 |
 |
| Mei Turner, photographed
with her Yamaha EL-900M Electric Organ. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| The certificate that Mei received
for performing in the 2004 International Electone Music
Festival in Spain. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| Mei performing in Spain. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| A close up of Mei in concert. |
| |
|
|
Mei's musical
background
Apart from being a part-time hairdresser, half Mei’s time
is devoted to music, playing her Yamaha EL-900M Electric Organ,
composing and arranging music. Hang-mei YU (Almond Blossom in
English) is the name she uses for musical performances.
She was born in Hong Kong. Between the ages of 6 - 12, she was
sent to live with her grand parents in Kwongchau, China. She
went back to Hong Kong afterwards. From the age of 12, her mother,
a Chinese pianist and soloist, taught her classical piano. In
1978 Hang-mei took up playing the Yamaha Electone Keyboard,
the instrument she uses for performances. In her teens, she
also worked as a TV Presenter with Hong Kong Television Broadcast
Ltd, appearing on 600 variety shows. She came to England in
1984 to get married and now lives near Shrewsbury. She continued
her keyboard studies at the Yamaha Music School. Between 1996-1999,
Chiho Sunamoto, one of the top Professional Concert Artists
in England, taught her. They have now become great friends.
Hang-mei’s music style is very much influenced by Chiho.
Hang-mei projects an energetic performance having to use both
hands and feet on her three-stack electric organ to produce
the amazing sounds of Classical, Big Band, Jazz and Swing, Latin
as well as Rock and Roll Music.
In 1999 and 2000, Hang-mei was a Finalist in the UK’s
National Electronic Organ Championships. One of the pieces of
music, which Hang-mei played at the Finals, was her self-composition;
the name of the piece is ‘The East Is Red’. The
background of the piece was based on China’s Cultural
Revolution, which took place in the late 60’s. It writes
about her feelings towards the Revolution.
In 2003 and 2004, Hang-mei continued to participate at the International
Electone Music Festival and competed with participants from
over the world, for example USA, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy,
Spain, China, Japan, & Panama. Her performance was well
received.
In the last few years, Hang-mei has also appeared in many charity
concerts both locally and in Birmingham including the Shrewsbury
Music Hall, the Concord College Concert Hall, The Quarry in
Shrewsbury, St Chad Church, The Abbey, the SAHA Club, the Lord
Hill Hotel Ballroom and the Radbrook Hall Hotel Ballroom, etc.
In April 1998, Chiho and Hang-mei performed at the Shrewsbury
Music Hall for the Shropshire Mid-Wales Hospice and raised £5,000.
In June 2001, the pair performed at the Concord College Concert
Hall raising £3,000 partly for NSPCC and the Hummingbird
Appeal. In September 2001, Hang-mei and an Electone Ensemble
from Nottingham performed again at the Concord College Concert
Hall and raised £1,610 for Hope House, Oswestry.
All charity organisations are welcome to contact Mei should
they wish her to perform at charity functions. Please telephone
07968 065 525. |
