Return to the Centre of the Earth - Live in Quebec!
The announcement is now official for the premiere of Rick's Return to the Centre of the Earth, on June 30, in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada. See the official announcement at. Narration and sons will be performed in French. According to the SRC (CBC in French), there may be other dates if the event is a success!
From: From: JEAN-PIERRE BISSONNETTE [jean-pierre.bissonnette@UMontreal.CA] - May 4http://www.artvocal.com/wakeman/wakeman.htm
The venue is outdoors, and there are about 4000 seated places; other standing only tickets are available
Have fun!
Jean-Pierre Bissonnette****************************************
WORLD PREMIERE OF “Return to the Centre of the Earth”
From: L'International de l'artvocal [artvocal@qc.aira.com] May 11Rick Wakeman will be at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada for the world premiere of “Return to the Centre of the Earth” on June 30th at 21h00 during the festival International de l’art vocal de Trois-Rivières. The show will take place in the Champlain Park, downtown Trois-Rivières. For the show, Rick Wakeman will perform with Luck Mervil and Fabiola Toupin, Bernard Fortin for the narration, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières and l’Ensemble Vocalys as the choir. Only the narration will be translated in french, the songs will be in unabridged version. For information, please visit the web site of the event at: www.artvocal.com or call (819) 372-4635
To buy tickets, call 1-866-416-9797 or (819) 380-9797.
For lodging, call 1-800-268-1133 or (819) 376-1991Posters and t-shirts will be sold the day of the show. Be there to get them! www.artvocal.com
*****************************************
Rick is coming with his band...
From: L'International de l'artvocal [artvocal@qc.aira.com] - May 16For the world premiere of "Return to the Center of the Earth" at Trois-Rivières, province of Québec, Canada, Rick Wakeman will perform with Adam Wakeman, Tony Fernandez, Ant Glynn and Lee Pomeroy. That will be a wonderful show!!!
We will also sell special edition t-shirts and posters for the occasion of "Return to the Center of the Earth" the evening of the show. A special "souvenir" to absolutely get...
Have a nice day... Here we are very anxious, what about you?
Geneviève de Montigny
In charge of communications
International de l'art vocal de Trois-Rivières
(819) 372-4635 or www.artvocal.comTo buy tickets: 1-866-416-9797 or (819) 380-9797
For lodging: 1-800-268-1133 or (819) 376-1991*****************************************
Art vocal in music
From: Genevive de Montigny [artvocal@qc.aira.com] - May 18Hi everybody,
our web site is now available and we also add an extract of "Return to the Centre of the Earth" cd. That is so exciting! The Wakeman show is now in a little bit more than five weeks.... Have you bought your tickets?? You could also, by reaching us, have information about lodging and the city of Trois-Rivières...Geneviève de Montigny
In charge of communications
International de l'art vocal de Trois-Rivières (819) 372-4635 or www.artvocal.comTickets: 1-866-816-9797 or (819) 380-9797
Lodging: 1-800-268-1133 or (819) 376-1991*******************************************
Art vocal in music
From: progman five [atanos12@hotmail.com] - May 18really cool presentation! I found it at http://www.artvocal.com/wakeman/animation/wakeman.html
Genevieve, can you tell us more about the 2 singers and the narrator? Most of us on the list are not familiar with them.
Rick Wakeman - Theatre 't Spant, Bussum, NL - 28 April 2001From: : Jon Hinchliffe [jon@praying-mantis.com] - May 4
A bit slow on this one but never mind.Well what a bargain this was my chance to see two great keyboard players in one day. Also it was potentially the last time I could see Rick in a one-man show format.
I had already seen Erik Norlander do a great but short set with Lana Lane and Ayreon's Arjen Lucassen. Now it was Rick's turn I must admit I wondered how he would compare. Norlander uses a really great Analogue Rig and I am sure even Eduardo would love his sounds. I get the impression Erik isn't fingers flying like Rick though.
People who like Rick might be disappointed by the sound he used so it would be interesting to see what people thought.
The two shows were actually part of the 8th Alfa-Centauri Music Festival. The other acts had been very Ambient to me boring so these two shows were the only two of interest to me and apparently they were a change to the normal format of the festival which had been in a small venue previously. It had been a big risk for the promoters but hopefully it had paid off.
