NatBrass News

Issue 34 - Spring 2001

BB Band plays in Premiership Football Stadium

That’s right—one of our bands has recently played at a FA Premiership Football Stadium. David Greatorex from the Derby Band tells us about this fixture, and how he had to enlist a few subs from neighbouring bands.

It was in September 2000 I was first approached to see if I could arrange a Band to play at Pride Park (the home of Derby County for the uninitiated!!). The Band was to lead some people from the Derby City Centre Churches in singing carols before the match on 23 December. As our Band is only small in number (6) I did not think it possible, until I spoke with colleagues at the get-together weekend in Doncaster last October. I soon had promises of about 20 - 25 players (I also had to try and get match tickets for them).

Little more was heard until the start of December when I was contacted by the choir leader inviting me to a practice to discuss the carols to be sung. Once these were agreed, I passed on the details to the 2 Bobs who had agreed to help - Bob Priest from Halesowen and Bob Jones from Nottingham. We agreed to practice on the morning of the event at Mackworth URC, and it went quite well. After a good McDonald's lunch we travelled to Pride Park and met the choir (about 40 in total) and started our contribution to the pre-Christmas festivities - also a Christian witness to the huge gathering crowd. I'm told by many we sounded good, even though the sound must have been somewhat lost in the vastness of the open space around the ground. Once the playing was over we (or at least the Derby supporters of us) enjoyed a good game. Indeed, it was one of Derby's best so far this season and saw a Derby victory 2 - 0 over Newcastle United.

A good day was had by all, and let's hope we get invited back again later this year.

Editorial

Its gonna be one o’ them years! In the life of the Association, some years are quiet, and some busy, and this year is going to be one of the busiest yet. We have the Contest, then the training course at RAF Cosford, then the Get-together weekend, and then the recording for the CD together with all the practices that will go with it. It takes a lot to organise these kinds of events, both nationally and at the local level – halls have to be booked, transport arranged, food cooked… the list is endless, but as I have said before, there is one aim – music and fellowship. We will probably see more of each other this year than usual, which for me is a good thing. I know also that the members of my band are looking forward to these exiting events not only for the music that is made, but for the fellowship and friendship that is shared at these events. See you soon!

Preparations are well under way for this year’s Band Contest, to be held on 17 March in Doncaster.

Doncaster has had quite a long history of BB Bands, the first being a bugle band formed 51 years ago by Ted Needham. Since then, it has developed into a brass band and has played from Eastleigh in the south of the country, right up to Glasgow in the north, and has also played in Germany and members of the band have attended 3 FDF music festivals in Denmark.

One of the guests at last year’s contest was the Brigade President, Judge R Lockett, and in a letter to NatBrass News, he said

‘It gave me great pleasure to listen to the bands, and gave me great joy to see and hear so many young people making such lovely music. Well done.’

This year’s entry is smaller than the past few years, but a good time is in store for all sharing in music and fellowship. Some players are so ‘addicted’ that they are coming to watch the contest and join in the massed band at the end, even though their own bands aren’t even taking part. If your band isn’t taking part, why not come along too?

Cheryl Field, cornet player at the Doncaster Band tells us of the good time she had in the 2000 Association Get Together, held in Doncaster.

I arrived at Priory Place Church, Doncaster on the morning of the National Band Get Together 2000 to find that representatives from five bands had arrived, this wasn't as many as last year.

A concert was planned for the evening and practice for this began at 10.00am. The practice went really well and the massed band sounded great. We learnt some new pieces and played some we already knew. Lunch was in the church hall and we had fish and chips cooked by Mr and Mrs Winn. After lunch we went bowling, we had a great time and I made some new friends. I came second in my bowling team.

The evening concert began at 7.30pm and everyone who came enjoyed it, a lot of our parents came and some people from our church, most of all we really enjoyed playing. On Sunday some of the bands had left but those that stayed played with us in our morning service. This was especially good for me as it was our Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Enrolment Service and not only was I playing in the band but I had to go up to the front to get my membership card too for Girls Brigade.

Chandlers Ford Update

Luke Wood, our regular correspondent from the Chandler’s Ford band writes about the lastest news from the band.

All having recovered from the contest of 2000 (amazingly!), the band in Chandlers Ford regained some of a normal person's reality. During the remainder of the spring and most of the summer, things remained quiet, our main engagements being Sunday morning services. However, as September and the darker months approached, we were aware that Christmas was creeping up on us.

