‘Gone with the Wind’, possibly north Bristol’s only wind trio, have been playing together for over ten years. The ensemble perform a mellow blend of music in a range of styles from rare arrangements of work from the early period of the 16th century, through baroque to the classical period more familiar to listeners to ‘Classic FM’!
The trio is very much a north-Bristol project with all the three members living within strolling distance of the Gloucester Road where they can occasionally be heard busking in aid of charity outside perhaps their favourite shop, ‘Scoopaway’, where they have been welcomed for a number of years, particularly at Christmas time.
Ann Matthews and Nalini Tondel play a range of warm-toned recorders, well suited to the style of the music, while Paul Bullivant plays flute, a later invention but easily blended with the older instruments. Steve Smailes, has recently joined the trio for occasional performances on classical guitar, giving another dimension to the repertoire of the original trio, including forays into Brazilian rhythms.
The friendship of the three founder members goes back beyond the formation of the trio. Nalini and Paul first met on a plane travelling to India with their partners in 1984 and later found that, by chance, they had stayed at the same guest house in the centre of the country during the turmoil after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Ann and Paul met in more parochial circumstances as their sons shared their early years with the same child-minder and then went on to Sefton Park School together.
Perhaps these early friendships are an important ingredient in the longevity of ‘Gone with the Wind’ which has been performing its lyrically sensitive interpretations of the music of Bach, Handel, Corelli and Hook, among others, for a decade. As important must be their shared enjoyment of the warmth of this period of European composition as well as the elation of performing to responsive audiences in their local community.
The women members of the trio can also be heard in other local music projects as Nalini sings in the ‘Sweet Liberation’ choir as well as performing on steel pans in ‘Pan Sonic’, while Ann is a member of the ‘Gurt Lush’ choir. Paul meanwhile claims to be the only member to have played at Glastonbury twice in one day!
‘Gone with the Wind’ can usually be heard playing their particular style of music for the mind and heart on the Saturday evening closest to the longest day [June 18th this year] in St. Andrews Park. They also appear regularly on the North Bristol Art Trail at St. Barts Church. Their first CD – ‘Under the Tree’ - recorded in St. Bart’s Church, is still available.
They are always happy to play at private and public events for a modest fee and for more information contact Paul Bullivant.
Available to hire for your functions and tuition.