BB previews next weekend’s National Final · Festive OvertureBusy and colourful with a more expansive middle section which is equally full of excitement and exuberance. Premièred

Issue no. 5582 – 10 October 2009

www.britishbandsman.com

Price £1.25

BB previews next weekend’s National Final

BRITISH BANDSMAN PAGE 3

NEWS

Fife title goes south to Ayrshire

The 64th Fife Charities Band Association Annual Open Contest took place

last Saturday (3rd) at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy, where the

adjudicators were Peter Roberts and Allan Ramsay (individual awards).

The results were:

March

1. Dalmellington (A. Hutchison) 192

2. Dalkeith and Monktonhall (J. Chamberlain) 190

3. Clackmannan District (P. Kiernan) 189

Hymn Tune



3. Croy Silver (K. Blackwood) 189

Own-choice test-piece


2. Kingdom Brass (A. Duncan) 190

3. Bo’ness and Carriden (B. Williams) 189


5. St. David’s Brass (J. Dickson) 187

6. Lochgelly (P. Drury) 186

7. Tayport Instrumental (F. Culross) 185

8. Dalkeith and Monktonhall (J. Chamberlain) 184

9. Johnstone Silver (R. Tennant) 183

10. Bon Accord ‘B’ (R. Kidd) 182

11. Brass Sounds Inverclyde (G. Bowman) 181

12. Croy Silver (K. Blackwood) 180

13. Dunfermline Town (D. Neil) 179

14. Dysart Colliery (W. Sandell) 178

15. Shotts St. Patrick’s (M. Marzella) 177

Best 1st Section: Lochgelly

Best 2nd Section: Dalkeith and Monktonhall

Best 3rd Section: St. David’s Brass

Best 4th Section: Brass Sounds Inverclyde

Best cornet: Dalmellington

Best horn: Kingdom Brass

Best trombone: Dalmellington

Best euphonium: Dalmellington

Best basses: Johnstone

Best percussion: Kingdom Brass

Youngest player - Kieran Adamson, Dysart Colliery

NWCBBA title for Freckleton

The North West Counties Brass Band Association’s tenth Annual

Championships took place last Sunday (4th) at the Marine Hall,

Fleetwood, where the adjudicators were Captain Paul Norley (4th and 3rd

sections) and Malcolm Brownbill (Youth, 2nd and Championship).

The results were:

Championship Section

1. Freckleton (P. Dalton) 191

2. Poulton-le-Fylde (G. Westwood) 189

3. Longridge (M. Cotter) 187

4. Blackpool Brass (C. Larder) 186

Best basses: Freckleton

2nd Section

1. Lostock Hall (J. Wood) 188

2. Middleton (D. Holland) 187

3. Valley Brass (D. Chadwick) 186

4. Skelmersdale (J. Ludden) 184

Squire Eccles Scholarship for Best Tenor Horn: Lostock Hall

3rd Section

1. Eccleston Brass (S. Barton) 184

2. Hoover (Bolton) (T. Halliwell) 182

3. Coppull and Standish (A. Baker) 181

4. Trinity Girls (A. Tyson) 180

Best basses: Eccleston Brass

4th Section

1. Darwen Brass (S. Hartley) 181

2. Besses Boys (J. Holt) 180

3. Tarleton and District (B. Taylor) 178

4. Denton Brass (T. Haslem) 177

Best euphonium: Darwen Brass

James Ogden Scholarship for Youngest Player: Millicent Forrest (11),

Darwen Brass.

Youth Section

1. Fred Longworth High School (Miss H. Robinson)

2. Pemberton Old Wigan DW Youth (J.D. Duncan)

Best Percussion: Fred Longworth High School

Alan Rowson Scholarship for Best Trombone: Fred Longworth High School

Colin Rowson Scholarship for Best Cornet: Pemberton Old Youth

Youngest Player: Lauren Barkley (7), Pemberton Youth


NEWS

Expressions to raise the

curtain on ‘Final’ weekend

by John Ward

This year’s Expressions, the annual curtain raiser to the Brass Arts Festival

at The Salvation Army Regent Hall on London’s Oxford Street, promises

to be as original and interesting as ever with guest soloists, Dudley

Bright - principal trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra - and

Paul Sharman - principal cornet of Regent Hall Band - both performing

works commissioned for the event. The concert commences at 7.45 on

15 October with a creative and unique antiphonal number for trombone

and band, which utilises the full extremities of the venue.

The event, augmented by theatre-style lighting, creates a real ‘West End’

feel, which will be enhanced this year by the much sought after singer/

song-writer, Darren Bartlett, who will be performing some of the great

songs from the musicals.

Regent Hall Band, as ever, will use the event to stretch the boundaries

and this year plan to enter the world of urban dance, a must-see

spectacle. The Regent Hall Songsters will also be there providing

contrasting choral numbers including the title that inspired this year’s

National Championship test-piece, Torchbearers.

Expressions, in it’s eighth year, is a concert “designed for everyone,

whether a brass band aficionado or not and delivers the Christian

message in a relevant and creative way,” says event producer Stephen

Hanover, Regent Hall’s Bandmaster. He added: “Through the years,

we have seen this event grow from a vision to an established reality

and become a real favourite for those visiting London for the National

Final, whether from home or abroad.” For more information, visit www.

regenthallband.com

Tickets are available from [email protected] or Nicola Babb on

07944 962686.

New administration in Gloucester

The recent AGM of the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association (GBBA)

sees a new executive committee running the organisation’s affairs.

A vote of thanks was given to Bill Poulton, Secretary for many years

before David Harding of Drybrook Band was elected to the position. The

new Chairman is Mike James of Flowers Band, while Mark Windsor MBE

of Tewkesbury Band takes over as treasurer.

Other executive members are Fred Pensom (Parkend), Roger Stratford

(Forest of Dean Brass), Robert Morgan MBE (Lydbrook), Rob Folland

(Cheltenham), Roy Smith (Berry Hill), Helen and Hadrian Walters

(Tewkesbury).

It is now four years since the GBBA and Gloucestershire Music

Service combined to support the Gloucestershire Youth Band, and

this co-operation has seen the formation of two other bands, the

Gloucestershire Junior Band and the Gloucestershire Training Band. All

the bands are organised with full co-operation between Gloucestershire

Music Service and the GBBA.

The GBBA’s next event is on Sunday 22 November at the Forest Theatre,

Five Acres, where 17 bands have entered the own-choice and march

contest. The GBBA Entertainment Contest will take place on Sunday 7

February, 2010. Full details can be found at gbba-online.org.uk

Full house at Folkestone

The Southern Counties Amateur Bands Association’s (SCABA’s) Autumn

Contest, which will take place tomorrow (11th) at Leas Cliff Hall in

Folkestone, has a full house of competing bands.

This year, for the first time, it is a one-day event, due to the change in

date of the National Final at the Royal Albert Hall, which in turn meant

that SCABA had to change the original date of its contest weekend. By

that time, however, Leas Cliff Hall was unavailable for a two-day event.

The contest begins at 9.00am, when adjudicator, Philip Harper, will

listen to the first of 34 hymn tunes and test-pieces. The hall will be open

from 7.30am and breakfast will be available from 8.00am. The prize

presentation for the 3rd, Youth and 2nd sections is scheduled to take

place just after 1.00pm, following the completion of the 2nd Section. The

largest section of the day, the 1st with 13 bands, is due to start at around

1.45pm and will be followed by the Championship Section.

Death of Stuart Morrison

We regret to announce the death of Stuart Morrison, who was Secretary

and principal trombonist of Hendon Band for 30 years. His funeral will

take place at the Vale Cemetery, Luton at 2.30pm on Tuesday 13 October.

Tuba Carols 2009 will take place on Sunday 13 December from 12.45pm

to 14.30pm in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, with all players

of the tuba, euphonium, sousaphone, helicon, ophecleide, serpent and

cimbasso welcome.

Speaking to BB, organiser Chris Ludwig commented: “Last year, we

managed a fantastic 54 players and collected £780 for charity, but it

would be great if we could manage 75 or more players this time. We’ll be

collecting for The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation

(www.thepcrf.org) whose fundraising campaign using the memory of Bob

Monkhouse is, I’m sure, already familiar to many readers.”

Further details are available from Chris Ludwig at

[email protected]

Tuba Carols aims for record

ICBCS plans terminated

by Newham College

BB can reveal that plans for the new International Centre for Brass

and Choral Studies project (ICBCS), which was due to be hosted at the

University Centre Stratford (UCS) campus of Newham College in the

heart of London’s Olympic regeneration area from September, have

been terminated by the College. The ground-breaking initiative, which

originally promised to take education closer to the community and offer

opportunities for students, including those from disadvantaged areas, to

work with leading figures in brass music, has apparently been a victim of

funding cuts.

Details of the course, which were due to start in September, with a

further intake of students planned for January 2010, were reported in BB

in July this year, and Dr. Roger Webster, who was appointed as Head of

Music at UCS, commented: “I have been told that the courses have been

withdrawn, but still await official confirmation. However, I don’t expect

the status of the courses to change at this stage.”

No one from Newham College was available for comment at the time of

going to press.

Faber Music Limited, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2HXTel: 01279 828989 Fax: 01279 828990 [email protected] www.fabermusic.com

KENNETH HESKETHThe Alchymist’s Journal is a set of variants each individual in mood with an introduction, a menacing scherzo, a slow reflective section, a second, equally menacing scherzo and a final coda. Premièred by BlackDyke at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2002.Danceries A four-movement work that contrasts 17th Century melodies, adapted in mood and composition,with completely new material. Chosen as the test piece for the Second Section Finals of the National BrassBand Championships in 2002, and now selected for the Pontin’s Championships in October 2009.Elegy A very atmospheric piece from slow beginnings that build in colour and intensity. Premièred by theDesford Colliery Band at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2009.Festive Overture Busy and colourful with a more expansive middle section which is equally full of excitementand exuberance. Premièred by Brighouse & Rastrick at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2007.Infernal Ride Mercurial and virtuosic, this is a musical depiction of the mad-cap chase of Ichabod Crane’s finalride on his horse Gunpowder in the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Premièred by The Leyland Band at theRNCM Festival of Brass in 2008.Masque Bravura in style, this is an exciting, driving five-minute scherzo and was premièred by Black Dyke atthe RNCM Festival of Brass in 2001.Whirlegigg Literally a contraption that continuously spins, this piece has both boisterous and reflective materialwith gyrating accompanimental figures never far away.

SIMON DOBSONClarion Alarum A short brass herald, glacial and crystaline in timbre, that employs a wide range of colour frombeginning to end. Commissioned by The Leyland Band and premièred at the Regent Hall Brass Arts Festival inOctober 2007.The Dreaded Groove And Hook An up tempo acid-jazz work drawing its influences from bands such asJamiroquai and The Youngblood Brass Band. Soloists perform ‘the groove’ before the whole band play a hugeriff which acts as a chorus to the jazz-like verses. Commissioned and premièred by The Leyland Band as partof their programme at the Brass In Concert Championships in 2008. The Drop: Remixed Originally commissioned for the Eurpoean Brass Band Championships 2007. The titlerefers to a technique used by “drum n’ bass” DJs. This new, extended/remixed version, was premièred by TheLeyland Band at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2008.Four Sketches Written in recognition of the 25th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s death, this 10-minute pieceuses quotes from Britten’s work Les Illuminations and was the composers winning entry in European BrassBand Composer Competition, 2002. Lyonesse The tale of a legendary sunken land. Steeped in Cornish folklore and mystery, it was said to haveconnected the tip of Lands End to the Isles of Scilly. Commissioned as the set test piece for the Finals of theNational Youth Brass Band Championships in 2005. Penlee To some, the tragic story of the Penlee lifeboat, Solomon Browne, needs no introduction, and to somethe pain felt is still very much a reality. This work is a musical homage to the bravery of those who lost theirlives. Commissioned by the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, the first preformance was given by them at St Michael’sChurch, Newquay, in December 2008.

GAVIN HIGGINSA Forest Symphony The composer explores the hidden and magical world of the forest; secrets that may onlybe seen by the animals or by fortunate ramblers who stray from the beaten path. Premièred by Lydbrook Silverat the Voices in the Forest Festival, 2007.

Fanfares and Love Songs An exciting three movement work, the two outer fanfare-movements contrast withthe warmth and lyricism of the tender middle movement. The opening Fanfare to this work was premièred byThe National Children’s Band of Great Britain in July 2009.

HERMANN PALLHUBERTitan’s Progress Based on a theme by Gustav Mahler, this work employs and exploits motifs from Mahler’sFirst Symphony, also known as the ‘Titan’. The stylistic variety of the work, including a Chorale, an impudentLändler (folk dance), a Farandole, and a climactic Fugue are all Mahleresque in their influences. Premièred byBrass Band Oberöstereich at the European Championships, 2007 and now the 2009 British Open Test Piece.

MUSIC FOR BRASS BANDConsultant Editor: Paul Hindmarsh

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MAILBOX

Call for schools of

the world to uniteA work colleague of mine at the Thomas

Deacon Academy in Peterborough alerted

me to a project centred in the USA that was

being broadcast on YouTube. The famous

American conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas,

was heading-up a project that was enabling

musicians from all corners of the world to unite

on the Internet.

I teach in a new Academy that is classified as

an ‘IT rich’ building - a term used to describe

the level of technology present. Using this

technology, I thought it might be possible

and appropriate to try to replicate to a degree

the idea of uniting musicians from schools

(although not necessarily) from all countries of

the world.

The idea is to log on the Thomas

Deacon Academy website at www.

thomasdeaconacademy.com/page_viewer.as

p?page=Music+to+Unite+Us&pid=68 where

you will see an initial video and the relevant

information. Also, on this page is the piece

of music itself. It is an arrangement of The

Battle Hymn of the Republic. A full score and

all individual parts are available free of charge

to download and use as appropriate, and

the arrangement is scored in such a way that

an orchestra, brass band or wind band can

perform. Parts for a four-part choir or treble

voice choir are also included to cater for those

who do not have instrumental forces but who

wish to contribute, or for those who have both

and can manage a large-scale performance. The

choice of material for this arrangement was down

to its familiarity and inspirational qualities and is

free for anyone to use, even after the project.

In order to standardise the performance, there

are a number technical requirements of which

performers must be aware. Firstly, any part of

the arrangement can be recorded, whether

it be an ensemble or solo instrument. For

example the 2nd trombone part from letter B

to D or a flute, trumpet and euphonium from

beginning to end of section B. Any part of this

arrangement can be included in the final mix.

Secondly, it must be recorded at precisely 84

beats per minute and at concert pitch. This is

most important, of course, for editing purposes.

Details on how to do this are demonstrated

and explained in the video attached to this

website. Thirdly, it must be recorded using

one of the popular digital formats (.aac, .mp3,

.wav, .wma for sound or .mov, .wmv .mp4 for

video). If you wish to record the performance

on video camera we will ‘rip’ the sound from

the track and mix it into the final performance

and possibly use the pictures for the video

that will accompany the final version. It may

not be possible for all of the video clips to be

used if there is a high response to this project.

However, the sound will certainly be used.

Finally, the recording must be emailed to us

here at the Thomas Deacon Academy. The

address is on the website as a link, so just click

on it and attach the file in the normal way.

The closing date for all submissions is 31

October 2009, which will give us time for

the editing process. A fully edited version of

the sound and video will be available on the

Thomas Deacon Academy website by early

December.

How exciting it would be for musicians to

unite in a single performance from the UK and

other countries. If you can contribute in some

way to this project, either as a conductor or a

performer, I would love to hear from you.

Richard Philips

Kettering

Swiss memories

of Hendon BandIn British Bandsman issue no. 5577, you

publish a report of former principal cornet of

Hendon Band, Peter Monk, celebrating his 50th

wedding anniversary and 70th birthday.

Some 50 years ago, I was a proud member of

the now disbanded Barnet Band, where I met

Barrie Perrins, the famous euphonium soloist.

This was the start of a lifelong friendship with

Barrie, and therefore I also got to meet the

old Hendon ‘cracks’ of these times, such as

Peter Monk and the Morrison brothers. I also

compèred Hendon Band on several occasions

on its Swiss tours.

I’m a regular reader of BB and I think the

paper becomes more and more interesting.

The articles by Bob Childs are especially

appreciated. I have translated several of them

into German and passed on to my many friends

in the Swiss brass Band scene.

André Brunner

Lenzburg

Reporters shouldn’t adjudicateI have just read the BB article from Harrogate,

in which John Roberts gives a report of the

2nd Section Final. Of course, anyone can give

an opinion but aren’t reporters supposed

to report? Do readers really need another

adjudication? This smacks a bit of disrespect

and there is already too much of that in the

movement.

At least you have published John’s name with

the report, but in such an eminent newspaper I

am expecting a better quality of reporting.

Mike Kilroy’s report was excellent.

Ray Farr

Durham

Support for

change from SwedenI have just read Steven Mead’s writings about

adjudicating. I agree with him completely and

support him in this discussion. I also wish him

good luck in the forthcoming debate. He will,

of course, represent a wider, more experienced

and more curious approach to music making

than most of the Association of Brass Band

Adjudicators (ABBA) members have, but it’s not

only adjudicating that needs a fresh approach

in the brass band world.

Torgny Hanson

Sweden

Young Ambassadors

reunion plannedOn Saturday 7 November, former members of

the Young Ambassadors Brass Band of Great

Britain (affectionately known as YABB) will be

gathering together for a reunion concert at

the Cowley Conservative Club in Oxford in

celebration of founder and organiser Frank

Wolff, who will be celebrating his 80th birthday.