Carolling was our main pre-occupation during this period, and a particularly successful evening was had when we played at a local shopping centre. This involved all the local Churches and local Shopping Arcade for a festive service and with every player out, and an enthusiastic audience, the atmosphere was great. The mince pies afterwards were not bad either!

The highlight for me, as last year, was playing at Marwell Zoo. A very wet rainy day, we all took a land train to the marquee where we would be playing. Most of the visitors were inside because of the rain, drying off under a heat lamp and whilst we played the smell of fried food around was great. I considered myself lucky just to be sheltered from the rain! And of course, there were the animals. Most enjoyed what could be seen on the way to and from the marquee.

Although a relatively quiet year for Chandlers Ford Brass Band, 2000 was a year of change and a year where the members have become more united as a group. The Band is currently more of a younger Band than we have had over the past 5-10 years, our training unit contributing to our numbers all the time.

We are looking forward to new challenges in 2001 as we begin to grow again, and look forward to seeing you all at the Contest in Doncaster.

http://natbrass.boys-brigade.org.uk

The ever popular Association website is now under the control of David Carter, Association Secretary and has undergone a makeover. The site features news and events from the Association, updates about the National Contest and, in the near future, information about each band. For the strong-minded, there is the photo gallery featuring classic photos from Glasgow in 1983 and the Royal Review held in 1994 at Windsor. If you are really unlucky, you might find photos of the Association Secretary, or your NatBrass News Editor.

Contributions, including photos and band articles are always required to keep the site up to date. If you have any contributions or photos, then please send them to David. His details are on the contact page.

True and Trusty Competition

Some of the older Association Members will be able to remember singing their parts to ‘True and Trusty’ in a dark field at the FDF music camp in 1989. This led to the march being ‘sung’ at the massed band at the 1990 National Contest. Not content with that, NatBrass News is aiming to go one step further! Write some words to True and Trusty.

All you have to do is write a set of words for the trio of ‘True and Trusty’. If you are unsure of which the trio is, ask your bandmaster.

There are prizes galore. The winning entry will be performed by the Association massed band at the 2002 Contest, and will receive a gift voucher for £10. Two lucky runners up will also receive a £5 gift voucher each. Entries should be sent to the NatBrass News Editor at the address on the back page by the end of August. This will allow for the entries to be judged and words prepared for practice at the 2001 Get-together.

What’s been happening in Doncaster?

2001 was a very busy year for the 7th Doncaster Band. Following the mass exodus to brave the cold wastes of Scotland for the National Contest, one member had to pay a return visit to Glasgow the following week to collect one of the band member’s uniforms which had been left. ‘Typical boys’ band masters will cry, but this was the uniform of one of the officers. Since then, the band has hosted the FDF Gladsaxe Brassband from Denmark, and was also host to the 2000 Get-together. The weekend’s activities culminated in a successful concert on the Saturday evening featuring Simon and Katrina Rotchell, two former members of the Doncaster Band as well as the Association National Band, followed on Sunday morning by the Annual Enrolment Service of the 7th Doncaster Company which featured the 2nd Eastleigh and 7th Doncaster bands. Since then the band has played for parades and a number of concerts, both indoor and out leading up to Christmas. This series of concerts ended on Christmas Eve at Priory Methodist Church where the band played for the annual carol service.

News from Cumbria

Victor Mullineux, bandmaster of the 1st Eden Valley Company tells NatBrass News readers a little about the band and their preparations for Christmas. Good to hear from you all!

The 1st Eden Valley Company is a village company located in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, and members need to be bussed in from the surrounding area, and this in itself has its difficulties.

We have had a good working band for the last 12 months or so. 1999 saw a large number of the older members go off to college although some of them do return in the holidays. At the moment the band is more or less being totally rebuilt – the oldest member is just 12.

The band played for the Chapel Carol Service on 10 December, and this was the first of the Christmas activities. The boys played well, spurred on with the thoughts of the tea afterwards provided by the Church Members. This builds up the excitement of the time of year where we celebrate a great birth.

One disappointment however, was that our trombone player Alex had an accident at school and had to spend time in hospital undergoing a knee operation. He is now well on the way to recovery.