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Become a Friend Whilst many of the Band's friends contribute to the running costs of the Band by taking out a number in the 100 club, we realise that this may not be appropriate for everybody. If you would like to be a friend of the Band, and receive our newsletter - as well as regular updates - please email eymsbbfriends@yahoo.co.uk for full details. 100 Club
In an ongoing quest to improve the Band's income, we run a 100 club draw. This scheme has been operating for several years, and for an outlay of £2 per calendar month you have the opportunity to win £50 each month, and £500 in December (a nice Christmas present!). As well as the opportunity to win each month, as a valued supporter of the Band you would also receive a twice annual Newsletter. The draw is made at the Band rehearsal on the third Wednesday of each month (or as soon as possible after that if the Band is not rehearsing). Winners will be notified immediately. If you would like to join please contact the webmaster eymsbbfriends@yahoo.co.uk. Membership is by standing order for ease of collection, and each member may purchase as many numbers as they wish, subject to availability. At the present time there are 19 numbers available. To view a full list of recent winners, then please click here. Newsletter - October 2011 Dear
Friend
Welcome to the latest edition of the East Yorkshire Motor Services Band Newsletter. As you read this, the Band will be completing their final preparations for their appearance at the National Brass Band Championships to be held at the Royal Albert Hall, on Saturday 15th October. An article on the Finals is included in this edition, as well as a look at the instrumentation of the brass band, an article on why Simon Blow plays in a band, plus the usual features including the 100 Club winners, forthcoming engagements, and a look at the Band’s personnel. The National Finals Breath of Souls has been composed for a very special musical milestone on October 15 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It is the 100th staging of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, and 20 bands get the chance to impress with the new work by Paul Lovatt-Cooper. Among them are the East Yorkshire Motor Services Band and their musical director Alan Morrison, who qualified from the North of England area contest in Darlington last March. They will be up against formidable opposition in the shape of current national champions Brighouse & Rastrick and their conductor Dr David King, plus the likes of Carlton Main, Virtuosi GUS, Fodens, and Fairey - plus Cory, and Tredegar of Wales and Scottish representative Whitburn. EYMS, the North of England champions four times since 1996, and regular competitors at the Royal Albert Hall, began rehearsing Breath of Souls in September – a piece commissioned by Weyland and Yvonne Roberts, former teachers and long-time followers of the Black Dyke Band. In essence, the music is about nature's capacity to grow and rebuild regardless of its other catastrophic powers. After tsunami, forest fires, earthquakes and volcanic disasters around the world, animals, plant life and humans have overcome adversity and demonstrated a unique regenerative quality. Lovatt-Cooper, known in banding circles as PLC, and Black Dyke’s composer in residence, said on his website: “With Breath of Souls I wanted to compose a piece of music that was a celebration of life. Not only that, but a piece of music that from the very first notes heard in the percussion and cornets, is bustling with activity, emulating that in life everything that is living has a soul and breathes - nothing stays still and everything keeps moving and growing. Just like life itself, Breath of Souls also grows musically with each bar. You will hear many and various motifs and ideas grow and develop as the piece progresses”. It contains three linked sections, fast/slow/fast, that provide a challenge for both players and conductors. The work has lots of energy and excitement along with some beautiful, melodic lines audiences can enjoy. Although
Black
Dyke will not be competing at the National Finals, they premiered the piece
before invited guests at their Queensbury headquarters near Bradford. Among the
first people to enjoy Breath of Souls were Weyland and Yvonne Roberts, and David
Read, who will be adjudicating in London, in the company of Belgium’s Luc
Vertommen and Rob Wiffen. Lasting 15 minutes, the performance gave an insight
into its technical construction as well as musical inspiration as it went along.
PLC’s desire to provide a test worthy of the occasion has seen him produce a
composition of immense technical difficulty – although he hopes he hasn’t
lost his knack of making sure the audience will whistle his trademark big tunes.
He revealed : ”I wanted it to
challenge the very best, so it’s not easy.
However, I also wanted it to be a piece that would appeal to listeners
too, so I’ve tried to balance the technical challenges with plenty of
musicality.” It has been described as being
as fast as athlete Usain Bolt in full flow at the beginning and especially the
end of the piece, whilst there are also a lot of extremely quiet, embroidered
and thoughful passages. There are no mute effects, a definite decision by the
composer, and he has provided the competing bands with a choice of cadenzas to
feature euphonium, flugel horn, soprano, trombone, EEb tuba, and tenor horn. PLC
describes it as his ‘masterstroke’, and it allows each soloist the choice of
two cadenzas to perform. The result of which it is hoped will give each
performance a unique individual characteristic to reflect the conductor’s own
interpretation of the work. Unfortunately for the player, neither cadenza is
said by the composer to be more difficult than the other! Although
October sees the 100th National, it is not the centenary of the
contest. The first National title was competed for in 1900, when Denton
Original, directed by Alexander Owen, won on Gems from Sullivan’s Operas No 1.
