STEKPANNA
7.30pm 6th December 2007
at the Royal British Legion Club, High Street, Deddington.
Tickets £5 from the Secretary on 01869 338325
Email eileenandersonuk@yahoo.co.uk or on the door.
www.stekpanna.com


“Quick-witted and distinctive as ever, what impresses most ... is the sheer range of musical material and reference points that Stekpanna somehow appear to seamlessly enfold within their signature sound.“ (Peter Quinn, Jazzwise)


STOUR SINGERS
CHRISTMAS CONCERT – LATIN- AMERICAN STYLE
Saturday, 8th December 2007 at 7.30pm
St Edmund's Church, Shipston-on-Stour
The coming of Caliche, the distinguished professional South American Folk Group, to Shipston on December 8th 2007 provides a rare opportunity to experience the exuberance of the sacred rhythms of that continent together with the tranquillity of traditional English Christmas choral music - and enjoy plenty of audience participation.
Caliche play instruments such as flutes, panpipes, charangos and mandolins and they combine with Stour Singers to perform two works completed by the Argentinian composer, Ariel Ramirez, in 1964 - Misa Criolla ( Creole Mass) and Navida Nuestra (Our Nativity).
Ramirez was born in 1921 in Santa Fe and trained as a classical pianist. He became fascinated by the rhythms and diversity of creole (native) and gaucho music and carried out an extensive research of the folk traditions Argentina while studying composition in Buenos Aires before embarking on a study of classical music in Madrid, Rome & Vienna. The first public performance of the Misa took place in Dusseldorf in 1967 with Ramirez conducting.
Navidad Nuestra is a depiction of the Mystery of the Incarnation. In six short episodes this evocative Creole folk-tableau covers the Christmas story from the Annunciation to the flight into Egypt. Both works will be sung in Spanish with tenor & baritone solos taken by members of Caliche making this a truly authentic performance. Unmissable.
Tickets £7.50, from choir members, R. Clarke, 27, High St, Shipston, and at the door. (Accompanied children free). www.stoursingers.org.uk
Cantamus of Shipston

With The Orchestra of the Swan
7.30pm Friday 14th December 2007
The Townsend Hall, Shipston-on-Stour
A concert of Christmas music
Including excerpts from Handel's Messiah
Contact: Brian Aspery Tel: 01608 686927


THE WARRINER CHORAL SOCIETY CHRISTMAS CONCERT!

This increasingly popular event returns to the beautiful setting of St Mary's Church, Bloxham, on Saturday 15th December at 7.30pm. This year we shall be joined by the Banbury District Youth Orchestra to offer a medley of carols, readings, and other seasonal music. As always there shall be refreshments during the evening. Please be sure of getting a seat, to join and enjoy this special occasion.
Tickets (£8 and concessions) are available from Bloxham Post Office, One Man Band Banbury, Hayward White Deddington, or on the door.


NORTH COTSWOLD CHAMBER CHOIR
Carol Concert, Saturday 15th December at 7.30pm, St Peter's Church
We're delighted to be making a return visit to St Peter's Church, Hook Norton, for a Christmas concert of festive seasonal items, carols for choir and audience, and the evocative Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten. For this piece we are privileged to be joined by David Watkins, arguably the foremost harpist in the country. David was picked by Sir Georg Solti to be Principal Harpist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and subsequently played with the Royal Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestras…and to top it all, he's a local (he lives in Chipping Norton)! Our programme also includes pieces by Gustav Holst and Eric Whitacre, as well as favourite carols such as Gaudete, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, and Away in a Manger.
We do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a very special occasion.
Tickets, priced £12 / £9 concessions / £4 under 14s / £25 family ticket (up to 3 children under 14 + 2 adults) are available from The Village Shop, or by contacting Paul Cann, John Kay or Jenny Mead.
John Kay


