Paul McDowell Musical Services

Musical Profile

Education

My musical education started when I taught myself at my parents' piano at the age of 4. Later I attended the Latymer School, Edmonton, where I studied singing and organ under Mike Brewer (who left to become Director of Music at Chetham's School, Manchester and who is now a renowned conductor and choral facilitator). I sang bass in the Latymer Madrigal Group that toured the USA and Canada in 1974. The Madrigal Group made many concert appearances and recordings including Duruflé's Requiem at Huddersfield Town Hall; a concert of madrigals at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (preceded by an appearance on BBC1 TV); and a series of the BBC Radio 4 schools' programme Singing Together. I was in the Enfield Young Symphony Orchestra and appeared as timpanist in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. I also ran a seven-piece jazz band which played at Latymer and a few other places in the Enfield area (the "Ashworth Apes"). Around this time, in 1976-7, I first played organ for church services at St Mary with St John, Dysons Road, Edmonton, and Stoke Newington Methodist Church, and harpsichord for performances of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" at Latymer and "Come ye Sons of Art" at Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire.

Musical History

I was appointed Organist and Choirmaster of Wesley Methodist Church, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex in 1978, and have remained organist there ever since. I am a founder member (1979) of the renowned folk band, the Famous Potatoes, in which I play accordion and piano - see their own website for full information. I founded the Legra Ensemble, a chamber choir and orchestra which specialises in early music, in 1997. I am the arranger of music for the annual Leigh-on-Sea Folk Carol Service which has been held every year since 1978, and I arrange and adapt music for several local soloists and groups, mostly traditional and public domain material. I am an official accompanist for both Leigh-on-Sea and Southend Musical Festivals.

"A Book of Folk Carols", which I wrote and compiled  together with Professor Kenneth MacKinnon, based on our experience of 25 years of the Leigh-on-Sea Folk Carol Service, was published in 2004, and seven carols from this book were featured in the BBC Radio 2 programme "Keeping Tradition Alive at Christmas", broadcast on Christmas Eve 2009, as well as another of my arrangements of a traditional carol. "The Stream Ever Flowing", a collection of lesser known Charles Wesley hymns with music, was published in 2007. See "Books" for more details. I am also working on another book relating to Methodist history - a modern performing edition of John Wesley's 1780 collection "Sacred Harmony".

All this, together with holding down a full-time job with HM Customs and Excise from 1978 to 2002, led me to move to work part-time there from January 2003 and leave entirely at the end of March 2005. For two hours each weekday morning I now work as administrator at my own church (Wesley Methodist, Leigh-on-Sea), and the rest of the time I do a wide variety of musical work.

Following a Latymer Madrigal Group reunion in May 2009 I realised I needed to do more singing! So I have joined the Cappella Singers of Upminster, whose then conductor by a strange coincidence also studied under Mike Brewer.

What's been happening... (see also "Regular musical work" below)

Forthcoming events:
Famous Potatoes at Village Green festival (Accordion, piano)
2010
Corporate event at Heathrow (Piano, accompanying tenor Michael Lawlor and mezzo-soprano Veronica O'Keeffe)
"East Meets West" folk song concert and summer concert of British music with Cappella Singers (Singing)
Roger Jones' musical "The Torn Curtain" (Piano, singing)
Charity concert accompanying soprano Daphne Ewington and tenor Ian Pirie (Piano)
Summer concert with Cappella Singers (Singing, piano)
Cajun evening with Acadian Driftwood band (Accordion, singing)
Accompanying Garth Hewitt at his "25th Anniversary of the Amos Trust" concert at Greenbelt Festival (Accordion)
Recording with The Owl Service for a Peter Bellamy tribute album (Accordion)
And more Associated Board / Trinity Guildhall / Royal Academy of Dance exam accompaniments than ever before (Piano)
2009
Baroque music concert (Virginals, with Colin Hutchinson, Annette Forkin and Liz White, recorders and viola da gamba)
Haydn's Creation (Organ, with the Billericay Choral Society)
Lunchtime Concerts at Southend Civic Centre (Piano, accompanying Jenny Haxell and Pauline Curtis)
Latymer Madrigal Group reunion, Cwm Penmachno (Singing)
Recorder and virginals recital (with Annette Forkin)
Leigh Folk Festival (Accordion, with Famous Potatoes: playing acoustic due to a power cut that took out the whole of Leigh Old Town an hour before we were due on!)
Recording CD for local primary school (Piano)
Two choral concerts - Fauré Requiem, Buxtehude Magnificat, Haydn Te Deum; and Christmas music - with Cappella Singers (Singing)
Preparing music for Taizé service and alternative Christmas service (Keyboard, singing)
BBC Radio 2 programme "Keeping Tradition Alive at Christmas" (accordion with the Famous Potatoes, interview, broadcast of seven of the carols in my book "A Book of Folk Carols" plus another of my carol arrangements 'Ane Sang of the Birth of Christ' sung by the Honeygales)
And more weddings than ever before (Organ and, occasionally, piano)
2008
One memorable 7-day period included all of the following: playing accordion for a barn dance with guests including a clutch of famous writers; playing piano accompaniment for a recital with at least 3 High Court Judges in the audience; and playing organ for a thanksgiving service at the church which was the location of the funeral in "Four Weddings and a Funeral"
Researching and performing "live music" round for music quiz (Accordion)
Old Time Music Hall (Piano and singing)
Handel's Messiah (Organ continuo, with the Eastwood Chorale)
"Rock for Havens Sake" one-day charity festival (Accordion, with Famous Potatoes)
Accompanying for dinner function (Piano)
Leigh Folk Festival barn dance (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
Accompanying at rehearsals for "West Side Story" - particularly interesting as doing the very same thing was one of my first paid jobs exactly thirty years ago
Wesley Theatre Group "Alice" Christmas musical (researching music, arranging, adapting, composing, playing and acting)
Music for Christmas lunch (Piano)
Carols for the Eastwood Chorale (Piano)

