The Beggar's Rock Opera is a collaboration between the members of Perfect Recall, a function band based in South East Wales. The band consists of a number of like-minded musicians who play together , and whose website can be found here.
To understand the various influences on the music of The Beggar's Opera, here's a potted history of each of us.
Dave Thompson (keyboards):
Dave studied music at Cardiff University, then went on to study for a PhD. He abandoned his doctorate when he realised that he was the only person in the world who knew more about the music of his chosen composer than the composer himself! As this didn't seem a very useful situation to find himself in, Dave pursued a career in teaching piano, supplementing his income by performing in a multitude of styles from classical to jazz to pop. He also acts as musical director to several amateur theatre groups throughout the area.
Robin Wintour (guitar)
Robin's background is firmly in the world of rock. He has played with many rock bands throughout his career, several of whom became famous (mostly after he left them!) But it's certainly his distinctive old-school rock sound that contributes to many of the up-beat numbers in the show.
Mike Sunderland (percussion)
Mike's career in music has spanned the same sort of period as Robin's, and they've played in several bands together. Mike's attention to sonic detail and his experience in the recording industry make him invaluable when it comes to putting arrangements together. Most of the tracks on this website were recorded at Mike's own studio near Chepstow, and after a career in teaching, he also assists in running production recording master classes at the nearby Rockfield studios.
Nigel Holloway (bass)
Nigel has been involved in musical activities from an early age - he learned to play the guitar by watching John Lennon on the television! After a career in IT, he devoted himself to writing full time in 2011, and has published several novels and a variety of plays, including a musical adaptation of the Beggar's Opera which utilises the music of Arthur Sullivan at its core. This piece is called The Savoy Beggar's Opera, and forms part of Nigel's ongoing obsession with John Gay's original work!
To see some of his other work, go his website at: