Poet meets crime, Mae offers musical fundraiser and Pink Floyd are lauded
Round-up Lovers of poetry and crime fiction are invited to join London writer and editor Michael Bartholomewbiggs at a special event at Chichester Library on Thursday, March 28, starting at 7.30pm.
Spokesman Barry Smith said: “Michael takes on the mantle of Hercule Poirot to investigate the chilling events around a poetry workshop retreat that ended in murder. Part Agatha Christie style tale and part poetry reading, this entertaining presentation is guaranteed to thrill.
“The library evening also features live music from Zoe Barnett on classical guitar. In the open mic poetry section, local poets are welcome to share their latest poems on any subject and in any style. A huge variety is guaranteed.
“Audiences are promised a stimulating mix of words and music, with a complementary glass of wine in the interval. Readers and listeners equally welcome.
“The event is part of the South Downs Poetry Festival which promotes poetry at pop-up events over the year and across the region at venues from Winchester to Eastbourne.”
Tickets £7 from Chichester Library. Chichester Library, Tower Street, 01243 777351. Part of The South Downs Poetry Festival (www.sdpf. org.uk).
Festival gala concert
The Chichester Festival for Music, Dance & Speech Gala Festival Concert will present many of the most outstanding performances from this year’s festival at 6pm on Sunday, March 31 in the Millennium Hall at Westbourne House School, Coach Road, Chichester, PO20 2GH. Tickets £5 and £1 for children under 16 years from Ackerman Music Shop, West Street, Chichester.
Mae’s music night
Former Bishop Luffa student Mae Lavender is organising a Chichester charity gig to help fund her planned summer trip to Kenya with Voluntary Service Overseas. The gig will be in Chichester’s La Havana on Friday, April 5 at 8pm and will feature Chichester-area performers Dutch Criminal Record, Our Propaganda, Lobster Pot and Dan Coates, all of whom are donating their services for free for the cause.
Mae, aged 19, needs to raise £1,500 to make the trip; she’s nearly a third of the way there and is hoping to make a big impact on the target through the gig. Tickets will be £5 on the door. Mae is hoping for an audience of around a hundred on the night.
Mae applied to Voluntary Service Overseas and was assigned three months in Makueni county.
“I went for interview and group tasks so that they could monitor us and see who was suited to what.
“They run several projects at a time. I am not entirely sure what I will be doing, but they do things like helping people into employment, helping young people into school, encouraging people to start their own business, trying to improve people’s chances of being accepted into employment.
“You have to raise the money to be able to go. Sometimes they might make an exception if they can see that you have really made an effort and haven’t quite got there, but if you don’t put in the effort and don’t get the money, then you don’t go. But I think I am doing quite well so far.”
Mae, who lives on the outskirts of Arundel, did A levels at Bishop Luffa and is currently on a gap year before going to study sociology at the University of Durham.
Pink Floyd tribute
In association with Time Machine Records leading
Pink Floyd tribute band,
Atom Heart Floyd will be performing for the first time in Chichester at the Chichester Inn, 38 West Street, on Saturday, March 30.
Harry Boulter, from Time Machine Records, said: “Atom Heart Floyd will deliver the songs every Pink Floyd fan, young or old, wants to hear from across the entire Floyd catalogue, along with a few extra rarities and album tracks. “A gig by this band, made up of professional musicians, is a special event. We are really lucky that they have agreed to play in such an intimate venue as the Chichester Inn as they usually play much larger venues. Their fantastic musicianship and sound, combined with an exciting visual show will, for just £10 a ticket, deliver an unforgettable aural and visual experience.”
Harry added: “Atom Heart Floyd is made up of four core professional musicians who have individually worked in the music industry for more than 30-years and have a shared passion to reproduce the classic sound of Pink Floyd live.
“The Floyd aficionado of the band is Vernon Grech who is the font of all knowledge on everything Pink Floyd.”
Not only is he an impressive bass player who recreates the baselines of Roger Waters and later Pink Floyd band member Guy Pratt with startling accuracy, but he also has a substantial collection of vinyl records, which is how he came to meet Harry – and the reason the band is coming to play in Chichester.
“Other members of the band are Paul ‘Pabs’ Farrow – guitar and vocals. Paul has worked as both a musician and sound engineer with an eclectic mix of artists including the Stereophonics, Lisa Stanfield, Boy George and Busta Rhymes. The drummer and percussionist is John Lezana, who began his drumming career aged 17 back in 1987 and later formed his own rock covers band.”
Doors open at 8pm for Atom Heart Floyd at the Chichester Inn on Saturday, March 30. Tickets for cost £10 and can be bought in advance from The Chichester Inn on 01243 783185 or on Thursday,
Friday and Saturdays from Time Machine Records, The Almshouse Arcade, The Hornet or on the door on the night if available.