The concert will feature two bands consisting of

former Young Ambassadors members, playing

highlights of pieces played on YABB tours over

the years, with a finale of massed band items.

The Young Ambassadors Brass Band was founded

in 1978 by Frank Wolff as an international touring

band and, since then, has carried out nearly

80 tours around the world, including Belgium,

Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, USA and Canada.

The player line-up of the band changes with

every tour, and, over the past three decades,

it is estimated that there have been well over

1,000 members, including some of Britain’s

most well-known brass band players.

In addition to the lifelong friendships made

through YABB, numerous marriages have also

taken place from people who have met through

the tours, and the concert is expected to be a

great reunion and celebration.

The concert will raise money in aid of two local

hospices – Helen House and Sobell House.

Unfortunately, there will be no tickets for sale

on the night, but there are a handful of tickets

remaining to buy in advance. If you would like

to buy one of the few remaining tickets, donate

to the fundraising for the hospices or send

birthday wishes, you can contact Frank Wolff on

01865 326271.

Helen Varley

Address supplied


FEATURE

Ten years of success for Bones ApartBecky Smith tells Rodney Newton the story of the highly

successful all-female trombone quartet, Bones Apart, which

celebrates its tenth anniversary this year

It seems incredible, but Bones Apart is now

in its tenth year and over this period has

become internationally recognised as a leading

chamber ensemble. Formed as a student

ensemble at the Royal Northern College of

Music (RNCM) in 1999, the members - Carol

Jarvis, Becca Harper, Becky Smith and Camilla

Tveit - performed regularly at the college and

Lorna MacDonald, Helen Vollam, Arlene MacFarlane

and Becky Smith with students in Texas


FEATURE

in concerts across the northwest. Becky Smith

(the sole surviving member of the original

quartet) explained how it all came about: “At

the RNCM, our tutors decided that we all had to

play in chamber groups and put us four girls in

a trombone quartet. We managed to outlive all

the other quartets and we are still going strong

today.”

In 2000, the quartet recorded its first album,

Out & About (recorded by Becca’s father in a

studio in their garden!), and joined Lord Yehudi

Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now!’ scheme.

However, the first landmark achievement came

in 2001, when the foursome won the chamber

music award in the Royal Overseas League

Competition, competing against a variety of

chamber ensembles. This resulted in numerous

performing opportunities, including recitals at

St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London’s Royal Festival

Hall and at many national festivals, as well as

broadcasts on national TV and radio.

Becky Smith takes up the story, recalling,

“In 2002, we took part in the International

Trombone Festival in Texas, USA. The response

from the audience was unprecedented and

brought us to the attention of the international

trombone fraternity (our performance of

Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever was filmed

during the Festival and is the most popular

trombone clip on YouTube). Sadly, soon after

this, Camilla Tveit decided to return to her

native Norway. During her time with us, she

experienced many exhilarating times and

saw Bones Apart develop into a professional

chamber ensemble. In the autumn of 2002, we

began recording our second CD, No More Blues,

after which Lorna McDonald joined the group

on bass trombone.

“In 2003, we commissioned two new works

from Gary Carpenter and John Kenny. Gary

Carpenter’s Secret Love Songs was premièred in

May at the Royal Northern College of Music and

the piece was used as the set work for the ITF

Trombone Quartet Competition in 2006. John

Kenny’s Trombone Quartet, commissioned with

funding from by the Royal Overseas League, was

given its first performance in a candlelit concert

St. Martin-in-the-Fields in September 2003.

Later that year we released the album No More

Blues. David Whitehouse (a trombonist with the

London Philharmonic Orchestra) reviewed the

CD, describing it as displaying ‘great virtuosity,

dazzling dexterity and versatile style and sound.’

However, perhaps the biggest highlight for the

group over the ten years was our collaboration in

2005 with Swedish trombone virtuoso, Christian

Lindberg, at the Wigmore Hall in London. This

was part of the From Sweden festival where

Bones Apart premièred a commission from

Christian Lindberg entitled Vivencies. We

undertook our first trip to the Far East in May

2005, performing at the International Festa in

Osaka. On a rather sad note, the same year saw

the departure of founder-member, Becca Harper.

“During the next few years, Helen Vollam

(principal trombone of the BBC Symphony

Orchestra), Katy Jones (co-principal trombone of

the London Symphony Orchestra), Su White and

Arlene MacFarlane all became regular deputies

with the group (Helen and Katy both played on

our third album, Enigma, in 2006). In 2007, Arlene

joined Bones Apart, having partaken in tours of

the Caribbean, USA and Europe. She studied at

the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

and, after graduating, worked with the Royal

Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber

Orchestra, and became a member of the highly

acclaimed brass quintet, Thistle Brass. In 2008,

she was appointed sub-principal trombone of

the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Founder

member, Carol Jarvis, left the quartet in 2007 and

has since been busy freelancing with a variety

of ensembles from a broad cross-section of the

musical profession ever since. These range from

the Hallé Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia and the

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to Michael

Bolton and Seal. Carol is a Visiting Professor of

Trombone at Trinity College of Music in London,

and is also a director of the British Trombone

Society.

“We have continued our busy schedule

performing in the US, Scotland, Lithuania and

Germany and, shortly after Helen Vollam joined

the quartet permanently, Jayne Murrill did

likewise, completing our current line-up. 2008

was a pivotal year for us, during which time we

began recording our fourth album, travelled

to Holland, Sweden, Finland and Spain and

also embarked on a Music in the Round tour

of the UK to great critical acclaim.” Camilla

Tveit managed to catch up with her former

quartet at the 2008 Scandinavian Trombone

Festival in Sweden, and she commented, “I have

wonderful memories of Bones Apart, including

the 8.00am rehearsals, the concerts and

competitions, the trips and, most importantly,

the friendships. I can’t believe it has been ten

years!”

So, on to 2009. Bones Apart released two

albums, four4four and ten (which contains a

selection of Bones Apart favourite repertoire

from the last ten years), completed the second

leg of the Music in the Round series and

organised a tenth anniversary national tour.

Looking back over the last decade, Becky Smith

observed, “All our tours have been great fun.

Picking up new trombones from the Conn

factory on a US tour in 2003 was good and the

Cayman Islands tour was fantastic, as we had

time to relax and do touristy things as well

as working. However, the strangest gigs so

far were for a festival in Germany, where we

performed down a coal mine and in a glass

bottle making factory.”

Bones Apart’s tenth anniversary tour will begin

on 16 October at St. John’s Smith Square,

London at 7.45pm, where the quartet will

take part in a joint concert with Enfield

Salvation Army Band. 25 October will find the

foursome at Peel Hall, Salford (the concert

begins at 7.00pm), while on 26 October they

will give a recital at 1.00pm at the Royal

Northern College of Music in Manchester. On

27 October, the quartet takes the high road

to Bonnie Scotland for a 7.30pm concert at

the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and

Drama, before returning to London on 30

October for a concert at Royal Overseas

House, Park Place, St. James’s Street, London

SW1A 1LR at 7.00pm. However, that is by no

means the end of the story, as 2010 includes

tours to the United States and the Czech

Republic, as well as concerts in the UK. Fans

can keep themselves up to date via the

Bones Apart website. This is an ongoing story,

and one looks forward to the next ten years of

Bones Apart with considerable anticipation.

Bones Apart’s current line-up: Becky Smith,

Lorna MacDonald, Helen Vollam and Jayne Murrill

Bones Apart prepare to play down a coal mine in

Germany

Becky Smith, Su White, Arlene MacFarlane and Lorna

MacDonald in front of the White House in Washington D.C.

2009 SWISS OPEN

My only previous experience of brass banding

in Switzerland was as a player at the 1988

European Championships in the Kunsthaus

in Lucerne, so it was with some pleasure

that I accepted a recent invitation from

Kurt Bollhalter, Treasurer of the Swiss Brass

Band Association and Vice-President of the

European Brass Band Association, to return

there for this year’s Swiss Open Contest on

26 September.

In the 21 years since my previous

visit, the Kunsthaus, excellent venue

though it was, has been demolished

and replaced by the new Culture

and Congress Centre (KKL), a

quite remarkable building with

an enormous overhanging flat

roof that promotes as good an

atmosphere on the periphery of

the venue as there is inside. The

concert hall itself is reminiscent

in style of Hall 1 at The Sage

Gateshead, so it also provides a

perfect home for a brass band

event.

The Swiss Open is part of the

Lucerne World Band Festival,

and I was struck by the posters and

banners that festooned every second

lamp-post and bus shelter advertising

the nine-day long event that was

expected to attract a total of 20,000

visitors to the KKL. I was informed

by Kurt Bollhalter and the Festival’s

Director, Werner Obrecht, that

the contest itself would fill the

1,800 capacity hall, while tickets

were also at a premium for the

evening Gala Concert featuring

Black Dyke. It would appear

that, commercially speaking at least,

Swiss banding appears to know where

it is going, while the organisers of this

and other banding events in the Alpine

nation have been able to gather the

support of their competing bands and

supporters in no uncertain measure.

Ten bands had entered the contest, all

from Switzerland, although a glance

through the informative programme

revealed that there have been a number of

foreign entrants at the event over the 20 years

of its existence, including some leading UK

bands like Foden’s and Rothwell Temperance,

both of which are former winners. The format

involves the bands performing a specially

commissioned test-piece in the morning

section, with the afternoon own-choice element

requiring them to perform a transcription of

an orchestral overture and a Swiss march.

Like the European Championships, marks for

each section are combined to produce the

overall result, but the most interesting aspect

of this contest is perhaps the method that the

adjudicators employ to arrive at the final result.

Five judges – this year Carlo Balmelli and

Thomas Trachsel from Switzerland, Maurice

Hamers and Klass van der Woude from Holland,

and Howard Lorriman from England (plus the

contest controller, Kurt Bollhalter) – sit behind

a screen at individual desks and arrive at their

own decisions without conferring, awarding

each band between 50 and 60 marks. The

top and bottom mark for each performance

is disregarded, resulting in a final score out

of 180 for each. It is, of course, impossible to

say whether this method is ‘better’ than that

employed in major UK contests (with three

conferring judges in the same box), but it does

reduce the possibility of any individual being

overly influential or vastly different in opinion

from the others in the final decision, while

the overwhelming majority of performers and

members of the organising team I spoke to in

Lucerne appear to have plenty of confidence

in it, no doubt based on their own experiences

over the years.

Thomas Trachsel’s three-movement test-piece,

Reflection of Colours, provided both audience

and competitors with an interesting challenge,

with much of it based on a descending

harmonic minor ostinato, while the opening

quiet chord of the Passacaglia managed to

catch out almost every band in the contest.

Elegy, the second movement, inspired some

breathtakingly beautiful playing in a number of

performances, while the Finale was a technical

tour-de-force that would test the best bands

anywhere.

The listeners in the KKL appear to be a fairly

Swiss precision wins Kenneth Crookston reports from the 2009 Swiss Open Contest


dedicated bunch, so every band performed

the test-piece to a large and very enthusiastic

audience. The bands themselves all seem to

have precision at the top of their performance

priorities and, almost without exception, every

one gave a highly accomplished account of

Thomas Trachsel’s work, if, paradoxically on

this occasion, lacking somewhat in colour and

projection by comparison to some of the UK’s

leading groups. Despite this, the performance

by the hometown favourite, Brass Band

Bürgermusik Luzern, was well worth waiting

for at number nine in the draw. Conducted by

Michael Bach (son of former leading banding

administrator, Markus Bach), this was a

performance that ticked all the boxes, while the

electrifying last movement really brought the

event to life and induced joyful applause. The

result was a four-point lead to carry forward

to an own-choice section that was to offer

the listener such gems as The Force of Destiny

(Verdi), Le Carnaval Romain (Berlioz), Carnival

(Dvorak), Judges of the Secret Court (Berlioz),

Der Freischütz (Weber), The Flying Dutchman

(Wagner) and The Thievish Magpie (Rossini).

Bürgermusik Luzern’s performance of Lalo’s

Le Roi d’Ys may not have been quite as

exhilarating as its earlier demonstration, but it

was certainly accomplished enough to maintain

the advantage that it had previously gained. Its

rendition, though, of Stephean Jaeggi’s Grüss

an das Worblental allowed the band to display

its skill in shaping phrases in the trio section

to a level that this listener has never heard

before, leaving the judges with the simplest

of choices in awarding it the prize for the best

performance of a march. Achieving this in

something so apparently straight-forward takes

a great conductor, so look out for Michael Bach

if you ever have a chance to hear his bands

perform in the future. His brother, Philippe, isn’t

too bad either, although his Entlebucher Band

may not have been quite up to the standard of

the other competitors.

Of interest to UK readers would have been the

performance of the 2005 champion, Wallberg

Band under Russell Gray. With a number of

leading British players in the line-up, including

Alan Wycherley (soprano), Arfon Owen (horn)

and Steven Mead (euphonium), a considerably

more robust approach to the overture may have

brought dividends, although odd moments of

insecurity detracted from the performance and

fifth place was the inevitable overall result.

While the overture and march contest was

going on inside, Black Dyke and the Swiss Army

Band were among the performers in the ‘party’

that was going on outside, all for the benefit

of listeners to Swiss national radio (wouldn’t

it be great if the fringe events at our leading

band contests could attract such attention!).

While this was something not to be missed, it

was unfortunate that the audience inside the

auditorium was smaller in the afternoon as a

result. The contest results, though, were both

well attended and received with enthusiasm,

the inevitable announcement of the winner

bringing great joy to the home support.

After a very civilised break of two hours, the

KKL auditorium was again packed to capacity

for the evening performance by Black Dyke

and Nicholas Childs. The band’s programme

comprised Queensbury (Kaye), Poet and Peasant

(Suppé), Willow Echoes (Simon – cornet soloist:

Richard Marshall), Capriccio Espagnol (Rimsky-

Korsakov), Annie Laurie (Pryor – trombone

soloist: Brett Baker), Within Blue Empires (Lovatt-

Cooper), Horizons (Lovatt-Cooper), Swing Low,

Sweet Chariot (arr. Fernie), Autumn Leaves (arr.

Geldard – horn soloist: Sandy Smith), Zeibekikos

(Wilby – euphonium soloist: David Thornton),

The Lady is a Tramp, That’s Amore (flugel soloist:

Alex Kerwin) and Luck be a Lady (arr. Smith),

Immortal

(Lovatt-

Cooper),

Toccata

(Widor)

and Lucerne

Song (arr.

Howarth), all

of which was

well received

and rounded

off a terrific day’s

banding.

Without getting

too stereotypical

about it, there are

loads of things for

which the Swiss are

renowned, including

conservatism, cheese,

high peaks, trains that

run on time and exquisite chocolates, and the

over-riding impression that the Swiss Open left

me encompassed all of these. Clearly extremely

well organised as part of a major international

festival, there was enough to satisfy the

appetite of both the serious brass band listener

and any lover of classical music, while the

surrounding ‘carnival’ atmosphere left a sweet

taste in the mouth of all concerned. Next year’s

event is on the last weekend of September as

always, and it is well worth the trip for any UK

band or listener.


2009 SWISS OPEN

Full results from LucerneTest-piece: Reflection of Colours – Sinfonietta No.3 for Brass Band (Thomas Trachsel)

Adjudicators: Carlo Balmelli, Thomas Trachsel, Maurice Hamers, Klass van der Woude and

Howard Lorriman.

1. Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach) 178 (test-piece) + 169 (own-chice) = 347

2. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Jean-François Bobillier) 174 + 167 = 341

3. Brass Band Berner Oberland (Phillip McCann) 170 + 167 = 337

4. Brass Band 13 Etoiles (Dr. James Gourlay) 168 + 167 = 335

5. Wallberg Band (Russell Gray) 165 + 169 = 334

6. Ensemble de Cuivres Mélodia (Yvan Lagger) 163 + 169 = 332

7. Brass Band Fribourg (Vincent Baroni) 173 + 158 = 331

8. Brass Band Luzerner Hinterland (Hervé Grélat) 156 + 171 = 327

9. Oberaargauer Brass Band (Armin Renggli) 158 + 166 = 324

10. Entlebucher Brass Band (Philippe Bach) 157 + 163 = 320

Best performance of a march: Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern

Best own-choice performance: Brass Band Luzerner Hinterland

s the day in Lucerne

World of Brass in Concert the traditional Brass in Concert curtain raiser featuring:

Cory Band Dr Robert Childs

all the way from the USA Fountain City Brass Band Joe Parisi

Black Dyke Band Dr Nicholas Childs guest soloist BBC Radio 2 young brass musician of the year

Steven Sykes (trombone)

Saturday 14 November 2009 The Sage Gateshead

Tickets available now: £22, £16, £10

Brass in Concert Championship 2009

...in association with

Featuring: 2008 Champion, Cory Grimethorpe Colliery Brighouse & Rastrick

Fairey Leyland

Fountain City (USA) and more top class bands!

Sunday 15 November 2009 The Sage Gateshead

Tickets available now: £25, £20, £12

All tickets available from The Box Office, The Sage Gateshead 0191 443 4661

www.thesagegateshead.org

Brass and Percussion Workshops

Saturday 14 November 2009

Featuring star tutors:Richard Marshall, Alex Kerwin (Cornets & Flugel),

Alison Childs (Horns) Brett Baker (Trombones), David Thornton (Euphoniums & Baritones)

Joe Cook (Basses), Paul Lovatt-Cooper (Percussion) and Tina Mortimer (elementary players).