The main stage was situated in a hall holding about a 1000 people. It wasn't completely full and in my view people were not sitting on the best seats. Most chose to sit in the centre but I was on the raised side seats and this gave me one of the best views I have ever had at a Rick gig. I was on the Left hand side and just above keyboard height so I could see what Rick was doing. His Piano keyboard was had the keys pointing almost directly at me so I had a great view of that too. I hadn't appreciated how fast Rick's fingers move even in some of the slower Piano Songs.
The Hall was almost square in size and there was an upstairs but I didn't check out what the seating was like up there.
Rick playing along to Pachebel (Cannon In D Major) opened the proceedings this time
Rick said hello to the audience as he moved to his main Rig and said he normally tells lots of stories but tonight he had promised to pack in as much music as possible. He then said he had written 6 Wives back in 1972 when he was 11. I thought hold on surely that won't work in Holland they wouldn't know what the punch line of 11 stones meant (A Stone is a unit of 14 pounds weight). Perhaps Rick thought the same because he just said, "mmm perhaps you don't believe me." I wonder if old habits die hard or if that is what he intended saying. Anyway we then got Catherine Howard and Aragon in the form of The Catherine Suite.
Rick said he was going to tell one story and that this was the last of a one-man show he had been doing for about 4 years. He then told the story of the Knickers signing and the old ladies in the East of England. This in fact went over very well with the crowd. Rick did speak in Pigeon English a bit but it was pretty much the normal telling.
Rick then did Hymn and Julia from 1984. Next Rick mentioned how Birdman of Alcatraz had been written because he was recording with Yes and Chris Squire was 5 hrs late. He then of course played it. There were no bird noises in this, this time.
The venue really liked their dry ice and the kept it topped up through out the show to keep the lighting Atmosphere right. And the lighting was very good for a Rick show but at times the dry Ice did get rather thick and it seemed to choke Rick a little.
Rick next introduced the No Earthly Connection Medley saying it was one of the most hated pieces by the press but equally the most requested by the fans. We then got an excellent solo performance of this. Now I don't remember seeing Rick do this totally solo before so this was special for me. The last tour Ramon Remedios was singing the main lines so I got to puzzling as to weather Rick had had to rearrange it much and weather he could do all the parts. At one point I did think Rick's hands had been late moving so I wonder if he had a sequence going for the main vocal line. It would be most unusual if Rick had as he normally is very against this and will use a CD backing for say Pachebel and Dance Of A 1000 lights. I watched as hard as I could but I was not able to decide one way or the other. In no other song did I have this doubt as to weather Rick was able to generate everything I heard himself. I really did love being able to see Rick playing so clearly and was so pleased at my seat. Incidentally there was no fixed seating. The crowd left the hall after each performance so it was always first come first served.
During the No Earthly Suite Rick lost the Right side of his keyboard monitors. He therefore had to get the crowd to call Stuart to come and do a repair and while Stuart did so he decided to tell the Jane Seymour Story. This was going very well and then half way through with Stuart behind the monitors still working Rick cut the story short with only the roof having been mentioned. I guess Rick thought Stuart was finished but of course the crowd knew he wasn't. Rick decided he might as well play Jane Seymour with just one Monitor anyway. Luckily Stuart got it sorted it fairly quickly during the piece and it didn't affect the house sound at all.
After The Ball got a brief version of the normal intro and then the normal performance on the Piano. All of the stories seemed to get the usual laughs so the Dutch must be very good at English.
And You And I and Wondrous Stories just got the usual tease of "I thought long and hard about the set and wondered if I should do some Yes pieces.
and I decided not to". Rick's hair is really flowing now. He is starting to look like he did back in 1985 again. He was also not in his usual stage clothes tonight just dark Jeans and a shirt.
Dance of a 1000 Nights had the intro explaining it had an orchestra on it etc and they didn't appear to have turned up tonight so we would have to imagine they were just out of sight. I got the impression Rick started earlier than normal on this one.
