Ive been confirmed to perform at Arts Fest the UK’s biggest FREE arts festival on Friday September 10th at 8pm in the rather amazing venue of the Industrial Gallery at the Birmingham Musem and Art Gallery.

Hearing the rich tones of my digital piano reverberating through that kind of space should be pretty amazing – looking forward to this one.

My first gig for top Birmingham music promoters Capsule was a great pleasure yesterday.

For my set, I was a little taken aback at first by how quiet the audience were – very attentive and polite.  Probably because it was in a pub – albeit in the venue room of what is certainly one of Birmingham’s very bext music pubs – I suppose I expected it to be more lively – but actually the gentle mood suited the line up very well.

If the Capsule ladies ask me back, I may well with what was my first thought for this gig – since attendees at a Capsule gig are likely to be fairly seriously into music -  and take the chance to do a fully instrumental set, but instead I played what is currently my established set for acoustic nights and such – mostly my songs, with just a couple of my instrumentals.

Next Up – Friendly Fire built on the chilled mood, with moments of intensity and neat combination of modern, geekdom and classic 70s American folk rock.

Finally Phosphorescent took the stage – not totally at their ease for several songs, perhaps in part due to having travelled down from Glasgow in the day and arriving a bit late – but their relationship with the crowd progressed as the night went on.   Some superb musicianship was on display from all six members, comprising piano, soulful lead guitar, beautiful and haunting pedal steel as well as bass, drums and rhythm.

The sound was amazing – a great PA in there with Bartram ably and assuredly handling the controls as always.

Here’s a good review of the show, with pics by Katya Ogrin (one of which Ive borrowed for this post) over on brumlive.com

Really looking forward to my first gig for local promoter heroes Capsule on Saturday June 5th at the Hare and Hounds Kings Heath.

For those that may not already know, the Capsule ladies have a exceptional 10 year hisory of running extremely good concerts and also the Supersonic Festival – two of Birmingham’s finest.

On this occasion, I’ll be supporting Phosphorescent – an interesting touring outfit from America with a very nice line folky americana.

They are based around the work of Brooklyn, NY resident Mathew Houck and have released several albums to critical acclaim, offering something to fans of Dylan, Willie Nelson or the Fleet Foxes.

They are supported by Forest Fire – whose album Survival was one of Rough Trades top ten albums of last year.

I’ll be happily propping up the bill (so get there nice and early as I’ll be up soon after the 8pm start) tickets are £10 from the ticket sellers – but I have a deal where there first 10 people to email me a reply can get tickets for only £7 – so drop me a line asap if you can make it and I’ll sort you out.
Xx

Very pleased to discover that my track Namaste is featured in an Imix of Birmingham music, alongside some really top drawer artists such as the Destroyers and Soweto Kinch.

Its a really good mix of styles and good quality, so if you fancy a sampler of music in Birmingham, well worth a go I reckon:

I’ve been a bit of a seeker for many years and lately – in the last four years or so, have found Buddhism – particularly as taught by the recently renamed Triratna Buddhist Order – to be a very fertile ground for my journey.

In that spirit I’d like to share a few quotes I’ve come across that have struck me, from Subhuti a Triratna Order member, taken from a recent talk at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre (I’m paraphrasing slightly):

“Skillful action leads to a sense of fulfillment and a smoother, happier life.  Unskillful action leads to inner pain, and possibly outer, too.  In this way, morality is built into the universe.”

This is one way of looking at the essence of Buddhism, which Subhuti also refers to as “a radical exposure of the fundamental mutability of things”.

Interestingly, the Birmingham centre is kind of the hotbed of the Order, (tho this may soon change) – currently it is home to Sangharakshita, the founder of what is now a world-wide movemment, and also Dharmapala College – “a collaborative enquiry into reality and open-handed sharing of understanding and experience”.

In founding what was then called the Western Buddhist Order in 1968, Sangharakshita had a very radical idea – to create the nucleus of a new society – one not based on needs, but a free association of individuals with a common commitment to personal development.

My spiritual progress is very much just that – a work in progress, so I’ll close this post on a very reassuring quote from Subhuti taken from the same talk as the one above -”spiritual progress unfolds of its own accord, once one has reached a certain level of momentum”.  Something to look foward to then!

By the way – you can listen to the whole talk for free (or voluntary donation on the amazing web resource Free Buddhist Audio).
Xx

The calming and sophisticated sounds of Classically Chilled Piano can provide the perfect musical accompaniment to your wedding, gallery opening, private party or corporate event.

Rich Batsford performs his unique and beautiful piano compositions creating a mood that’s relaxed, pleasant and timeless. Sets feature Rich’s original music alongside selections from Classic FM favourite Ludovico Einaudi and occasional forays into the wider classical repertoire.

Rich’s pieces are uplifting, beautiful and romantic, making his music a popular choice for performance during wedding ceremonies as well as providing ambient entertainment for wedding meals or receptions.

Key public performances and corporate clients to date include The Big Chill Festival, Gigbeth Festival, Amnesty International, Moseley CDT.

A great introduction to Rich’s music is the Gudonya edit at the top of www.richbatsford.com/music

Many venues will have a piano on site, but Rich also plays a portable Roland FP4 digital piano with a wonderful sound, featuring inbuilt speakers suitable for smaller venues and very easy to amplify for the larger occasion.

Rich is based in Birmingham UK and is available to travel worldwide.

If you’d like to make a booking or simply chat over some options, please do contact me direct by email and I’ll get right in touch.

“Thank you very much for playing your beautiful music during our meal. As a wedding photographer, I see a lot of different musicians and artists and can say with all honesty you rank alongside the best pianists I’ve ever heard. All the guests commented on how the music created a wonderful atmosphere. Not only was it beautifully played but also fantastic to have original tunes. I’ll be sure to recommend you to everyone I meet.”
Steve & Sarah Causon, Ardencote Manor 2010