Happy New Year from Aldbourne Band. 2004 was certainly been a very positive year for the Band, although one not without it’s challenges.
We had to continually re-organise rehearsals and book Musical Directors from July forwards on a week-by-week and concert by concert basis. Although Nigel Seaman is now well on the road to recovery, so we expect to see a lot more of him in 2005.
We spent the first 4 months rehearsing in various venues in Aldbourne village moving percussion instruments from venue to venue for each rehearsal, before we finally moved back into the newly refurbished Memorial Hall in May.
And we have faced a number of personnel movements, though thankfully each has been replaced by equally talented players joining the Band.
As the year moved on we also had to draw from an extended pool of resources to help us organise and stage concerts and contests. We are continually thankful for the commitment and resolve of our players, as well as our continued support from supporters and audiences.
As we move into 2005 we are in a stronger position, and better placed to face new challenges.
Our first concert of 2005 is Immanuel Church on 29th January. Under the direction of Phillip Harper we are presenting an ambitious, and entertaining, programme and we hope to see you for this exciting concert.
The last few months we entered two competitions, one in Leicester, and one in Weymouth. For Leicester we could pick our ‘Own Choice’ of piece to play, and for Weymouth all Bands entering had to play ‘Cloudcatcher Fells’
As Cloudcatcher was already picked for Weymouth we decided to use this for Leicester also. The musical piece was composed by John McCabe and originally came from a poem by David Wright. The work is associated with various places, mostly mountainous, in the Lake District which have particular personal significance for the composer. The emphasis is on the Patterdale area, though other parts of the Lake District are also referred to. If you have ever walked this region of the country you may be familiar with Griesdale, Striding Edge and Haystacks.
As a stern test for most bands, Cloudcatcher took months of hard work – especially for the cornet section and the Timpani player (Liz). And we were fortunate to work with a number of talented Musical Directors including Nigel Seaman, David Hayward, Steve Sykes, Phillip Harper and Jason Glynn during this period. Final honors went to Melvin White, who directed the majority of the rehearsals and both stage performances.
Leicester Contest
Leicester competition was run by the South Leicestershire Brass Band Association, and held at Wigston College. This was the first time that we had entered this contest, so we really did not know quite what to expect. The line-up of seven Band was mainly made up of local Bands with one Band from Yorkshire and ourselves.
The Venue was a Theatre central in the college, a long narrow hall with seating rising high up to the back. Unusually for a competition this was ‘Open Adjudication’ – this means that the Adjudicator sits in full view of the Band and is able to see exactly who each Band is during the performance (it is usual for adjudicators to be placed in enclosed boxes to prevent them seeing the Band and being swayed by any particular pre-conceptions for knowledge of the Bands playing). So just as he see us, we also see him – as it was noted that he started writing his remarks after the first couple of notes – and sometimes this is not always a good sign!
The performance moved along fairly well, just a few clips and minor errors, and the applause from audience (and adjudicator alike) rewarded an overall solid performance. As we returned to the bar for a few after performance refreshments rumours were already circulating of our ‘winning’ performance.
As the prizes were awarded the majority of the Band were sat in the theatre, and the top 3 prizes were announced in reverse order, so by the time that 3rd and 2nd had been announced the butterflies really start – as it now all or nothing. However 1st place was justifiably awarded to us, but the best surprise was Jim Bell winning Best Instrumentalist of the competition – reward for months of hard work from Jim who had only recently returned to Soprano Cornet upon joining Aldbourne Band in the summer.
Wessex Contest
This was our second entry in to this contest held in Weymouth. Last year we performed well enough to be promoted to the top division of this contest. This contest is important in that it pitches us against some of the best Bands in the West of England, and we entered the contest ranked 7th of the 7 Bands in the top section.
Performing ‘Cloudcatcher’ again the performance started off a little unsteady, but grew hugely in stature into a top-class performance from the entire Band. Our performance had raised interest in quite a few Bands with many other players coming in to listen to us – and they believed that they had seen the best performance of the day.
We again faced the ‘all or nothing’ wait through the results but once Yeovil Town had been placed 2nd victory was assured. However even more rewards came in the shape of Best Musical Interpretation prize for Musical Director Melvin White, and Best Percussion Section for Luke Barnes, Rob Williams and Liz Masson. So pretty much a clean-sweep!
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CD Sales have been somewhat slow recently. We have now sold over 600 copies. We had quite a burst of sales at the Christmas concerts If there are other opportunities or new outlets for our CD then we would be pleased to hear from you. We will do recorded delivery post if you want to surprise someone for that special day. So when you are stuck for a birthday present for tat special Aunt, Uncle or Grandmother then look no further. To order please contact Alan Watson on 01672 540580. |
There have also a few personnel movements this Autumn. We said farewell to Robert Marsh who has played with the Band for 10 years, and we thank him for his contribution to the Band. But just as one door closes, someone opens a Window . . . Simon Ridge has joined us on Solo Trombone. Currently also Trombone with the Swindon Big-Band, Simon has played for a variety of Bands and Orchestras.