The contest did not take place in the years of the two world wars, making 2011 a
rather special occasion in the history of the National, and one in which EYMS
are extremely proud to be a part. The band first took part in the finals of the
Championship Section at Kensington in 1996 when Robert Childs guided the band to
eighth position on Robert Redhead’s Isaiah 40, which remains the band’s best
finish in London. In 2008 the band finished ninth on Concertino for Brass Band
by Kenneth Downie, conducted by Frans Violet of Belgium. EYMS also competed in
the finals of 1997 (On Alderley Edge, composer Peter Graham, conductor Robert
Childs); 1998 (Between The Moon And
Mexico, Philip Sparke, John
Roberts); 1999 (Concerto No 1,
Derek Bourgeois, John Roberts); 2001 (Albion, Jan Van der Roost, Gareth
Pritchard); 2002 (Masquerade, Philip Wilby, Gareth Pritchard); 2003 (Theme and
Eight Variations from the Enigma, Sir Edward Elgar arr Eric Ball, Gareth
Pritchard); 2004 (…all the flowers of the mountain, Michael Ball, Gareth
Pritchard); 2007 (Music for Battle Creek, Philip Sparke, Jim Davies);
and 2009 (The Torchbearer, Peter Graham, Jason Katsikaris). Contesting,
however, goes back much farther, the first British Open contest being held in
1853, won by Mossley Temperance with two own choice selections. The first
recorded band contest was held in 1845 at Burton Constable Hall, including bands
from Hull, Patrington, and Brocklesby. After
all of the bands had performed, the adjudicator asked for two bands – the
Holmes Tannery Band, and the Wold Band to play again. Following their
performance of The Hallelujah Chorus, the Wold Band were declared to be the
winners. During these early days Hull was a major force in the brass band world
– in 1856 a major contest was held at Hull’s Zoological Gardens, a contest
that gave the travelling public cheap day return tickets on the railways for the
first time. Major music publishing houses were set up on Anlaby Road, and as
late as 1939 over 36 Bands were based within the city boundaries. How times have
changed and evolved… the very essence of Breath of Souls. Band
Personnel The Band has contined to make
minimal changes, with just two departures and two new arrivals. Leaving the Band
are Cheryl Spencer (Solo Cornet 5th man) and Philip Pearson (2nd
Baritone). Philip’s business commitments unfortunately clashed with the
Band’s commitments, and Cheryl’s university commitments meant that she was
unable to attend as often as was required, and so she reluctantly took the
decision to stand down. Joining the Band are Percussionist Garry Hallas who
joins John Modrate, Hugh De la Hoyde, and Graham Bates to complete the
percussion section for the National Finals. Also joining (returning) to the Band
is Melanie Ornsby. Melanie returns as 2nd Euphonium to form a formidable partnership with Solo Euphonium Neil Johnson, with Sam Ringrose moving to beef up the Baritone section. She has answered a ‘seven-year itch’ after opting to leave the band in 2004 when she was expecting her first child. Melanie started playing the euphonium aged seven, joining the Hampshire County Youth Brass Band. Moving north at 14, she played with the Cleveland Youth Brass Band, and the Yarm & District Brass Band. Bi Melanie studied for four years at Birmingham Conservatoire, taught by Steven Mead. After successfully completing a BA (Hons) music degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Studies, she trained as a primary school teacher and began her career in North Lincolnshire. It was at this time, in January 1998, that Melanie joined EYMS as Solo Euphonium, and played at the National on five occasions, along with many other contests and concerts. 100 Club Winners
The 100 Club continues to
provide a welcome income for the Band; at the moment there are 21 numbers
available. Should you or anyone you know of, like to take up one of these
numbers, please contact the 100 Club treasurer either by telephone on 07971
009830, or by email to eymsbbfriends@yahoo.co.uk The
Brass Band Whilst the standard instrumentation of a brass band remains constant, the seating layout can change depending on the conductor’s personal preferences or even for the performance of a particular piece. A change to the seating arrangement can have a dramatic effect on the sound of a band – for instance having all the instruments with forward facing bells pointing at the audience instead of into the heart of the band as is usual.
