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Last updated August 2010
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SHORT BIOG
Harry has been described as ‘The best damn pianist in the civilised
world’ by Jonathan Ross and that just about sums it up. Since the age
of four he has been doing things in every conceivable style on piano –
classical music on Radio 3 and theatres throughout the UK, jazz at
Ronnie Scotts and festivals worldwide, house bands on Channel 4’s Big
Breakfast and BBC1’s Johnny Vaughan tonight, pop music for Simply Red,
Emma Bunton and Rick Astley and cabaret on BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4, the
Royal Albert Hall and the Maiden voyage of the Queen Mary 2.
During the course of this he has accompanied just about everybody in
show business from David Bowie and Elvis Costello to Charlotte Church
and the Opera Babes. Finally Harry is being noticed for what he does in
his own right, his ability to take requests to play ‘any tune in any
style’ coupled with his ‘staggering virtuosity’ (Times) and ‘uncanny ability’ (Independent) has led to headlining at festivals in all six continents. Radio and TV appearances are materialising thick and fast -recently Harry was featured on Children in Need on BBC, has become almost resident on Radio 2's 'Friday Night is Music Night' and starred in the 2010 proms preview on Radio 3 with Petroc Trelawny.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS IN REVERSE ORDER
The Pheasantry replaces Pizza in the Park as the London cabaret venue and features a run by Harry in its first season
Featured on the 2010 Proms preview show on BBC Radio 3 with Petroc Trelawny, BBC TV music presenter Katy Derham and proms controller Richard Wright
Asked to join the faculty at Chethams International Summer Course alongside a roster of the world's greatest concert pianists including Peter Donohoe, Bernard Roberts and Masayuki Tayama.
Jazz suite composition commissioned by British concert pianist Mark Tanner for recording and performance at the Wigmore Hall.
Debut on ‘Friday night is Music Night’ on BBC Radio 2 is met with such
a response that Harry is invited back within a couple of months to
share a two-handed show opposite Andrea Bocelli.
Solo debut to packed Royal Albert Hall
Live appearance on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Sounds of a Nation’ with Brian Kaye
Selected from hundreds of acts to perform on the maiden voyage of the
Queen Mary 2, the world’s greatest ocean liner.
Solo shows as part of ‘Mostly Mozart’ festival in the Barbican
Three series as musical director of ‘The best house band on TV’, the
fantastic 9 piece Johnny Vaughan Tonight outfit on BBC1 and the launch
of BBC3.
Appearance on Kit and the Widow’s ‘Cocktails’ show on BBC Radio 4.
Sells out London’s ‘Pizza on the Park’ with his own cabaret twice in
one year.
Five years as the house pianist on the horribly early ‘Big Breakfast
show on Channel 4
ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT
Once you’ve got over the fact that this programme is the longest
running radio show in the world and has a listenership of over a
million (gulp) then you have to deal with the live audience of 500
stalwarts who will pack the theatre and the scariest thing of all -
walking out to play solo through the ranks of the BBC concert
orchestra.
They have seen everyone and played everything of course, and suddenly
your marvellous technique and hilarious musical comedy seem very small
and stupid. But they were all incredibly kind, the audience laughed
loudly in all the right places and the second time I did the show I
even got a cheer from the orchestra as I walked out – this might sound
ridiculous, but that almost brought a tear to my eye. It was so amazing
to be acknowleged like that by such a fantastic bunch of consumate
professional musicians.
ABOUT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
This was a fantastic evening in aid of SOS villages in Africa, there
were a lot of name acts there – Julian Lloyd Webber, G4, Myleen Klass,
Amici etc. I was in the dressing room alone at one point with JLW’s
Stradivarius cello in the corner. I’d just got a shot of it for ebay
when he walked back in. Ho hum.
We all had 10 mins to perform and after my slot which received a really nice
response from the audience (including my parents), the host Aled
Jones asked me to perform an off-the-cuff version of ‘English Country
Garden’ in the style of Wagner interspersed with some Kylie! I went at
it full tilt with the tune crashing out in Ride of the Valkyries style
and little bits of ‘I should be so lucky’ floating over the top. The
audience who had sat through an hour of more serious stuff went mad for
it and I remember thinking as I stood on the stage in front of the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and bowed to a packed Albert Hall some of
whom were standing, that’s it! I can die happy now!
ABOUT ‘SOUNDS OF A NATION’ ON BBC R3
The audience put their favourite composers in one hat and their
favourite tunes in another. Three pairs were drawn at random –
‘Jerusalem’ in the style of a Strauss Waltz, ‘Rule Britannia’ as
Beethoven might have written it and the French national anthem a la
Rachmaninov.
I was so pleased with the resulting medley I included it on my second
album ’All The Way Through’. Two members of the BBC Welsh Orchestra who
were backstage with me just before I went on dared me to put in ‘Who do
you think you are kidding Mr Hitler’ from Dad’s Army and ‘Scotland the
Brave’. Not sure that orchestra is entirely Welsh then, but the rogue
tunes made it in anyway!
ABOUT THE BIG BREAKFAST ON CHANNEL 4
I did this show as resident pianist for about five years, and it was a
fantastic introduction to live television. I started off merely
accompanying the infamous Friday song ‘Wakey wakey wakey rise and
shine’ to the tune of ‘She’ll be coming round the mountain whan she
comes’. After a couple of months Johnny Vaughan gave me a big chance to
shine by asking me live on air to play suitable tunes behind each item
on his comic round-up of the day’s news.
The very first story was about the discovery of a name carved into a
wall hundreds of years ago that some bright spark conjectured might be
King Arthur. Rather brilliantly (or so I thought) I started playing
‘Arthur’s theme’ from the Dudley Moore movie 'Arthur'. The Channel 4 lawyer came belting in
from the adjoining building making frantic head-chopping motions. I
hadn’t realised, but anything played without clearance on live TV could
potentially cost the company thousands a song!
Fortunately Christopher Cross didn’t sue, I wasn’t fired, and went on
to get up at 5.30am for the next 5 years and accompany All Saints,
Duran Duran, David Bowie, Englebert Humperdinck, The Sugar Hill gang,
Rolf Harris, Will Smith and literally scores of others as well as
establishing the house band ‘Harry and the Playboys’
Most gorgeous woman on the show? Denise Van Outen? Kelly Brook? Donna
Air? Jenny McCarthy? Nah. Lisa Tarbuck every time, I love her!
CELEBRITY QUOTES
‘Harry is a man of steely nerve and silky touch, a wonderful player for
the big occasion and a damn fine musical head.’
ELVIS COSTELLO
‘The best damn pianist in the civilised world.’
JONATHAN ROSS
‘The best music show I've ever seen'
TERRY WOGAN
‘His phenomenal talent, unobtrusive charm and wit are a delight.’
STEPHEN FRY
‘Harry can play anything, anywhere, any time – when he played with
Elvis Costello, it was an entertainment high point of my life. He can
work any theme into any song. He’s unique, you’ll love him!’
JOHNNY VAUGHAN
'An absolutely terrific show'
RONNIE CORBETT
‘Prepare to be dazzled by this charming man’s versatility, there is
nothing he cannot do.’
LIZA TARBUCK
‘He is very good indeed.’
SIR WILLARD WHITE
PRESS AND PROFESSIONAL QUOTES
'Harry is a National treasure.'
JUDI HERMAN The Scotsman
'An uncanny ability to play any tune in any style.'
REGGIE NADELSON The Independent
’Genius playing, I’m so jealous!’
ALAN RUSBRIDGER The Guardian
'Spellbinding.... Staggering virtuosity.'
PAUL GOLDING Sunday Times
'The new Victor Borge.'
DEREK BRIGGS Gloucester Echo
How does he do it?’
BRIAN KAYE BBC RADIO 3
‘I can safely say that as a pianist and all-round entertainer, Harry is
without equal in my experience.’
ANDREW KEMBLE (Managing Director Yamaha Music UK )
‘You are a genius. You made the music happen. It was a privilege to
work with you.’
LINDA BELL (Editor, Topical Programming, Thames Television)
‘Some artists are not immediately pigeon hole-able so when you come to
hear them you are not quite sure what to expect. But the joy then on
witnessing something extraodinary is so much greater for that
uncertainty. Harry came to me highly recommended, but still something
of an unknown quantity. My response on hearing him – and more
importantly the response of the audience – was immediate. What an
incredible musical brain, what an incredible musical wit, and what a
truly incredible pianistic technique. I’m not normally one to gush, far
from it, but Harry really has been my discovery of the year.’
STEWART COLLINS Artistic Director of the Henley Festival, the Chelsea
Festival and Barbados’ Holders Season
'A purveyor of magic.... Stunningly clever. Technical perfection and
extraordinary musicianship.'
PETER BUCHAN West Sussex County Times
'There are very few musicians who could extemporise such medleys in
front of our eyes and ears. Harry must be unique and I can't wait to
hear him again.'
JASPER DIMMOND East Sussex Times
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