Workshops Registration and Lunch Fee: £5.00For entry form contact Alan Hope

telephone: 0191 416 1008e-mail: [email protected]

Includes free admission to a concert presented byAction Research Youth Entertainment Champions

Youth Brass 2000

Concourse Concert by the Workshop BandConducted by Dr Nicholas J. Childs

Action Research Youth Entertainment ChampionsYouth Brass 2000 in concert

Tickets available now: only £5.00


EVENTS

In an announcement made this week regarding a new line-up of

trophies at the Brass in Concert Championship in association with British

Bandsman, the organisers of the event were particularly delighted to be

able to outline the introduction of a new trophy to be awarded to the best

principal cornet player, which will be named The Harry Mortimer Trophy.

The much revered ‘HM’ was a strong supporter of Brass in Concert in the

early years of the competition, and explaining the creation of this new

award, Music Advisor, Dr. Roy Newsome, commented: “Harry Mortimer

was not only a great cornet player, conductor and ambassador for

our movement, he was also a visionary. I feel certain that he would be

delighted with the development of the Brass in Concert Championship

over the years, an event he always gave the strongest of endorsements.

Having discussed our proposal with Martin and Karyn Mortimer, we feel it

fitting that the new Harry Mortimer Trophy be presented for the first time

this year to the best principal cornet player.”

This is just one of four new trophies to be presented this year. The Fesa

Trophy, sponsored by Mr. Jim Rogers, will be awarded to the best flugel

horn player and, in addition, the trophy for the best soprano cornet player

will now be known as the Shaw Trust Trophy. Another new trophy to be

introduced for the first time will be awarded to the best horn/baritone

player, sponsored by the North of England Regional Committee.

News was also released regarding a slight change to the band line-

up, brought about by the withdrawal, for financial reasons, of Manger

Musikklag from Norway, leaving Fountain City Brass Band (USA) as the

sole overseas participants this year. Speaking on behalf of the organising

team, Paul Beere announced: “We are delighted that Flowers Band has

agreed to a late invitation, and will take draw number 4, the position

previously drawn by Manger Musikklag. We are grateful to Flowers for

accepting this invitation at a rather late stage, and know that the band

will be determined to make its mark on the competition after a break of a

couple of years.”

Ticket sales for Brass in Concert Championship in association with British

Bandsman are reported as ‘brisk’, as are those for the weekend opener,

the World of Brass in Concert, featuring Fountain City Brass, reigning

champion, Cory, and Black Dyke bands. Tickets are available from the box

office at The Sage Gateshead on: 0191 443 4661 or

www.thesagegateshead.org

Mortimer award boosts Brass in Concert


ESSAYS

by Professor Phillip Wilby

Over its long and illustrious history, the

Salvation Army Band of the Bristol Easton Corps

has gained many friends. This year, the band is

celebrating 100 years of ministry, and its newly-

released CD, Paean: A Shout of Thanksgiving

and Praise, forms a major part of its current

programme. In addition to its distinguished

history, the band has recently appointed a new

and youthful musical director in its centenary

year. Nathan Cole is an Australian by birth

and a product of the Easton system of musical

training. He brings with him some notably

energetic leadership and a ‘can-do’ attitude

to this historic group. I visited the band at its

Tuesday evening rehearsal to find out more

about this remarkably vibrant group.

Bristol enjoys strong connections with

musicians from The Salvation Army. Eric Ball

was born here in 1903, and his close relative,

Gordon, still plays the organ locally. Ray

Steadman-Allen was born here, to Salvation

Army officer parents in 1922, and both Steven

Mead and Derek Bourgeois have links to the

city’s University Music Department.

Easton, as Corps Sergeant Major, Hilton Baker,

describes, is a suburb near to the city centre.

The council housing estates of the area make

a wholly natural territory for the Army’s

traditional community role and, as its website

proclaims, its aims to ‘serve the community of

Easton and beyond, whatever the faith, colour

or religion of those who come through our

doors.’

The welcome is warm and generous, and the YP

(Young People’s) Band is in full flow as I arrive.

Youngsters like these are always the future of

all that we value, and I asked teenagers, Megan

Brittan (1st cornet) and Natalie Jefferies (1st

horn) for their experiences of playing with

the band. The members of this group start

young, and the girls have already played in it

for more than half their lives. What were the

special pleasures? Megan replied: “We are really

proud of our band, and it is getting better

and better,” to which Natalie added, “There

are more people, some adults to play the big

instruments, and it is great to be able to help

with the little ones. We are practising for a

couple of big Christmas concerts, one in the

Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham on 9 December

and our big annual festival in Bristol’s Colston

Hall on 13 December.”

There is an excellently structured system for

young people in The Salvation Army, and

youngsters like Megan and Natalie get to

develop their own skill, help those younger

than themselves and attend rehearsals with the

senior band. Even at this age, the Christian core-

values are emphasised and a short testimony

or scriptural text is part of every junior band

rehearsal. They also run a half-term holiday

club for children who want to learn a brass

instrument in a safe, fun environment.

Between the junior and senior band practises,

I enjoy a moment to ask some of the other

members of the leadership team for their

experiences. In a back room, and responsible

for teaching the youngest beginners, is Deputy

Bandmaster and solo trombone player, Andrew

Newell. One of three brothers (including Daniel

who now plays the trumpet in the London

Philharmonic Orchestra), Andy is a product

of the very system in which he now teaches.

Starting with the YP Band and moving now to

conduct once a month when the Bandmaster

is away with the International Staff Band, Andy

studied with David Hirst at Barnsley College. His

solo on the new CD is Song of Exuberance by

Leslie Condon, which offers the soloist a wide

variety of expressive possibilities, including a

slower, cup-muted middle section.

Martyn Bryant has been principal cornet at

Easton for an astounding 37 years. Indeed, as

he proudly points out there have only been two

principals since the 1940s. The other was Keith

Hinchley, brother to Bandmaster Laurie Hichley,

who served from 1954 to 72. Longevity may

be common in orchestral circles, but it is rare

in contesting bands. However, The Salvation

Army has a different agenda, and many of

Martyn’s colleagues in the ISB have been

valued members for decades. His son, James, is

the band’s Secretary and solo horn player. He

recalls his father’s

musical passions

from an early

age: “I remember

the band with

Bandmaster Don

Jenkins from an

early age. He was

a very successful

musical director,

and I grew up

listening to my

dad practising for

hours and hours

on end as I was

trying to go to

sleep in the next

room. My dad’s brothers were also in the band,

as was their dad, for many years. There are other

families of course: Norman and Marilyn Cassells,

and Don Jenkins’ brothers, Steve and John, are

in the trombone section.”

Martyn’s memories go back a generation

further: “The architect of the band’s renaissance

was Frank Tucker, who was appointed

bandmaster in 1925. He rebuilt the group after

the war, took it to the Royal Albert Hall in 1950

and broadcast regularly for the BBC. Within

Easton, we have a policy whereby every junior

band member from the YP Band has a seat on

coming of age, hence the family connections.

For others moving into the area to work, it’s not

so easy. There are a number of strong SA bands

in Bristol, so we can’t simply attract the leading

players from other bands. However, with more

students doing degrees in Bristol, we’ve seen

people flying in from all over the country. Our

most recent recruit is a young Salvationist from

Bermuda.”

A colleague of Martyn’s in the ISB, and himself

a student of medicine at Bristol University,

is solo euphonium player, Anthony Smith.

Anthony counts his leadership of the YP Band

as especially significant to his work at Easton,

but his lyrical arrangement of a section from

Vaughan Williams’ Dives and Lazarus makes a

memorable contribution to the band’s recent

recording. I asked him how he had come across

the original. “I had heard it on one of the LSO

recordings and I thought that the setting of this

famous melody could really work well for brass

band,” he replied, adding, “The original is for

strings and harp, and I think that our recording

may well be the first SA CD to include a part for

that instrument.”

Anthony’s solo item on the CD is a new piece,

Bristol Easton Salvation Army Band


ESSAYS

written for Derick Kane by Peter Graham,

called Canaan’s Land. Bandmaster Nathan Cole

took over the musical direction in May 2008

and has a passion to energise his players: “For

me, Bristol Easton Band is very special. I have

grown up here since I was 14, moving from

the Camberwell Corps in Australia. I began in

the YP Band and progressed to play the flugel

horn in the senior band, which was a big step

for me under the leadership of Bandmaster

Don Jenkins, very much a prolific figure in

SA banding, who had this band for nearly 30

years. He was a taskmaster, but he brought

the very best out of his players and attracted a

huge following. Later, I moved to percussion,

studying at Birmingham Conservatoire, and

that is how I now earn a living. After Don, we

had two bandmasters, Nathan Jenkins, principal

trombone player, and our current flugel horn

player, Norman Cassells, who conducted for

just over two years. I don’t think that you ever

feel completely ready for any leadership role,

but I did feel led to do it, and much prayer

and consideration goes in to the mission and

purpose of the band’s output, and I have the

overwhelming desire for the band to do well.”

Clearly the work rate at Easton is very busy.

How, I wondered, did the near future look in

the band’s diary. “We always have a very busy

Sunday. We meet in our band room for prayer

and then participate in pre-service music; we

lead the hymn singing and provide anything

extra that the leaders want for that particular

meeting. Following that, we go out onto the

streets. We leaflet the area before we go and

take our message and our Christian experience

with us. We return, after an already busy day,

for the late afternoon service in which the

band works alongside the Songsters.” Nathan

continued: “ We are increasingly receiving

invitations for concerts and weekend visits.

Typically, we will do a Saturday concert and

provide a musical message at the Sunday

meeting. Band members will stand up and

provide a testimony, take part in a reading from

scripture, or leadership of songs, and hymns.

Then, we will do an afternoon concert that

leads into a final act of worship. We also act as

hosts for other groups The Household Troops

have an annual summer tour and have recently

visited us with concerts in Keynsham Park,

here in church, and on Bristol’s College Green.

Like so many bands, we have lots of Christmas

activities, including our annual spectacular in

the Colston Hall. There we have a special guest,

our own songsters, and our children. It’s a

packed hall, and last year we introduced a new

design concept that we expect will work well

in to the future. As a corps, this is the biggest

outreach event of our annual programme, and

offers us a chance to raise money for charity

as well as to show the musical sections at their

best.”

Finally I asked Nathan about his new recording:

“Paean is the band’s first recording for seven

years and offers a wide variety of material, from

the traditional march, Cairo Red Shield, to some

well-loved hymns. There are programme notes

by Dr. Ronald Holz and beautiful recording

quality by World of Sound. Given the desire

to suit all tastes, listeners will choose their

favourites. For me, Craig Woodlands’ Don’t

doubt Him now is delivered by Martyn Bryant

with such persuasion that it melts the heart in

coming close to being one of my many ‘desert

island discs’. However, for pure brilliance, the

title track, Paean, by Dudley Bright is the most

appealing. Bright and energetic in its scoring,

and based on a selection of well-known modern

hymns, it shows the band at its fighting best.

Guest soprano cornet, Gavin Lamplough,

is especially well served by some glittering

writing, and a mixture of winning rhythms and

tight ensemble make this a worthy standard

bearer for the whole disc.”

How did the bandmaster regard his recording

now that the musical side of the project was

complete? Nathan concluded: “Paean is our

chance to offer something for everyone - to

look at the heritage of the band, 100 years

with its current name, to give thanks to God

through our service and to reflect our joy in

doing that. Much of the music, then, is of a

joyful nature, with some reflective moments,

and a brand new classical transcription. This

CD is part of a bigger picture, and a chance to

say something new about the band. Being a

fairly young bandmaster, which is still unusual

in SA circles, I want us to develop our profile

here in Bristol and further afield. At Easton we

are so fortunate to have each other, our spirit,

and maintain a ‘hardcore’ approach to our

church commitments. We would never seek

to compromise our Christian values for those

of conventional banding. This is a way of life,

a calling if you like, and our banding is part of

that.”

And what of the veteran principal cornet,

Martyn Bryant? He simply offered: “If I had the

chance, I would do it all again!”

- 100 years young in the fast lane!


STUDY FOR A BMUS (HONS) DEGREE

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NATIONAL BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS OF GREAT BRITAIN

2009

17 October 2009Royal Albert Hall

2009 NATIONAL FINAL


2009 NATIONAL FINAL

Kenneth Crookston introduces the bands

competing at next weekend’s National Final

and examines their current form.

Next Saturday (17th) will see the traditional

centrepiece of the brass band year, the National

Brass Band Championship Final, sponsored

by York Instruments and presented by Kapitol

Promotions, take place at London’s Royal Albert

Hall, the venue for the biggest event in world

banding since 1945.

Fringe events get underway at Regent Hall at

7.45pm on Thursday (15th) with the Regent

Hall Band of The Salvation Army presenting

its Expressions event, in which the soloists will

be Dudley Bright (trombone), Darren Bartlett

(vocal) and Paul Sharman (cornet), while the

2009 Brass Arts Festival will continue at the

same venue on Friday (16th). Featuring the

International Staff Band of The Salvation Army

under Dr. Stephen Cobb, the afternoon concert

(3.00pm) will also feature a seminar on Peter

Graham’s test-piece, The Torchbearer, while

the popular Gala Evening Concert at 7.30pm

will feature Foden’s Band under Garry Cutt.

Across the city at St. John’s Smith Square at

7.45pm on Friday, Enfield Citadel Band’s Annual

Pre-contest Festival will take place under the

direction of Jonathan Corry, with special guests

the all-female trombone quartet, Bones Apart.

So, plenty to satisfy even the most avid banding

enthusiast, but the main event gets underway

at 10.00am on Saturday, when adjudicators,

Derek Broadbent, Professor David King and

David Read, will ring the bell for the first of 20

performances of Peter Graham’s new test-piece.

So will the iconic Challenge Trophy be going

north, south, east or west next Saturday night?

Black Dyke (Dr. Nicholas Childs) Yorkshire

The defending champion has already collected

the English National title in 2009 and missed

out narrowly to Cory at the recent British Open

in Birmingham. The perennial favourite has won

three times at the RAH since 2001 (and 21 times

in total) and has never been out of the top four

in that period. Not to be missed.

Camborne Town (Richard Evans) West of

England

Not the best of records for the Cornish

contender in its five appearances at the Final in

the past decade, with its only top-half finish a

ninth place in 2004. This year’s West of England

Champion appears under the experienced

baton of Richard Evans, and with a healthy

mixture of youth and experience in the line-up,

this could be one of Camborne’s better years.

Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Russell Gray)

Yorkshire

There haven’t been too many contesting

highlights this year for Carlton Main, which

appears by virtue of its fourth place at the 2008

event. Sixth place at the Butlins Mineworkers

Festival, seventh at the Yorkshire ‘Area’, seventh

at the All-England Masters International and

sixth at the English National represent fairly

consistent form, but Russell Gray will be keen

to improve upon the 16th at the recent British

Open.

Cory (Dr. Robert Childs) Wales

The Welsh giant stands on the brink of one of

the most remarkable contesting years of any

band in history, with Welsh, European, World

and British Open championship honours being

added to the Brass in Concert title won last

November. Despite remarkable consistency

in this event, Cory hasn’t won in the RAH

since 2000, which is remarkable in itself when

numerous other successes are considered over

that period. Will this one be the history-maker?

Desford Colliery (James Gourlay) Midlands

Another band with a fabulous record at the

National Championships, with four victories,

including a hat-trick, in the late 1980s and early

‘90s under James Watson. There haven’t been

too many highlights in the past decade for the

Midlands Champion, though, but an excellent

performance from the number one draw at

Birmingham under Dr. Gourlay will add to

Desford’s hopes of a fifth title this time.

East Yorkshire Motor Services (Jason

Katsikaris) North of England

EYMS’s last two performances at the RAH have

been among its best ever, so it is to be expected

that the addition of the charismatic Jason

Katsikaris to lead this year’s contention will give

the North of England Champion one of its best

ever chances of making the frame.

Fairey (Philip Chalk) North West

An inconsistent 2009 for the nine-time

champion, with second place in the North West

‘Area’, seventh at the English National and 12th

at the British Open on its contesting record so

far. A fifth place last year is the band’s only top-

six performance since last winning the title in

2003, so it will be keen to repeat, or better, that

showing this time.

Flowers (Paul Holland) West of England

Flowers has yet to make a major impact at the

RAH, despite numerous previous attempts.

This year, Paul Holland will make his National

Final conducting debut and will hope to build

upon the band’s encouraging results this year -

second at the West of England ‘Area’, fifth at the

Grand Shield and eighth at the English National.

Foden’s (Garry Cutt) North West

Despite having four Mortimer Maestro

statuettes in his possession by virtue of winning

the British Open with Kennedy’s Swinton,

Marple and twice with Foden’s, Garry Cutt is

still waiting for his first victory at the RAH, while

Foden’s itself last tasted victory in London ten

years ago. Is this the year for this outstandingly

successful team to put all that disappointment

behind it? Don’t bet against it.

Hepworth (Cookson Homes) (Frank Renton)

Yorkshire

One previous appearance produced an

extremely disappointing 16th place for

Hepworth, but 2009 has seen the band give

outstanding performances on its way to runner-

up positions at both Bradford and Preston.

With Ian Porthouse otherwise engaged, the

band has turned to the experienced baton of

1992 winner, Frank Renton, to lead this year’s

contention.

Kirkintilloch (Selmer Simonsen) Scotland

The first of this year’s Scottish contenders

has had a rather mixed bag of results since

receiving fourth prize in 1997 on Peter Graham’s

On Alderley Edge. This year has seen it take

second place at the Scottish Championships,

victory at the West Lothian Festival of Brass and

ninth place at the British Open, so the band will

look at this year as an excellent opportunity to

break back into the prize list.