The
above layout is the one currently used by the EYMS Band – showing the
positions of the 25 brass players, conductor, and percussionists. The standard
contest rules allow for 25 brass players, and as many percussionists as are
needed to perform the piece. Interestingly enough though – as far as the
contest rules go, the 25 brass players could be 25 trombonists, or 25
cornettists – the only guide to what is actually required, is the scoring of
the music. The band is subdivided in to six sections: - Cornets (front &
back row), Horns, Euphoniums & Baritones, Trombones, Basses, and Percussion.
The majority of the brass instruments are members of the Saxhorn family
(invented by Adolphe Sax, who was also responsible for the Saxophone), the only
exception to this are the Trombones who belong to the Trumpet family of
instruments. Whilst in appearance the instruments are very different, the main
difference between the Saxhorn and Trumpet family is that Saxhorn’s have a
conical bore (the pipe gets gradually wider throughout the instrument, whilst
the Trumpet’s have a cylindrical bore (only getting wider towards the bell of
the instrument). In future editions of the Newsletter, we will feature
individual sections. Conflict
Resolution for Brass Bands? In an article written by Band
Chairman Tony Newiss in the August 2010 edition, we were left with the following
question: - So what you may wonder makes
people do it? Why subject yourself to criticism and occasional ridicule? What
makes you give up all the time for rehearsals, private practice, concerts, and
competitions? Simon Blow is the first
member of the Band to answer this. It
first started with a lump in the throat. Then
the eyes began to fill up with water. A
bug had taken hold, which has to this day proved almost incurable. I was
infected almost 50 years ago – simply by the glorious sound of a brass band in
full chordal cry. It turned out to be an umbilical chord, a nurturing. Like all
bugs, it has occasionally caused me some irritation and at times brought me out
in a hot sweat, even loss of sleep. But most of all it has brought a lifetime of
pleasure, fulfilment and a sense of achievement. If
only all ‘diseases’ could have such a fundamental effect on the system – a
perpetual surge of natural highs. I was first exposed to the sound of a brass
band at around 10, when my father took me to a concert given by the Grimsby
Band. I had never heard anything like it, and could far less understand the ache
in my throat in reaction to those sounds, nor why the eyes filled up and the
lips started quivering. A
bug of powerful proportions… Shortly
after I started free lessons at school on a cornet, which by rights should have
been at the bottom of the Atlantic. It belonged to my maternal grandfather, a
chief engineer on a Merchant Navy steam ship, and the silver cornet, with a
beautiful rose detail on the bell, accompanied him each time he left dry land.
He forgot it only once, in the February of 1943. And it was during that trip one
of Hitler’s U-boats came calling on a lone straggler from a wartime convoy,
just off St John’s, Newfoundland. A torpedo hit amidships. All souls went down
in three minutes. A
simple twist of fate… It
led to a cornet, metaphorically at least, being washed up into my lap.
A ‘gift’ from a man I never knew, which would have such a bearing on
my life. I ended up eventually joining the same band which several years earlier
had invaded my senses, and started out on a musical journey, which endures to
this day. Along the way I have picked up life friends and enough memories to
fill a brewery. And all the time I had the Holy Grail in sight – to play in
the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall – my own ‘Brassed Off’
moment. That
had to wait several years, scores of concerts and thousands of notes, some of
them even in the right place. Grimsby, with a lot of hard work and dedication,
for a while achieved Championship Section status, which only whetted my appetite
for more top class banding. After a
short stay at the Ransome Band in Newark, I was travelling twice a week to
Chesterfield to play with Rhodian Brass, which had qualified for the first time
to play in the 1992 finals on The New Jerusalem, the first piece for brass band
written by Philip Wilby. Being on stage at the Royal Albert Hall was a thrill
I’ll never forget and, like all great pleasures, having tried it once, I
needed another go. I helped Rhodian twice more to the National Finals and even
ended up on the stage at the British Open a couple of times. But
the band that has provided me with the most trips into dreamland is the East
Yorkshire Motor Services Brass Band. Four times I have competed with them in
London – and we are going again this year.
