Crosskeys brave winds for sterling performance
CROSSKEYS Silver Band braved the elements on June 30 when they played from 2pm-4pm in Risca Park on a day which should have been a concern about the heat, but turned out to be rather cold as the result of a howling wind which did its best to blow the music stands over.
Only one player had to run about 20 yards to try to retrieve a sheet of music which had been torn from her grasp. Despite the conditions and the extra time that the guest conductor, Kerry Bowden MD of Oakdale band, allowed the players to secure the music to the stands, the band played well and the audience were pleasantly entertained with a nice selection of music.
You can see Crosskeys Silver Band in action at the Newport Big Splash this Saturday (July 20) from 2pm-2.50pm and from 4.30pm-5.20pm adjacent to the Riverside Theatre. BRASS bands are spreading their these days.
I previously mentioned about the brass band scene becoming an international one, with UK bands touring Europe and the southern hemisphere, and the UK regularly welcoming bands fom all over the world.
Not only is banding truly international, but what were fairly rigid lines of demarcation between brass bands and the general music scene have certainly been reduced as we are frequently seeing the amateur brass bands meeting up with international vocalists and musicians, as is being shown by Foden’s band with their very close association with Matt Ford and Mike Lovatt, who is lead trumpet with BBC Big Band and the John Wilson Orchestra and can be heard on many film tracks.
Along with Mike, Foden’s also invited Chris Houlding, the renowned professional trombonist, who was the principal trombone with the Orchestra of Opera North for 27 years and has appeared as guest principal with London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and London Brass. really wings
In addition to these two top-liners, Foden’s were in concert with the incredible Superbrass Ensemble, which is made up of the finest professional brass and percussion players in the UK.
The concert by Foden’s was at Mossley, George Lawton Hall, on Saturday, July 13, and included the British Open Youth Champions Elland Silver Youth.
It was a huge success and was a great advert for our elite bands when seen associating with the top professionals in the UK. DERWENT Brass was formed in 1992 with the aim of creating a quality brass band – which is now in the Championship Section, so the band has clearly achieved its aim.
The band has been flying the flag for the Brass for Africa Charity and some of the band members went to meet the Brass for Africa Teaching Team, who were in the UK to appear at the Cheltenham Music Festival, which lasted from July 5-14.
The team left Uganda very early on Monday morning and arrived just in time for a performance at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London alongside the patrons of the charity, Alison Balsom and Guy Barker.
Before taking up a nine-day residency at the Cheltenham Festival, the Teaching Team spent some time with musicians from the British Army.
The Cheltenham Music Festival celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. The famous Wynton Marsalis quartet created some media interest and the Teaching Team appeared with them.