www.britishbandsman.com Price £1.25 Issue no. 5617 – 12 June 2010 A woman of vision BB MEETS ONE OF YOUTH BANDING’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL FIGURES BB 1.indd 1 08-06-2010 20:16:07 MAILBOX HAVE YOUR SAY Foden’s sets the record straight Northern College of Music (RNCM) was as well Royal Albert Hall! In relation to Garry Cutt’s comments to British organised and wonderful as ever, but I do have Anyone who wonders what effect these Bandsman concerning his departure from a reservation over one section that I feel should contests have on players need only look at Foden’s Band, we can confirm that we have be addressed for next year for the good of brass young Joseph Davies, who played horn for parted company after a successful six-year bands in the future. Astley in the Junior Section. The win was clearly association. Foden’s Band does not wish In 2009, the Training section was introduced, the biggest day of his young life, and the to engage in a trial by press, but following not really as a contest but as an exhibition picture of him in BB 5610 said it all. He even sat Garry’s remarks we need to make the following feature in much the same way that minority through the Senior Section and listened with comment. Garry omitted a number of important sports are demonstrated at the Olympics. It was the trophy on his knee! Brass banding needs facts and, while he is entitled to his own a great success and four bands demonstrated that kind of enthusiasm, and never more than opinion, we deny several claims in the press the work that can be done at the very at this time. release. The reasons that led to the dismissal beginning. This year, the section was run again John Stirzaker are very clear and were discussed in detail with this time with nearly double the number bands, Cheshire Garry, so we therefore feel the matter to be fully and the standard was great. All the bands closed. It is always a difficult decision to end showed that hard work and good tuition can any partnership, especially one that has been as set very young players on a great musical road. successful as this. However, the circumstances The RNCM Concert Hall was packed for this Roadside entertainers were discussed and it was the decision of the section and the stage was full for the results or, On the long way home after attending the committee and band to part company with him. more accurately, the result. There was just one Whit Friday March contests and the Ripon Foden’s can also confirm that Alan Wycherley prize - Band of the Day. Simone Rebello and Band Entertainment Contest on the following has left the band due to Garry’s departure. Five Mark Peacock did a fantastic job in encouraging Saturday, Blendworth Band, from near weeks ago, Garry Proctor informed us that he the bands, but the single prize was a damp Portsmouth, made the weekend a full banding was leaving Foden’s due to reasons of work firework as the result was announced. I want one. After covering only about 20 miles of the and Gavin Saynor has specifically stated on a to make a plea to the organisers - please make journey home from the band’s accommodation previous press release that he has left the band this section into a rewarding contest. This due to work reasons and not due to Garry’s is arguably brass banding’s most important departure. Replacements of the above will be contest, and if we can win over beginners at announced in a separate press release. this level, the future of banding can be assured. We would like to wish the above good luck for I can’t see why prizes for the top three bands the future. can’t be found, or why Gold, Silver and Bronze Mark Wilkinson certificates can’t be awarded to the competing Foden’s Band bands. I realise that sponsorship in the current climate is difficult, but I am sure that there are Bigger youth role urged companies involved in music that must see In my role with this magazine, I always get that, if you can win young musicians over at this pleasure from the events I cover, but none more level, you may have their attention for many than youth contests. The enthusiasm and talent years to come. I feel sure there will be more in Wakefield on the Sunday morning, the coach always shine through, and results are always entrants next year, and I know the training broke down and limped into the next service received in the most sporting way, no matter band with which I am involved will probably area. What’s a band to do in that situation? Play which way they have gone. The recent National enter next year. I am also aware that for it to to the weary travellers who had stopped for a Youth Championships at Manchester’s Royal appear on that stage will be akin to playing the break, of course! The surprised members of the public who stopped there were treated to a full re-run of the band’s programme from Ripon. Oh, and Punchinello too! More support for ‘Eurovision’ hear those contests, but coming from foreign T.A. Bushnell First of all, I want to thank you for all the work countries we can’t go to all of them. Many are Chairman - Blendworth Band you do to cover all the various championships. in my situation and I think that, if the price is I hope you can do more in the future and correct, a lot would take the opportunity to see come in person to some of the other national and hear these events like they did from the championships like those in Belgium and ‘European’. Switzerland. I play with Brass Band 13 Etoiles Alain Borgeat, Switzerland in Switzerland and we were delighted with your review of last year’s European and World Editor: While we aspire to provide the best championships. This year, unfortunately, we possible coverage of all banding events, the weren’t playing in the ‘European’, but your live cost of live-streaming any event to the standard streaming on the website was fantastic. It is that we covered the European Championships very expensive for us to travel to many of the is considerable and would very likely be very major events and we cannot always go to hear uneconomical in a number of cases. However, our or play at them, so I hope you will screen all experience at Linz tells us that there is a significant the main contests like the All-England Masters market for live-streamed band contests and, as International, English National, British Open and well as looking at the feasibility of other potential ANY NEWS OF YOUR OWN BAND? the National Championships of Great Britain in events in the future, it is our intention to repeat [email protected] the future. I think a lot of people would love to the exercise in Montreux next year. BRITISH BANDSMAN PAGE 2 BB 2-3.indd 2 08-06-2010 20:14:48 NEWS Crisis-hit English National set to go ahead Despite a further two withdrawals from the English National Brass Band a commitment to the nine bands that remain loyal to us and we do not Championships (sponsored by Besson), which is scheduled to take place intend to let them down. They have all committed to the championships at Preston Guild Hall on Saturday 26 June, the event’s organiser, the and we thank them for their support. I am sure that the contest will be of British Federation of Brass Bands (BFBB), has confirmed that it will go a high standard and the test-piece, Eden, will be a challenge to them all.” ahead as planned. He continued: “The event will commence at 10.00 am with a concert It was announced last week that Hepworth (Cookson Homes) and by the visiting Natural State Band from Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Fishburn bands had added their names to the list of withdrawals, leaving competition itself will start at 11.00am. Prior to the results, Black Dyke only nine competing bands from the original line-up of 16. Band, the reigning English National Champion, will give a short concert. The new English Champion will be invited to represent England at next A spokesman for the BFBB commented to British Bandsman: “We have year’s European Championships in Montreux, Switzerland.” The silvery Tay provides inspiration for Scottish Open test In an announcement from the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), it discharges more fresh water than any other river in Britain, equal, we are has been revealed that composer Simon Dobson’s new test-piece for the told, to the Thames and the Severn combined. The first episode of ...and Scottish Open Brass Band Championships takes its inspiration directly when the river told... takes us back to the great flood of 1209/10, and the from the city in which the event will be held, and the river that runs period when the charter was granted. The second section is inspired by through it. The event itself and the new work will form part of the Perth the Battle of North Inch, also known as the Battle of the Clans, of 1396. 800 celebrations, in which the 800th anniversary of the granting of the This was a staged battle, on what is now North Inch Park, in which 30 Royal Burgh Charter to the city by King William the Lion of Scotland in men were selected to represent the rival clans in front of spectators that 1210 will be celebrated.