And
it’s the thought of success to come which drives you on, makes you want to
meet up with all the talented and equally keen musicians for hours on end just
to summit one plateau of perfection. As much as achievement is memorable, it is
not possible without that drive which gets you off to rehearsal twice a week
come rain or shine, and the need to enjoy that rehearsal for its own sake. To
enjoy it in the moment. The next rehearsal, the next new piece, the next
concert, the next contest….the next time at the Royal Albert Hall. That’s
what keeps me blowing – and the chance to honour the memory of a sailor who
unknowingly passed on a special gift many years ago. June to October 2011 After the disappointment of Blackpool the Band moved on to a busy summer schedule. I mention Blackpool as it was another extreme on the roller coaster ride that contesting has become for the Band. A restrained and refined performance of Prisms found favour with many in the audience and as one of the favourites in the competition many had the performance in the frame for promotion to the Grand Shield. Unfortunately the adjudicator did not and a final placing of 17th will see the band return to Blackpool next year to compete in the Senior Trophy for the first time. The summer period as usual was a busy time for the Band with a series of concerts on both sides of the Humber. These concerts featured music from all genres: Classical, music from film and the shows, operetta, traditional brass band, Welsh folk music, Armenian folk music, Irish folk music, new compositions for brass band, pop music, Negro spirituals, big band, swing and classic rock. The concerts showcased some of the band’s talented soloists mainly: Neil Day – Principal cornet, John Belton - Soprano cornet, Neil Johnson – Solo euphonium, Kathy Newiss – Flugelhorn and Mark Unsworth – Trombone. June saw the band travel to the first of the seasons “St Mary’s Concerts” with a concert at St Marys Church, Cottingham. Musical Director Alan Morrison was not available due to a prior commitment, so the Band’s Associate Conductor – and composer in residence – David Lancaster, picked up the baton. The weather was damp and cool, as became the norm this summer, but the reception to what was a highly entertaining programme was warm and appreciative with many complimentary comments being made during the interval refreshments, and after the concert had finished. It was also nice to see some new faces amongst the audience this year and we look forward to their return with Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Parents and Children at future concerts. The following weekend the band entered the depths of rural Lincolnshire to deliver a concert to a packed house at St Mary’s Church Marshchapel. This became the second leg of our St Mary’s series and was memorable for three reasons. It was a very well received concert, which the audience thoroughly enjoyed. It was new signing Bradley Hanson’s first concert with the Band, and it was the first time the specially constructed stage in the church had been used. The concert organisers had been very keen to show us the new stage, which was built over the top of two rows of pews so that the Band could be seen from every corner of the church. The stage caused some difficulty in that it was wide and not very deep which meant a normal band formation was not possible. With lots of ‘ummimg’ and ‘ahhhing’ and “if we put them there and these over here we might get those in there!” the stage was finally set. Access to the stage area was from behind the stage up some steep steps from the choir stalls. Above the steps was a very ornate oak archway with “fleur de lys” carved pointing downwards. This arch was well above head height when on the floor but the new steps to get to the stage were directly under them. Band members were warned to “mind your head” as we made our way onto stage. Members of the audience were a little bemused by the pause when half the band was on stage and no one else appeared. This pause was caused by principal cornet Neil Day forgetting the warning and bounding up the stairs to the point where the top of his follicly challenged head met the point of a carved fleur de lys on the oak arch! Neil was rocked backwards by the impact, muttered something like “ouch!” and on looking at his hand where he had rubbed his head saw the blood. In true showbiz fashion a couple of seconds later Neil ascended the stairs on to the stage (carefully) with a hanky held on his head to staunch the flow of blood. His performance of Y Bore Glas was amazing given the blood trickling down the back of his head. July
began with the Band Quintet returning to Lincolnshire and giving a concert at Ulceby Village Hall. This was the second year the quintet had performed at
the venue to raise funds for the local “first responders”. The Band
performed three concerts during July. The
first was at The Priory Church of St Mary, Bridlington as part of the Old Town
Festival, then the final part of our St Mary’s season with a concert at St
Mary’s Vicarage Elloughton as part of a fundraising garden party. The final
concert before our summer break was another sell out at The Plowright Theatre,
Scunthorpe, which took place on 30th July. The Band then took a
well-deserved two-week break to enjoy the weather.
It should be noted here that we do not have a weather forecaster
in the Band and the fact that the second half of the July concerts started with
the march “In Storm and Sunshine” was not an attempt at forecasting (even
though it proved accurate). After the summer break the
Band were straight back into preparing a new programme, and having a look at the
test piece for London. The Band and
Quintet performed at The East Yorkshire Motor Services Big Bus Day, which gets
bigger each year. Both Band and audience enjoyed the welcome sunshine. On 17th
September the Band returned to The Middleton Hall on Cottingham Rd in Hull to
perform the third annual concert in this venue. Included in the programme for
this concert were two items that had been requested by Friends of the band. If you have any favourite pieces that you would like
including at specific venues please contact us through the band’s website at www.eymsbrassband.co.uk
or by e-mail at eymsbrassband@yahoo.co.uk.
