The Passing of a Great Brass Musician
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Price £1.25 www.britishbandsman.com Issue no. 5638 – 6 November 2010 The passing of a great brass musician BB pays tribute to Maurice Murphy MBE BB 1.indd 1 02-11-2010 18:47:10 Brass in Concert 2010 in association with Yamaha and British Bandsman Tickets now available Saturday 20 November Youth Brass in Concert Workshops 9.15am Sunday 21 November (tutors: Richard Marshall, Brass in Concert Championship 2010 Alex Kerwin, Alison Childs, The world’s leading entertainment-based David Thornton, Adrian Hirst, brass band championship Joseph Cook, Paul Lovatt-Cooper) featuring Brass Taster session 11.00am Brighouse & Rastrick, sponsored by Yamaha Carlton Main Frickley Colliery, Fairey (Geneva), Flowers, Contact Alan Hope for more details Foden’s, Grimethorpe Colliery, 113A Fatfi eld Park, WASHINGTON, Leyland, Reg Vardy, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8BP Rothwell Temperance, Telephone: 0191 416 1008 Mobile: 07765 656729 Redbridge, Tredegar e-mail: [email protected] Tickets: £25, £20, £12 Free Concert 2.30pm Elland Silver Youth Band All tickets available from Action Research National Youth The Sage Gateshead Box Offi ce: Entertainment Champions, Tel: 0191 443 4661 conducted by Samantha Harrison also including the Workshop Band www.thesagegateshead.org conducted by Dr Nicholas Childs Book early to avoid disappointment! World of Brass in Concert 7.30pm featuring 2009 Champions Foden’s Band Black Dyke Band in association with and BB 2-3.indd 2 02-11-2010 18:50:29 NEWS David Thornton leaves Black Dyke Black Dyke Band has announced the departure years. They, along with Nick Childs, have made of principal euphonium, David Thornton, me into the player and musician I am today, as following a tenure in the position that began well as being my musical family along the way.” in 2000 and has seen him lift four National, two Black Dyke has also announced that Zoe British Open and one European championship Hancock will become the band’s new flugel titles with the band. horn soloist. Zoe, who originates from Cornwall, Speaking to BB, the band’s Music Director, is a past principal in the National Youth Brass Dr. Nicholas Childs, commented: “Black Dyke Band of Great Britain, winner of the Harry would like to acknowledge the wonderful Mortimer solo award, and a finalist in the Radio service given by David Thornton as principal 2 Brass Young Musician. She also played a euphonium over the last ten years. David was starring role in Tredegar Band’s recent British the first soloist I appointed at ‘Dyke’ and he Open Championship success. has held this position with great distinction. Nicholas Childs commented: “It is wonderful We all wish him every success in his ever to welcome a player of Zoe’s quality. She is a developing career.” delightful young lady and a terrific talent, and I David Thornton commented: “I’ve been in the am sure will develop even more in the future.” band for ten years and have given 100 percent Zoe, who currently studies at the Royal Welsh commitment during that time. I have spent a College of Music, where she is guided by lot of time considering my future recently, and Director of Band Studies, Dr. Robert Childs, it’s come to the moment when I feel I want commented: “I have had a wonderful time at to look for other opportunities that simply Tredegar and winning the British Open was wouldn’t have been possible whilst giving that amazing. Ian Porthouse has always been helpful commitment to Black Dyke.” and although I will be leaving some great He added: “I’ve recently been appointed as friends, it is with excitement and a burning Musical Director of Wingates Band and this ambition that I grasp the opportunity of is just one of the ventures I’ll be now able to joining Black Dyke.” She will take up her new launch myself into. I have two large solo tours position immediately after the Brass in Concert planned for 2011 already – to Australia and Championship later this month. the USA – as well as other solo opportunities Following Sandy Smith’s recent departure from that would have simply clashed with the Black Black Dyke, Alex Kerwin has moved to solo Dyke diary should I have stayed with the band. horn. Nicholas Childs further commented: “Alex They will all now be possible and, of course, I has a fantastic pedigree. She is an outstanding hope other exciting possibilities will begin to bandsperson, a bold and brave player and one arise now that I have more time. It goes almost that I am sure will grow into her new position without saying that there is an element of and make it her own.” Alex Kerwin added: “I sadness involved; I’m leaving a fantastic band know it will take some time to settle into my and an amazing team of musicians. I’d like