The Club was formed in 1993 by a group of classical guitar enthusiasts
living in the Chichester and Bognor Regis area of West Sussex (UK).
Since then it has pursued an active programme of club meetings
interspersed with professional recitals of the highest quality. Our
membership is now drawn from all over West Sussex and neighbouring
counties and stands at around 140.
The aims of the Club are to provide an informal setting where lovers of
the classical (and flamenco) guitar can meet to enjoy making and
listening to guitar music, to encourage players of all standards to
reach their potential, and to promote the guitar in the wider community.
The club became a registered charity no. 1124762 in July 2008, our stated aims being:
- To promote, improve, maintain and develop public education in the art of the classical guitar, by the presentation of public concerts, recitals and educational workshops and by other such ways as the trustees see fit
We meet on Saturday evenings (see our programme) in the Regis School of Music, 46 Sudley Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1ER. This is an ideal venue
offering a recital hall of excellent proportions and acoustics,
as well as a number of other rooms which can be used for ensemble and
individual practice. The School also houses the Club's audio, video and
sheet music library which is available to members for borrowing.
The club caters for all ages and playing abilities, and club evenings
typically start with a rehearsal and performances by the Junior and
Senior Orchestras, followed by solo and small ensemble performances by
our junior members. A break for a buffet supper is usually followed by
performances by the adult members. Playing continues for as long as the
enthusiasm lasts, and club evenings have been known to end around
midnight!
Occasionally, club evenings include a lecture or a short recital by a
young performer just embarking on a professional career. Lecture topics
have included guitar-making, the life and work of Villa-Lobos and the
life and work of John Dowland. We also run one or two day workshops
during the year. These are generally held on a Sunday and have proved a
great success. Workshop directors have included John Mills, Mark Eden
and Chris Stell, Gary Ryan, Lorenzo Micheli, Tomas Jimenez and Mark
Ashford.
Our season runs from September to July, during which we aim to hold
seven professional recitals which are open to the public, and around ten
Club Evenings. For a list of those who have played at the Club in recent
seasons please see our Performers' page. For this season's recitals see
our programme.
