Audley Band News
Thank you to the Endonian Society
Audley Band have been giving concerts at Endon for many a year and after an impassioned plea from our MD Colin in September, we were bowled over at our Christmas concert there on 5th May to be presented with a generous donation towards our funds. This was such a complete surprise to us, even Colin was speechless for all of 5 seconds. Thank you so much Endon, we will use it wisely.
Audley are back!
We are competing and winning prizes, not bad for a band close to folding 18 months ago. Picture the scene, 29th November, Leicestershire Open Brass Band Competition. "Band number 4 are ready to play Dimensions on your whistle Mr. Adjudicator". Which considering the Adjudicator was a "Mrs" seemed a bit strange.
After what seems like an age, the whistle sounds, a couple of beats in and we are off. Those weeks of rehearsal mean that we know exactly what is going to happen for the next 11 minutes or so. Like a well oiled machine we strut our stuff and enjoy our few minutes of glory, playing to an attentive audience. Within 10 bars or so we know it is going to be a good performance and knowing that raises the standard even more. At the end we come off buzzing and ready for a little something (as Pooh would say).
An hour or so later, results time. Third place...........fantastic..........a result...........Audley are back. the happy band of players, with 3rd place certificate is seen below:-
Jay Jay strikes again and again!
Not content with his sucess at Elland earlier in the year (see below), Jay Jay has been to the British Open Solo contest at Dukinfield and come away with 4th place in the under 12's with a performance of The Lost Chord. He even gets a mention on 4barsrest, check this out http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/2009/1067.asp Impressive. Well done Jay Jay. You would think that was enough wouldn't you? Well you don't know our Jay Jay, the 4th Annual Skelmanthorpe Slow Melody and Ensemble Competition brought Jay Jay 3rd in the U11's and 4th in the U14's. This lad is going places.
We have a poet in our midst!
Our very own Georgie won a prize at the Betley show with this.
Jay Jay wins award at Elland
Congratulations to Jay Jay for winning the Adjudicator's Award of Merit at this year's Elland Slow Melody Contest on May 10th.
Success at Chester Festival of Music
Audley Brass, following over a year without contesting, have won the open brass section at the Chester Festival of Music. While the shield and the £50 are most welcome, the real significance is that Audley Brass are back on the contest platform with a strong band and giving good performances under pressure.
A happy band at Chester! Thanks to Helen Young for the picture.
For a third or so of the band, this was their first contest and their first test piece, Gregson's Laudate Dominum. It will not be their last either, a pause for breath and it will be Laudate Dominum again at Buxton on 3rd May!
Workshop weekend a great success
Instead of going to the area contest this year Audley Brass held a workshop weekend. The objective was to have an intensive training and team building session to improve the performance of the band. There were a mixture of activities, individual tuition, a theory session, sectional rehearsals and full band practice, all topped off very nicely by a curry. The result? Watch us go at the Chester Music Festival in April!
Fantastic Patrons Concert
28th February saw one of the highlights of the band year in the theatre in Audley where a great night was had by band and audience alike. Based on a film theme, perhaps a somewhat tenuously, there were plenty of good tunes. Notable highlights included solos by the ever sweet Nel, Katie and Rachel. Nimrod was spine chilling, the Irish Blessing featuring the ex-training band showed how far the band has progressed in the last few months. I Will Follow Him with the trombone section dressed as nuns brought the house down. A brilliant first engagement for what will be a very significant year for Audley Brass.Farewell
Sadlly we must say farewell to two players, Alan Bracking and Steve Roberts, both of whom are leaving for their own personal reasons.
Alan has been with Audley Brass for 10 years, by his own admission a late starter, being in his 40's , ahem, when he first picked up a trombone. He has been a generous contributor to the band financially and with his time, serving as assistant chairman, lender of lorry and van and even as a provider of rehearsal facilities while the bandroom was being rebuilt. Thank you Alan we shall miss you.
Steve was a new comer to the band when the bands merged last year and bravely moved from tenor horn to Eb bass which as anyone who has played one will tell you, is not an easy instrument to play. Steve is made of stern stuff though and was beginning to make a good sound. He too will be missed. Thank you Steve.
We wish you both well, hope you will stay in touch and when circumstances allow, rejoin us, please.
2008 - not a good year for Audley Brass
The band went through a major change during the last quarter of 2008. A steady trickle of players had been leaving during the preceding year or so, most to local higher section bands. The low point came with the resignation of our MD, Shaun at which point the future direction of the band had to be seriously considered.
The outcome was a merging of the main band with the training band and the scrapping of the Friday rehearsal night in favour of the training band's wednesday night. Regrettably that move in itself was not without casualty however the outcome has been remarkable and has been discussed on the Mouthpiece (see links), the thread can be accessed here.