Northop (Thomas Wyss) Wales

The North Wales contender makes its first

appearance at the Royal Albert Hall since taking

16th place in 1996 on Robert Redhead’s Isaiah

40 under Thomas Wyss. An excellent third

place at Swansea in March secured the same

combination’s Final place this time, where a

top-ten place is a realistic aim.

The bands bearing the torch for th


2009 NATIONAL FINAL

Newstead Brass (Duncan Beckley) Midlands

Making only its second appearance at the Final,

the team of Newstead and Duncan Beckley will

hope to improve upon the 17th place achieved

on Berlioz’s Judges of the Secret Court. Second

place at the Midlands ‘Area’ and sixth at the

Grand Shield represent consistent form so far in

2009, so this is another combination that will be

aiming for a breakthrough into the top ten.

Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Mark Bentham)

North West: See page 31.

Redbridge Brass (Jeremy Wise) London and

Southern Counties

Redbridge started 2009 on fabulous form,

capturing the top prize at Butlins and securing a

hat-trick of victories at the London and Southern

Counties ‘Area’. Tenth at the Grand Shield,

15th at the All-England Masters and 12th at the

English National have followed, however, so

Jeremy Wise will be working hard to rediscover

the early season magic if the band is to improve

upon its RAH best of seventh in 2005.

Reg Vardy (Stephen Roberts) North of

England

It’s only five years since Reg Vardy almost took

the title on Michael Ball’s …All the flowers of

the mountain…, finishing in third place, but its

‘Final’ form has been rather inconsistent since

then. 2009 has been similarly inconsistent, with

second place at the North of England ‘Area’

the highlight, but the appointment of Stephen

Roberts to lead this year’s RAH campaign can

only be to the band’s benefit.

Rothwell Temperance (David Roberts)

Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Regional and Grand Shield

champion has had by far the most interesting

year in its history so far and will approach

London with a great sense of anticipation,

although it will be keen to put its 15th place

at the British Open behind it. The band’s three

previous contentions have produced two top-

six finishes, so look out for more success for

Rothwell.

Co-operative FuneralCare (Michael Fowles)

Scotland

Michael Fowles leads the 1990 and ‘96

champion to the Royal Albert Hall for the first

time, safe in the knowledge that the Scottish

Open and Scottish Championship titles are

safely in the bag. Eighth place at the British

Open and a runner-up position at the Land

O’ Burns contest show that contesting form is

reasonable, but with nine years having elapsed

since its last ‘frame’ appearance, something

extra may need to be found in London.

Tredegar (Ian Porthouse) Wales

A look at the table below confirms that, when

it comes to performing at the Royal Albert Hall,

there is definitely more than one good band in

Wales. Tredegar may not have appeared in the

top six since 2004, but with Ian Porthouse now

making a real impression with the 2008 Welsh

Champion, hopes will be high of a return to the

previous highs.

Zone One Brass (Richard Ward) London and

Southern Counties: See page 29.

Taking all of the above into mind, opinion

gathered in the customary BB office survey was

again divided, but once we had added them all

up, we came up with the following prediction.

1. Cory

2. Black Dyke

3. Foden’s

4. Desford Colliery

5. Rothwell Temperance

6. Tredegar

As Rodney Newton (quoting Geoffrey Brand)

said in a recent edition of BB, may the winning

band give the best performance. Good luck to

them all.

eir regions at the Royal Albert Hall

The competing bands’ records since 1999

Ranking 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Average

1 Cory - 1 5 2 3 4 3 4 3 3 3.11

3 Black Dyke - - 1 3 4 1 2 2 4 1 2.25

4 Foden’s 1 3 2 4 5 - - 5 2 2 3.00

9 Fairey 5 8 4 1 1 10 8 7 - 5 5.44

11 Desford Colliery - 11 - 8 10 - 9 - 10 19 11.17

12 Tredegar 3 5 7 - 2 5 - - 8 15 6.43

13 Hepworth (Cookson Homes) - - - - - - - - 16 - 16.00

15 Rothwell Temperance 6 - - - - - - 14 - 6 8.67

16 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery 17 - - - - - - - - 4 10.50

17 Co-operative FuneralCare - 6 10 - 9 17 - 10 - - 10.40

20 Kirkintilloch 11 - - 14 8 - - 8 17 13 11.83

23 Flowers 14 16 9 - 16 - - - 11 - 13.20

26 Reg Vardy 19 13 - 9 12 3 10 16 19 11 12.44

33 Northop - - - - - - - - - - -

36 Redbridge Brass - - - 11 15 12 7 - 15 17 12.83

39 Pemberton Old Wigan DW - - - - - - - - - - -

41 EYMS 15 - 14 20 14 20 - - 12 9 14.86

47 Camborne Town - - 19 19 11 9 - 13 - - 14.20

53 Newstead Brass - - - - - - - 17 - - 17.00

122 Zone One Brass - - - - - - - - - - -


2009 NATIONAL FINAL

Rodney Newton examines Peter Graham’s personal tribute to Eric Ball, which will test the mettle of 20 of the UK’s finest bands in London next weekend.

Peter Graham’s National Final test-piece The Torchbearer - Symphonic Variations on a Theme by Eric Ball, was commissioned by Kapitol Promotions

and the Federation of Australasian Brass Bands (the work is scheduled as the test-piece for the next Australian Open Championships). It is intended as

a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the death of Eric Ball, and, like my own Eric Ball centenary tribute, The Pilgrim’s Progress, it is based on a

theme from the output of the prolific composer which, in this instance, comes from the trio section of Eric Ball’s march, Torchbearers!:

and the variations are derived from various elements of this melody. Like Gilbert Vinter before him, Peter Graham demonstrates his ability to take

small fragments of material and do a lot with them. Furthermore, in his introductory note to the published score, Professor Graham states, ‘I have

endeavoured to retain the main compositional characteristics and harmonic flavour of Eric Ball’s Salvation Army and contest music. His scoring

techniques are a model for any student of the medium and whilst I have aimed for similar colours and clarity of line in texture, concessions have

been made in the instrumentation of the 21st century brass band. A slightly more developed percussion section is utilised employing timpani, and

xylophone in dominant roles.’ He goes on to say, ‘Eric Ball will be remembered as a composer whose classic works for brass shine through with integrity

and sincerity. I have been no less sincere in my efforts to pay musical tribute to the century’s most influential composer of brass band music.’ The work

bears the following dedication: ‘To the memory of Eric Ball who knew how to write tunes and to Geoffrey Whitham who knew how to play them.’

Peter Graham’s work begins with an inverted pedal in the soprano and repiano cornets while the rest of the band gradually enters with fragments of

the theme, which eventually appears, almost complete save for its last two bars, on the solo horn. The repiano cornet and 1st baritone take this up, but

only get as far as the third bar before there is a change of key and the solo cornet states the theme, shorn of its final four bars. Euphoniums and basses

muse on the descending phrase of the theme and flugel horn and solo euphonium takes us into Variation 1. This is an Allegro brillante based around

the first two notes of the theme - in essence, a simple rising major second (how Gilbert Vinter would have admired this!). This is realised as two ‘shot’

chords followed by a flurry of semiquavers from the various sections of the band. Deft fingerwork will be required from all departments with valves,

including the basses, this variation inspired by a main theme in The Wayfarer, which begins with similar shot notes.

Eric Ball tribute to provide stern test


2009 NATIONAL FINAL

with the 1st Eb bass taken up into its highest register. There is a climax on a most unfriendly second inversion chord E major (both Eb and Bb

instruments having to cope with a forest of sharps in the key signature) before the excitement subsides and a brief cadenza for solo Eb bass and an

extended one for solo euphonium lead us into Variation 2 (the harmonic background here is one which Ball also used in A Kensington Concerto and the

SA piece, The Eternal Presence). This is an Andante appassionata, based on the first four notes of the theme, in effect the start of simple rising scale. The

solo euphonium develops a romantic theme over pulsating cornets and trombones, joined at length by the 2nd euphonium in florid flights of fancy.

The other soloists of the band pass comment on this before the lovely theme is stated by the full ensemble in a warm, emotional outburst. The ecstatic

vision fades and we arrive at Variation 3, a scherzo-like episode, based on three rising notes from the sixth bar of the theme. There is a downward rush

of semiquavers and the new variation appears first as an ostinato pattern in the timpani, taken up by the basses and euphoniums.

The ostinato is transferred to the upper band, with a repetitious, two-bar phrase in the cornets taken up by the full band. A phrase in the baritones

is taken up by the horns and leads to a fortissimo statement, with the ostinato in the soprano, solo cornets, baritones and euphoniums dancing over

a chorale. A swirl of semiquavers leads to a ‘shot’ chord, after which the music collapses like a pricked balloon and works back on itself like a mirror

image, the last word being given to the timpanist.

A splash from a suspended cymbal heralds a bridge passage which leads to Variation 4, marked Andante e sciolto molto (fairly slowly with much

freedom). This features a solo for the principal cornet and is built on the last three notes of bar four and the first note of bar five of the theme in

counterpoint with the four ascending notes of bar one, heard on other instruments.

There is an episode featuring the solo euphonium and flugel horn which acts as a bridge to a statement of the cornet solo melody, now in a more

developed form, on the full band, but at a pianissimo dynamic, and a lightly-scored passage devoted to the descending phrase, before the world holds

its breath as the solo cornet plays a cadenza.

A soft postlude leads into the final variation, marked Allegro vivace, in which the first four notes of Eric Ball’s theme reassert themselves (Ball aficionados

will connect with passing stylistic references to High Peak, Song of Courage and Resurgam through this section). A sudden pull-back of the tempo leads

to the climax of the whole piece, in which the theme, now completely transformed into a new melody, soars aloft full band, and, as Professor Graham

says in his notes, ‘mirroring in music a concept at the centre of Ball’s broader philosophy, that of transformation.’ A triumphant coda is finished off with

a resplendent chord of B major (enharmonically spelled as C flat).

Music examples reproduced by kind permission of Gramercy Music.

BB wishes to thank Professor Peter Graham for his invaluable help in the creation of this feature.


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2009 NATIONAL FINAL

Sleepy Eastern Counties villages were stirred,

even startled, by the sound of a brass band

in their streets. Perhaps they were even

more surprised to see the young bandsmen

marching in pith helmets, headed by a man

on a white horse (at least, my informant says

it was white). It was the summer of 1933. The

previous year, The Salvation Army (SA) had a

huge intake of officer cadets, and when, at the

conclusion of their training, there were too few

available appointments, it was decided to do

some redeploying. So what has this to do with

Eric Ball’s Torchbearers! march? As with many

compositions, Eric did not write the march in

a vacuum; he produced it on request for the

marching band’s East Anglian ‘campaign’.

How come, the reader might ask, a complete

band, and why name the march Torchbearers!?

Here is a brief explanation: Because SA brass

bands were at their peak between World Wars

1 and 2, the annual intake of officer cadets in

London usually had well over the necessary

number of instrumentalists to form a band

(there were choirs too). This is a feature which

has, more or less, been maintained. Additionally,

each intake or ‘session’, has a name, which

applies to other sessions around the world. So,

the 1932 Torchbearer Sessional Band helped

the temporary numbers problem by being sent

on a musical parading and preaching mission.

Possibly this was inspired by the tours of the

‘Household Troops’ Band – again with pith

helmets – in the 1880’s. Those interested in

such things may like to know that the deputy

bandmaster was one Bernard Adams, one-time

star principal cornetist of the International Staff

Band and subsequently its bandmaster.

Torchbearers! incorporates a strong marching

tune which is the refrain of the sessions’ special

song – known predictably as the ‘Sessional

Song’. Growing from a simple verse-and-chorus

affair, it took on a larger, strikingly anthem–like

stature when Eric Ball was invited to write the

one for the Torchbearers in 1932. Eric has often

used his own song material in his instrumental

works or, alternatively, composed a theme for

a big work and found a poet to write words.

So, with his music, it can be rather a matter

of chicken and egg. However, it worked out

that the Torchbearers! march incorporates his

own vibrant refrain. Its text has a forthright

evangelistic and socially aware challenge, which

begins ‘Out there…where the darkness reigns,

out there!’ and goes on to specify what the

Torchbearers are going to try to do about it.

Eric Ball did not particularly specialise in march

writing and the four he designed for marching

purposes include the evergreen Star Lake. Some

composers, commissioned to write a signature

march for a youngish band, might well have

gone down the road of snappy razzmatazz.

Though Henry Hall – a former SA bandsman

- had moved into the world of dance bands

(and jazz idioms still had headway to make

in SA music) there was a fair amount of foot-

tapping stuff surfacing, especially from USA. Eric

chooses a stately concert march style, which

nevertheless works effectively in processional

mode.

At once, those familiar with the SA’s music

would have recognised a difference. Instead

of the traditional 4/4, 2/4, or 6/8, he goes

for 12/8, possibly in view of 4/4 to come.

Subjectively, I confess that I used to be fond of

using Torchbearers! as a programme opener;

there is something satisfyingly sturdy about a

solid section of cornets announcing the fanfare

in brilliant ensemble. Eric had a warm regard

for Elgar, who once congratulated him on his

variation piece, The Old Wells. Something of

that Edwardian flowing line appears as the first

theme. Throughout the music there is a scale

presence initiated in the opening fanfare and in

the bass underpinning of the first bar of the first

theme. Firmly rooted in Eric’s early studies of

Ebenezer Prout’s theory book, Harmony, comes

a compatible interlude in Ab, and then a return

to the first theme of F (band pitch). Now comes

the Torchbearers! tune, bold and with a youthful

confidence. The trio is broad with a tread of the

Land of Hope and Glory variety, beginning with

a scale and underwritten by a four-note scale

ostinato in the basses. In his repeat, Eric makes

things even broader with a more sustained

inner harmony and the four-note figure now in

minims – twice the value. From a player’s angle

(a brief spell on bass trombone), I recall the test

of breath when playing these long notes on the

march! When the Da Capo is observed, there is

a brief, but appropriately strong fanfare-style

conclusion. My score intriguingly carries pencil

notes: ‘Take IV’, ‘Take V’, ‘Take VI’, so had been

used for a recording.

Also intriguing is the choice of this theme for

variations. This reminds me of a car journey to

Manchester with Bram Gay and David Read. The

conversation turned to Eric Ball, and Bram was

possessed by the idea of a two-band antiphonal

work using Eric’s The Triumph of Peace. I picked

up the idea and my (not antiphonal) Variants

on The Triumph of Peace was the result, played

and recorded at the 1996 British Open by Black

Dyke and the Egon Virtuosi Bands under James

Williams. Sadly, for space reasons, a couple

of movements were omitted, which lost the

strength of the sequence. That’s another story,

but it points up the continuing influence that is

in the music of Eric Ball.

Torchbearers! – the musical troopersLt. Col. Dr. Ray Steadman-Allen reveals the genesis of Eric Ball’s celebrated march


THE BB INTERVIEWKenneth Crookston meets the

composer of this year’s National

Final test-piece and discovers the

surprising inspiration behind his

tribute to one of brass banding’s

greatest composers

Professor Peter Graham needs little introduction

to the brass banding public, but for those

who are less familiar with him, here’s a short

summary. He was born into a Salvationist

family in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, and brought

up in Prestwick, Ayrshire. On leaving school,

he studied music at Edinburgh University and

subsequently underwent a postgraduate course

at Goldsmith’s College, University of London,

where he received a PhD. He later taught music

in his native Scotland, but then moved on to the

New York Bureau of The Salvation Army, also

carrying out some freelance composing work

during his time in the USA. In 1986, he returned

to the UK and the position of Senior Editor

of The Salvation Army’s Music Department

in London, and was appointed Bandmaster

at Regent Hall, before going on to lead the

brass band studies course at Salford College of

Technology (now University of Salford). During

the early 1990s, he became Musical Associate

and Associate Conductor of Black Dyke Band,

while his large-scale works for brass band,

which include Prisms, The Essence of Time,

Montage, On Alderley Edge, Harrison’s Dream and

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, have become

cornerstones of the modern-day repertoire.

He has also produced a multitude of popular

concert works, such as Cry of the Celts, Gaelforce,

Call of the Cossacks, Day of the Dragon, Windows

of the World, Cats Tales, Cartoon Music and Shine

as the Light. It would thus be fair to say that

Peter Graham is among the most performed

composers in our genre, although he also has an

extensive wind band catalogue.

I recently met with him at his holiday cottage

in the Scottish Borders town of Moffat, to

discuss the background and inspiration for the

composition of this year’s National Final test-

piece, The Torchbearer, and when I suggested

that the 20th anniversary of the death of Eric

Ball this year might have been paramount in his

thinking, I was in for a bit of a surprise!

He began: “I share a similar background to

Eric Ball, having worked in The Salvation

Army and being brought up in the same

environment, so there has always been an

affinity. This project really kicked off for two

reasons. I realised that it was going to be the

20th anniversary of Eric’s death, and while

that isn’t the entire motivation, it is very

useful in providing a launch. The initial idea

for the work came about one day when I was

travelling south with Professor David King to

do some examining. We were at Manchester


THE BB INTERVIEWAirport, where the weather was very stormy,

and I was very relieved when the flight was

cancelled. However, this gave us a chance

to chat for a couple of hours over breakfast

about the new Federation of Australian Brass

Bands (FABB), which David had recently been

involved in setting up. He asked me if I’d like

to do something for it and I told him that I was

attracted to the idea of an Eric Ball tribute, in a

funny way, through James Bond!”

