Betteshanger Welfare Band has gone from strength to strength in the last few months as a visit to the 'Players' page will testify.
New band-members have been joining at a rate of knots and all sections are either complete or over-subscribed, which is an excellent position to be in.
At the end of the day, no matter how much we all love making music, the fact remains that a crust has to be earned and shifts, call-outs and weekend working being what they are, it is not always possible for even the most dedicated band-member to attend jobs. Having additional band-members who are flexible in their approach makes a big difference and takes some of the pressure from the Musical Director, band, and of course the secretary who is constantly trying to organise sufficient troops to put out a full band. Even with the number of players we currently have this can be a struggle at times. How bands with less members cope I cannot begin to imagine.
The band 'team-sheet' changes look something like this:
Mick Sole (Trombone/ Euphonium) recently joined the band and is a welcome addition, both as a musician and as a bandsman. Mick is a former Royal Marines bandsman who has returned to banding following a period of 'resting'. Interestingly when he first joined the band he apparently kept looking at 1st Cornet Keith Davies and thinking that the face looked familiar. The same thought had crossed Keith's mind about Mick and after a couple of weeks of mulling this over one of them broached the subject. It turns out that they were both at the Junior Wing of the Royal Marines School of Music together in 1966 and had not seen each other since! Mick learned Euphonium and Cello whilst Keith learned Cornet and Violin. Funny how life turns out.

  
 
 
Keith Davies
Mick Sole
 
 

Peter Bryan (Cornet) joined the band a few months ago and has proven to be a very keen bandsman and has filled in a number of times for Dale George (Soprano) who was otherwise engaged.
Alan Finemore (Cornet) was welcomed back to the band after a couple of year's absence and brought partner Jane Clark (Baritone) along too. Since joining I think I am correct in saying that the couple have not missed an engagement.
Other new players include Ian Yardley who has joined on Eb Bass and Lucy Lockwood (Cornet) all are very welcome.
Steve Wright (Solo Horn) has decided that he would like a break from banding and has not been seen for some time at practice. Steve is an excellent horn player and will be missed but after a lifetime playing he has decided not to play for the foreseeable future. Sarah Vinal has taken over the mantle of Solo Horn and is doing a great job.
Paul Slater (Euphonium) will be leaving the band very shortly to begin a new life in Cornwall. Paul will be greatly missed and is a very popular player and a fine soloist. I am not sure who Paul intends playing for when he moves but somewhere in the West Country there is a very lucky band who are, as yet, unaware that they have a top class player on the way. Good luck to Paul and his family.
Last weekend the band were invited to the reception for Soprano player Dale George's wedding to Maria. The reception was held in the evening in Broadstairs during Folk Week and a good time was had by all. The whole band wish them all the very best in their married life.
We are all looking forward to the return of student Amy Shepherd (Cornet) who has been away playing Flugel Horn with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Taught by band-member Fred Thomson (Euphonium) Amy would be welcome in any band in the country and is definitely one to watch out for in the future. She recently played 'Facilita' at a concert the band performed at her school and received a rapturous, and well deserved, reception.
During the concert recordings were made of the performance and some of them are likely to feature on the band's CD, which our Musical Director David Burridge is just finalising.
The autumn contest will soon be upon us and we are all looking forward to it. See you at Folkestone!