MayJune08

May

Wedding Music
Several members of the Band (Helen & Hadrian Walters, Helen Poole, Robin Purser and Julia Edgeworth-Simmonds), and a good friend of the Band (Neil Crowe) formed a sextet to provide some Brass Music at the Wedding of our friends Rebecca and James Bennett.

We accompanied the organ in the hymns that had been chosen for the Service and then provided the musical interlude during the signing of the register.

We played arrangements of Shenandoah, Handel's Trumpet Tune, the Minuet & Trio from the Music for the Royal Fireworks, My Love is Like a Red Red Rose and Hine e Hine (Maori Lullaby).

We wish both Rebecca and James a long and happy life together.

Abbey Fete - Water music?
Tewkesbury Abbey Fete and the UK Spring Bank Holiday seem to be fated to encounter rainfall. Despite the inclement weather the Fete went ahead and the decision of the organisers to move activities into the main body of the Abbey proved a successful one. The poor weather thus gave the Band an opportunity to play in this great building and icon of the Town.

The Fete had opened earlier than in previous years and so the Band played its first half hour set at 11:30am with a second half hour performance at 1:30pm. We played several of the pieces that had gained us success in Hungerford and several light numbers that the stall browsers would know and enjoy. We opened with our signature march, before playing items including 'O Happy Day', 'Entry of the Gladiators', a cornet and trombone duet (featuring Helen & myself) 'Never Gleamed the Sea So Softly', 'Jamie's Patrol', 'Charter Fair' from the 'Haselmere Suite', 'Mexican Holiday' featuring the Cornet Section, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and others.

As has become traditional the Band followed the Abbey Fete with an informal social gathering at Chris Poole's house where we were treated to her famously delicious lasagne and some incredible desserts!

A Drop In the Ocean Live!
On Thursday 22nd May the Band were pleased to be the opening performance for the live concert version of the Drop in the Ocean CD. This Concert continued the fund-raising for the Flood Appeal and featured many of the artists who had provided tracks for the CD launched last autumn following the terrible floods of last summer. This concert was also the curtain raiser for the Tewkesbury Awaken Your Senses Festival that takes place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

After a short video of the floods last July accompanied by the organ music of Carlton Etherington, the Band opened the concert with our own signature march 'Tewkesbury' before entertaining the eclectic audience with the tune we provided for the CD, 'Beyond The Sea'.

Gloucestershire Youth Training Band
On Saturday 17th May several of the Band's younger members took part in the latest Gloucestershire Youth Training Band event run jointly by the Gloucestershire Music Service and the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association. This event took place at Chosen Hill School in Churchdown and saw the formation of the first ever Gloucestershire Youth Beginner Band under the musical directorship of our very own Training Band leader, Helen Walters.

Over 70 young players took part in the afternoons activities and within the space of just over 4 hours had managed to put together a programme of entertaining music to fill a half hour concert by both the Training and the Beginner Bands for the children's parents.

During the afternoon the Head of Gloucestershire Music Brass Department, Mr Steve Legge, who is also the conductor of the Gloucestershire Youth Brass Band was taking auditions for the Gloucestershire Youth Brass Band for the academic year 2008/9.

The Band is pleased to congratulate one of our long serving young trombone players, Jonathan Petticrew, on joining our young cornet players, Hannah Williams and Grace Windsor, in the Youth Band.

Town strips for the band!
On Friday 2nd May, committee members Christine Poole, Robin Purser and Alayne Robinson - wife of Rob, who could unfortunately not attend at the last minute, were invited to Abbey House to accept, on behalf of the band, a donation by the Rainbow Fundraising Group. Following the 2007 July floods which devastated homes, business and community groups within Tewkesbury, Rosamond & Michael Farley established the Rainbow Fundraising Group to raise money for the flood victims in the town by producing a semi-nude calendar - hundreds were sold and now hang on the walls of homes all over the world (including some band member’s homes!)

A total of £2,703 was raised and after hosting a children's Christmas party the remainder was equally split amongst three flood-hit community groups - the Band, Tewkesbury Boys' Brigade and Tewkesbury Sea Cadets each receiving a cheque for £830. The band is very grateful for being chosen to receive this donation and would like to thank everyone who contributed. We’re now looking forward to a very busy, dry, summer!
Robin Purser

New Band Chairman
Due to the ill health of his wife, our Band Chairman Mr Peter Williams decided to stand down from his role. Pete has been a great servant of the Band throughout its 34 year history and we hope will continue to be for many years to come. We wish Barbara and him well and hope that she has a speedy recovery.

As a consequence of this decision the Band had to elect a new Chairman to step into Pete's big shoes! The chosen candidate for this role was Gerry Petticrew, a man of much project experience within the RAF and a keen musician who has recently returned to playing the tenor horn as a result of his two sons involvement in the Training Band. Congratulations to Gerry and here's to a fun year of banding under his leadership!

Thursday 22nd	"Drop In The Ocean" Concert at the Roses Theatre [TBC]
Monday 26th	Tewkesbury Abbey Fete [12:15pm]

June

St John's Church 50th Anniversary Celebrations
On Saturday 28th June the Training Band played at the 50th Anniversary celebrations of St John's Church in Churchdown. The band played two half hour programmes in the afternoon entertaining the people who were enjoying a free day of fun and frolics as part of the Church's celebrations. Reverend Katy Morgan even took a starring role as we played Spongebob Squarepants by playing the Captain and asking the kids if they were ready!!

