Monthly Meeting Recap – December 2022

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Greetings Guitar Fans,

We had a wonderful night of guitar music at our final 2022 monthly GSSO meeting last night at Paschal Winery in Talent.  We had approximately 25 people in attendance enjoying wine and festivities of the season (Paschal was beautifully decorated for the holidays).

PROGRAM:

  1. John Swinnerton, GS # 8 – original composition, Jazz Night – original composition
  2. Steve Bismarck, Christmas Time Is Here – Vince Guaraldi, El Noi de la Mare – Traditional, arranged by Llobet
  3. Francesco Palmer, Piscian Revelations – personal composition, Neptunian Visions – personal composition 
  4. Peter Jespersen, Two Etudes from Landscape – Gulli Bjorson (Iceland) 

Intermission

  1. Brian Parris Please Come Home for Christmas – Charles Brown, Who Will Watch the Home Place – Kate Long, Laurie Lewis 
  2. Arturo Ville Melody of Christmas Carols (plus bonus encore!)

ANNOUNCEMENTS/BUSINESS:

Jennifer Babineaux announced our next concert, Jâca, a clarinet and classical guitar duo who will be in town for a Britt Education residency to visit local schools March 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and performing a concert for GSSO at Grizzly Peak Winery on Friday, March 3rd.  Tickets will go on sale in January and may sell out.  Check out Jâca at www.jacamusic.com

We held our annual board elections.  In addition to the 4 current board members (Matt Dorris, Grant Ruiz, Jennifer Babineaux and Ryan Alexander) the GSSO membership unanimously elected Peter Jespersen to the GSSO Board.

Arturo Ville announced that the fundraiser for the new classical guitar class at Grants Pass High School had been successful, and he had raised enough money to purchase 10 guitars, as well as receiving 6 donated guitars. Arturo handed thank you cards to three GSSO members that had donated guitars to the program:  Steve Bismark, Peter Jespersen and Jennifer Babineaux.  

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.  The next meeting will be January 12th.  

Cheerfully submitted,  
Jennifer Babineaux
Veterinarian by day, amateur classical guitar player by night
Treasurer, GSSO

Monthly Meeting Recap – November 2022

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Dear Guitar Fans:

We had a wonderful gathering Thursday, November 10 Paschal Winery in Talent, with about 25 people in attendance.

PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – CG & Paschal (originals)
Steve Bismarck – Farewell by Sergio Assad, Dindi by Antonio Carlos Jobim 
Matt Bock – Siciliana by M. Carcassi, Etude by N. Coste
Francesco Palmer – Muldrake Overature (original)
Brian Parris – Travelers by Tim O’Brien/Allesandro Massa, Angel by Sarah Mclaulachlin

Intermission

Ryan Alexander – The Song of Campostela (anon.), The Swan by C. Saint Saens (arr. Kazuhito Yamashita)
Grant Ruiz – Wild Mountain Thyme by William McPeake (trad. Scottish), Milonga del Angel by Astor Piazzolla (arr. Baltazar Beníez)
Arturo Ville – Cavatina by Stanley Meyer, Variations on Mozart’s Magic Flute by Sor 
Matt Dorris – Canción de Cuna by L. Brouwer, Mysterious Habitats by Dusan Bogdanovic

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Be sure to get your tickets for the Flamenco concert this Friday night at Grizzly Peak. Flamenco guitarist, singer, and pianist Diego Amador will be here from Spain performing with Seattle-based Savannah Fuentes. Diego is the real deal and an absolutely memorizing, heartfelt performer. You can get information and tickets at grizzlypeakwinery.com/events/.

Arturo Ville is playing a concert tomorrow night (Thursday, Nov. 17) at 7:00 p.m. at Grants Pass High School to raise funds to buy guitars for the guitar program he teaches there. Click here to see the flyer.

Brian Parris is hosting a guitar gathering at his property in Grants Pass this Saturday (Nov. 19) at 4:00 p.m. Click here to see the flyer.

Linda Dewhurst is selling her Manuel Rodriguez classical guitar at an excellent price ($600). Click here to see the flyer.

Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
Flamenco and classical guitarist
Secretary, GSSO
flamencopacifico.com
duoflamenco.com
541-261-3811

Monthly Meeting Recap – October 2022

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We had a glorious time at Paschal on Thursday, Oct. 13 with 14 performers giving wonderful performances and well over 40 people in attendance.

PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – GuitarSociety 21 (original domposition)
Bob Bath – Hyme de l’Amour (Piaf/Monnot)
Brian & Andi Rockholt –  There’s Something About a Beach (Andi Matthews)
Steve Bismarck – Doralice (Dorival Caymi arr. Joao Gilberto)
Francesco Palmer – Owed to Autumn (Francesco Palmer)
Brian Parris – You Don’t Know Me (Cindy Walker)

~ Intermission ~

Grant Ruiz – Granadinas (trad. flamenco)
Grant and Mary La – Milonga (Astor Piazzolla arr. Grant)
Steve Berman & Steve Skaggs on nyckel harpa Turkish kanun – Uskadara (Turkish folk song)
Mark Turnbull – In The Wind (original xomposition)
Arturo Ville – Asturias (Isaac Albeniz)
Matt Dorris – Aria & Variations (Fernando Sor)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Grant gave a brief retrospective on the society’s history. Joe Thompson also spoke and presented the society with a generous check donation in memory of his mother Murel Wilson, with contributions by several members of his family.

Jennifer Babineaux arranged a fabulous cake in the shape and design of a classical guitar by Mrs. Card’s Cakes in Jacksonville.

Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming GSSO Nov. 13 matinee concert at the SOU Recital Hall featuring the amazing Yuri Liberzon. You can get more information and tickets from our website, guitarsocietyso.org, or by going directly to the Eventbrite ticket page. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/classical-guitar-concert-tickets-398622228817)

Grant will perform with members of the Portland Opera on Saturday, Oct. 22 in a presentation regarding the Opera Carmen, which the opera is staging in November. The presentation will take place at the Tigard Public Library (Tigard Public Library
13500 SW Hall Blvd.) at 2pm. He will play duets with Dan Fellman at Belle Fiore Winery on Sunday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

Brian Parris is creating a performance space on his property and will give it a trial run. Stay tuned!

Flamenco dancer Linda Andrade is starting a new round of beginning dance classes on Saturdays at Oak St. Dance Studios in Ashland, beginning Oct. 22. Beginning classes start at 1pm. Grant accompanies these classes, where you can find out more about the rhythms of this profound art form. Please contact Linda at matadoraflamenca@gmail.com, and tell a friend!