Title and Promotion!

The band is back on Cloud Nine this weekend after being crowned West of England Third Section Champions at the Regional Championships in Torquay for the second year running.

After last year’s win and a good result at the National Finals in September, confidence was high as we set to work in January on Philip Wilby’s ‘A Little Light Music’. Featuring ‘Cardiff Bay Ice Cream’, a technically difficult movement that would challenge bands in the Second or First Sections, we knew we had our work cut out if we were to even come close to repeating the success of 12 months previous. Luckily, hard work is something this band is not averse to, and over the following weeks the piece started to come together. If there’s one thing that the band has in abundance it’s imagination, and this was proved once again as ice cream, clog dancing, seagulls, sprinkles and Mr. Whippy all played a part in our story-telling approach to contest preparations! With rehearsals having gone well, we left for Torquay early on Saturday morning hopeful that we would be able to put in a good performance on stage. Not only were we looking to try and book our place at this year’s National Finals, but we also knew that a placing in the top 4 would guarantee us promotion into the Second Section in 2012 - a feat that hasn’t been achieved by the band for over 60 years.

Not long after arriving at our rehearsal venue, we learned that we had been drawn to play 10th out of the 11 bands competing on the day. With several hours to go until we would play, we had a short practice before heading to the Riviera Centre to do something else that we are good at - waiting! You could argue that our approach to waiting is not the most conventional (just ask the bands who are within earshot when our ritual humming begins...), but that time spent together is proving to be an important part of our pre-performance routine. With the waiting and humming over, it was time to take to the stage. Although there were odd bars here and there that we knew we could play better, we came off stage very happy with our overall performance. With only one band left to play after us, it wasn’t long before we were back in the hall awaiting the results. If we thought we were nervous before we played, that was nothing compared to the nerves we felt sitting and waiting for the top 6 places to be announced. With finger nails getting increasingly shorter, it came as a huge relief when those words we had dreamt of hearing - “ In first
place, the band drawn number...ten!” - were read out. Our cheers, grins, and a few tears were a good indication of how delighted we were with the result! Congratulations must also go to Downtown Band, who claimed second prize.

Being crowned West of England Third Section Champions for the second year running is a fantastic achievement for the band, and we very much look forward to returning to the National Finals in September to see if we can equal or better our result last year. The icing on the cake (or in this case the sprinkles on the ice cream) is gaining promotion to the Second Section in 2012 - the year that the band celebrates its 150th anniversary. This achievement is a testament to the tireless enthusiasm and ambition of Adrian, our Musical Director, and the hard work and dedication of the entire band.

A Little Light Music

With less than three weeks to go until the Areas contest in Torquay, the band is working hard trying to get to grips with Philip Wilby’s challenging test piece ‘A Little Light Music’. The five section suite, which was commissioned by the Welsh Brass Arts Festival, is very different to last year’s more traditional test piece ‘Labour and Love’. With each movement posing its own challenge, it will no doubt be the bands that are able to best capture all of the contrasting styles featured that will be successful on the day, from the opening and closing fanfares, to the steady ‘Clog Dance’, the slow and melodic ‘Lady of the Fountain’, and the tricky but likeable ‘Cardiff Bay Ice Cream’. As always, the band is working hard to try and master all of the musical and technical requirements, but with only 10 rehearsals left, that inevitable pre-contest mixture of nerves and excitement is starting to kick in.

The band had a welcomed break from contest preparations at the weekend, when it joined forces once again with the River City Chorus for the Lions Club of Sidmouth’s charity concert at the Manor Pavilion. It was an enjoyable evening and one that we hope raised lots of money for two great causes - the British Heart Foundation and the Devon Air Ambulance Appeal.

Happy New Year!

One of the band’s busiest and most successful years in recent history ended in typical fashion, with plenty of carols, mince pies and festive fun.

December always flies past, and this one was certainly no exception. It seemed like no sooner had we dug out the gloves, scarves and carol books ready for Sidmouth’s late night shopping on 3rd December, we were in the Volunteer just before midnight on Christmas Eve ready to hang up the tinsel and sleigh bells for another year. On 5th December we once again joined forces with the Exeter Police and Community Choir for their annual charity Christmas concert at St. Peter’s School in Exeter. Just five days later we were back on stage, but this time at the Manor Pavilion in Sidmouth for our own Christmas concert. Tickets for the concert had sold out well
in advance, and those people who had brought their tickets early were treated to an evening of festive music from both the senior band and the training band. With a packed out theatre and a fantastic atmosphere, the concert was a fitting way to end what has been a great year for the band. As we reflect on the successes of 2010, we head back to the bandroom with plenty of enthusiasm that 2011 will be even better.

We would like to take this opportunity say a big thank to each and every one of our supporters throughout year, and to wish you all a very happy new year! Keep an eye on our engagement list for 2011 (www.sidmouthtownband.co.uk) to find out when you can see and hear the band over the next 12 months.

Harrogate: The Story

The band is celebrating winning third prize at the National Finals after a fantastic weekend to remember in Harrogate.

The inevitable mix of nerves and excitement were fully evident on Saturday morning as the band assembled for one final rehearsal before embarking on the 300 mile journey north. With the rehearsal over and the coach fully loaded with band members, supporters, instruments and the contents of Fiona and Adrian’s fridge, we bid farewell to Sidmouth at about 11:30am. If Sunday was to be all about the contest, then Saturday was all about the second most important competition of the weekend – Martin’s quiz. In what was a closely fought battle between the two teams at the back of the coach, it was Basses Minus One that clinched victory over the perhaps slightly over competitive Team Gnu. United in their victory, this moment was to be the beginning of a special bond between team leaders Steve and Graham that would only grow in strength over the course of the next two days. With the likes of the quiz, a DVD and a highly intellectual game of Scrabble (just how many points is it for rat, Gemma?) to keep us entertained, we had soon arrived at our hotel in the centre of Harrogate.

After a relaxing but low key evening on Saturday, come Sunday morning the band were up and raring to go, despite knowing that we had a fairly long day ahead of us. With the draw for our section not until 1:30pm, we got back on the coach and headed a few miles out of town to the bandroom of the Tewit Youth Band. Equal to the impressiveness of the actual bandroom itself was the impressiveness of the fantastic ‘good luck’ cake that had been made for us by Emily, a member of Tewit Youth Band who comes and plays with the band when on holiday in Sidmouth each summer. Thank you once again Emily, both the cake and the bandroom were lovely!

Back in Harrogate, Martin made his way to the International Centre to find out where we had been drawn. With the fourth section already running behind schedule, we knew that being drawn 15th out of the 17 bands in our section would mean our turn on stage would come well into the evening. However, none of us realised quite how late into the evening it would turn out to be! With the whole of the afternoon having been spent apart, by 7:00pm it was essential that the band regrouped and refocused. For most bands, this would probably consist of a simple team talk. But, if there’s one thing that was to become apparent over the couple of hours that followed, it’s that we’re not like most bands! At first, it was Fiona’s and Colette’s creation of a Willow Pattern Alphabet that got the band focussed on the crockery inspired music. A short while later, Hilary – the person with possibly the worst public speaking skills in the room – somehow found herself positioned in front of the band with 25 faces staring at her in anticipation of a story. The band listened intently as she read them the story of the Willow Pattern, much to the amusement and perplexity of the onlooking bands. With story time over and Christine’s and Josie’s excess energy burnt off with some star jumps, it was time for a short warm up before trekking to the other side of the building to wait to play. By this time it was close to 10:00pm, but, thanks to the camaraderie shown by the band and an inspired pep-talk from Adrian, spirits were high and we took to the stage with a reignited sense of pride and determination. A good performance followed, with just a few nervous slips and clips that were perhaps inevitable given the enormity of the occasion.

With the last of the 17 bands having played, we gathered in the hall with the 16 other eagerly awaiting bands to find out who had impressed the two adjudicators enough to find themselves placed in the top six. With an aim to come in the top 10, we sat hopeful but certainly not expectant that our name would be in amongst those read out. Our delight at being placed third was evident from the fact our cheers echoed loudest around the large auditorium, even compared to those bands placed in the top two. Despite the few blips that we already knew about, the adjudicators recognised that our performance captured the oriental feel that is crucial to the story being told. With the time now gone 11:00pm, we headed back to our hotel to celebrate our success in style. Led by Graham, Steve and Ivor, we treated the rest of the hotel to several karaoke classics, before reaching the highlight of the evening (apart from the results of course!) with our own attempt at the Conga. As the singing, dancing and all other events of the day gradually took their toll, we headed to bed as very proud National Finals prize winners.

Given that Sunday was such an exhausting day and it was well into the early hours of Monday morning before most of us got to bed, it came as no surprise that the long trip home was a slightly quieter journey than on the way up. To round off an already great weekend, we returned to Sidmouth to find our bandroom had been decorated with flags and a ‘Well Done’ sign courtesy of members of staff from Sidmouth Town Council. This was a lovely surprise and the support very much appreciated by us all.

Although this was very much a team effort, the band needs to say a big thank you to a few individual players. Firstly, thank you to Rachel and Sally, who were both drafted in to fill a couple of empty seats, but who we’re thrilled to say we’ll be seeing much more of in the future. Thanks also to Ian (our flugel player Esther’s husband), who, only three weeks before the contest very bravely agreed to come and hit a few things in the percussion section for us. Ian did a fantastic job playing all sorts of instruments he had never picked up before, and we even think he secretly enjoyed himself more than he would like to admit! Thank you Martin and Fiona for the time spent over the past six months making sure the weekend went as smoothly as it did. Finally, as always, thank you to Adrian for the relentless hard work he puts in before every contest and for putting up with those few extra grey hairs that must be an inevitable part of being the man in the middle.