Professor Graham continued: “This sounds

bizarre, but I read a book about two years

ago by Sebastian Faulks, a really fantastic

novelist, which was a pastiche of the works of

Ian Fleming, who is most famous for his Bond

novels. Faulks is himself a great writer and it

was a technical challenge for him to write in

another author’s style, so I wondered if I could

do the same in a musical context, mirroring

the style of Eric Ball. David King thought this

was perfect as, in many ways, it involves me

going back to my roots, dealing with melody

head-on. The music itself is in my blood, but

I had to listen to Eric Ball in a different way

to understand exactly how he used musical

language. I also considered how Sebastian

Faulks wrote his James Bond pastiche and

managed to get all the characteristic details in.”

Peter continued: “I’ve always been a fan of

the march, Torchbearers!, and I think that the

essence of Eric Ball is in the trio theme with

his use of the added sixth. Beyond that, it’s

almost ‘Elgarian’ in style and, when I started

examining it, I found it amazing how often

the same intervals and shapes cropped up.

Similarly, in many of his best works, I found it

interesting that he used the same ideas over

and over again. In the Andante appassionato

section in my score, there is a reference to an

idea that Eric used in Kensington Concerto. As a

young cornet player, I remember playing The

Eternal Presence, and it was exactly that shape,

although the tune was slightly different. The

same pattern appears in his Sinfonietta – “The

Wayfarer” and a similar principle applies to

Elgar’s themes; it was almost as if he kept them

in a box and used them wherever he felt they

would be most suited. A clearer example of

this thinking might be found in bar 213 of my

score. The solo cornet falling figure, spanning a

seventh, comes verbatim from the Torchbearers!

trio theme, but many will also recognise it as

a quotation from High Peak. Most composers

self-reference like this, often subconsciously. It

is part and parcel of the musical DNA that goes

some way to defining the characteristics of the

individual.”

So, now that we’ve encountered the unlikely

use of the words ‘Eric Ball’ and ‘James Bond’ in

the same sentence, why, in particular, did Peter

Graham choose Torchbearers!? He continued:

“The theme just popped into my head. Eric Ball

had developed the original song for the march,

but I have used only the trio. However, the title

is also a metaphor for something else, as Eric

Ball was a ‘torchbearer’ in his own right. I think

that he was more important as a composer

than a lot of people realised when he was

alive. He really is a fantastic writer, with a very

good ‘hit’ rate, but having been excited by the

technical challenge of this piece, it was a much

harder project to undertake than I originally

anticipated. Eric Ball was the supreme master of

melody and it was a huge challenge for me to

create lines which were memorable and could

be considered authentic pastiche of his style.”

In recent years, there has been a trend, at

the European Championships in particular,

towards bespoke own-choice test-pieces for

some of the leading bands, and Peter Graham

has produced two of these in Journey to the

Centre of the Earth and On the Shoulders of

Giants, which were written to order for Black

Dyke and Cory respectively. I asked him if these

were written with particular players or styles in

mind, and if there are different challenges in

writing a set test-piece for a major contest, to

which he replied: “As far as my bespoke pieces

are concerned, they weren’t really written

with specific players in mind, even for these

bands. Black Dyke and Cory can play virtually

anything, so it doesn’t really matter, from a

technical point of view, what you write for

them. I suppose that, if any indication of this is

needed, then a look at the new piece I wrote for

Cory will reveal that there isn’t a big euphonium

solo, although in David Childs the band has an

outstanding player by any standards. There are

a couple of reasons for this: the real challenge

for bands is less an exciting or technical one,

but more a musical one. The second movement

of On the Shoulders of Giants contains some of

the most demanding music I’ve ever written,

not of a technical nature, but in capturing the

semi-jazz style and in delivering the extended

contrapuntal lines. Everyone knows that Cory

can jump through hoops of fire when asked to,

but as players, they can do so much more, even

if it looks easy on paper. Fortunately for Cory,

the judges on the day recognised that what

they heard was absolutely sublime.”

“With this in mind, I had to think about what

Eric Ball would do. He wasn’t renowned for

pyrotechnics, although he always featured the

corner men, particularly cornet and euphonium,

so this gave me an opportunity to incorporate

some cadenzas. The euphonium has the most

to deal with, but looking around at the bands

in this country, the standard of euphonium

playing nowadays has gone through the roof,

and I don’t think these particular demands

are unrealistic. Nevertheless, the one thing I

couldn’t forget was melody being at the core of

everything Eric Ball wrote.”

So, how does the composer see the challenges

that he has set in this work from the performer’s

point of view? “Eric Ball was a major influence

on my background, in that I had been

performing his works since I was very young.

A lot of his music isn’t heard now or known by

younger players, but this is a reflection of how

bands choose pieces, as well as the fact that

he wrote very little for percussion, which is an

area that has developed massively since his

death. The lyrical aspect needs to be addressed,

though, and my concern is that it will be treated

seriously. I remember David King telling me

that when Kensington Concerto was chosen as a

test-piece in Norway, he spent three-quarters of

his allocated time on that and what was left on

the own-choice work, but I reckon that it would

be the same in this country today if a similar

work was chosen. Most composition nowadays

is in bite-sized chunks, but Eric Ball also used

connective tissue to make seamless transitions,

and only the great composers can do that. My

work is sectional, as it is in variation format, but

I would hope that subtle differences should still

emerge. The difficult thing for me is ultimately

With the great John Williams

Peter Graham with Stephen Bulla and Philip Sparke


WRIGHT & ROUND

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the worry that the bands might judge it to be

too easy in comparison to the blockbusters that

have become the norm at the highest levels.

Although not devoid of technical difficulties,

the real challenges in The Torchbearer lie almost

entirely behind the notes; those of style and

the ability to ‘play a tune’. There has been some

debate recently as to whether or not players

have lost the art of shaping lines. How do you

avoid sentimentality but strive for emotion in

performance? Perhaps this piece will provide an

opportunity for some answers.”

There is a rather touching dedication on

the score of The Torchbearer – ‘To Eric Ball,

who knew how to write tunes, and Geoffrey

Whitham, who knew how to play them’, so

was the recently-departed Geoff Whitham

another major inspiration? Professor Graham

replied: “The reason I thought that it would be

appropriate to include Geoff in the dedication

was twofold. When I wrote The Essence of Time

for the 1990 European Championships in Falkirk,

he came out with tremendous vocal support

about the piece. I was a relatively young and

inexperienced composer in those days, and it

can be quite disheartening for any writer to

have their work met with anything less than

total enthusiasm, so Geoff’s ‘seal of approval’

at the time was much appreciated. I only knew

his playing through recordings, but these were

enough to tell me that he knew how to shape

a melody and create the magical moment. I

last met him at the Black Dyke Festival in Leeds

just before he died in the summer, and he was

still on good form, despite the serious nature

of his illness. Nevertheless, his death still came

as a shock, and it came just after I had finished

the score. Ironically, this is the 50th anniversary

of the use of Le Roi d’Ys as the test-piece at the

Royal Albert Hall, so it seemed an appropriate

gesture to make.”

There is a fine line between producing a piece

of music for artistic reasons and tailoring it

to meet the needs of a band contest. Does

Peter have the requirements of the contest,

the organisers and even the audience, in mind

when writing a test-piece? He responded: “I

think that you must remain true to yourself

to achieve anything worthwhile artistically.

Nevertheless, if specifically commissioned

to write a contest piece, it’s only fair to pay

attention to the organisers’ requirements. Like

writing film music, it needs to be fit for purpose.

Sometimes I wonder if composers really think

through the implications of accepting test-

piece commissions. There are conventions and

expectations to consider. Eric Ball employed

a quiet ending in arguably his greatest work,

Resurgam, so I wondered if I should pull that

into the mix. However, that piece is unique

and generally I don’t think that quiet endings

work in contests. One or two performances

might connect with the audience and judges

enough to generate a special atmosphere, but

20 in-a-row is a challenge, so I’ve steered clear.

In a sense, band contests are not always about

music, so writing a test-piece can be primarily

about delivering a custom-built work to meet

the satisfaction of the bands, audience and

adjudicators. This does not mean you cannot

be creative within these parameters. Stravinsky

revelled in constraints and, in banding terms,

Sparke and Wilby are two composers absolutely

at the top of their game. Philip Wilby’s Paganini

Variations has my vote as the best test-piece

ever written, in that it engages the audience and

pushes the band in equal measures. It also works

as a concert piece, but above all, the composer

knew exactly how to fulfil the commission. It

must fit the bill, and composers shouldn’t do it if

they are not willing to take that into account.”

In addition to the music, another important

aspect of brass banding that never seems to

be far away from the headlines is adjudication,

so what does Peter Graham look for in

performances of his own works? He replied:

“Sometimes the performances that really grab

you are not necessarily the technically perfect

ones. Adjudication is really just a subjective

response to what you hear. It can’t be easily

explained why one performance is better than

another, although it will often be obvious to

most listeners. However, I remember being at

a contest in which the winner was immaculate

and very musical, but the one I really liked

knocked a lot of notes over, but still managed

to communicate something indefinable beyond

them. The dilemma for the judge is whether

or not to reward that, and this is one of the

reasons why participants can be dissatisfied

with adjudications - it can be beyond

explanation. You can only hope that everyone is

on the same wavelength.

“When it comes to the method of adjudication,

I have always been against open panels, as

concentration levels are different when dealing

purely with the sound. Conversely, I have also

wondered if taking the visual aspects into

account should also be considered as part of the

performance, although the problems with this in

brass banding terms would be numerous. There

is virtually nobody on the adjudication circuit

who doesn’t identify with at least one band in a

small way, so they would, no doubt, be accused

of favouritism in almost any circumstance.

There’s also the expectation of a particular

performance, which will be higher presently of

Black Dyke or Cory than for some other bands,

so if they don’t deliver to their usual standard,

will they be unfairly treated? From the judges’

perspective, they can be judged equally as it is,

so it’s perhaps better to retain the box.”

Now that we’ve had a homage to Eric Ball and

stood on the shoulders of giants, what’s next on

the horizon? He revealed: “I’ve written two test-

pieces this year, so I intend to take a step back

for a while. My company, Gramercy Music, sells

predominantly concert music, so to maintain

the business I will be more likely to write music

of that nature. Contest pieces are great for

publicity, but can be very hard work. I didn’t

think that I would do another one, but the

ideas come and you just have to do something

about it right away, before anyone else does. It’s

important, though, never to say ‘never’!”

THE BB INTERVIEW

At the Eric Ball Memorial Concert in 2003

Peter Graham and wife, Janey, meet the Queen

Peter Graham with his extended family


Visit us online today at www.rcm.ac.ukGet your free prospectus by emailing

[email protected] or calling +44 (0)20 7589 3643.

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Zone One Brass was founded in May 2002

by seven students from the Royal College of

Music (RCM). The primary aim of the band

was to provide students with the opportunity

to experience competitive banding at the

highest level, inspired by the ultimate goal of

becoming the first London-based brass band

to conquer that Everest of brass band contests,

the Championship Section Final of the National

Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. This

year, the opportunity to achieve the ambition

has finally arrived, as the band, under the

direction of Richard Ward, will be among those

at the Royal Albert Hall this year to tackle Peter

Graham’s test-piece, The Torchbearer.

Band Manager, Mark Probert (a tuba player

himself), outlined to BB the genesis of the band:

“In the academic year 2001-2002, a number of

students from brass band backgrounds arrived

to study at the Royal College of Music. Although

there was a college brass band, they missed

the excitement of contesting and, since the

bands in the London area had few vacancies,

they found themselves without bands to play

in. Seven of us then got together and decided

to form a brass band of our own. I became a

founder member, but initially I was a bit of an

odd-man-out since, despite my mother being a

Salvationist, I have a background of orchestral

tuba playing. However, our first conductor,

composer Simon Dobson, said that never before

had he met anyone who had caught the brass

band bug as quickly as I did!” A full band came

into being with a little help from various military

bandsmen, and an application was made to the

London and Southern Counties Amateur Brass

Bands Association for grading. Encouragingly,

the band found itself placed in the 1st Section.

Since its formation, the band has enjoyed a

successful contesting history, its début being

at the 2003 Regional Championships, in

which it came second. That meant Zone One

automatically received an invitation to compete

in the Lower Section Finals held that year in

Dundee. Aptly enough, the test-piece was Eric

Ball’s Kensington Concerto, on which the band

came a respectable fifth. In September 2004,

Zone One Brass was appointed Brass Band in

Residence at the Royal College of Music, and

this led to performances as part of the RCM’s

Tippet Festival and a celebration of the 80th

birthday of composer, Joseph Horovitz. In

addition to its contesting activities, the band

has also maintained a busy concert schedule

and performs annually for charity as part of the

Royal College of Music’s fund raising and giving

week. It was also invited to play at a Royal

garden party in the grounds of Buckingham

Palace to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the

Royal Society of Arts.

Following promotion to the Championship

Section, the band narrowly missed out on

qualification to the National Finals at both the

2005 and 2006 Regional contests. However,

in 2005, the band won the Southern Counties

Amateur Brass Band Association own-choice

championship and also gained awards for

best percussion and best basses, with musical

director, Simon Dobson, winning the prize for

best conductor. 2006 yielded fifth place at the

Regional Championships, while the following

year the band rose to third place. 2008 saw the

band in fourth place, but in 2009 it achieved

second place and its first invitation to the

Royal Albert Hall - quite an achievement for a

relatively new band.

Following Simon Dobson’s graduation and

departure for his native Cornwall, Paul Archibald

took up direction of the band until he moved

to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

After that, professional trombonist, Richard

Ward (brother of BB’s Advertising Manager

and conductor of United Co-op Milnrow Band,

John Ward), took up the baton and will be

taking the band to the National Final. BB caught

up with him on tour of Japan with the Royal

Philharmonic Orchestra, and he commented:

“I’m looking forward to starting on the new

piece. I think Peter Graham has chosen well, as

that trio melody is fantastic; even Eric Ball’s idol,

Elgar, would have been pleased with it. Zone

One Brass is in a slightly different position to

the other bands, as many of the players haven’t

played any Eric Ball pieces before. The natural

sound of the band tends to be quite clear and

bright (all those trumpets players are used to

projecting), so we’re going to be working on

making a richer, more traditional sound for

the Royal Albert Hall. I think Peter Graham has

written a good piece, which will prove very

popular on the day. It’s scored very well, has

some beautiful moments and people will enjoy

spotting the cheeky quotes. We’re the local

band that day, as we normally rehearse at the

Royal College of Music just over the road. Many

members of Zone One are former RCM students

and we have an official affiliation with the

college.”

Zone One Brass is indeed extremely grateful

to the Royal College of Music for its continued

support, and it is expected that there will be an

enthusiastic group of well-wishers in the hall

on 17 October. Nigel Black, Head of the Brass

Department at the Royal College of Music,

commented to BB. “I am immensely proud

of Zone One’s outstanding achievement in

reaching the National Finals. Having the Royal

Albert Hall literally in your sights every time

you rehearse at the College has obviously

proven to be a highly effective incentive! For

many years now Zone One Brass has offered

RCM students, both current and alumni, the

opportunity to enjoy banding at the highest

level. The RCM’s collaboration with Zone One

is unique amongst London conservatoires

and has proven to be immensely attractive

to prospective students from the country’s

traditional banding communities. In recent

years the band’s financial needs have been

generously supported by the College’s Director,

Professor Colin Lawson and Deputy Chairman

of the RCM Council, Jane Barker.”

2009 NATIONAL FINAL

The National Final’s enthusiastic débutantesRodney Newton meets a youthful band determined to make its mark at the Royal Albert Hall



For the first time in 102 years, Pemberton

Old (now Pemberton Old Wigan DW) Band

will take its place among the contestants at

the Championship Section National Final.

Pemberton Old can trace its history back to

a group of players known as the Blue Jackets

Band which, in 1883, formed the bulk of the

Old Volunteer Corps, later named The Wigan

Rifles and which, in turn, became a corps of the

Territorial Army. However, in 1891, most of the

members left the Volunteers to form Pemberton

Old Band. The band secured the services of one

of the most famous of all the bands conductors

and trainers, William Rimmer, who led it to

success at the British Open Championship at

Belle Vue in 1895. He subsequently scored

many successes with Pemberton Old and wrote

his famous march, Punchinello, as a reward for

the principal cornet (and later conductor of the

band), James Fairhurst, who received the Best

Soloist award at the Belle Vue Championships.

The band quickly gained a formidable

reputation all over the country, winning major

prizes, including the Belle Vue September

Contest in 1903 under the renowned conductor,

John Gladney. The same year, the band

appeared with Gladney at the National Festival

at the Crystal Palace, coming fifth, and the

following year under a Mr. A. Gray, when sixth

place was awarded. Subsequently, the band

managed to maintain a high profile under

Messrs. Gladney and Rimmer as well as other

conductors right up into the 1920s, after which

appearances at Belle Vue tended to be in the

Grand Shield, Senior Cup or the

Senior Trophy. Never again, until

this year, did the band feature in

the Championship Section at the

National Final.

Regarding the Regional

Championships, the next one

hears of the band is in 1964, by

which time it languished in the

4th Section. The 1970s saw some

first places awarded at Blackpool

(Section D), Skelmersdale (Section

B) and Pontin’s (3rd Section) under

the direction of Malcolm Brownbill.

