Knud Stüwe

The Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble is an enthusiastic amateur plucked string orchestra committed to quality and joy in our music making. 

We play a very varied repertoire including 20th cent. composers such as Bela Bartok, Eric Satie and Gustav Holst, along with both standard (i.e. tango, french chanson) and not so standard (Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Middle Eastern music) mandolin orchestra pieces as well as film music by Ennio Morricone and other composers.

Here is us performing two Beatles pieces at the Bristol Folk House in March 2018 together with the amazing New American Mandolin Ensemble.

I Am the Walrus and A Day in a Life   

Below a shot from our pre Christmas 2017 performance at Bristol Beacon (than Colston Hall)

2017 has been a brilliant year also, with our first headlining evening performance at the Bristol Folk House 

Other Recent performances have been at the BMG Federation in Glasgow, where we were winners of the Fun Trophy, All Saints Church Bristol, Cube Cinema Bristol and St.Stephens Church Bristol.

We also have appeared live on Radio Bristol (2015) and are always looking for new musical adventurers to expand our horizon. 

Great highlights have been workshops with world class mandolinist Avi Avital at St.George Brandon Hill (2016) and the Bristol Old Vic 2015 (See photo gallery below).

Come and join us : mandolins and guitars (all shapes and sizes) very welcome. 

Rehearsals are twice a month on the first and third Saturdays 10.00 -12.00 at The Helliwell Room, Horfield Parish Hall, Wellington Hill, BS7 8ST 

Ensemble History

The Ensemble was started by Dave Griffiths www.mandolinexpress.co.uk  in the Autumn of 2005 to create a place where his pupils and other mandolin players could meet to make music together . It started with a couple of “Come and try the Mandolin” Days at the Folk house followed by a beginners course. The aim of the Ensemble was to share experiences and discover the fun of making music in a group. It was mandolins only first. Guitars were incorporated later to achieve a more orchestral sound.

While the emphasis was on fun and learning, the Bristol Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble took on the challenge of taking part in several BMG rallies. www.banjomandolinguitar.org/rally.htm

The repertoire consisted of Dave’s arrangements of existing tunes ranging from classical, folk, jazz, latin pop and included several original compositions .

Knud Stüwe has become the M.D. in April 2011

Photos by Mark Douet www.markdouet.com/#!/index