Tributes and Anecdotes

Tributes

“We wanted to thank you for involving us to Graeme’s concert, you certainly put a great deal of work in for this and the balance between Graeme’s spoken word and the music was spot on.  It was not only a joy to be there, but a great honour to be asked, Thank you”.

 ….Martyn Wyndham-Read following the Whitby 2013 concert celebrating the work of Graeme Miles

Anecdotes

“Graeme has brought us many wonderful songs, but he was always self effacing and shunned the limelight and any form of recognition.  One time I was playing a folk club in the North-East and Graeme asked if he could accompany me to the venue, on condition that I did not tell any one who he was.  I agreed and the evening progressed, floor singers got up and sang one Graeme Miles song after another, until my slot came along.  Half way through my second half I could not stop myself and I addressed the audience with: ‘That was another Graeme Miles song and the man himself is sitting over there’.  The audience turned as if one and simultaneously gave Graeme a standing ovation.  He was very touched and kept his composure, but on the way back he nearly blacked my eye!”  …….Martyn Windham-Read

“Graeme knew music theory and prior to embarking on his twenty year long song writing project, he set about producing a series of exercises, to test his skill and to each of which he gave a number.  Two of these ‘exercises 69 and 77 were selected for Songscapes.  When Marion and I were married in 2006, Graeme pressed us as to a wedding present.  We said no presents only your presence, but he insisted so to pacify him we said give Exercise 77 a name.  Sure enough on our wedding day we opened his ‘present’ and there was a copy of said song written in his wonderful copperplate hand and titled ;Amoret’.  On the back is a label bearing the following:  Amoret - A love song - according to Chambers English Dictionary.  In addition he inscribed the appropriate page in a copy of Songscapes,  ‘Amoret ‘and in brackets Exercise 77.  So there you have it. There is finally a title for this wonderful song.”   …..Ken & Marion Hall Whitby 2006