It was a beautiful Summer’s day when Phoenix members headed for the Isle of Wight recently for their second concert tour.
We were there by kind invitation of the Island’s Wight Sax for two joint concerts. But first, there was some sightseeing to do! Armed with a set of driving instructions from Wight Sax Chair Lynn Peppitt, on Saturday morning we set off from Shanklin to Ventnor to take in some of the sights, before heading to the Island’s capital, Newport, for a short pop up concert. Then it was over to the lovely village of Bembridge for a late lunch at the Harbour View Cafe and a quick walk along the beach, before our first joint concert with Wight Sax at Bembridge Village Hall, followed by drinks together at the nearby Propellor Inn.
With free time on Sunday morning, several members headed off to Osborne House, while others chose to explore Shanklin village and two took a dip in the pool at the Eastmount Hall Hotel, where we were staying. The gorgeous sunny afternoon really brought out the crowds for our next solo performance at Shanklin’s Rylstone Gardens, before we headed back into Newport for our final joint concert with Wight Sax at the stunning Newport Minster.
With 26 saxophones on stage, we made a truly rousing sound which went down a storm with the large, appreciative audience at the Minster. Some of our members were also delighted to catch up Dave Plummer, AKA StaxofSax, an old friend from back home in Leicestershire who, having moved to the Island seven years ago, is now Wight Sax’s Honorary President and was performing with them on soprano that evening.
On Monday, it was time to head home, but not before a quick visit to Carisbrooke Castle and a final rendezvous with our hosts at Briddlesford Farm for lunch.
With the Isle of Wight being famous for its red squirrels, we were delighted to bring this little fella home with us, a lovely gift from Wight Sax. And as you can see, he has already been recruited to the tenor section!
We’d like to say a massive thank you to Lynn, Paul, Dave, Andy and everyone at Wight Sax for their help organising this tour and for making us feel so welcome over the weekend. We feel so privileged to have been able to perform our music to such appreciative audiences in beautiful surroundings, and to make some new friends too. Music has the power to unite, and it certainly did so here. Thank you all!