Whilst we can’t promise to include every request, we will do our best to
include pieces when we are able. Below is a list of engagements up to the end of
2011. It would be great to see you
at one or more of these and please bring friends and family. Forthcoming
Engagements Our next engagement is at the Royal Albert
Hall on Saturday 15th October. Tickets are still available for
this event from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office 0845
401 5045 or 020 7589 8212, or through the online booking service at www.royalalberthall.com.
Following this your next chance to see the Band will be at the Guildhall,
Kingston Upon Hull, on Wednesday 9th November. This concert
starting at 7.45pm, is in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Fund. Tickets
costing £7.50 (£6.50 for concessions) are available from the Guildhall (the
Civic Office 01482 615093), or on the door on the evening of the concert. The
Band will perform the National Anthems at the KC Stadium on Saturday 12th
November at the Rugby League Four Nations fixture between England and New
Zealand. Tickets for this game are available from the Rugby League website www.therfl.co.uk.
On
Saturday 3rd December, the Band will be performing at All
Saints Church, North Ferriby. Starting at 7.30 tickets (£8.00) for this annual
concert are available from North Ferriby Post Office, or North Ferriby
Newsagent. The following day Sunday 4th December, the Band are
performing at the Shire Hall in Howden. Tickets cost £8, with concessions at £6.
This concert also starts at
7.30pm, and tickets are available from the Shire Hall, 11 Market Place, Howden, 01430
432510, or from the Band on 007971 009830. On
Wednesday 7th December at 7.30pm, the Band, present their
annual Christmas Concert at St. Mary’s Church, Elloughton. Tickets for this
concert costing £6.00 can be ordered from Sue Shipp on 01482 667202 or Margaret
Duncum 01482 668264, and then picked up at the door.
Saturday
10th December sees
the Band return to Cottingham. The venue for this festive concert will be St.
Mary’s Church on Hallgate. Tickets for this concert are £8, with concessions
at £6, and these are available from Gilly’s Balloon Company at 173 Hallgate,
Cottingham, or
from the Band on 007971 009830.
The proceeds of this concert will be presented to the St John Ambulance, who
kindly provide the Band with their rehearsal facilities at their Citadel Way
Headquarters. Holy
Trinity Church, Market Place, Kingston Upon Hull is the venue for a Carols and
Readings concert on Sunday 11th December. This concert will
feature the traditional audience participation in the first half, before a
second half of festive favourites performed by the Band. Tickets
for the above concerts will also be available at the door, on the evening of the
concert. Our
last concert in this region before Christmas is on Sunday 18th
December, at the New Baths Hall, Doncaster Road, Scunthorpe. Tickets for
this event can be purchased at the Plowright Theatre, Scunthorpe (0844 854
2776), or by visiting the new Scunthorpe Theatre website www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk.
This has always been a sell out concert, and the organizers have moved to a
larger venue to cope with demand - even so, if you intend attending this concert
it is advisable to book first. This concert also features the Scunthorpe Choral
Society, and the Scunthorpe Cooperative Junior Choir – who were the 2009 BBC
Radio 3 Choir of the Year. The
Band‘s first appearance in 2011, will be at the Butlins National
Mineworkers’ Open Brass Band Festival on the 21st and 22nd
January, held at the Butlins resort in Skegness. On Saturday the 22nd,
the Band will compete against 11 other bands in a performance of the set test
piece Un Vie De Matelot (A Sailor’s Life) by Robert Farnon. The following day
the Band will compete in the second part of the competition – the
entertainment contest. With the other bands the EYMS Band will present a
twenty-five minute concert programme. The results from both days will be
combined to give the overall positions. Last year the Band won two of the three
prizes available – the Most Entertaining Band Award, and the Geoff Dove Best
Soloist Award (Neil Day - Principal Cornet). The
following weekend the Band return to the Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe for our
first concert of 2011, on Saturday 28th January. Starting at
7.30pm this concert is a fundraising concert for the Education of The Orphans of
Aids in Malealea, Lesotho. Tickets for this concert are available from the
Plowright Theatre (0844 854 2776)
or by visiting the new Scunthorpe Theatre website www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk.
This has been a very popular concert in recent years, so advance purchase
of tickets is recommended. The
Newsletter This
newsletter features contributions from Simon Blow, Tony Newiss, and Mark
Unsworth. We hope that you will find the contents interesting – and would
appreciate some feedback. Is the content of interest, or is there some subject
that you would like to read about, or better still, would you like to write
something for a future edition. Many
of you have provided us with an email address, if you haven’t done so please
consider this. As well as the main newsletter, we often send out short emails
containing concert news & contest results (as they happen rather than
waiting for the next full edition) and of course the all-important 100 Club draw
winners as they happen. Please email us at eymsbbfriends@yahoo.co.uk
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