As far as legends come, there are none wider known and respected in the West of England than Lyndon Baglin. Lyndon grew up in the West and played for the Sunlife Band. At the height of his playing was Principal Euphonium for Williams Fairey at a time of great success for that Band, one the very best bands in the country and he remains ranked in the top 10 Euphonium players of all-time. Lyndon has returned from semi-retirement to help us out by playing Eb Bass at recent contests, and is helping us out further next year at competitions and is a great asset to the Band.
Marlborough’s Little House on the Prairie, Chez James Sheppard, continues to expand with cattle now joining the entourage.
Rehearsing with Melvin White is always a joy. Musical Directors use all sorts of psychology to get the best performance from a Band, and Melvin has changed his approach from brute force to cutting sarcasm. At a recent rehearsal he said to one particular section “Ignore the dynamics – just get to this point, then start to get louder!”.
The Band can still hear the echoes of “One An, Two An” and look forwards to starting rehearsals on Comedy Overture.
Thanks...
Many people help the Band throughout the year, and two people who are always behind the scenes helping each rehearsal and concert operate like clockwork are our two librarians Alan Watson and Cyril Barratt. They constantly organise the music for all the programmes which at times is a mammoth task. A big Thank You from all the Band for your continued support.
Christmas
Christmas is traditionally a time of much work for the Band players. We have built-up a regular series of concerts and carol playing performances.
Our first performances were staged at Chiseldon, Haydonleigh and St.Michael’s Church all on the same weekend. Time pressure due to competitions limited our rehearsals, though we were ably directed by Ashley Jones and ready for a weekend of 3 concerts. Chiseldon is a small church with a family atmosphere. Haydonleigh is a much larger venue though with tickets being in high demand, and St Michael’s concert we are joined by Aldbourne WI Choir and the children from St Michael’s School. The WI directed by Rhona Fletcher presented a balanced selection of Christmas and Choral numbers. Then the show was stolen by a highly entertaining selection from the children including hand chime-bars and jingle bells.
This year we also joined the Kentwood Choir in the Wyvern as part of their “Christmas Cracker” show. Two concerts were presented on Sunday 5th December. We had rehearsed a concert items in advance and were also asked to be on-hand to play for all the carols required in the show. The show was co-ordinated by Sheila Harrod of Kentwood, and it was very much a show that came together in the afternoon rehearsal with integration between band and Choir.
The show was definitely an entertainment showpiece featuring Kentwood’s Youth, Junior, Kids and main Choirs. Dancing Clowns, 40 year old Fairies and a hilarious 12 days of Christmas were amongst the items presented, and the Kentwood Choir put on a show that justified their reputation as a top-notch Choir. Sheila also excelled in directing the show, conducting Aldbourne Band in one number, and showed her abilities as a comedienne. This was definitely a show well worth the ticket price – one for next year’s diaries.
Once the formal concerts were presented we then started carol playing. A six-hour stint at Sainsbury’s in Stratton, and a series of evenings door to door playing Carols in Aldbourne village during the run-up to Christmas.
Christmas Eve is packed with different events and functions where sausage rolls, mince pies and mulled wine are supplied in abundance. This year starting at 4.30pm with a private party near Axford in the afternoon before returning to the village. John Jarvis’s house at 6.45 the first village Christmas party, and then followed by farmer William Brown where their party of approximately 50 delight in waltzing around their courtyard to an up-tempo carol or two.
Some more carol playing and collecting to the way to Chris Warrington’s party where we had a sit down and more refreshments. Moving quickly on then we played the annual party at Richard Price for about half an hour, and we also met up with other party goers now moving from one party to another as we entered Rodney Fitches.
The Blue Boar followed at 10pm with the first of 3 public houses, followed by the Crown and finishing at the Mason’s Arms. At the Masons we get some time to do a few comedy numbers including The Music Man, and then lots more carol playing before we put down our instruments about 12:30 to give our lips some rest over the next few hours where we have some food and drink courtesy of the Masons (thanks Ian and Jane).
4 O’Clock (in the MORNING) is when the action really kicks off. Always starting at Baydon Hill with Christians Awake the complete circuit of the village commenced. A group of 7 players, and as many followers commenced. Each lamp post was played on the main streets through Lottage Road, Cook Road, The Green and The Square before stopping at Barnes Coaches for more refreshments at 5am. As we move street to street people are waiting in windows and doorways, many having pre-booked their favourite carol, mostly dressed in long nightgowns and dressing gowns. We complete the circuit arriving at the Square by about At 6.20am where the group splits into those able to make the final climb to the top of the church tower, and those ready go home for bed.
The climb to the top of St Michaels is always tough as the stairway is extremely narrow and height-restricted so Tubas cannot complete the climb. The stairway is only lit so far up, until you reach the top and the skyline opens up. The village is quiet, but clear views of all streets are provided, and cars are starting to be seen on the surrounding roads. We played about 6 carols finishing prior to the bell ringers ringing-in Christmas Day. We then navigated the long stairway again. By 6.50am we were now ready to hang up the carol books for another year and go home to get some sleep. Thank you to everyone who played, collected or donated this Christmas.
