| A few recordings of Peter Billam over the years . . . |
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A couple of tracks from Continuum's album of 1971. Overdraft Pavanne I'm playing guitar and bass, organ is Tim Rice (not the same Tim Rice as Andrew Lloyd Webber's lyricist !), Yoel Schwarz plays flute, saxophone and classical guitar. See also the first six reviews ... |
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The second photo is of a gig we played I think at Southampton Uni in 1972, with Mike Giles standing in as drummer. No recording, unfortunately . . . |
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New !
In 1973 Continuum played at The Lobster Pot in
Instow, North Devon.
The Lobster Pot was run by John Bromley Oliver, who, alas, died in 2021. This was probably the last gig that Continuum played, and I think it was the best. I'd been trying to push us to become more improvisational. Tim Rice is on organ, myself on guitar and bass, and Phil Edwards on drums. I first heard this recording nearly 50 years later ! in March 2022. On the tape, the organ tends to be too quiet and the drums are often loud ... 01_333322, 02_bluesoid, 03_giant_jam, 04_browns_ferry_blues, 06_heavy_to_sixes_and_sevens, 08_toccata_and_boogie |
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In Biel, I played mostly classical guitar,
in particular in a duo, accompanying tenor Franz Anderegg.
These are some lo-fi recordings from a small concert in 1978.
Come away come sweet love (John Dowland) Pupille arciere (Giovanbatista de Gagliano) Tod und das Mädchen (Franz Schubert) The scores of the arrangements are available at: englishsongs, italiansongs and schubertsongs. |
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Before Continuum, I played fingerpicking guitar
and sang in the folk clubs of London.
After Continuum, living in Switzerland,
I wrote some songs for my former singer-songwriter self,
and recorded two of them. I Must Leave You Now I Remember Quite Well The island mentioned is, in my case, Formentera. The sound quality is not great ; they were recorded on 2-track tape, but were digitised from a 4-track-stereo machine, which only reads the edge of each track. Around that time my first compositions were being played : Concert Study for piano four hands, played by Urs-Peter Schneider and Erika Rademacher, in February 1980. Amazing how much like Conlon Nancarrow it sounds, though I didn't know his work at the time. Sadhana as performed by the Edward Tarr Brass Quintet and the Dorian Wind Quintet in a Studio de Musique Contemporaine concert at the Salle ERA in Geneva in March 1980, conducted by Jacques Guyonnet. It's very much Tibet-meets-Modernity . . . The original score is now available |
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Course Piece
from the Electronic Music class I was teaching
at the Tasmanian Conservatorium in 1984.
I wrote the "bass line" on a DX7,
and everybody collected the sounds
and learned how to splice tape.
Thanks to all involved !
Jane Franklin Consort
singing Kodaly's Jesus and the Traders
at the Hobart Town Hall in May 1990.
Sopranos: Stephanie Abercromby, Charlotte McKercher ;
altos: Beth Coombe, Joan Wright ;
tenors: Mark Irwin, Brian Yates ;
basses: Peter Billam, John Panckridge.
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Two solos that I played in a
Hobart Society of Recorder Players concert at the
Bond Store in September 1990.
Tir Na Nog, a traditional Irish tune Wat zalmen op den Avond doen, by Jakob van Eyck. They were recorded on casette, so, again, the sound quality is not great. |
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Recently I've taken up fingerpicking guitar again :
Day at the Seaside by John Renbourne The London Rag which I wrote way back in 1968 Anji by Davey Graham Veronica by Bert Jansch Jovano Jovanke from Macedonia More recordings will follow from Folk Guitar Solos and Guitar Pieces |
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Playing Good Old Days
from the
Pieces for Guitar
for Deidree and Peter in July 2023 |
See: compositions, arrangements, interview, mus/, peterbillam.fastmail.com.user.fm