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Issue no. 5518 – 19 July 2008 photo: www.brassbandphotography.com photo: NYBBS Japanese tour in full flight The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland’s (NYBBS) 50th anniversary course, during which it is spending two weeks on tour in Japan, got underway in great style under the baton of Richard Evans at Glasgow’s Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama on 5 July. As well as a performance by the main band of 71 players, which has embarked upon the historic trip, the Reserve and Training bands also gave impressive performances under John Boax and Gordon Evans MBE respectively. Steven Mead was the guest soloist at the main concert and is appearing on tour with the NYBBS. His video tour diary can be found on YouTube (search for NYBBS). Low-key summer ahead for brass enthusiasts Following the successful Brass Day at the 2007 BBC Proms, brass band enthusiasts will be Proms Family Orchestra events are free, but places must be reserved in advance by e-mailing disappointed with the lack of brass featuring at the 2008 series, which runs from 18 July [email protected] or call 0207 765 0643. to 13 September. Only Prom 1 (18 July), Prom 4 (20 July) and Prom 20 (2 August) involve significant brass performances, with the Royal College of Music Brass, Royal Northern College Meanwhile, with the festival season upon us and the exception of BRASS 08 in Durham, the of Music Wind Orchestra and trumpet virtuoso, Marco Blaauw, respectively. apparent lack of major brass events around the country is also a cause for concern. This year’s However, organisers are encouraging players to join in the BBC Proms Family Orchestra, general trend in the UK seems to be focussing more on folk music, but the town of Guca, in which was launched in 2006. The orchestra’s formation is intended to give family members the Dragacevo region of Serbia with a population of 3,000, will be hosting its annual festival the chance to play music together, with everyone welcome, from keen amateurs to those in which the focus is very much on brass. who have not played for many years. What began as a small competition for the Dragacevo Assembly of Trumpet Players back If you or your family fancy propping up the brass or percussion section, then you can join in in 1961 now attracts nearly 500,000 people every year, with thousands of brass players the Family Orchestra events, which take place at the Royal College of Music on 20 July, 27 celebrating their art from 6-10 August. So, if you haven’t yet planned your holidays, Guca July, 9 August, 25 August and 30 August. could be the place to go! Price £1.25 BB 1.indd 1 15-07-2008 17:19:00 MAILBOX HAVE YOUR SAY WRITE TO THE EDITOR WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW ON ANY BANDING SUBJECT Let’s see Cory Band on BBC TV Band need to support BFBB Cory Band, the very famous Welsh brass band, came down to Kent recently and gave a superb While D. Johnson will no doubt feel much better for writing to his MP (Mailbox, BB 5506), concert to a full house in the town of Sittingbourne. I also heard it at The Hawth in Crawley, having ‘got it off his chest’, I fear his effort will achieve nothing. Sussex. When I became a trustee of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, I quickly The band has played at major venues across the world and thrilled many people. However, it is learnt that you achieve nothing by moaning, complaining or feeling hard done by. Those in a long way away to visit and, as the BBC has refused to put the band or the other top-class UK positions of power and influence, such as MPs, the BBC and the Arts Council will willingly and world brass bands on television for many years, how am I, an OAP, or other persons with a listen to problems, but only if matched by possible solutions backed by evidence, outputs and liking for brass band music as well as potential viewers (including perhaps many in your own outcomes. Arguments need to be well presented, thought through, targeted and submitted by constituency) supposed to see/hear them again? an representative organisation of some standing. Thereby hangs the problem for brass bands, As you will know, the band was formed in 1884, long before the BBC and The Arts Council, and disparate groups of bands with only a partial interest in the potential for what its organisation has remained at the highest level of world brass banding for much of its existence – it is the (the British Federation of Brass Bands) might achieve. If every band belonged, the Federation current European Brass Band Champion. The level of performance obtained by this amateur could argue that it is a true ambassador and, with vibrant leadership, well thought-out plans brass band is breathtaking and would, I’m sure, gain the approval of the heavily subsidised (by and arguments, much more could be achieved. our licence fees) BBC orchestras that are available 24/7 at the turn of a switch. Mr. Johnson would have us believe that opera has received ‘obscene amounts’ (sic). The reality is The Arts Council of England gives opera £36,000,000 per year (80% of its music budget, mainly that opera has argued its case and won. We (brass bands) need to do the same. It won’t happen for the maintenance of fine buildings) and so far this year it has given the brass band movement because brass bands are too busy worrying about the next contest or the petty rules associated £47,000, which is about £1.00 per player. I understand that Mr. Thompson, the Director General with them! of the BBC, gets £3,000,000,000 annually from our licence fee, but his contribution to brass T. Mutum, bands would amount to the tiniest part of a decimal point of that gargantuan sum. I wonder if Ipswich. his apparent prejudice against brass bands might be due to the BBC controllers preventing him, as well as the rest of the population, from hearing our finest bands, such as Cory. I am not a constituent of yours, but I formally ask you to help this great band back on to BBC Music bridges the divide television, by persuading Mr. Thompson to adopt a sea change and put our finest brass bands With regard to Philip Wilby’s recent article (BB 5515), I agree that there does sometimes appear to back on BBC television. be a divide within music, ie. classical versus jazz, strings versus brass, etc. However, I have always It is my hope that the Arts Council for Wales is rather more tolerant of brass bands than its found this to be a question of ‘friendly rivalry’ and, as a player, when disparate factions come English counterpart and will see fit to help the band. together in a band or orchestra, the outcomes can be quite fantastic and even very moving. D. Johnson, While never having lived ‘up north’, my time in the RAF Music Services placed a lot of Tonbridge. northerners (with their clogs) and southerners (with their rhyming slang) together with people Editor. The above letter was sent to Mr. Chris Bryant, MP for Rhondda. from the West Country (with our pitchforks) and I found that music was what brought people from very different backgrounds together and has been the foundation of some true friendships. Would the real composer of BB&CF please stand? J. Bryant, Weston-super-Mare. I am trying to find the original pianoforte copy of the march, BB and CF. The reason for this is that my husband’s family has always stated that this march was written by my his great-grandfather, Fred Auty. Anybody know the score? He wrote it for a competition, commissioned by John Henry Iles, which I believe was for the We need a conductor’s score for a concert waltz from 1900 by the Czech composer, Julius Fucik. amalgamation of British Bandsman and Contest Field magazines. James Ord Hume arranged The waltz is called Traumideale. So far, all our enquiries have drawn a blank. However, I am the winning piece. He did not compose it. Apparently Fred Auty and James Ord Hume were confident that a brass/silver band will have it in its archives. We are a newly-formed woodwind friends up until the publication of this piece of music. If by any chance you could help me with group in Great Dunmow, Essex, with 12 members. Any help or advice would be appreciated. any information about the competition and music entered, I would be very grateful. F. Payne, Fred Auty was a well-known bandsman and conductor from Yorkshire. His father was Charles Address supplied. Auty, who played and, I believe, conducted Dewsbury Old Band, Bramley Band, Birstel Band and Linthwaite Band, along with his brother, Frank. I also have unconfirmed information that, at one time, Charles conducted Black Dyke. Happy memories If, by any chance, you have any information of any Autys that you could pass on to me, I would It was nice to see both Brighouse and Foden’s sharing the spoils at the recent Whit Friday March be very grateful. contests. My old band, Blackhall Colliery, held the record there for a number of years, playing A. Auty, Mephistopheles, Pompous Main and Peace and War. I’ve never heard the latter.