We are staging our 42nd annual concert at Immanuel Church, Upham Road, on Saturday 29th January. Tickets, priced at £6, are available from Jessie Jones, and will also be available on the door. The programme planned for this years concert is going to be spectacular with the Musical Director, Phillip Harper.
Just when the Band has been performing back at the highest level of competition, contest results are good, concerts have been great, and new members have been making huge contributions it has been a difficult year for Musical Directors.
Since the onset of illness in July Nigel Seaman has been on extended leave. Nigel has made huge steps to recovery, even managing to conduct one of the sectional rehearsals for the 2 competitions, and he has been able to attend the Russian Extravaganza concert. But this is not underestimating the mountain to climb to return to total fitness.
In the meantime we have been fortunate to work with number of highly talented Musical Directors, and we have put plans in place for the first 6 months of 2005.
Phillip Harper, currently conducting the Flowers Band of Cheltenham, will be working with us for the Upham Road Concert. We first worked with Phillip in rehearsal for Cloudcatcher Fells, and Phillip comes with a proven track record of contest work, and an excellent reputation in entertaining concert work. Phillip was formerly Solo Tenor Horn with the Sunlife Band before working professionally with Bands including Thornbury and Flowers. He has prepared a programme for Upham Road that will certainly put the Band to test, but will be greatly entertaining.
Nigel Seaman will be making his return to the Band in February at the Spring Concert. He will be taking rehearsals through February and the concert performance so it will be a big welcome back for Nigel.
In March we enter the annual West of England Championships at Torquay. This is the most important contest of the year as it defines our National grading for the next 12 months. We are playing a composition called ‘Comedy Overture’ by John Ireland. The competition will pitch us against 14 Bands from the West of England Region, and each Band plays the same piece of music. Melvin White will be taking the rehearsals and stage performance of Comedy.
In May we compete at Blackpool for the 4th consecutive year. Here we are in a competition to eventually quality for the British Open. The Open is for the Bands ranked 1 to 20, the Grand Shield for 21 to 40, the Senior Cup for 41 to 60 and the Senior Trophy for 61 to 80 ranked Bands. The Open is held in September, but the 3 qualifying competitions are all held in May.
Second to the National Championships, Blackpool is the next largest and most important competition in the country and one where we have had consistently good results against mostly better ranked Bands.
We have engaged Steve Sykes to work with us to prepare and perform the set test piece, Connotations, that all bands in the Senior Trophy are required to perform. Steve Sykes is one of the well known people in Brass Banding. A virtuoso Tuba player. Steve is rated as one of the best players ever to play this instrument. He played for the Grimethorpe Colliery Band at the height of his playing career when Grimethorpe were arguably the best Band in the country. As a Musical Director Steve has earned his stripes with Bands including Yeovil Town, BTM, Woodfalls, Flowers and Besses O’ the Barn. As both a player and M.D. Steve knows ‘Connotations’ very well, and we look forward to working with him.
As we then prepare for the Summer season of concerts we hope that Nigel has completed his long year-long path to recovery.
Over the last 6 months we have also been helped by number of M.D.s and we would like to extend a big thank-you to Nigel Seaman, David Williams, David Hayward, Steve Sykes, Phillip Harper, Jason Glynn and Ashley Jones.
| Player Profiles | 
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| Full Name | Stepheh Didcott | Ashley Jones |
| Instrument | Principal Euph | Third Cornet |
| Place of Birth | Kingswood Nr Bristol | Aldbourne |
| Joined Aldbourne Band | Not sure, it has been a gradual process over the last two years | 1959 |
| Former Bands | Bendix, Sun-Life, SWT Woodfalls | SWT Woodfalls briefly |
| Favourite Brass Band | Akdbourne | Grimethorpe |
| Favourite Piece of music | Mahler's 5th | Mass for Peace - Karl Jenkins |
| Favourite Composer | Mozart | Philip Sparke |
| Favourite Venue Performed | Colston Hall, Bristol | Royal Albert Hall, London |
| Most Memorable Musical Moment | Aged 19 playing "Variations on a Ninth" and THE Euph Cadenza at SW Area Contest | First time I conducted the band. |
| Musical Ambition | The next opportunity to play at the National Finals and being proud of the band performance | To conduct the Grimethorpe band. |
| Occupation | Office Ergonomics Consultant | Private Hire Driver |
| Favourite Film | Don't have one | Gandhi and the Killing Fields |
| Who would you most like to meet | Isambard Kingdom Brunel | The person who engineers the start of world peace |
| Who would you least like to be stranded on a desert island with | Tony Blair | Man Utd team |
| Most embarrasing moment | All related to females so I cannot tell | I'll let you all know when I've had it |
| I don't do 2 hours practice a day because | I would become even more of an insatiable bore | my daughters cat goes crazy when I start playing |
| Favourite food and drink | A Guinness served in Eire. A beef steak served by Delia | Irish Stew and Guinness |
| If I won a £Million I would | Go for a long walk along the beach | Build a band room for Aldbourne Band |