to new position, but everyone at Black Dyke is thank all my playing colleagues and friends for supporting me and I am looking forward to my their support and camaraderie over the last ten new challenge.” Umbrella group working party meets to finalise plans The working party of the UK Banding Umbrella recognises that the youth of the movement intention of the working party to recall the Group, formed out of the Brass Band Summit represents a significant constituency, and that Brass Band Summit during the weekend of held in Birmingham in July this year, met as such, there should be a direct involvement the Festival of Brass in Manchester, which again on Sunday 17 October with the aim and representation of young brass players will take place between 28 and 30 January of making further progress towards a firm within the ‘umbrella group’. Positive steps will 2011. Further details will be issued, along with recommendation for the forming of a UK-wide be taken in the coming weeks to accomplish personal invitations, in due course. During ‘umbrella group’, operating for the benefit of this, with an open invitation to all young the recalled Brass Band Summit, the working brass banding throughout the UK. players to become involved. Ultimately, party will present its full recommendations The group, chaired by Stan Lippeatt (Chairman youth representatives will be invited to play a for the formation of the UK Banding Umbrella of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators), permanent role in the ‘umbrella group’.” Group, including an appropriate title for report that significant progress has been made, the body, giving full details of structure, most notably in three areas. The spokesperson continued: “Thus far, the funding, mandate, terms of reference, aims limited funding required for the working party and objectives, and the timescale over which A spokesperson commented: “The working to function has been provided by the members the new body will be brought into being. party is agreed on the membership structure of the working party, or the organisations Full consultation will follow the presentation of the ‘umbrella group’ which we intend to they represent. The working party recognises allowing all present, and the bodies they recommend to a recalled Brass Band Summit. that funding will be a key requirement for represent to input into the process.” The aims and objectives, together with a the future to enable the work of the umbrella The working party will meet for a third proposed mandate for the group, will also be group to function, and a proposal to establish time in this phase of the planning on presented for consultation when the Brass funding will be included in the presentation Friday 12 November in order to finalise its Band Summit next meets. The working party to the recalled Brass Band Summit. It is the recommendations and presentation. BRITISH BANDSMAN PAGE 3 BB 2-3.indd 3 02-11-2010 18:50:44 BRITISH BANDSMAN PAGE 4 BB 4-5.indd 4 02-11-2010 18:50:57 NEWS Final preparations underway as Brass in Concert goes live Following the success of BB’s live coverage of ensure that everything we need will be in place. promises to be a great weekend so we are keen the European Brass Band Championships earlier We are delighted with the take-up so far, but that as many music lovers as possible get a this year, subscribers have been busy signing would urge potential viewers to sign up well chance to feel part of it.” up for Brass in Concert Goes Live, which will be in advance of the event in order to avoid any Tickets for all the weekend’s events are produced in association with Yamaha Neo and last-minute technical problems.” He continued: available from The Sage Gateshead Box Office presented by percussion star, Simone Rebello “Along with our colleagues at Yamaha and the on 0191 443 4661 or at www.thesagegateshead. on Sunday 21 November. BB’s Editor, Kenneth organizers of the Brass in Concert Festival, we org, and live Internet coverage of the Brass in Crookston, commented: “Knowing the technical are hopeful that this transmission will carry Concert Championship is available for £7.95. challenge that live events such as this face, we the event to a new audience, many of whom Please see the advertisement on the back page of have yet again left no stone unturned and have will never have had the chance of witnessing this issue or log onto www.britishbandsman.com carried out visits to The Sage Gateshead to worldwide banding’s most enjoyable event. It for further details. Premières in Toronto Large field for St. Helens event Euphonium virtuoso, David Childs, is to give the Thirty-seven bands will line up on Sunday 21 Stott); Haydock (Mark Quinn); Hoover (Bolton) Canadian première of Karl Jenkins’ Euphonium November at the Theatre Royal in St.