The Training Band played an enjoyable selection of tunes from its current programme including 'A Grease Selection', the aptly titled 'Day of Jubilee', the relevant (?) 'Sister Act: I Will Follow Him', 'Folk Frolic', 'Jamaica', 'Toccata in D Minor' and many more.

Summer is here!
Our first bandstand appearance of the summer season took place in Priory Park, Malvern. Last year due to the July floods we were unable to make our annual appearance in Malvern so the audience were keen to hear us and this year the weather was kind!

We played a programme that included a mixture of the pieces that we had played at our Proms concert and supplemented by some light pieces that prove popular on the bandstand. We opened with 'Hymn to The Mountain', featured our cornet section in 'Mexican Holiday', paid tribute to Vaughan Williams with two movements from his 'English Folk Song Suite', made reference to the world of popular music with 'Rock Around the Croc' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and visited the movies with 'Dambusters March' and 'O Happy Day'. These are just some of the highlights from a programme that proved popular with the numerous listeners that had brought their deckchairs for an enjoyable afternoon's listening in the park.

A Night at the Proms
We opened our annual Proms Concert with the original melodic fanfare for brass band by the young Swiss composer Etienne Crausaz 'Hymn To The Mountain'. This truly woke up the audience and prepared them for the entertainment to follow. In a reprise of our winning entertainment programme for the Phoenix Festival of Brass we also included the up beat gospel tune featured in the movie Sister Act 'O Happy Day'.

The entire cornet section then donned sombreros and stood in a line across the front of the stage to take the audience on a 'Mexican Holiday', a cleverly arranged piece based on the traditional banda music from Mexico. To calm things down the Band then played Leonard Ballantine's expertly crafted arrangement of the American folk song 'Shenandoah' entitled 'Mid All The Traffic'; a haunting but beautiful melody that is familiar to all who hear it.

The year 2008 marks the 50th Anniversary of the death of one of Britain's most well-known composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams. In recognition of this occasion the Band played two movements from his English Folk Songs Suite. In the first half we played the popular 'Seventeen Come Sunday'; in the second half we played 'Folk Songs from Somerset'. Our section of the first half of the concert was brought to a close with the seemingly Cossack dance influenced 'Charter Fair' from the 'Haselmere Suite'.

Our guests the Dursley Male Voice Choir then entertained the audience with several of their standards.

After the interval the Choir and the Band joined forces to showcase two items from the pen of Arthur Sullivan, 'March of the Peers' and 'The Lost Chord'. These were performed with great gusto by the 70 strong choir and proved an enjoyable exhibition of the talents of the two musical groups. After the Vaughan Williams folk songs the Band and our multi-talented assistant principal cornet, Helen Poole, led the audience and the Choir in the traditional last night of the Proms items: 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs', 'Jerusalem' and 'Land of Hope & Glory' (Pomp & Circumstance No.1).

St Catherine's Church Fete
On Saturday 14th June the Training Band made its annual appearance at the St Catherine's Church Fete. The weather was slightly kinder this year and the Training Band were able to entertain the fete-goers and jumble sailors from under a gazebo outside the church. The Training Band played a selection of its favourite tunes in two half hour slots. A reasonable audience of fete-goers gathered to listen to our Grease Selection featuring Cameron Purveur on trombone and Grace Windsor on cornet. The younger members of our audience sang along to Spongebob Squarepants with gusto. We also played items such as One Note Bugler, I Will Follow Him, Toccata in D Minor, Jamaica and the mellow Tranquillity.

Training Band Cabaret Concert - Friday 11th July
The Training Band will be hosting its annual Cabaret Evening on Friday 11th July at the Gupshill Manor Function Room. Don't miss this opportunity to hear the talented young (and old) members of our Training Band perform a number of solo and ensemble items for you. You could be the one in many years time when they are famous, saying 'I remember the first time I heard them perform!'.

Come along and enjoy a fun evening of music making.

Proms Concert, Sunday 15th June - Tickets on sale!
Hear some of the most popular classics and a few popular items played live by your local Town Band. This year we are joined by the popular Dursley Male Voice Choir. Sing the songs, wave the flags and enjoy an evening where every piece may be one which you can whistle or hum along to. This concert will feature items such as:
English Folk Songs Suite – Vaughan Williams
March of the Peers – Sullivan
The Lost Chord – Sullivan
Plus more!

Come and be entertained in style with the Tewkesbury Town Band at our annual Proms concert on Sunday 15th June 2008. Always filled with fun, laughter and great music, this year will be no different! Following on from her success leading the singing last year we are pleased once again to feature our assistant principal cornet player, Helen Poole, to lead the singing in all the flag waving favourites of the Last Night of the Proms concerts.

Tickets are available from the Roses Theatre Box Office on 01684 295074 priced at just £9 and £7.

June

Saturday 14th	St Catherine's Church Fete, Gloucester - Training Band
Sunday 15th	Proms Concert with special guests The Dursley Male Voice Choir, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury [7:30pm] Box office: (01684) 295074
Sunday 22nd	Priory Park Bandstand, Malvern [2:30pm-4:30pm]
Saturday 28th	Churchdown - Training Band

Back to News page