent Local Radio in 1977 and followed this in 1978 by appearing twice on BBC1 Television Young Entertainers, when he was voted heat winner by the studio audience. In the same year, he performed his first concert for an electronic organ society and soon became a regular performer on the circuit.

The concert opened in fine fashion with a medley of hits associated with Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vinton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield, followed by a Latin American selection and a couple of Frank Sinatra Swing numbers. Ian then went on to perform a number of popular songs from the Musicals.

A particular feature of Ian’s concerts is that the second half consists entirely of audience requests. From over 100 options submitted Ian bravely managed to include around 30 tunes in a non-stop 60 minutes performance, without any recourse to sheet music. The range was extensive – from Puccini and Verdi to Vangelis and James Last, from The Shadows to Mancini, film themes and many hits from the past. It was quite an achievement and was well-deserving of the acclaim that rang out at the end of the evening.

The next WEOS concert will be staged at the Fairground Hall, Weyhill on Thursday June 21, with guest player Daniel Watt from Northampton. Tickets are £5.00 in advance (from Just Teasin in Bridge Street) or £6.00 at the door. For further information call, 01264 323213 or visit weyhill-eos.co.uk.