Fishbone proudly presents...

The Edsel Ensemble, who'll be playing a recital in St Thomas' Church on Sunday 15th March. The Edsel Ensemble is a new chamber group that specialises in classical masterpieces, new players are always welcome and their aim is simply to get to the end together ... ! We're terribly excited about this event, and so is Father Paul of St Thomas' who is himself a bit of an organist, and just as enthusiastic about Bach, as Jeff.

The running order is as follows ~

Bach - Double Concerto for Two Violins - Helen Albrow and Emily Howard soloists
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto no 3

And there's possibly a surprise piece as well...

Well, the 2nd movement (largo) of Bach double concerto is reckoned by many to be simply the most beautiful tune ever written, and rated by most as the most lovable piece in Bach's entire concerto repertoire.

Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is so famous that its title has become the only German phrase readily translated by all English speaking people...

And the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 3 is his signature tune, his biggest hit, interestingly Brandenburg Concerto No2, with the impossibly difficult piccolo trumpet part, was the first tune on the solid gold disk sent into space on Voyager in the hope that one day an alien intelligence would find it, play it, and understand just how wonderful it is to be human. That is how highly rated these concertos are!

Let's hope that when the disk is found, it is not found by some dodgy intergalactic scrap metal merchant!

Jeff

The Fishbone Old Piscatorials...

Contrary to Judy's prior proclamation that I won't be starting a fishing club, well I am now! Y'see I'm yer typical boy, told not to, will do! So, I reckon a club is three members or more, and I know of some very good fishing hereabouts, and not only do I want to share my knowledge, I want to nick yours into the bargain!

First meet is a gudgeon match at a time and a venue yet to be decided. Ten points for each gudgeon and minus eleven for any other species...

We need these key members ~

1. El Presidente - the oldest member

2. Keeper of the Teapot - Makes the splosh, will need a big Kelly Kettle, first degree in applied pyromanics desirable

3. Head chef - responsible for cake and biscuits

4. Second Mate - the navigator, sits in first car of convoy, directs driver to get there, or thereabouts

5. Health and Safety Officer - creates, and pulls members out from sticky situations

6. Boy - provides a level of idiocy, and therefore hilarity

7. Totter-upper - keeps the scores, needs a mathematical brain of the highest order, an unflappable constitution in cases of dispute, and some rusty, sorry trusty scales

Are you raving for redfins? Craving for chavenders? Pining for pickerels? Wistful for old whiskers?

Wanna take a gander at a big hairy zander?

Join F.O.P - and we'll go a'fishin, instead of just a wishin!

((regardless of what the missus (or indeed, Mr) says))

Jeff

So bad....

...at updating this ( so much news - so little time)

excuse (those reading this !) for my tardiness in updating the news on our blog..

the photo group went extremely well last Tuesday - just a slight panic when we couldn't find the gallery keys though. Around 20 people arrived - the best thing being there was a great variety of knowledge present - students, academics along with people with a keen interest in the medium of photography. All seemed to get something from the evening...the project for next meeting is a self portrait - something Jeff will have no problem with I'm sure!!

I had a meeting with Jane Howard (Emerge Magazine) about the up coming music recital we're arranging for the arts fair weekend - it should be an excellent event. To give a low down on what is happening here goes...

Emma O'Brain (Lock Gallery) is organizing the 2nd Coventry Art Fair, this is taking place on Sunday 15th March - Emma held a very successful fair just before Christmas with over 500 people attending during the day - the times for the event are 11am until 4pm. (www.thelockgallery.co.uk)

Inconjunction with this event we've both arranged for the canal boat (Coventarian) to take people from the Lock Gallery in the canal basin to the Fishbone - its a great way for people to experience all that both galleries have to offer and even better the boat has a bar - yeh hay!! Once in Longford there'll be time to look round the gallery, (Coventry Uni' Applied Arts Exhibition) benefit from our very generous hospitality ( which if you've been to one of our private views, you'll know means fine wine & food) and then (and this is very, very special) pop over the St Thomas's Church for a performance of Bach, Mozart and Lloyd Webber...no no no (don't worry only joking about Mr Wolfgang Amadeus! hehe...) Just to repeat myself, it is going to be very, very special, then to top it off the boat will take people back to the Lock Gallery when another exhibition of Applied Arts is having its private view - what more booze? - 'fraid so - gulp!!
Anyway tickets for the boat trip are available from the normal Coventarian outlets. Will post the links very soon.