So, what did Sidmouth Town Band learn from our trip to Harrogate? We learnt that two bass players being forced to share a twin room works wonders for sectional bonding, that Mexican waves are a great way to forget about nerves when waiting for results, and that there is no way you can fit six people in a Yorkshire Hotel lift. We also learnt how something as seemingly insignificant as Hilary reading a story could play such an important part in coming together as a team and finding that extra fire in our bellies to go out on stage and achieve something special. The whole weekend was a great experience and an invaluable morale booster, but to come away with those fantastic memories and a trophy for being the third best Third Section band in Great Britain..? As our principal cornet and second man down players Fiona and Colette would say, ‘That’ll do!’.

Pastures New For Joel

The National Finals was a big occasion for all of us, but even more notable for one member of the band. For Joel Stephano, the band’s bass trombonist, it was his last engagement with the band before heading off to Sheffield University to study Electronic Engineering.

Having been introduced to the youth band by Fiona (our principal cornet player and a teacher at his school), Joel quickly progressed into the senior band. Growing in confidence, his playing has continued to improve year on year. Although we’re very sorry to see Joel go, we’re lucky that bass trombone is the instrument of choice for Rachel, who played euphonium for us at Harrogate in Elaine’s absence.

Good luck in Sheffiled Joel! We’ll miss your insane optimism, your annoyingly talented musical ability and your insistence on choosing solos that are impossible for the band to play. Make sure you come and play with us whenever you’re back in Devon!

Summer Season Ends On A High

The band has rounded off its 2010 summer season in style, with a successful Proms concert and another two pieces of silverware to add to our expanding collection.

After weeks of preparation, the evening of the band’s Last Night of the Proms concert finally arrived on Saturday 21st August. Over the past few years we have grown accustomed to the unpredictability of August’s weather, however, experience has also taught us that we don’t need glorious sunshine to create a memorable evening. Luckily, for the second year in a row the rain held off, leaving the audience with umbrella-free hands to sip their champagne and wave their flags in true patriotic style. Special thanks must go to our talented guest singer Val Howels and to our compère Nick Agg-Manning, both of whom added that extra bit of sparkle to a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The final weekend of the summer season sees the band make the short journey along the coast to take part in the Exmouth Brass Band Festival. Having been drawn to play first, we arrived in Exmouth early on Saturday morning ready to play our 25 minute programme to the adjudicator and the handful of early risers listening
in the hall. Eight hours later and back in the hall to listen to the results, we were delighted to come away with not only a cup for the being the best Third Section band, but also a cup for the best trombone section of the day. Congratulations
Chris, Martin and Joel - it was well deserved! Read the adjudicator’s remarks for our performance by clicking here.

The summer passed by with barely a moment to stop for breath, and things are certainly no different at the moment. With only two weeks to go until the National Finals in Harrogate, the band is currently working very hard practising the set test piece ‘Willow Pattern’. Once again, we are very lucky that Steve Sykes agreed to come and take us for a couple of rehearsals prior to the contest to put us through our paces. He has already been to one rehearsal, we are very much looking forward to his return next week.

Ever since the band qualified for the National Finals back in March,we have been faced with the reality that we would only be able to go if we were able to raise the large amount of money needed to fund our trip. We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our fantastic audiences and the Town Council for their continued generosity and support. Without this support and a great deal of time and effort given by the band, we would not be able to represent Sidmouth and the West of England in Harrogate. Keep an eye on our news pages for more details about our journey to the National Finals.

Last Night of the Proms Tickets On Sale

Tickets for this year’s Last Night of the Proms concert are now on sale. The concert, which is the band’s biggest of the year, is being held in Connaught Gardens on 21st August, at 7.30pm. Now only three weeks away, we’re very busy in the bandroom rehearsing a varied programme featuring music you won’t have heard us play during the year so far. We will once again be joined by local singer Val Howells, whose talent and impressive outfits always add some extra sparkle to the evening. This year, Val will be accompanied by a special guest.

The success of our Last Night of the Proms concerts over the past four years has primarily been down to you - our audience. Come rain or shine, the spirit and enthusiasm shown has given us some very memorable evenings. With surroundings like Connaught Gardens, you would have to search far and wide to even come close to matching the atmosphere as the band and audience join forces for the patriotic classics such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. So dust off the picnic table or dig out a blanket, bring a bottle or pack up a picnic, but most importantly, just bring yourselves, some friends, and your singing voices, and help us make 2010’s Last Night of the Proms the best yet.

Tickets cost just £5 and are now available from Sidmouth’s Tourist Information Centre, at any of our concerts, or from any member of the band.