Craven Accordion Kids lead the way by Harry Hinchcliffe
It's a little known fact that living quietly in picturesque Sutton-in-Craven is Europe's best accordion player.
And Thom Hardaker will be leading the way for some of his young protégés at Skipton Town Hall later this month.
Thom, himself still only 19, is top of the bill at Craven Accordion Orchestra's summer showcase concert on July 17th. He's back home for the summer, holidaying from his studies in St Petersburg, Russia.
He's come a long way since starting piano at the age of five; moving onto accordion within a year and then studying under Harry Hinchcliffe at the Craven School of Music.
Harry remembers: “He came to me and I played him a piece. He played it straight back to me. I knew then Thom was something special.”
Move forward a decade and Thom was leading the Craven Accordion Orchestra at a concert at Giggleswick School. It was to be a fateful performance. Unknown to Thom, he was being scouted by arguably the world's leading accordion expert – one Professor Oleg Sharov of the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatoire of Music.
Thom said: “I had no idea this man was there. But he came up to me before the show and Harry introduced us. We played together a bit and talked about what I was going to play.
“We played the concert and then he asked me if I wanted to go to Russia with him to study. I suppose he's my Simon Cowell.”
Last year Thom won the International Baltic Music Festival, making him just about the best young accordion player in Europe
Thom will be playing a wide range of music from traditional accordion musettes and polkas to Bach and Scarlatti as well as the traditional Russian folk music he has learned in the East.
But Thom better look out – there are a host of even younger talents snapping at his heels to give him a run for his money...
Patrick Hill is currently being sponsored by Roland after coming first in a nationwide event sponsored by the keyboard manufacturers. And he has a host of area title on his shelves at home.
Ella Varley and Caitlin Colley, both still at junior school, are the best and third best accordion players for their age group in the whole country. No mean feat especially considering this is their first year on competition.
Meanwhile 13 year old Sinead White was third and fourth in the UK in her age group; Ben McNamara won third in his UK class and Max Verity third in his 17 year age group.
All the young people will be backed by the Craven Accordion Orchestra. Now in its 15th year,the orchestra boasts a huge range of popular classics – from The Animals' House of the Rising Sun to film soundtrack numbers from The Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean as well as the self-penned Celtic Connections.
This year the orchestra won two classes in the UK championships taking its medal haul to nine and also worked extensively with the local community, playing packed concerts in Settle, Hawkshead and Glusburn.
Tickets are £6 for adults; £4 concessions.
Further from Harry Hinchcliffe on 01535 635074 01535 635074 or 07749176827