The recital will start at around 2pm and should last approx' 1 hour - if you've never been to a classical concert before come along and of course visit the gallery at the same time, we're planning a very informal event and best all its free.

A couple more news items:

Starting next month will be the Fishbone Reading Club and the Fishbone Fine Arts Club - and although Jeff is desperate to arrange one, we wont' be having a Fishbone Fishing Club...just yet!!!

Kate, Jon and I had an excellent meeting with Chris on Thursday - we'll be working with Chris to show his collection of African Art and developing a very exciting project which will be held during October - more on this when we've collated all our ideas - of which there are many...

Till Soon....Judy

Photographers Group at Fishbone

Depict Photography are now running a photographic arts group at the gallery. The group will meet once a month (from 17th february onwards) for all kinds of activities including crit sessions, projects and group discussions around every imaginable aspect of contemporary photography. This is a unique opportunity for anyone interested or currently practicing in photography in the Coventry area to meet new friends, have their say and receive the essential criticism (constructive of course!) that drives all art ideas forwards, and upwards. Come along and contribute!

Tea and biscuits supplied, of course!

Judy

Saturday update

So, with having Thursday as an unexpected day off work (snowbound) I'm refreshed and ready for the world - until next week of course. I've done the right thing and actually bought myself a yearly planner for the wall -I've gained great satisfaction from completing the months with the upcoming shows. As mentioned we've had to re-jig some of the dates but all is looking really great for an exciting year ahead. The student open will be from the 21st June - we're composing a letter to go out to all school as I type this, then after the school open we have the drawing show in which we're inviting submissions from the public, this will commence on the mid July.

Kate is starting her photo club on the 17th February - so if you're an artist who's in need of like minded chat and critique then come along on the 17th - very informal, but constructive. See the events page for more info'

I had a meeting with Emma from the Lock Gallery today, Emma put on a very successful Arts Festival in December and is doing the same on the 15th March. We're working together to showcase the work in both our galleries and to that end are arranging for the narrow boat based at the Canal Basin to run from the Lock Gallery to the Fishbone. I'm also looking into the potential of arranging a recital in the church on the Saturday evening - just in the process of arranging so more of this later. Hopefully we'll have music on the boat also.

Talking of music Jeff and I ventured in areas we dared previously not go last night - drinking pals from the Grey Hound mentioned their friends were playing in the pub over the road from us (The Coach and Horses) so we plucked courage and wandered across. It was a great night - the band (Rewind) were excellent lots of familiar numbers, the pub contrary to our previous belief wasn't too bad -just been taken over by new managers. So once again things are looking up in Longford.

TTFN.....Judy

Let it snow....

OK it's white, it's pretty and it's cold, but does that really mean that the whole of the country has to grind to a stop....yes, it seems it does! hurrah :-) Jeff has reverted back to childhood checking the window every 10 minutes to see if the world has completely stopped. He's soo cheesed off that it hasn't. Yet!

Anyhow enough of this weather trivia, back to the 'real world'...Fishbone news.

Cristina's show has had to be postponed until later in the year - and so we are now in the process of sourcing new artists for the April slot - an opportune meeting with Frieda Van de Poll, who showed us her latest work allowed us to book the light gallery and stairwell with her 'Feast of Beasts' exhibition - more information on this once we have confirmed definite dates. The original reason behind the meeting was to discuss an installation for the new year, the work of which is still in development.

Last Friday's Coventry Telegraph had yet another double page spread of the latest Fishbone exhibition - rock on, Telegraph!!

And finally... for those of you reading this with any kind of soul - to let you know (and pity me) my faithful yet troubled washing machine has finally gone kaput. I spent the whole weekend in the laundry - 8 loads (I kid you not) the owner of the place ended up supplying coffee and cakes I was in there so long - so much for the glamorous world of art.

all for now....Judy