Rick seemed generally healthy considering he was just back from a tour of South America. After some of the faster pieces he did look slightly pleased to have got to the end. But then again even after slow piece he often seems to pause for a moment of reflection before turning round to accept the crowds applause.
To end the set we got Eleanor Rigby with it's usual intro. I said I was bored of seeing this last time. I am but I do still think it a cracking track.
For the Encore Rick did Merlin. The crowd Participation version. The lady chosen really did look terrified. It was an excellent end to an excellent show.
I think everyone enjoyed it and I was glad I had been there to see it one last time. (For now).
It has to be said I was really worried about writing this review as I had left it for 5 days due to fatigue and then fear of not remembering much. It seems I managed to get back into my normal flow though. Sorry :-)
Jon
Rick's curry attack in CamberlyFrom: Bruce T [btreadwe@maine.rr.com] - May 5
If you never heard Rick's story of the curry attack in Camberly [ 1985?] then go here http://home.maine.rr.com/aaaragon/curry_attack.mp3 about 3 1/2 megs, and about 3 minutes long.
From: Martin Kornick [kingdom@interaccess.com] - May 8
Rick Wakeman show in Brazil on the web! 2 hours streaming! http://www.ajato.tv.br/videoteka_show.shtml
From: progman five [atanos12@hotmail.com] - May 18
You must mean Maria Lucia's Wakeman page, there are over 100 pictures there. http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/dylan/799/fotosabril2001.htm
From: Martyn Collier [martyn_collier@hotmail.com] - May 19
As Chris said this was a great show and the band were both very good and actually looked as though they were enjoying themselves. It was great to meet some people from the list, I wonder how many others I walked past we will have to get name tags or arrange to meet up at one of the future shows. I have put some photo's on the web, if you are interested they are at: http://www.churchdown.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Rick/Fowey2001/index.htm
Through the Keyhole on televisionFrom: ProgressForum website [tizwin@progress.freeserve.co.uk] - May 21
Today on BBC 1 television, Rick is scheduled to appear in yet another edition of _Through The Keyhole_ starting at 2:55PM British time.Other panellists are Kevin Woodford + Anne Charleston.
Tiz
tizwin@progress.freeserve.co.uk
ProgressForum website (reviews, + plenty of Wakeman CDs, tapes)
www.geocities.com/progressforum/
From: Riethmeier, Ray [Ray.Riethmeier@westgroup.com] - May 21
This is after the fact, but it is still interesting to see that "The New Gospels" continues to be performed.(The following is copied from...)
http://ourworld.cs.com/_ht_a/frcdepps/parishmagazine.html?mtbrand=CS_US#Newsin Brief'CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR' BY WESLEY CHURCH. MILLBROOK
About the middle of last year (2000) we were introduced to the 'New Gospels' by Rick Wakeman. We started off by singing different parts at the beginning of our Sunday evening fellowship meetings. The interest grew as did the enjoyment of the singing, things began to 'gel' and so it was decided that perhaps this was something that we could 'put on' as a group. We agreed to give it 'a go', so..... It has been necessary to adapt it so that it could fit into a reasonable time slot for people to be able to sit and listen comfortably to. We have also brought some musicians into join us, this has meant that we are enjoying some quite different types of music. We also needed someone who could plan the adaptation and move it forward and at the same time also be responsible for leading us in our rehearsals! In this role we are pleased to have the talents of Mr. 'Tony' Harris, who has guided and encouraged us in believing that we can achieve and put on a successful rendition that we have entitled; 'Christ Our Saviour'.We are putting this on at 7.30 p.m. on the following dates, 10th., 11th., 12th. of May 2001., at WESLEY CHURCH, MILLBROOK. If you are planning to come and hear us please ring 01752815911 and talk to Jim Proctor about dates and numbers in your groups/party. This is so we can fit everyone in over the three evenings, we have a maximum capacity of approx. 190 people. We would want as many of you to come and share with us in this venture, even if this is the kind of activity that you may not normally enjoy, you could be pleasantly surprised. We offer you a very warm welcome. If it is not possible for you to join us, then we ask you to pray for us, that each of these performances will be successful and that the message contained in 'Christ Our Saviour' will enter the hearts of all who listen and participate.