2007
Recording music for client in USA (Piano)
"Down the Shelter" revue (Piano)
Wesley Theatre Group "Farndale Macbeth" (Piano)
Accompanying Felicity Redman for concert, Derbyshire (Piano)
Accompanying Felicity Redman at Judicial Support Board recitals, Warwick University (Piano)
Leigh Folk Festival (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
Legra Ensemble concert (Arranging music, conducting, singing, virginals, piano, accordion)
Accompanying for Benfleet Operatic Society (Piano)
Playing for school prizegiving (Piano)
Judging for Methodist hymn competition
Arranging Charles Wesley anniversary services (Organ, singing, speaking, virginals, piano)
Playing with violinist at secular funeral (Accordion)
Accompanying singer Emily Griffiths at English-Speaking Union award concert (Piano)
Irish evening at Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
Carols for the Eastwood Chorale (Piano)

2006
Golden wedding reception (Piano)
Mozart Requiem (Organ, with the Eastwood Chorale)
BBC Radio 3 Andy Kershaw session (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
"Burning Questions" musical (Piano)
Songs of Praise for Love Southend (Organ and singing)
Accompanying Felicity Redman at Judicial Support Board recitals, Warwick University and Highgate House (Piano)
Handel's Messiah (Organ, with Southend Festival Chorus)
Leigh Folk Festival (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
Fauré Requiem, Haydn Little Organ Mass and other works (Organ, with Southend Festival Chorus)
Fidelio Singers sacred music concert (Organ)

2005
Vanessa Cozens in concert at Southend Civic Centre (Piano)
French music for launch of Flybe's scheduled passenger services from Southend Airport (Accordion)
Accompanying at Leytonstone Festival of Singing (Piano)
Wedding reception (Accordion)
Bach St Matthew Passion (Organ continuo, with the Eastwood Chorale)
Accompanying Felicity Redman at Judicial Support Board recitals, Warwick University and Highgate House (Piano)
Accompanying Felicity and Tiffany Redman for Essex County Cricket Club Twenty20 match (Piano)
Hilary Pell and Southend Festival Chorus in concert at Leigh-on-Sea (Organ, Piano)
An Evening of Folk Carols (concert/lecture/recital; accordion, with Charlie Skelton, Famous Potatoes, The Honeygales and others)

2004
Music for Burns Night (Accordion)
Greenbelt Festival Angels Weekend, High Leigh (Accordion, with poet Paul Cookson)
"The Twist" at Spring Harvest, Minehead (Accordion, with poet Paul Cookson)
Broadstairs Folk Week (Accordion and piano, with Famous Potatoes)
Thanksgiving service for Speakability charity's 25 years, St John's, Waterloo (Organ)
Wesley Dramatic Society pantomime (Accordion)
New Year's eve housewarming party (Piano)

Other regular musical work
As organist, for weddings, funerals, baptisms, carol services and other special services as well as for regular Sunday worship
As accordionist and pianist for the Famous Potatoes
Arranging, researching, transcribing and compiling
Official Accompanist for Leigh-on-Sea and Southend Musical Festivals (Piano, occasional accordion)
Accompanying for Ridley Studios - ballet, tap and preparation for musical shows (Piano)
Accompanying Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society for rehearsals (Piano)
Accompaniment for A-level recitals and recordings (Piano)
Accompaniment for Associated Board, Trinity Guildhall, Royal Academy of Dance and ISTD examinations and auditions (Piano)
Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham: "The Twist" (Accordion with poet Paul Cookson); musical accompaniment for quiz show compered by Simon Mayo, with panellists Martyn Joseph, Paul Cookson, Steve Stockman et al (Accordion)

Recordings (* = still available)

With the Latymer Choir and Madrigal Group (some of these crop up from time to time on eBay):

With the Famous Potatoes:

With Garth Hewitt:

Contact me

e-mail paul.mcdowell@easynet.co.uk or telephone 01702 474255.