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October 2011

 
 
 
Mossley Band on BBC Radio 2!

Mossley Band's recording of 'Londonderry Air' taken from their album 'Top Mossley' was featured on the 'Brassed Off' section of the BBC Radio 2 show 'Good Morning Sunday', presented by Aled Jones on Sunday 2nd October. At the end of the track Aled commented "Just perfect, beautiful". Praise indeed! This is a thrilling achievement for the band. The show regularly attracts at least 3.5 million listeners. If you would like to listen to the show, click here. 'Brassed Off' is at 0:15.32 on the iplayer. Thank you to Aled Jones and his team for the airplay.

 

“Mr. Sandman” does the trick!

Mossley Band entered the Wychavon Contest in Worcestershire on Sunday September 18th 2011 and were drawn to play last, and so the No. 8 Arts Centre in Pershore was full when the band appeared on stage. Commencing with “Battle of the Planets”, followed by “Nessun Dorma”, the band then played the vibrant “Nibelungen March” and if that didn't get the audience's feet tapping, then the next item certainly did.  Decked out in red and white striped blazers and wearing straw boaters Danny Catlow, Neal McNulty and Ian & Neil Riley sang, danced and played both hand and tubular bells in an arrangement of 'Mr Sandman'.  The final number in the 20 minutes programme was another toe-tapper, 'Riverdance', and the reaction from the audience was just great.  The Adjudicator was Dr. Robert Childs who awarded the band 1st Prize!

Well done everybody and a special mention for the people connected to the Wychavon Festival – the organisation was brilliant.

 

New CD Recording

Some of you will be expecting to read news about the next Mossley Band CD which we hoped would be available just before Christmas.  Oh, how hard it is to fix diary dates when so many different people and venues are involved!  The recording will now take place (fingers and toes all crossed) in March / April 2012 and, hopefully, copies of the new CD will be available from early summer – watch this space!

 

Whit Friday & Cholmondeley Success

We had a fantastic Whit Friday night, competing in all 11 Tameside  Contests, the last one being at Denton where we were the overall winners, and we also picked up prizes at eight other venues.

 
Our Concert at Cholmondeley Castle was very successful, with many compliments received.  The weather on the day was unbelievable - it rained all morning at home, under threatening skies we travelled to Malpas where there was fine drizzle for 10 minutes and then we didn't see any rain until we arrived back in Mossley!  How lucky was that?
 
 
 
Mossley Make Big Splash in Skegness!
Mossley Band enjoy successful concert at Maryport, Cumbria

Conducted by Duncan Byers, we had one of our most successful Contest outings of recent years when we were crowned Second Section Champions at Butlin’s Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival on Saturday, January 22nd.

Our performance of “Rise of the Phoenix” by Darrol Barry won the praise of the adjudicators and saw us walk away with the £2,000 prize money.

Duncan commented, “This is a fabulous result for the Band and it is testament to all the hard work that they have put in over the last 12 months, in what has been a period of rebuilding.  We have welcomed several talented new faces within that period with the focus on youth and it paid dividends at Butlin’s.  It has also given the Band an added confidence going into the Area Championships.”

This victory was however tinged with sadness.  Glenn Challenor, one of the Band’s B flat Bass players, sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve after a short illness.  We would like to dedicate this win to Glenn.

There is Nothin' Like A Dame!

Mossley Band enjoy successful concert at Maryport, Cumbria
 
On Saturday, December 11th 2010 The Mossley Band performed an entertaining night of Festive Brass at All Souls, Netherton, Maryport, Cumbria to a very appreciative audience. The highlight of the evening must surely have been 'There Ain't Nothing Like A Dame', memorably performed by David Taylor, Steve Bridgehouse and Chris Ready in white t-shirts and American sailor hats, continually interrupted by Ian Riley in a Santa outfit playing 'Jingle Bells'. Any photos of this evening would be welcomed, please.
 
...welcome to recent new members of Mossley Band
 
Just a quick mention that in recent months The Mossley Band have been very fortunate to have gained some talented new members. We welcome Neil McNultey, Scott Wolfenden, Patrick Boaler and former conductor Harold Robinson's grandson Leo Conroy.

Mossley Band Look NorthWest

A look back at Mossley Band Club's summer performances including Cholmondeley Castle and appearances on BBCTV
 
On Saturday, July 17th we paid what has become our annual visit to Cholmondeley Castle, Malpass, Cheshire.  This photograph, taken on the Market Ground, Mossley by Ang. Taylor (our stand-in 1st Horn), accompanied the write up in the programme.

BAND PERSONNEL (pictured above):
Back row: Paul Garth, Leo Conroy, Danny Catlow, Neil Riley, Duncan Byers, Ian Wilkinson, Steve Bridgehouse & Max Pratley.
Middle Row: Dave Taylor, Dave Johnson, George Johnson, Kenny Pain, Steve Robinson, David Coy & Sam Johnson.
Front row: Mike Thackray, Lisa Riley, Anna Castle, Nicky Riley, Steph Coward, Sue Howard & Ian Riley.
Sitting with the Basses: Lucy Robinson.
Missing from the photograph are Patrick Bowler, Glenn Challenor, Elaine Pratley and Joe Stringer.

