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The News
The concert is on Saturday 3rd July at the Mansfield Civic Centre in the Lindhurst Rooms there. 7pm start. (Tickets are £7 and £6 concessions)
It will involve ourselves, the Natural State Brass Band (from Arkansas, USA) and will feature a guest soloist by the name of Douglas Yeo who is the principal Bass Trombone player with the world famous Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra.
There will also be representation from the charity brass band called "Boobs and Brass", an all female band who do a lot of work raining money (and awareness) for Breast Cancer.
The event has been planned at very short notice as the visitors had been promised a concert elsewhere only to be told it was not happening just last week.
During their short visit, the Americans are giving several performances in the NorthWest of England but our concert in Mansfield is the only one in the Midlands.
The guest soloist, Douglas Yeo, is the Associate Conductor of the American band and is also arguably recognised as the finest exponent of the Bass Trombone in the world so it will be a rare treat for the audience and a fabulous opportunity for Thoresby Band to play with a genuine "legend". |
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LOCAL BRASS BAND SCOOP PRESTIGIOUS TITLE Members and supporters of THE THORESBY COLLIERY BAND, based in Edwinstowe, were screaming Hallelujah on Sunday 24th January as they convincingly won a major national title. The event was the Butlins Mineworkers Brass Band Championships, with over 4000 bandsmen and women attending the event at the holiday camp in Skegness now being heralded as the largest brass band competition in the world.Their unrestrained joy was based on the fact that they had been named as the ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONS of the weekend, and with that title came the huge Butlins Trophy and a cheque for one thousand pounds. The mastermind behind the award-winning 25 minute programme was the band’s new Principal Conductor, Melvin White. Each of the six pieces used was new to the band and required a huge amount of effort from Melvin and the Resident Conductor/Principal Cornet player of the band, Peter Collins. An innovative version of Ravel’s “Bolero” was the starting point, with the band making its way onto the stage in small groups as the music grew to a forceful ending. This was followed by a big band classic “Spain” by Chick Corea before Peter gave a stunning rendition of Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No 5” inspired by trumpet legend Rafael Mendez. “Mother of God, Here I Stand” by John Tavener turned out to be a real gem according to the discerning members of the audience and brass band aficionados alike. It featured a quartet of the Thoresby’s principal players, led by Flugel Horn player Andrew Bevan, in a simple yet beautiful arrangement of a piece of music recently brought to prominence by Simon Cowell’s latest discovery, Faryl Smith. This segued straight into highlights from the Finale of Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony before the band delivered their “brilliant finale”. As the compere (Frank Renton of BBC Radio 2’s Listen To The Band fame) talked briefly betweens numbers, 14 of the players slipped off stage to re-emerge 90 seconds later as 10 monks and 4 nuns (not all of the appropriate gender). The remaining 13 players then launched into the “Hallelujah Chorus”, from Handel’s Messiah. And now for the killer punch – instead of breaking into song, the ecclesiastically garbed 14, apparently from a silent religious sect, proceeded to hold up the appropriate words on prompt cards. As the piece developed, the relative high notes and low notes were represented by the height at which the cards were held, proving something of a challenge for the poor little fella in position number 9 who found himself jumping high to match his colleagues. Then more mirth ensued as the words changed and there was more card shuffling than at an evening with Paul Daniels. Wrong cards creating gobbledygook sentences, upside down words, wrong heights, more jumping and a final Hallelujah that saw the monks about turn and wiggle their bottoms at the crowd (and the judges!) added to the hilarity and as the crowd went wild with rapturous applause, the thought was planted firmly in the minds of the Redcoats who were judging the entertainment aspect – Thoresby Colliery Band were the Butlins Entertainment Champions. Following the announcement of the results, Melvin White said he was “thrilled for the band. It was great to be involved in a ground-breaking, multi-dimensional performance that entertained thousands of people. There were moments of great beauty but also of side-splitting humour.” Thoresby know that the work doesn’t end there though. Whilst their overall finishing place of eighth was several places higher than the current rankings would have forecast, they have their sights set on more lofty goals with a hectic contest programme for the year. They are also hoping that the title of Entertainment Champions might lead to some more concert bookings both locally and nationally. 
