The Steel Pans
The Steel Pans Firstly, for those less familiar with my business, some introductions. We have played at a wide variety of events from School Fetes to barbecues, charity functions, birthday parties, anniversaries and even wedding receptions. These have been at many different locations such as the South African High Commission in Trafalgar Square London, Dorking Halls, Sandown Race Course, and Lydford in Devon. We even performed for the turning on of the Christmas Lights in Croydon !! The exciting part about performing is never knowing where the next performance will be. Of course it is not just the performing, I also teach children at the Dawnay, Eastwick and Oakfield Junior Schools and two groups of adults on a Tuesday evening at Bookham Baptist Church. The children often get the chance to perform at their own school’s music concerts and then the Grange invite us to perform for their festival every year too. They also play in the arena at Village Day which is amazing as they have often never met each other let alone played together before. 'Pantastic' has also managed to donate over £1,000 to charity over the last 4 years. World Vision, Gasp, The Caron Keating Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Facing the World and HCPT – the Pilgrimage Trust have all benefited from donations which have been deducted from our fees to perform. On Good Friday this year 'Pandemonium' played all day at the Mall in Camberley and raised over £400 in total for my niece’s special school, Beacon Hill in Wallsend. Starting 'Pantastic' was the best thing I ever did. I love teaching the children and adults and listening to them play. I love finding new pieces and hearing them transformed by the Steel Pans. Recently 'Pandemonium' has been working on the epic 'Bohemiam Rhapsody' and will have finished it by the time you read this. They may have also learned my arrangement of the theme from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' On the other hand my adults will be playing Pachebel’s Canon, Vivaldi’s Autumn or Quando, Quando, Quando. Such variety makes a job that you could never get bored of, however one day my body may say enough is enough. Carrying the pans in and out of the school music rooms and to various venues may one day be too much. Until that time I shall ensure that as many people who wish to hear our music or learn will have the opportunity to do so. Should you be interested in either playing or hiring the band for your event or workshop please contact Nicola Fairey at nicky@crazyaboutpans.co.uk or call 01372 801063. For further details of the band visit www.crazyaboutpans.co.uk
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I felt it was about time that I wrote another article about the Steel Pans as I notice that the last one was in 2006. So much has happened since then it is difficult to know where to start.
Having read the previous Bookham Bulletin I feel the need for some clarification. There seems to be a little confusion over the various names involved with my work – Panasonic ? - the Pantastics?? 'Pantastic' is the name of my business and in 2006 a group of adults who wanted to perform was named the 'Pantastic Players'. I also selected a group of talented children and called them 'Pandemonium'. Both groups have played at nearly 100 gigs over the past 4 years and have bookings every week, throughout this summer, sometimes three in one weekend.
There have been annual invitations like the Scouts’ Carols in St Nicolas’ Church where the unusual sound of carols being performed on steel pans can be heard, or the Community Entertains show, for which I became producer in 2008, and then Village Day where we perform on the back of a Tiger Timber’s lorry.