However, in 1975, Malcolm and the band won

the 4th Section at the Regional Championships

and, after subsequent promotion, the band held

its own in the 3rd Section under the direction

of Alan Marsh. Then, in 1979, the band won

the 3rd Section and the long haul back to

the Championship Section began. During the

1980s, a good standard was being maintained,

demonstrated by a respectable seventh place

in the 2nd Section of the 1989 ‘Area’ under Ted

Tarling. In 1995, a neighbouring outfit, Wigan

and District Brass Band had fallen on hard times

and was almost defunct when Pemberton Old

took over the running of the band thus adding

the name of its home town, Wigan, to its name.

A slight blip in the band’s upward curve of

progress saw it back in the 3rd Section for

most of the 1990s, but third place at the 1998

Regionals under Stuart

Barton saw it back in

the 2nd Section again.

The new millennium

saw the band win

the 2nd Section at

the 2000 ‘Area’ under

John Maines and, with

that achievement,

promotion to the 1st

Section. In August

2003, the band

attended the newly-

organised hymn-

and-march contest

sponsored by JJB (Sports) and, after the contest,

Dave Whelan (then Chairman of JJB) offered

to sponsor the band, together with its ‘B’ and

Youth bands, and a further suffix was added

to the name. In 2004, contesting on my own

tone-poem, The King of Elfland’s Daughter, under

Mark Peacock, Pemberton Old Wigan (JJB) Band

won the 1st Section National Final at Harrogate

and was propelled to the dizzy heights of

the Championship Section. A series of mid-

table results at the Regional Championships

followed, but this year, a third placing under

Mark Bentham secured the band an invitation

to the National Final at the Royal Albert Hall.

In January 2009, circumstances compelled JJB

to withdraw its sponsorship, but very recently,

former JJB Chairman, Dave Whelan (owner of

Wigan Athletic Football Club, DW Sports-Fitness

Clubs and the DW Stadium), has been able to

offer sponsorship and the band will contest at

the National Final under the name, Pemberton

Old Wigan DW Band.

So, will Pemberton Old be able to repeat its

success of a century ago? Conductor, Mark

Bentham commented, “When you are back at

the Royal Albert Hall after 102 years, you make

sure that you are ready! The band is enjoying

working hard on Peter Graham’s test-piece and

spotting all the Eric Ball references.” It will be a

pleasure to welcome an old warrior back among

the gladiators on 17 October.

Back at the top table after 102 years!Rodney Newton charts the rise, fall and rising again of Pemberton Old Wigan DW Band

and talks to its conductor, Mark Bentham

2009 NATIONAL FINAL


Telephone: +44 (0)1933 445 440Fax: +44 (0)1933 445 441

E-mail: [email protected]

TitleChristmas CalypsoChristmas JoyChristmas PraiseDeck the HallsJingle BellsLittle Lord JesusMasters in this HallThe Proclamation of Christmas

Composer/ArrangerPeter GrahamErik LeidzénNoel JonesBarrie GottNorman BearcroftNeils Silfverberg Norman BearcroftStephen Bulla

R. Smith & Company66-78 Denington Road, Wellingborough,

Northants NN8 2QH, England

Price£24.95£24.95£24.95£24.95£29.95£24.95£24.95 £29.95

Annual Pre-Contest Festival 2009

Enfield Citadel Band(Bandmaster Jonathan Corry)

with special guestsBones Apart - Trombone Quartet

Friday 16 October 2009 at 7.45pmAt St. John’s Smith Square

London SW1P 3HA

Tickets: £10.00

Available from St. John’s Box Office on 020 7222 1061

Opening times 10am to 5pm Mon-Fri

Online booking and map: www.sjss.org.uk


PRODUCT NEWS

by John Ward

There are now 51 days until 1 December,

and with that comes the Christmas concert

season. This is arguably the most high-profile

opportunity for bands to showcase themselves

and their music to the general public, so do you

have the repertoire to match the occasion?

Over recent weeks, BB has taken a look at a

selection of Yuletide music, and this week we

continue with a summary of works available

from R. Smith and Company.

We start with Erik Leidzen’s iconic march,

Christmas Joy. This has been a long-standing

favourite with Salvationist bands, having

first being published some years ago, but it

has grown in popularity with non-SA bands

following the decision for SA music to be

released to the wider banding movement.

This writer recalls a recording of this work by

Sellers Engineering Band under Phillip McCann

in the mid-1990s as one of the first recorded

examples of this ‘new’ repertoire available to

contesting bands. Christmas Joy is a happy

and infectious march, which encapsulates the

spirit and excitement of the season through

its use of Joy to World, Jingle Bells and Here We

Come A-Wassailing - all recognisable tunes

and a bright concert opener for your band.

Staying on the march theme, Noel Jones’

Christmas Praise also contains a number of

popular festive melodies, including God Rest Ye

Merry Gentlemen, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

and O Come all ye Faithful. Why not give your

audience a reason to tap their feet with these

two enjoyable marches?

For soprano soloists looking for that special

solo this Christmas, why not take a look at Little

Lord Jesus? Danish composer, Niels Silfverberg,

has based his work on the favourite carol, Away

in a Manger and provides the soloist with an

opportunity to demonstrate their expressive

side.

We ‘up’ the tempo now with two numbers from

Norman Bearcroft. This composer has a gift

for penning music that captures the audience.

Masters in this Hall is an arrangement of an

ancient French carol, while his Jingle Bells is

certainly fun, especially for those solo cornet

players who enjoy stratospheric playing!

Peter Graham’s Christmas Calypso, Barrie

Gott’s Deck the Hall and Stephen Bulla’s The

Proclamation of Christmas, featured in BB 5576,

are all available as both brass and wind band

versions, while in BB 5577 we looked at festive

works from Kenneth Downie, Bruce Broughton,

and Leslie Condon.

Call R. Smith and Co. for more information on

01933 445440.

Christmas titles keep on coming!

One copy annually of British Bandsman’s World of Brass will be sent to readers only on payment of subscription. Existing readers wishing to receive the CD

before the date of subscription expiry can do so by extending their subscription by either 6 or 12 months.

MCPS

Bandsman

BRIT

ISH

British Bandsman's

World of Brass

BBCD101

Exclusive highlights from BB’s 2008 Recordings of the Year nominees, including the National

Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, Cory, Foden’s and Black Dyke bands, plus solo performances

from Steven Mead, David Childs, Katrina Marzella, Leslie Neish and Joseph Cook.

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Free CD with every British Bandsman subscription!

British Bandsman’s World of Brass is a CD made exclusively for British Bandsman subscribers. It features tracks from the

nominated discs in our 2008 Recordings of the Year issue, and includes:

Black DykeSteven Mead

Foden’sDavid Childs

Spanish BrassKatrina Marzella

and more!

British Bandsman is still the world’s leading brass publication and available from as little £4.85 per month!

Call 01933 445442 or see www.britishbandsman.com for more details.

Issue no. 5531 – 18 October 2008

Price £1.25

Convincing victory sees National title on its way back to Queensbury

Issue no. 5556 – 11 April 2009


Price £1.25BB reports from the National Youth Championships in Manchester

Issue no. 5536 – 22 November 2008

Price £1.25

REACHINGFOR THE SKY

Cory grabs leading entertainment title

Issue no. 5570 – 18 July 2009

Price £1.25



COMPANY NEWS

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Established in 1988 by Robert and Nicholas Childs, Doyen continues

to be at the forefront of location recordings. In 2010, the company will

celebrate its 22nd birthday and, following recent expansion of the Doyen

Mobile’s musical and technical capabilities, it aims to remain at the top.

It has several exciting projects about to be released into the market,

including a new release from the Black Dyke Band, entitled Within Blue

Empires, featuring Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s popular title track, used as the

test-piece at the recent English National Brass Band Championships. With

the attention surrounding next week’s RAH test piece, The Torchbearer,

there is sure to be a special interest in a celebratory recording of Peter

Graham’s music, featuring both Black Dyke and The International Staff

Band. Also planned is a release to commemorate the 125th anniversary of

Cory Band.

Since its inception, however, Doyen has worked on all levels of banding

to offer groups the opportunity of recording a CD to raise all-important

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Ferryhill, Oldham (Lees) and Campbeltown bands, which have all taken

advantage of the world-class expertise of Doyen’s recording team.

Alison Childs, of Doyen, commented to BB: “Our team is constantly aware

of every increasing recording need that modern technology demands.

With recent enhancements within the Doyen Mobile, our team will be

able to accommodate the latest technology serviced by highly-qualified

producers and engineers.”

Doyen also aims to provide expert guidance and advice from your initial

contact, right through to the delivery of the final product. Alison Childs

added: “I will personally guide you through this exciting time, with

helpful hints of ensuring an enriched recording experience for your band

members.”

In addition to Alison, John Maines, qualified Batchelor of Music, is part

of the team as its in-house producer, and brings with him a wealth of

experience as a player, conductor and broadcaster. His professional, yet

personal and encouraging manner is there to help bring the best out of

your band.

Richard Scott has over 25 years recording experience and has received

the highly acclaimed Tonmeister Batchelor of Music Honours Degree in

recording techniques. Described as a “wizard”, Richard’s role is bringing

through the sonorous sounds of your band to the fore on your recording

session.

Why not call Doyen now on 01457 820138 to talk through the many

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Do you want to make a recording? Think Doyen


BRASS ROOTSMembers of Foden’s Band will

be heading across Cheshire

on Saturday 31 October to

run a workshop being held by

the City of Chester Band’s

training band, Chester Brass.

Open to beginners and improvers of all levels

- Grades 0 to 8 - the all-day workshop will be

a mixture of group playing, masterclasses and

full rehearsals involving Mark Wilkinson, Helen

Williams, Glyn Williams, John Barber and Mark

Landon. The day will finish with a short concert

for families and friends. Any brass player

is welcome to attend along with any keen

percussionists.

The workshop will start at 10.30am, finishing

around 5.30pm. Refreshments are provided - all

you need to bring is an instrument and lots of

enthusiasm.

Held at All Saints Church Centre, Vicarage

Road, Hoole, Chester, CH2 3HZ, which is just

off Hoole Road, local bands, plus students from

local schools and colleges are all welcome to

attend. While there are no age limits; Chester

Brass has players from seven to 70, it is affiliated

to the Cheshire Youth Federation. For more

information or to book a place, please contact

Tony Blain on 01244 398 468 or email info@

chesterbrass.co.uk.

Chester Brass conductor, Ian Clowes, is

especially keen to encourage brass players

who’ve never played in a brass band before

along to the workshop, and he commented:

“With music as diverse as Disney, the Beatles

and The Great Escape, there will be something

for everyone to enjoy. This is a great chance

to mix with the best in the world, and they

guarantee it will be a fun day too.” See www.

chesterbrass.co.uk for further information.

Paul Lovatt-Cooper has composed a new

euphonium solo, Canzona Bravura, for Martin

Smith, who plays with Denham Hendon Brass.

Speaking to BB, the composer commented:

“I was delighted to be asked to write a solo

for Martin, who I am pleased to see is keen to

promote new music for the euphonium. The

solo itself is composed in a modern, yet lyrical,

style that shows off the range and colour of

the instrument. It gives the soloist a variety of

playing techniques to get their teeth into and

there is lots for the audience to enjoy.”

Martin Smith, who returned to playing after

a 35-year absence, said: “I am thrilled and

excited to be playing a very different type of

euphonium solo, written by such a talented

composer. It will be premièred in a concert that

Denham Hendon Brass is giving at the lovely

Norman Church of St. German’s, Cornwall on

Saturday 10 October.”

Barrhead Burgh Band

has announced the

appointment of Lynda

Nicholson as Musical

Director after her recent

relocation to Glasgow.

A spokesman for the band commented:

“Lynda is a highly-respected cornet player,

having played for several top flight bands,

including Foden’s, Desford and Black Dyke.

More recently, she has turned her hand to

conducting and has been Musical Director

of Besses o’ th’ Barn and Haydock bands.

She is well known throughout the UK for her

work with young musicians, having been

Musical Director of the inaugural course of

the National Children’s Brass Band of Great

Britain and conductor of St. Helens Youth

Band from 1988 to 2008, steering it to many

concert and contest successes, including six

National Championship titles. Her experience

in this area will greatly assist in developing

the band’s ties with Levern Valley Community

Brass.”

A new band, STORM Brass, has been formed, and

its very first rehearsal took place on 20 September

at Stover School, Newton Abbot.

STORM Brass brings together a mix of top-class

brass and percussion players from across the

region under the direction of Simon Dobson.

The band is based in Devon, which is perhaps

the only county in England never to have

had a top-class brass band competing in the

Championship Section, in contrast to the

neighbouring counties in the south west -

Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and Avon - which

have all been represented at the top level.

STORM Brass aspires to become the first band

in Devon to achieve Championship status,

and Simon Dobson commented: “Devon

continues to be a county where many exciting

artistic developments are taking place, and

the formation of STORM Brass is something

that really excites me. Having a top-quality


BRASS ROOTSbrass ensemble based here can only enrich the

opportunities for composers such as myself

to explore new ways of opening up fantastic

music, such as brass, to new and younger

audiences.”

Chairman and Band Manager, Ken Cassidy,

added: “We hope that the formation of STORM

Brass will prove to be a catalyst in bringing

a top-class, well-managed brass band into

being in Devon, something that has long been

overdue. We hope that top players will no

longer be drawn down into Cornwall, where the

brass band scene is so rich, but will now find

an outlet to perform here in Devon.” He added:

“We have a very clear aim to develop not only

a top contesting band, but also to instigate a

long-term legacy of high-quality brass playing

into the artistic culture of the county. We want

to inspire young people to play by being part of

the youth culture (the band will provisionally be

playing at two top festivals in the county), and

by engaging directly with the region’s schools.

By basing ourselves in a central position on

the A38 (the Devon Expressway), we want

to be seen very much as a regional musical

organisation without specific ties to a village or

particular location i.e. we’re not a town band

as it is traditionally understood. We also want

to develop new audiences by putting on new

types of performances, and Simon Dobson was

the first choice to assist us with that vision. We

believe that this approach and the location

should help us attract the best brass and

percussion players from the region. We also

want to be very professionally organised and

managed to attract corporate sponsorship of

both our performances and to assist us with

commissioning new music from composers

who are based in our region (a CD is planned

for next year of new music from Devon-based

composers).”

Ken Cassidy concluded: “We have been very

active in promoting the band, already have

a number of engagements booked and have

received our first sponsorship from a corporate

supporter to allow us to commission and

purchase some new music. In addition, we have

secured a fantastic line-up of quality players,

with only two positions still to fill.”

Following STORM’s first rehearsal, at which

it played The Cossack (William Rimmer), The

Essence of Time (Peter Graham) and Simon

Dobson’s own Showstoppa, the conductor said:

“STORM Brass has proven this evening that

there has been a latent demand for a top-level

band in Devon, and the performance tonight

has also demonstrated that STORM has the

potential to achieve that objective and has a

very bright future in front of it.”

The evening was rounded off by everyone

enjoying a well-earned cup of tea or coffee and

some celebratory cake!

On Sunday 13 September, as part of the Band’s 75th anniversary celebrations,

Welwyn Garden City Band held a masterclass and workshop, followed by a

barbecue. The event took place at Bonneygrove Primary School in Cheshunt,

Herts, where the band’s flugel horn player and event organiser, Anne Gorolini,

is Headteacher. Topping the bill were the band’s professional advisor, Rod

Franks, co-principal trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra, and the

renowned cornet player, Roger Webster. The event, which attracted 45 invited

players representing seven bands across the London and Home Counties area,

began with Rod Franks warming up the enlarged ensemble with some hymn

tunes. Welwyn Garden City’s Musical Director, James Marshall, then took the

baton as the band played the march, Cornish Cavalier.

Rod Franks then gave an inspirational and educational talk on brass playing

technique covering breathing, note production, embouchure, double and

triple-tonguing, vibrato and posture. With his trumpet in one hand and a flip

chart close by, Rod illustrated his lecture and also enhanced it with numerous

anecdotes of amusing experiences from his brass banding and orchestral

career. After fielding a number of questions, he took the baton again and

worked with the band on Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, with Roger Webster

joining the front row cornets. Following a buffet lunch, James Marshall took the

band through the piece again as Rod Franks ‘adjudicated’ and commented on

the performance. Roger Webster then spoke to the band about performing and

nerves, discussing some of the reasons that players suffer from nerves before

going on stage and the many symptoms encountered.

The musical element of the day closed with James Marshall taking the band

through Cornish Cavalier, Vaughan-Williams’ Prelude from 49th Parallel and

Shostakovich’s Festive Overture. The assembled masses then enjoyed a

sumptuous barbecue, with baritone player, Bruce Douglas, wearing the chef’s

hat. A collection was taken at the end of the day and, thanks to the generosity

of those who attended, £300 was raised which Rod Franks has asked to

be shared between the Herts Air Ambulance and the Chartered Society of

Physiotherapy Benevolent Fund. Band Chairman, Steve Dias, said: “This was a

wonderfully enjoyable day of music-making and education and we are most

grateful to our special guests for giving up their time for us all. This has proved

to be such a successful day that I hope we will be able to arrange a similar

event in the near future.”

FEATURE

by Roy Terry

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Brass

Band Normandie, the first French band to make

a major European impact. Last weekend, it

celebrated by inaugurating what is in effect a

regional tour throughout Normandy, consisting

of 16 concerts at weekends between now and

December.

I first encountered the band at the European

Championships at London’s Barbican Hall in

1997. I was particularly impressed by the cornet

sound, which was closer to the cornet sound of

the best SA bands than to the still often vibrato-

ridden default sound of many contesting bands.

For a period, a professional trumpet player was

brought in on principal cornet, but this led to a

distinct hardening of the cornet sound, and the

return to relying on ‘home-produced’ players

has certainly paid off.

