I just made my acquaintance with that famous aria ‘AstraZeneca’, which brought tears to my eyes, a dead arm and a head like I have been living in the bell end of a bass trombone. The timing for the vaccine could not have been worse, just before I was due to make an online recording […]
The band on stage are ripping through the loud fast and furious section of the test piece as the quiet middle section approaches. The piece calms down to a mere whispering timp’ roll. It’s almost silent in the hall as the first of the lyrical cadenzas is about to sing out. The atmosphere is electric, and everyone […]
When bands folk go to the great band room in the sky it is always sad and particularly so for me when I read of the recent passing of the legendary Trevor Mumford, who, here in South Wales and much further afield was a ‘once met, impossible to forget’ bandsman for all the right reasons. […]
It has been six months since I sat on a stage with my band at the area finals in Swansea. Apart from online collaborations, I truly thought there was nothing else going on in the banding world. I was so wrong! There is one pastime that has been totally unaffected by Covid-19. A dark and […]
Everybody is utterly bored with the fake news. If it’s not Covid-19, its clueless politicians or football matches with fake crowds. Not a brass band in sight – except for those lucky Manx people who are, apparently plague free, and virtual brass banding knitted together like a musical sock. So, what have we learned from this awful pandemic? […]
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard a stupid request just as the band are about to register. “Has anyone got a small screwdriver or an elastic band?” “Hang on – I’ll just check my shirt pocket…Nope…just a mole wrench and a Black and Decker WorkMate sorry.” It makes you […]
Ten-year-old Barry Trotter is an orphan who lives in the Yorkshire village ‘Lack o’ th’ Silverware’ with the Worsleys: his uncaring Aunt Begonia, horrid Uncle Virgil and spoiled Cousin Walter. One day a letter arrives in his bedroom under the stairs where he is practicing on his cornet. Before he can open it, Uncle Virgil […]
The full course The next time you are sat on a contest stage take a quick scan of the wildlife in the audience as it can be quite revealing. The crowd is fairly transient drifting in, for the good performances and out for the ‘cuppa tea’ bands. But! there are some hardened, dedicated watchers that […]
Brass bands invest a ridiculous amount of money to buy and maintain a set of instruments which should be revered, pampered and treated like the Crown Jewels. Alas there are some mechanical freaks who treat these magnificent contraptions with utter contempt. You can forgive very young learners to a certain extent and excuse the odd […]
It is an inevitable truth that at some point in your brass career you will have to stop playing. But when will you know when that time has come? Here are ten indicators that should give you a subtle hint… Tuning slides that move constantly While the conductor is tuning the band he is forever […]