A YOUNG clarinettist had an evening to remember last weekend when she played in front of world famous jazz musician Acker Bilk. Rowan Griffiths from Jameston only started playing the clarinet about a year ago when she was a pupil at Manorbier School. Her traffic warden dad Andrew bought her a copy of the music of 'Stranger on the Shore' by Acker Bilk and told her 'when you can play that, you can really play'. After a lot of practice, Rowan, now in Year 7 at Greenhill School, Tenby, mastered the tune. "I found out that Acker Bilk and his paramount jazz band were playing in the Porthcawl 2007 Jazz Festival," explained Andrew, who himself plays in local band, Strictly Business. "Rowan e-mailed his management company to see if she could meet him, and jokingly said she would like to play clarinet with him, to which he agreed," he continued.
As a result, Rowan played 'Stranger on the Shore', accompanied by three students from Porthcawl comprehensive school to a sell-out crowd in excess of 350 people.
Rowan said that Acker was a 'real gent', an he gave her two words of advice - 'keep blowing'.