Nigel steps in at 11th hour to help Cory
ON the weekend of July 24 and 25, the Cory band under musical director Philip Harper were engaged to play at Usk Castle on the Saturday and at Charfield village in Gloucestershire on the Sunday.
However, things were dramatically changed on the Friday evening when Philip’s children tested positive for the coronavirus which required the whole family to isolate.
The immediate question was who would be able to conduct the band the following day as the band were in concert with the famous Only Men Allowed singing group!
Nigel Seaman was contacted fairly late on the Friday at what would be considered the 11th hour and he agreed to conduct the band at both events.
As well as Philip being involved in isolation there were also a number of players also affetced, one way or another by the pandemic, and they were also replaced.
The Charfield village event was organised and paid for by Mike and Barbara Adams. A philanthropic couple who have lived at the village for more than 40 years. An example of their largesse is their establishing an orphanage in Katmandu.
As they are moving away from the village they decided, as avid fans of the world famous band, to engage the Cory band to give a concert, which was entirely free for the village to enjoy as a way of saying thanks and goodbye to the folks of the village.
It transpired that the audience consisted of the villagers, who were there in force and a large number of people, particularly bands people from the surrounding area and much further afield – like Suffolk – who had learned of the concert.
Nigel reported that he had met a large number of people whom he had known from his 50 years banding experience from all over the Midlands,
including Thornbury’s David Thomas.
Nigel said it was: “Two very enjoyable outings for the band and it was my pleasure and an honour to take part.”
Cory were fortunate that Nigel was able to make himself available and there would not have been anyone better qualified to step into the role at such short notice as he has been a music consultant with the Cory Band for a number of years.
Judging by the number of appreciative comments about the Cory concert on social media it seems that there was a fairly strong number in the audience from South Wales.