The band’s conductor, Philippe Gervais, is the

son of the organist, Maurice Gervais. Philippe

studied trumpet at the Paris Conservatoire,

has performed with Maurice André and is now

professor of trumpet at the music schools of

Déville, on the outskirts of Rouen, and Notre

Dame de Gravenchon, an oil refinery town

near the mouth of the Seine. The town’s oil

wealth has enabled it to build a magnificent

conservatoire with a state-of-the-art recording

studio and it is here that Philippe runs a

flourishing junior band founded in 1997.

The band was founded virtually by accident.

Philippe and a colleague read a paragraph in a

French music magazine about a competition for

‘brass ensembles’ at the Royal Albert Hall. They

made the trip across only to be stunned by their

first encounter with top class brass bands, and

they decided virtually on the spot to go back

and form a brass band. From its foundation

in 1994, the band made rapid progress. Until

fairly recently, the Amboise Open contest

doubled as the French national contest and

it was via its wins at Amboise that it became

the first French band to compete at European

level. The band celebrated its second birthday

in 1996 by winning the B Section of the

European Championships in Bergen. Part of its

performance at Amboise in 1998 was broadcast

on Listen to the Band. Against perhaps stiffer

competition, it gained second place in the

European B section in Munich in 1999. Winning

the section again in Birmingham 2000, it was

responsible for French bands becoming eligible

to enter the European Championship Section.

The year 2000 marked the production of the

band’s first CD and was also special, because

it was invited to be the guest ensemble at the

International Trumpet Guild Convention at New

York State University. Prior to the convention,

it also gave a concert with the New York SA

Divisional Youth Band. Three French virtuosi

featured in its programmes – Pierre Dutot and

two of his students, André Henry on trumpet

and the then 14 year old David Guerrier on

cornet. The band made its first appearance

in the UK in 2002, when it visited Bexhill-on-

Sea to take part in the festival to mark the

inauguration of the refurbished De La Warr

Pavilion.

Fifteen years of brass b


FEATURE

banding in NormandyThe band has always been a mix of amateur,

semi-professional and professional players.

For the first years of its existence, its solo

euphonium was Yvan Milhiet, perhaps the

leading French virtuoso soloist of his day, who

sadly passed away last year at a young age,

having suffered for some time from motor

neurone disease. Bastien Stil, one of France’s

leading tuba players, was also a founder

member.

Many of the players are Philippe Gervais’s own

pupils, among them the team of Matthieu Lucas

(principal cornet) and his sister, Elodie (principal

horn). Elodie was the highest placed tenor

horn in the solo competition at the European

Championships in Birmingham in 2007, and

Matthieu played with distinction at this year’s

Amboise contest – he was the only soloist to

escape unscathed from the cornet solo in the

second movement of Contest Music!

Two members of the band have since branched

out to form their own bands – Bastien Stil with

the Paris band, Aeolus, and Pascal Piedefer with

another Normandy-based band, Brass Band en

Seine. Philippe Gervais has given them every

encouragement and support, as he has bands

further afield in northern France and Belgium,

and most recently Antibes-based Brass Band

Méditerranée.

Having occupied a ‘pioneer’ role and

experienced substantial contest success in the

early years, the band has had to adjust to being

overtaken, notably by Aeolus. This was to be

expected since, while they receive no payment,

Aeolus players are all professional musicians.

Nevertheless, Philippe Gervais continues to see

contests as useful for the band’s development.

In any event, by far the greater part of the

band’s year is taken up with extensive concert

work. Weekend festivals involving other

bands have also been a constant feature of its

calendar, from Rouen 2000, when its festival

was Rouen’s official way of marking Bastille Day,

to Bordeaux in 2008. Such festivals have had

additional spin-off in fostering social contact

and mutual support.

As this autumn’s tour shows, the band has

kept a good balance between contest and

concert work and it continues to make an

impact on the extensive Normandy region with

programmes that combine a well-balanced

mix of light and serious repertoire. Among the

soloists are the band’s Honorary President,

Pierre Dutot (cornet), Jacques Mauger – now

professor of trombone in Geneva, Thierry

Gervais (trumpet) and Besson tenor horn artist,

Lesley Howie. I look forward to conducting

two of the concerts, in Le Havre and Notre

Dame de Gravenchon, when the programme

will include the first performance of Delta, a

piece the band has commissioned from Rouen

composer, Thierry Muller. Commissioning

French composers to write for band is yet

another example of Philippe Gervais’s forward

thinking, and in recognition of his contribution

to French banding, Philippe has been elected

Vice-President of the new French Brass Band

Federation.



Visit our new designed website:

www.lake-music.comalso available:

Our 2009/2010 brass band catalogue with sample cd Ask your local shop for your free copy or contact us

Catalogue Highlights:

Angel Of The North – Richard Grantham

Jesus Will Still Be There – John Mandeville, arr. Dean Jones

Solum Valeo – Dean Jones (written for the Hathern Band)

Have You Met Miss Jones? - arr. Richard Grantham

Theme from ”Powder” – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Rieks van der Velde

The Prayer – arr. Rieks van der Velde

(As performed by Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli)

Band of Brothers – Michael Kamen, arr. Rieks van der Velde (Music from the award winning HBO tv-series about WW II)

Bizarre Bazaar – Stephen Watkins

Perhaps Love – John Denver, arr. Rieks van der Velde

(Cornet Duet)

Red & Black – Marco Middelberg (Concert March)

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[email protected] tel. +31 511 521742 fax. + 31 511 474129


CRITICS CORNER

Theme from Powder (Jerry Goldsmith)

arranged by Rieks van der Velde

This arrangement of Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from the film, Powder,

provides something of a field-day for the percussion section, as well as

being an uplifting piece of music which is not as well know as perhaps

it should be. Victor Salva’s 1997 fantasy film concerns a strange-looking,

shy, orphaned teenage boy with supernatural abilities (nicknamed

Powder from his white, iridescent skin) who rises above the prejudice

of others to change the lives of those around him. The late, great Jerry

Goldsmith has created a musical theme of great nobility, which matches

the best in his output, and arranger, Rieks van der Velde, has captured

the essence of this splendidly. Beginning with chiming tuned percussion

and open fifth harmony in muted cornets, the theme is eventually

announced by a solo cornet and developed, before being taken up by

the full band. This is an opportunity to create that organ-like quality for

which brass bands are famous, and Rieks van der Velde’s expert scoring

helps to achieve this. The percussion section will require a timpanist

(doubling percussion) and three percussionists playing glockenspiel,

vibraphone and bell tree, but the overall scoring is sufficiently simple and

straightforward enough to enable even a good youth band to include this

piece in an entertainment programme. The soft ending should make it

effective as an interlude. Warmly recommended.

The Prayer(Bayer-Sager and Foster)

arranged for cornet and euphonium duo

by Rieks van der Velde

Written as a duet for Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli and issued on the

1999 Celine Dion album, These Are Special Times, this song, by Carole

Bayer-Sager and David Foster, makes an excellent duo for solo cornet and

euphonium in the expert hands of Rieks van der Velde. Paul Buckmaster’s

original string opening is realised on soprano cornet and flugel horn

with soft cornet and horn underscore. The solo instruments are discretely

supported by the various sections of the band with twinkling tuned

percussion, and Ms Dion’s vocal ornamentation has been faithfully

transcribed into the solo cornet part. At the centre of the piece there is

a big, emotional climax, followed by a gentle winding-down to the final

bars in which the euphonium emulates Signor Bocelli on a high, sustained

(written) C (an alternative an octave lower is provided). This is a lovely

song, which has made various appearances over the last 10 years, none

more welcome than in this excellent arrangement. This would make a

fine feature for two first-class band principals and, although the writing is

fairly simple, I would suggest that bands in the higher sections would be

able to do it the most justice.

Have You Met Miss Jones?(Richard Rodgers)

arranged by Richard Grantham

This Rodgers and Hart number, from the partnership’s 1937 political

satire, I’d Rather be Right, is for a band that really knows how to swing.

Richard Grantham has done a splendid job in making a brass band sound

like a big-band, with flugel and tenor horns replacing the saxophones

and a solid, ‘walking bass’ line for the tubas. This is an up-tempo version

with plenty to do for every section of the band, with short, featured

solos for cornet and flugel horn. The drum kit part is written out and

the scoring keeps everything more or less in a comfortable range. This

arrangement should prove popular with bands that like to make a splash

at entertainment contests (I’d love to hear Cory or Grimethorpe tackle it),

but, to paraphrase Duke Ellington, it won’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that

swing! Recommended for bands that know how to make the best of this

style of music.

Solum ValeoDean Jones

This concert piece by the talented Salvationist Dean Jones is real epic

stuff. Written for Hathern Band of Leicestershire, which gave the first

performance earlier this year, the title means ‘Strong Foundation’

and takes for its inspiration the solid foundation of both the area of

Charnwood and the Hathern Band organisation. A fortissimo march

rhythm from the percussion and stark open fifths in the basses with

figurations from solo trombone and euphonium prefacing an heroic

theme in the cornets. There are a number of episodes during the six-odd

minutes of this piece, including fanfare-like passages, martellato timpani

solos and a hard-driven ending. This is music determined to take no

prisoners and, while exciting to listen to, it is quite demanding. It would

sit best at the start of a concert or as an opening item after an interval,

when it should be a perfect antidote for mid-evening drowsiness. Written

for a 1st Section band, this really is a tour-de-force, and anyone looking

out for a piece with which to make a powerful impact need not look any

further.

Jesus Will Still be There(John Mandeville)

arranged by Dean Jones

This lovely inspirational piece from the American singer-songwriter-

producer, John Mandeville, is given a sensitive arrangement by Dean

Jones. He varies his scoring, introducing the band soloists from time to

time, while using the full band with admirable transparency. Percussion

effects are employed with much subtlety and discretion, and the effective

writing is considerate enough to place this piece within the range of

bands of most levels. For those seeking an attractive piece for that quiet

interlude, this one should fit the bill perfectly.

New titles from Lake Music PublicationsRodney Newton samples some new titles from the Dutch publishing house


M A S T E R

S E R I E S

REGIONALS 2010

Championship Section; English Heritage (George Lloyd)

1st Section; A Moorside Suite (Gustav Holst)

2nd Section; The Kingdom of Dragons (Philip Harper)

3rd Section; Labour and Love (Percy Fletcher)

4th Section; Saint-Saëns Variations (Philip Sparke)

CD 21386 £13.95 £9.99

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COMPANY NEWS

Over the last few years, we have seen the demise of many musical

instrument retailers due to the credit crunch and the financial strains that

our economy is under at the moment. One company that seems to be

going in the opposite direction is Glyn Williams Musical Instruments. Glyn

Williams, who is better known as a euphonium soloist with the famous

Foden’s Band, formed his business in July 2007 after ten years working at

Fred Rhodes Limited. Glyn’s knowledge of the business and his connection

with so many manufacturers and traders gave him the ideal platform to

start up on his own. His playing expertise and experience, combined with

his approachability and eagerness to see brass bands thrive, have made

him a person that many brass bands want to work with when purchasing

both new and second-hand instruments.

Glyn has been working from home since he started trading, and has given

many of his customers a unique service, travelling the length and breadth

of the country visiting band rooms and demonstrating on people’s

doorsteps and, as he describes “giving a more personal touch.” This has

had fantastic results on the business and from October 2009, Glyn Williams

Musical Instruments will have moved into new premises in Saddleworth,

the heart of brass banding.

Glyn told BB: “It has been something that I’ve wanted all along and

although I find it a little daunting, I am very excited too. Not only will I

have an ideal place for people to visit, both Helen and I can have our home

back!”

Glyn has formed close working relationships with many manufacturers,

one in particular is Sterling Musical Instruments. He explained: “I first came

across Sterling in August 2006, after a conversation I had with Paul Riggett,

the owner of Sterling, asking me to trial the Virtuoso euphonium. I was

happy enough with the Courtois euphonium I had at the time, which I had

played on since joining Foden’s in 1995. Nevertheless, Paul convinced me

to try the instrument and I immediately fell in love with it. I didn’t think

that there was anything to better the Courtois, but I was to be proven

wrong”.

Since then, Glyn has contributed to the development of the Sterling range

of instruments and has had great input into improving the cornet range,

also introducing the new Eb tenor horn which is already in production.

The new showroom will display all the Sterling range alongside other

leading brands such as Besson, Yamaha and York, not forgetting a wide

selection of accessories. Glyn offers free consultations in a friendly

environment and will be available to give advice on other services such as

repairs, concert promotions and recording opportunities.

For more information please call Glyn on 07976 628956 or simply e-mail

him at [email protected]

New premises to drive instrument business forward

PHONE 07976 628 956

EMAIL [email protected]

WEBSITE www.glynwilliamsmusicalinstruments.com

The Old Co-Op · 23 Sam Road · Diggle · Saddleworth · Oldham OL3 5PU

Glyn Williams Musical Instruments are pleased to announce that we have now opened our new premises in Saddleworth - the heart of brass banding. Due to the successful growth of the business and the rapid expansion of our customer base, we felt the time was right to offer an enhanced customer experience. At our new premises, we provide

consultations, demonstrations and friendly advice that caters for all.

Glyn Williams, euphonium superstar, is perhaps best known as principal Euphonium with the famous Foden’s Band. Glyn’s playing expertise and experience, combined with his

approachability and eagerness to see brass bands thrive, have made him the person that many brass bands want to work with when purchasing both new and second hand instruments.

Glyn is the UK distributor for Sterling and will be selling the full range of Besson, Yamaha and York instruments, as well as having in stock various good quality second hand instruments. Glyn’s range of services now include; a retail outlet, the sale of accessories, instrument repairs, recording opportunities and concert promotions. Our new revamped website will be online soon - where you can register for special introductory offers. Visit www.glynwilliamsmusicalinstruments.com to submit your email address.

If you are thinking of trying out the best then give Glyn a call on 07976 628956 and arrange a consultation with the best in the business!

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FEATURING The New Zealand Symphony OrchestraThe National Band of New ZealandSarah Watkins PIANO

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Join us for the

7th Butlins National Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival at Butlins Skegness on Friday 22 January 2010 for a 3 night break with over 100 competing bands

butlins.com/brassband0845 070 4750Open 7 days a week, Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-5pm

*Price is per person, per break and includes VAT based on 4 people sharing a Silver self-catering accommodation on the break shown. ** Groups enjoy best offers + one free place for every 20 paying guests. All offers are subject to promotional availability, can be withdrawn at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer, except Premier Club (excludes half price breaks). Entertainment is subject to change without notice. For full terms and conditions see the current Butlins brochure. The maximum call charge is 2p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary. Butlins Skyline Limited Registered in England No 04011665. 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL.

Saturday 23 JanuaryAll 5 sections playing set test pieces

Sunday 24 JanuaryChampionship Entertainment Competition hosted byBBC Radio 2’s Frank RentonPlus live performances from:

All this from just £60* pp plus, full use of the Butlins facilities is included in the price. Plus there’s FREE places for Groups of 20+ guests**Choose from self-catering or dinner, bed and breakfast options for a break that suits you.

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CRITICS CORNER

On Saturday 19 September, Grimethorpe Colliery Band presented a

most interesting concert at London’s St. John’s Smith Square entitled

Brass Meets Ivory, before an audience whose enthusiasm was in inverse

proportion to its size. Conducted by Dr. James Gourlay, the concert

included the first London performance of Martin Ellerby’s Cabaret

Concerto with the outstanding young pianist, Ashley Wass, as soloist.

However, what the assembled company lacked in numbers, it made up

for in quality, with luminaries such as Frank Renton, Peter Bassano, Lt.

Col. Stuart Watts and Joseph Horovitz all in the audience. Those who did

attend were clearly very appreciative of the efforts of the performers,

who began their programme with a spirited rendering of Grimethorpe’s

signature march, Death or Glory, followed by Darroll Barry’s recent Brass

on Fire, which certainly lived up to its title. A tour-de-force for a virtuoso

band, this compact rollercoaster of a piece featured florid solos from

Rob Westacott (principal cornet), Michael Dodd (principal euphonium)

and Ken Ferguson (principal Eb bass), all performed in an accomplished

manner. Kenneth Hesketh’s Danceries followed, a most colourful,

entertaining and approachable work based around 18th century

melodies, which was given a committed performance. The first half of

the evening concluded with another chance to hear Hermann Pallhuber’s

wonderful Titan’s Progress, on which the band came third in the previous

weekend’s British Open Championship. Dr. Gourlay and the band gave

an accomplished reading, again enhanced by the lovely solo playing of

Robert Westacott and Michael Dodd in the sublime central episode.

The second half of the concert featured award-winning pianist,

Ashley Wass, in Martin Ellerby’s entertaining Cabaret Concerto, with its

affectionate nods towards Brahms, Beethoven and Bernard Herrmann.

Lincolnshire-born Ashley Wass told BB that he has loved the sound of

brass bands from childhood, and, when offered the opportunity to play

with Grimethorpe, grasped it with both hands, later telling the audience

that he considered this to be “the most exciting engagement of the year.”

He is, however, no stranger to playing with a brass band, having worked

with Fairey Band during last year’s Lincolnshire International Chamber

Music Festival, which he directs. “The brass band is so flexible and there

are so many colours available,” he enthused during the break between

the rehearsal and the performance. Indeed, Martin Ellerby fully exploits all

the colours and the opportunties to create different atmospheres in this

substantial piece. Originally written in 2003 for Philip Mead (who was in

the audience), the light-hearted work is comprised of eight vignettes with

titles derived from the paintings of James McNeill Whistler. Ashley Wass

drew every nuance out of the contrasted movements (which included

another solo feature for Robert Westacott), tightly accompanied by Dr.

