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| Older News Items Archive Click Links:- Archive 3: Archive 2: Archive 1: | ||
| 6th May 2007 - Walmer Bandstand | ||
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| March 2007 | ||
| Stevenage Competition | ||
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| Always a good idea to celebrate prior to the results!! |  |
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| October 2006 | ||
| Band Aid | ||
With the disappointing cancellation of this year’s autumn contest at Folkestone the players from Betteshanger Band found themselves at something of a loose end. Having walked away from Folkestone last year with no less than four cups in the First Section, best test piece, best hymn tune, best conductor and best euphonium we were keen to see how we got on this year but due to the Leas Cliff hall being double booked it was not to be. Of course all of the bands who intended competing in the contest were disappointed and we heard that a brass band from Belgium had arranged to compete and had organised travel and accommodation in Folkestone for the weekend and were still hoping to come to England and were looking for some sort of event to participate in. It did not take a great Deal of persuasion to convince the band to join forces and thanks especially to the efforts of the new band secretary Ian Warner arrangements were made for a joint concert at St. Edmund’s School in Dover. There was very little time to make arrangements but despite this the hall was filled to capacity with an eager audience who were not disappointed. Our Musical Director Helen Tesh, who had been with the band for a few months, found that she was unable to continue her association with the band due to personal circumstances and for a while there was some concern as it had been difficult enough to find a suitable replacement following the departure of David Burridge earlier in the year. It is a mark of the quality of Betteshanger that there are a number of people within the band who have the quality, skills and training to stand in the middle and do an excellent job but all still enjoy playing so much that they are not willing to give up their instruments. That is until Tim Vinall who had been playing Soprano Cornet said that he was willing to take the band. A first class musician and a music teacher by profession Tim had taken the band for some rehearsals in preparation for last year’s regionals. The entire band had enjoyed playing for him but despite this Tim insisted that he now be given a proper audition for the position and be given music which was unfamiliar to him to conduct and then a vote be taken to decide if he was suitable. Following the audition rehearsal the vote was unanimous and it therefore fell to Tim to conduct his debut performance on Sunday 15th October which was the date set for the joint concert with the Belgian ‘Brass Band Heist. Betteshanger started off the proceedings by playing the march ‘Castell Coch’ by T.J. Powell followed by the dark and menacing ‘Batman the Movie’ arranged by Alan Catherall, this is definitely not the one from the Batman staring Adam West! This was followed by the Soprano solo ‘On with the Motley’ the solo being performed effortlessly by Brass Band Heist’s conductor Bert Van Thienen who is already known on these shores and which was a real treat. Three dances from Bernstein’s West Side Story followed before a superb performance of the Philip Sparke arrangement of Birdland and the David Bertie arrangement of Gabriel’s Oboe during which Fred Thomson played superbly on Euphonium. Pirates of the Caribbean ended the first half and it was now the turn of our guests. The second half began with Ye Banks and Braes and Edward Gregson’s Variations on ‘Laudate Dominum’ before Karl Jenkins’ Benedictus. This was performed as a Euphonium solo by 15 year old Glenn Vanlooy who played confidently and with a wonderfully warm and full sound. The 2nd movement of Credo followed before the ever popular Clog Dance finished Brass Band Heist’s concert. The massed bands of Heist and Betteshanger then performed Hine e hine and the march The Champions to finish off the day. This was a fun afternoon for the bands and proved to be extremely popular with the audience who had something of a musical treat. Steve
Griffiths. |
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| Older News Items Archive Click Links:- Archive 3:Archive 2:Archive 1: | ||
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© 2007 Betteshanger
Brass Band
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