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Thoresby Colliery Band has announced the appointment of Melvin White and Peter Collins as their new principal and resident conductors.
New duo
Melvin has been an integral part of the conducting team at Woodfalls and is well known as one of the countries leading brass band conductors.
Peter has recently parted company with Foresters Brass 2000 and was also Thoresby’s principal cornet player.
Extremely pleased
"We are extremely pleased to secure our top two choices for principal and resident conductors and we feel certain that this is the right team for Thoresby," commented Chairman of the band, George Kennedy, to 4BR.
Chairman, George Kennedy added: "We are extremely pleased to secure our top two choices for principal and resident conductors, and we feel certain that this is the right team for Thoresby." 'I am sure that both Melvin and Pete will provide a winning formula for Thoresby'
~ Chairman,George Kennedy Ambitious
He added: "Melvin is a very ambitious and experienced conductor with great results. He has worked with a number of top quality bands during his career and has qualified for the Championship Section National finals on many occasions.
Peter has had his own conducting success with Foresters Brass 2000 taking them from the Third Section to the top few bands of the Midland Area First Section. I am sure that both Melvin and Pete will provide a winning formula for Thoresby."
New Challenge
Melvin White told 4BR: "I’m delighted to be working with the band! I really enjoyed my initial visit and felt that there was a super atmosphere and that there is great potential to be realised! I’m really keen to get this association off to a great start."
Peter Collins added: "I am very excited about this opportunity to work with a band that has been close to my heart for many years now. I'm particularly looking forward to working with Melvin and together think that we can make a really positive impact at Thoresby.”
Thanks
George Kennedy voiced his thanks, on behalf of the band, to all the applicants who showed an interest in the position and would like to wish them all a successful future. |
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Taken from a recent press release... A new season of "Brass Content at the Crossing" was opened in terrific style by our very own, Edwinstowe based, Thoresby Colliery Band. A capacity audience of 350 were entertained with a wide and diverse programmer, highlighting the band's ability to entertain at all levels. A stunning start to their programme with "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" and then the very contrasting Overture to "Mack and Mabel" followed, leading nicely into a feature which could be the highlight of any show, an amazing solo performance of Philip Sparke's "Flowerdale”, by one of the banding movement's finest exponents and well loved musicians, Geoff Hawley. A change of pace came soon with the re-invention of a classic trombone trio, "The Blades of Toledo" showing off the band's excellent trombone section, Richard Walker, Mick Allen and Bob Craddock. Closing the first spot was the ever-atmospheric Paul Dukas composition, "Sorcerer's Apprentice", a moody representation, giving the band plenty of opportunity to create atmosphere and images through sounds and music. Following the interval, the audience were welcomed back to this fantastic venue to the riveting “Valero”, this time letting their very capable cornet section take the lead and thrill this ever-enthusiastic audience. Next up was Jackie Greensted, the band's solo horn player. Jackie turned in a wonderful rendition of Richard Carpenter's “Goodbye to love”. Following the wild music of “Amazonia” came the thought provoking theme tune to Ron Howard's 1995 film “Apollo 13”, carefully arranged by the conductor's late brother, Keith Wardle, featuring the wonderful tone of flugel horn player, Kate Johnson. Kate was then joined by Thoresby's ever-popular solo euphonium player, Simon Willis for the beautiful duet, originally performed by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, “The Prayer”. Simon also featured earlier with his stirring arrangement of the 1991 Diana Ross classic, “When you tell me that you love me”. The rhythmically challenging, but downright entertaining Dave Brubeck number, “Blue Rondo Ala Turk” followed that and after a moving rendition of “Amazing Grace” the band delivered their finale, “Reunion and Finale from Gettysburg”. Accompanied by a multi media projection show. The visuals and music stirred the the audience and delivered a warming and magical climax to a truly superb evening. The band are most grateful to David Jordan and all the assistants and officials at “The Crossing”, http://www.thecrossing.co.uk/ , for making the band so welcome Mark Wardle. The band's conductor said “The Crossing is a fantastic platform, a wonderful setting and an acoustically promoting facility to showcase any musical performance, we hope to be back there soon and wish them every success with the seasons of musical arts.” |
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