Gourlay and Grimethorpe, although the acoustic of St. John’s still proved

a little troublesome in places, the band very occasionally swamping the

soloist despite its best efforts to do otherwise. The concerto proved to last

somewhat longer than the devisers of the programme had anticipated,

so, in a departure from the printed programme, the second movement from

Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto was replaced with Olivier Messiaen’s

dreamy solo piano piece, The Dove, which held the audience spellbound.

The final item was Ray Farr’s arrangement of movements from

Stravinsky’s ballet suite The Firebird, King Katschei’s Dance receiving

a punchy reading, with the berceuse, which forms a bridge between

Katschei’s dance and the final section, featuring some very impressive

solo trombone playing from Gary MacPhee. The finale swept all before

it and, despite the disappointing turnout, there were many smiling faces

among the throng that emptied out of the former church into a warm

Westminster evening.

Rodney Newton

This enjoyable collection is the first offering from the recording studio by the

current holder of the National Youth Brass Band Championship Advanced

Section title, Sellers International Youth Band and its conductor, Mark Bousie.

The programme is mainly light in nature, is very well recorded and is

obviously designed to show off the many strengths of this impressive

young group to their best advantage. TJ Powell’s march, Castell Coch, gets

the disc off to a fine start, after which the band displays versatility in Jim

Swearington’s Valero. Joe Murray is the fine soloist in Peter Meechan’s title

track, Apex (which is normally performed with the soloist levitated three

feet in the air by virtue of some magic tricks), while the same composer’s

Fanfare for a Festival shows the band at its precise best.

Peter Graham’s Dimensions is the major work on the programme, which

is there by virtue of the fact that the band played it in its winning

performance in Manchester. On this evidence it is easy to see why it was

so well rewarded. In Craig Walker, the band has an outstanding flugel

player, and his performance of Georgia on my Mind is delivered with a

mature style and complete assurance. Sing, Sing, Sing presents the band

with a similar challenge, but again all the hurdles are cleared, and kit

player, Tom Ladlow, gets a chance to underpin the entire performance

with his stylish drum breaks.

The finale from Rossini’s William Tell overture is another piece that would

be beyond the capabilities of most young bands, but Sellers again rises

to the challenge, giving a spirited rendition. Irish Blessing and Peter

Meechan’s excellent Curtain Call end a hugely enjoyable disc, which is a

fine demonstration of the best that youth brass bands have to offer.

Kenneth Crookston

Brass Meets IvoryGrimethorpe Colliery Band

Ashley Wass (piano)

Conductor: Dr. James Gourlay

St. John’s Smith Square, Westminster

19 September 2009

Impressive recording debut from National Youth ChampionApex

Sellers International Youth Band

Conductor: Mark Bousie

Joe Murray, cornet

Craig Walker, flugel horn

Tom Ladlow, drum kit

Music-House Productions MHP109

Available from www.musichouseproductions.co.uk


FEATUREWIRELESS BRASS

WIRELESS BRASS

We take every possible precaution to ensure the accuracy of the details

given below. However, we cannot be responsible for changes to stated

times or running order.

Friday, 16 October, 2130-2200. BBC Radio 2

Listen to the Band. Frank Renton is joined by Roy Newsome and Alan

Lawton to pay tribute to three legendary bandsmen - Geoffrey Whitham,

Norman Ashcroft and Gordon Sutcliffe. He will also be reviewing some of

the best new band CDs.

Listen to the Band is also available all week via Radio 2’s website www.bbc.

co.uk/radio2. Click on the playback section to hear the show, on demand,

for a week following transmission.

World of Brass Radio. John Maines introduces a weekly one-hour

programme of the best of international banding. Commencing on Fridays,

the rolling programme of the most recent four shows can be accessed 24

hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year on www.worldofbrass.

com (then click on the WOB Radio link) or www.worldofbrass.com/

wobradio

This week’s programme includes: Black Dyke (Roy Newsome): Sounds

from Thuringia (Blankenburg); Grimethorpe (Elgar Howarth): Overture on

Famous English Airs (Tomlinson); Leyland (Michael Fowles): Cavatine and

Variations (Arban - soloist: Russell Gray); Cory (Robert Childs): Benvenuto

Cellini (Berlioz); Staines Band of The Salvation Army (Tim Parker): Mid All

The Traffic (Ballantine); Brighouse and Rastrick (Alan Morrison): With Flying

Fingers (Rodenmacher); Croydon Citadel Band of The Salvation Army

(Iain Parkhouse): Celebration (Condon); International Staff Band of The

Salvation Army (Stephen Cobb): The Pilgrim’s Progress (Newton); Black

Dyke (Nicholas Childs): The Ashokan Farewell (Ungar); Grimethorpe (Richard

Evans): Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla (Wagner).

Local Radio for next weekSunday, 11 October, 1905-2000. Sounds of Brass - Worldwide. FM

frequencies: Bristol 94.9, Cornwall 95.2, Devon 103.4, Gloucestershire

104.7, Guernsey 93.2, Jersey 88.8, Somerset Sound, Swindon 103.6,

Wiltshire 104.3. Produced and presented weekly by Phillip Hunt since

1985.

Available live and listen again every week on the world wide web. Live on

Sundays at 19-05 British Time or at any time for 7 days after the broadcast.

To hear this week’s programme instantly go to www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

radio scroll down to Local Radio and click on BBC Devon.

Requests and Comments welcome at e-mail. [email protected]

Telephone 01752 843919.

This week’s programme marks the 20th Anniversary of Eric Ball’s Promotion

to Glory and includes: Black Dyke (Nicholas Childs): Torch of Freedom (Ball);

Yorkshire Building Society (David King): Resurgam (Ball); SP&S Band of

The Salvation Army (Eric Ball): The Old Wells (Ball); Quartet from Brighouse

and Rastrick (Steve Ridler, Norman Christie, Gary Meadows, Mike Buckley):

Jewels (Ball); Manchester CWS (Alex Mortimer): Journey Into Freedom

(Ball). The late Colonel Brindley Boon talks about his old friend and Eric Ball

himself introduces Journey Into Freedom.

Monday, 12 October, 2100-2200. Manx Radio

Time for Brass. Frequencies 97.2, 89 and 103.7 FM and 1368 AM and

worldwide on www.manxradio.com

Click on Listen FM or Listen AM for the programme at the time of broadcast

or on Listen Again for a week following transmission.

Ian Cottier presents a programme of brass band music and comment.

PROFESSIONAL NETWORK


RICHARD ADAMS. Conductor, Adjudicator, Head of Music, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, 151 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189656. Phone: +65 9451 8398. [email protected]

DEREK ASHMORE. www.hallamshiremusic.co.uk Tel: 01507 358141 Fax: 01507 358034.

MAURICE BALE. BSc, Arranger, Godiva Music. 18 Raleigh Road, Coventry CV2 4AA. Tel. 024 76 459 409.

PETER BASSANO. FRCM HonRCM North Lodge, Potter Row, near Gt. Missenden, Bucks HP16 9LT. Tel.01494 868240 mobile; 07985 101244. E-mail :[email protected] www.peterbassano.com

DUNCAN A. BECKLEY. BA. Conductor, Band Trainer, Adjudicator. 26 Ruskin Avenue, Wrenthorpe, WakefieldWF1 2BD (MOB) 07973 389707 E-mail: [email protected]

JOHN BERRYMAN. ALCM, LTCL, Conductor, Adjudicator. 12 Beaufort Drive, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northants. NN15 6SF Tel. (01536) 722991.

DEREK M. BROADBENT. Conductor and Adjudicator. 17 Corrance Road, Wyke, Nr. Bradford, BD12 9LH Yorks. Tel/Fax. (01274) 670459.

MALCOLM BROWNBILL. Band Tutor, Conductor, and Adjudicator. 49 Pike House Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Merseyside. WA10 5JZ. Tel. (01744) 28642.

C. BRIAN BUCKLEY. C.Chem., FTCL, LTCL, ALCM, Conductor, Adjudicator, Band Teacher. ‘Egmont’, 81 Gabalfa Road, Sketty, Swansea, West Glamorgan SA2 8ND. Tel. (01792) 205896.

BOB CHILDS. DMA, M.Mus(dist), ARCM(hons), FLCM, PGCE, Euphonium Soloist, Conductor, Teacher. 13 Parc Plas, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 1SJ. Tel 01495 226106 (home), 07966 263881 (mobile). [email protected] http://www.bobchilds.co.uk/

ROY W. CURRAN. Conductor, Adjudicator. 6 Mary Street, Burnley, Lancs. BB10 4AJ. Home: 01282 426203;Mobile: 07973 788812.

DR. KENNETH DOWNIE. DMA. BA(Mus) Dunelm. Kantara, 8 Downs Road, South Wonston, Winchester, SO21 3EU. Tel: (01962) 883031 Internet: www.kantaramusik.com

JOHN DURRANT. MA. Soloist, Conductor, Composer, Adjudicator. 3 Todmorden Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancs. FY8 2QL. Tel: 01253 721903. Or 07985 191623 (Mob).

J. STUART FAWCETT. OAM, LDBBA. Conductor, Adjudicator. 23A Mill Moor Road, Meltham, Holmfirth, HD9 5JT. Tel: 01484 309500.

BRUCE FRASER. Adjudicator, Conductor, Composer. Lomond Music, 32 Bankton Park, Kingskettle, Fife. KY15 7PY. Tel. (01337) 830974. E-mail: [email protected]

MORTEN E. HANSEN. Conductor and Adjudicator. Fjelldenden 10, Stavanger, Norway. Tel 0047 9901 4386. E-mail: [email protected]

COLIN HARDY. Member NABBC, Adjudicator and Conductor, 25 Thirlmere Avenue, Wyke, Bradford, W. Yorks. BD12 9DS. Tel/Fax. (01274) 674174. E-mail: [email protected]

DAVID HIRST. Conductor and Adjudicator. The Cottage, Main Street, Milton, Newark, Nottinghamshire. Tel. 01777 872339 Fax 01777 872852 E-mail: [email protected]

ALAN JENKIN. B.Sc., LTCL, BBCM, Cert. Educ., Conductor, Adjudicator. 4 Beauchamp Close, Neath Hill, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK14 6HZ. Tel/Fax. (01908) 604818 (Home), 224251 (Music Centre) 07901 552235 (Mobile), E-mail [email protected]

ALAN HOPE. Conductor, Teacher and adjudicator. 113A Fatfield

Park, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear. NE38 8BP. Tel/Fax 0191

4161008 Mob: 0776 5656729 E-mail: [email protected]

TERRY JOHNS. A.R.A.M.

Composer/Conductor/Adjudicator

55/6 Waterfront Avenue Edinburgh EH5 1JD

E-mail: [email protected] Mobile: 07777603675

NORMAN C. LAW. Conductor, Adjudicator, Band Trainer,

Private Teacher. Lawholme, 4 Farfield Drive, Hepworth,

Huddersfield, W. Yorks HD7 1TU.

Tel. (01484) 685354.

ALAN R LEWIS. B.Phil, LTCL. Website: arlmusic.com

Akay Lodge, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5SH.

Tel: (015396) 22230 (w)

STAN LIPPEATT. B.A., L.R.S.M. Conductor, Adjudicator.

60, Sixth Avenue, Edwinstowe, Mansfield, Notts. NG21 9PW.

Tel (01623) 822672 Mobile 07875 138776

JANE LLOYD. MA FVCM, LGSM, ALCM, PGCetEd, Dip Mus.

Conductor, Performer, Arranger, Teacher. Northampton & East

Midlands Area. Tel: 01604 675188

KEITH MacDONALD. N.A.B.B.C., A.L.C.M. Conductor, Band

Trainer, Adjudicator, Author (see website). 20 North Haven,

Seaham, Co. Durham SR7 0DS. Tel: 0191 581 4224 (home),

07949 947703 (mobile) Email: [email protected], info@

keithmacdonald.co.uk Website: www.keithmacdonald.co.uk

MAJOR IAN McELLIGOTT. Conductor, Adjudicator, Composer/

Arranger, Brass Teacher. 41 Weaver Moss, Sandhurst, Berks.

GU47 9BQ. Mobile: 07903 137659

JOHN MAINES. Conductor, Adjudicator. 46 Hill Crest Road,

Offerton, Stockport. SK2 5QL. Tel. 0161 292 9443.

(Mobile) 07901 528059. Website: www.johnmaines.co.uk

STEVEN MEAD. Euphonium Soloist, Conductor, Adjudicator.

10 Old Forge Road, Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton, Warwickshire

CV13 6BD. Tel/Fax: (01827) 711964, Mob. 07971 843668,

E-mail: [email protected].

ALAN MORRISON. FTCL, LRAM. Soloist, Conductor and

Adjudicator. 25 Acaster Drive, Garforth, Leeds LS25 2BH.

Tel. (0113) 286 3374, Fax. (0113) 287 3947, Mob. 0775 197

3176. E-mail: [email protected]

website.lineone.net/~alan-morrison

Dr. ROY NEWSOME. PhD, B.Mus, FRCO, ARCM.

17 Belmont Drive, Seddons Farm, Bury,

Manchester BL8 2HU. Tel. 0161-764 2009.

GRAHAM O’CONNOR. Conductor, Adjudicator, Band Trainer. 1

Ralston Croft, Halfway,

Sheffield S20 4TU Tel: 01142 280195

Mobile: 07903 310951 E-mail: [email protected]

MAJOR PETER PARKES. ‘Kamet’, Holme Lane, Rockley,

Retford DN22 0QY. Tel: 01777 839 144 Mobile: 0781 800 6965


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A list of forthcoming events that have been advertised in British Bandsman.OCTOBER10 - Rhyl. Black Dyke Band, 7.30pm, Pavillion Theatre.10 - York. Brighouse and Rastrick, David Childs, The King’s Singers and Frank Renton (compere), 7.30pm, York Minster.15 - London. Regent Hall Band and Songsters, plus special guests, 7.45pm, Regent Hall.16 - London. Enfield Citadel Band with special guest, Bones Apart, 7.45pm, St. John’s Smith Square.16 - London. Brass Arts Festival, free lunchtime concert (12.00pm) The International Staff Band presents National Finals test-piece seminar (3.00pm) and Foden’s Band (7.30pm), Regent Hall. 17 - London. The National Championships Brass Band Championship of Great Britain, Championship Section, 10.00am, Royal Albert Hall.18 - London. Band Service with music by the British Association of Christian Bands, 10.45am, Westminster Central Hall.23-26 - Prestatyn. The Harry and Margaret Mortimer Championships, Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park.24 - Letchworth. Becontree Brass, Janet Stone (vocal) and Letchworth Songsters (Choir), 7.00pm, Letchworth Free Church. 24 - Stroud. Hammonds Saltaire, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.25 - Leicester. NYBBGB auditions, Ratby Bandroom.28 - Huddersfield. University of Huddersfield Open Day, contact 01484 472003 for more details.

NOVEMBER7 - Salford. NYBBGB auditions, University of Salford.7 - Torquay. SWWBA Annual Brass Band Championships, Riviera International Conference Centre.14 - Gateshead. Brass and percussion workshops, in association with Brass in Concert Championships, The Sage Gateshead, contact Alan Hope on 0191 416 1008 for more details.14 - Spennymoor. Carlton Main Frickley Colliery, Town Hall.14 - Sunderland. NYBBGB auditions, University of Sunderland.14 - Gateshead. Black Dyke, Cory and Fountain City Brass Bands, The Sage Gateshead.15 - Gateshead. Brass in Concert Championship in association with British Bandsman, The Sage Gateshead.21 - Stroud. Virtuosi GUS, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.28 - Kettering. Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band with guest soloists Owen Farr, David Childs, Brett Baker, Les Neish and David Danford, 7.30pm, Kettering Citadel SA.

DECEMBER12 - Stroud. Mount Charles, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.

JANUARY16 - Stroud. Leyland, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.

FEBRUARY13 - Stroud. Smithill’s Senior Band, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.14 - Blackpool. Action Research Youth Brass Entertainment Festival, Winter Gardens.

MARCH20 - Stroud. Rothwell Temperance, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.

APRIL17 - Stroud. Tredegar Town, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.18 - Manchester. National Youth Brass Band Championships, Royal Northern College.

MAY8 - Stroud. Fairey Band, 7.30pm, Subscription Rooms.


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WANTED

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Friendly Bedfordshire band seeks a

Conductor/Musical Director.

Practise Tuesday nights 7.00-7.15pm until 9.15pm.

For more details contact

Paul Miller 07709 513473

or www.ampthilltownband.co.uk

Musical Director required now for Hemel

Hempstead Band, promoted to 3rd Section from

2010. We have a busy community, concert and contest

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we approach our 140th anniversary.

For full details phone Chairman Peter

Davis in confidence, on 01442 252838 or see

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SERVICES

Band Service. Westminster Methodist Central Hall,

Sunday 18 October 2009, 10.45am. Music by the British Association of Christian

Bands. Conductor: Sir Gordon Jewkes.

DVD 26065 £19.95

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CD 25039 £13.95

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CD 21389 £13.95 CD 21382 £13.95

A wonderful concert celebrating the 125th anniversary of Cory Band, also featuring Morriston Orpheus Choir and virtuoso trombonist, Wycliffe Gordon.

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Documents

BB previews next weekend’s National Final · Festive OvertureBusy and colourful with a more expansive middle section which is equally full of excitement and exuberance. Premièred