HOOKY PLAYERS

Rehearsals for the pantomime 'Beauty and The Beast' are now well under way. This season's show is directed by Richard Wheelton, with Cate Whitehead as musical director.
The pantomime will take place in the Memorial Hall, Hook Norton with performances at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 23, Thursday 24, Friday 25, Saturday 26 January 2008. There will also be a matinee performance on Saturday 26 January at 2.30 p.m.
The box office will open on Wednesday 2 January and tickets are priced the same as last year - Adults £6-50, with concessions/children at £4-50. These can be obtained, as usual, from Sheila. From past experience we are fortunate to be over-subscribed, so don't delay in reserving your seats ASAP after 2 January 2008.
Brian Rider


SCIENCE OXFORD EXHIBITION
Floodscapes by John Goto
26 November – 11 January, Monday – Friday, 10am to 4pm, Free Entrance
(Closed Monday 24 December - Tuesday 1 January inclusive)
Oxfordshire artist John Goto tackles flooding with an exhibition of stunning and innovative photo-digital collages. Goto explores the use of art as a way of engaging people with the aesthetics of landscape and the issues and options involved in managing and preventing floods in a natural and sustainable way. 1-5 London Place, St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1BD
01865 728953 www.scienceoxford.com events@oxtrust.org.uk


COMPTON VERNEY PRESENTS THE LIFE OF ALICE NEEL
Alice Neel (1900-84), whose work is currently included in The Naked Portrait at Compton Verney, was one of the great portrait painters of the twentieth century, and her paintings make up a fascinating record of New York and America. This new documentary film by her son Andrew Neel, on Sunday 4 November, chronicles her life and work and explores the struggles she faced as a painter who defied convention.
The film is introduced by Jeremy Lewison, critic and writer on Neel's work and former Director of Collections at Tate. He will also contribute to a question and answer session following the film screening. Contact: Ina Cole, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, CV35 9HZ. Tel: 01926 645540 Email: ina.cole@comptonverney.org.uk


SCIENCE OXFORD
Christmas Lecture by Brian Aldiss
Science and Civilisation on Wednesday 5th December 7.30pm
£5/SO Friends £3 Brian Aldiss is one of the UK's most important contemporary novelists. For over half a century his books have explored the impact of science on society. Always insightful and never dull, his description of the history of civilisation is sure to make for a riveting evening.
Science Oxford Film Club: The Day After Tomorrow
Monday 17 December at 7pm, £3/SO Friends Free
Climate Change - The Movie! This rip-roaring adventure set in a world paralysed by global warming is a must for climate change sceptics and eco-warriors alike. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride!
Climate Change: How Will Your Garden Grow?
Tuesday 8 January 7.30pm, £3/SO Friends Free
Our gardens can be places to relax, to entertain, to play, to grow food or simply to enjoy but what does a changing climate mean for our gardens? Join us as Martin Stott explores this issue and considers ways we can tackle some of potential problems our gardens may face and at the same time take advantage of a changing climate.
Sydney's Exciting Urban Wildlife with Oxford Urban Wildlife Group
Wednesday 16 January at 7.30pm, £3/OUWG & SO Friends Free
An illustrated talk on the astonishingly rich wildlife of Sydney, from spectacular sandstone cliffs, to parrots, eucalypts and bottle brushes. Colonisation, farming, fire habitats, alien species and increasingly committed community groups all form part of a dynamic story.
Science Oxford, 1-5 London Place, St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1BD 01865 728953
www.scienceoxford.com events@oxtrust.org.uk


SPRING FROG RACING IN HOOKY
The Friends of Hook Norton School are endlessly inventive and, not content with the normal ways of raising money, we are planning a Frog-racing Night in the New Year. Curious? More details soon, but it involves betting – so be ready to spring into action.
Other highlights to come soon include a gig with Dave Newman's new rock covers band. And in the summer, we're planning a wine-tasting event and a family BBQ. Planning further ahead, there will be an auction of promises in Spring 2009, so please start thinking about what you can pledge.
Thanks to all those concerned for helping with the Bags for School scheme, which has raised £160 (all funds currently collected go towards a new school mini-bus). Thanks also to those who attended and offered cooking instructions at the very successful Ladies Night on November 16. We're hoping for a good boost to funds to come from the Christmas Fayre on November 30.
Finally, particularly for those who can't wait for the frog-racing, please consider joining the School Lottery, which offers great prizes at the monthly draw and really helps our fund-raising. Details from the school office. Happy Christmas to all our supporters and helpers.


CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT
On Friday November 9th, music lovers listened to a concert in St Peters church given by the classical guitar players of Duo Nocturne.
They are Brian Penny and Rebecca Clifford who played a range of works from what they called the "golden age" of the guitar in the 19th century. They live in Banbury where they teach and from where they perform all over the country.
For those interested in learning more about them, they have a web site at www.duonocturne.co.uk and a phone number of 01295-271900.
John Morris


THEATRE – A RANDOM REVIEW
We could almost think Hook Norton is at the hub of theatre land.
Here we are surrounded by a strong regional theatre providing plays to suit every taste – many on tour after London's West-End or on their way to the Capital. However the backbone is the touring companies; those visiting Chipping Norton Theatre or The Mill at Banbury as well as the grander venues such as Oxford, Coventry or Cheltenham.
I thought an occasional comment on plays seen might whet the appetite – especially for those who have lost the habit of theatre-going.
In all this I do not forget the thriving local amateur drama groups, including our own Hooky Players, who produce some wonderful plays to a very high standard.
This past month has been especially enjoyable. It started with a visit to the Cheltenham Everyman Theatre to see the National Theatre production of Alan Bennett's “History Boys” – a group outing by Hook Norton Literature Group. The film is good – the play better (perhaps our lunch at the theatre helped!), as Bennett humorously draws on his own experiences of being a Grammar School boy preparing for a scholarship to Oxford. As so often the case it was the youngsters, as the “history boys”, who stole the show.
Another great living playwright, believe it or not he has written 70 plays, is Alan Ayckbourn. The refurbished Royal & Derngate at Northampton staged its own production of his “Time of My Life”. A typical Ayckbourn; a family celebration exposes inner secrets, failings & frustrations – yet you laugh. It was not one of his best nevertheless – but then if you write that number of plays they cannot all be winners – the man himself said that!
Another theatre that has undergone refurbishment, now including a very attractive restaurant, is the Belgrade at Coventry. Now this was a real treat. Eighty-one year old Warren Mitchell playing the part of an even older octogenarian in Jeff Baron's “Visiting Mr Green”. Following a traffic incident in New York a young man has to do six months community service by visiting Mr Green once a week. Their developing relationship is wonderfully portrayed – nor is young David Sturzaker upstaged by Warren Mitchell – but this chance to see what a fine actor “Alf Garnet” really is, was quite something.
Finally, and nearer to home, was the Hampshire-based Phoenix Theatre Company's production of “Jane Austen – An Elegant Portrayal” at The Mill Arts Centre Banbury. Three actors really did, elegantly, portray Miss Austen as well as her characters in extracts from “Pride & Prejudice” and “Persuasion”. The versatility of the performers, with minimum props, filled me with admiration – watch out if they return to The Mill.
John Wheatley



Music at the Crossroads 2008
Hot News ….. Hot News ….. Hot News ……..
For M@C12 next year on July 5th 2008, we are proud, and very excited to announce that our headline act will be:

The Manfreds


This top class band, features Paul Jones (also a Radio2 DJ) and Mike D'Abo, plus original members Tom McGuiness and Mike Hugg
– from the Manfred Mann band.

The Manfreds have an amazing catalogue of hits from the 60's and 70's including : 'Do Wah Diddy', 'Mighty Quinn', '5-4-3-2-1', 'Pretty Flamingo', 'Sha La La', 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now' …….and loads more. Check out their website and hear their hits on: www.themanfreds.com

2008 promises to be extra appealing so to ensure the village have first offer on tickets, we are aiming to offer lower priced advanced tickets for village residents in the spring. These will be available in time for our Spring Kick-off Event, look out for details in future village newsletters. 

A reminder that next year's Music at the Crossroads will be on
Saturday 5th July 2008.
www.hookymusic.co.uk