Surprisingly, after a week of terrible weather, it managed to stay fine for the whole of the day.  The Band played an early evening Concert commencing at 6pm and then it was time to relax, eat, drink and watch the fabulous fireworks. The following photographs were taken anticlockwise from the stage.

 

 
The view from the “Mossley Band Camp”
towards the stage.

 

 
Dave & Joan Johnson with friends and new players Joe Stringer (1st Trombone) and Mike Thackray (Soprano) enjoying some refreshments.
 
The night is beginning to draw in here;
Max Pratley (Bass Trombone) and his wife
Elaine who appears to be feeling the cold.
 
David Coy (“Decoy” – Flugel) and his wife
Sarah and her sister Alison who is married to
Danny Catlow (1st Baritone) in amongst the
ever growing crowd.

 

On September 12th the Band played a Concert outside Uppermill Conservative Club.  After a week of very heavy rain our luck was in again and it managed to stay fine for the duration of the Concert.  There were solos from Mike Thackray (Soprano) who played “On with the Motley” (Leoncavallo, arr. Ray Farr from the Opera “Pagliacci”); Ian Wilkinson (Solo Horn) who gave a rendition of “Someone Like You” (F. Wildhorn/L. Bricusse, arr. Richard Rock, from the Musical “Jekyll & Hyde” ) and finally Neil Riley (Solo Euphonium) who played “Blaydon Races” (Traditional, arr. G. Langford). 

TV crews, radio stations and newspaper journalists had descended upon Uppermill ahead of a much-publicised legal battle when Labour’s former immigration Minister and Oldham East & Saddleworth MP, Phil Woolas, was due to face a rare legal challenge to his election victory by the defeated Liberal Democrat, Elwyn Watkins, over alleged corrupt practices.  A photographer was seen taking photos of the Band, nothing unusual about that, but to our surprise the Band were featured on both editions of BBC TV’s “Look North West” during the evening.

Wychavon Festival Of Brass
Held Saturday and Sunday, September 18th & 19th
 
This was only the second time in five years that the Band had entered this Entertainment Contest.  This year it was held in the Cotswolds village of Evesham and we competed on the Saturday.
 
A Rehearsal Room was hired in one of the many local Churches and members of the Band can be seen here going through their paces:-

 

Ian Wilkinson (Solo Horn) unable to decide whether he’s in the “All Stars Funeral Band” or he’s a Cossack as he’s wearing both hats.

Is this a member of the “Blues Brothers?”  No, its just David Coy (“Decoy” - Flugel) preparing to lead the “All Stars Funeral Band” in “Just a Closer Walk”.

 

The remainder of the “All Stars Funeral Band” – Joe Stringer (Solo Trombone), Ian Riley (EEb Bass) looking like a double for Oliver Hardy!; behind him is his brother Neil (Solo Euphonium) and on Solo Horn, Ian Wilkinson.  Hidden from view is Principal Cornet player, Kenny Pain.

 

The final rehearsal in the Church Hall.

 

 

Our Concert Programme consisted of:-
 
          Just a Closer Walk – Traditional arr. Alan Fernie
          Fantasia on Tico Tico – Derek Bourgeois
          Marche Lorraine – Louis Ganne
          The Impossible Dream – Mitch Leigh & Joe Darion, arr. Sandy Smith
          Call of the Cossacks - Peter Graham
 
!st Prize:      Foresters Brass 2000 who received the Festival Cup and £1,000.
2nd Prize:     Vernon Building Society, Poynton who received the Brass Band
World Trophy and £400.
3rd Prize:      Jackfield (Elcock Reisen) who received the Spectrum Foods Cup
and £200.
 
Best Soloist was the Principal Cornet player from Aldbourne.
Best Percussionist was the Xylophone player from Enderby.
 
Initially we were placed fifth but later, according to “4barsrest”, this was altered and we shared 4th place with Aldbourne Band.

 

Feeling Blue!!
Application for Blue Plaque unsuccessful

At the end of August Mossley Band submitted an application to be considered for a “Blue Plaque”.  This was to commemorate the MOSSLEY TEMPERANCE SAXHORN BAND who changed the sound and formation of brass bands for ever when, using a set of Saxhorns, they won the first Brass Band Contest which was held at Belle Vue, Gorton, Manchester on September 5th 1853.

Using the list of criteria we were able to provide examples for each requirement listed (shown in bold).  We stated that the winning of the first ever Brass Band Contest was certainly a unique occasion with a vast appeal to the general publicMost of the players taking part, if not all of them, were resident and all worked in Mossley.  The achievements of the 1853 Band are widely reported on websites of major Brass Band journals, e.g. “4barsrest”, “The Bandsman”, “Brass Forum”, “Brass Band NW”, “The Mouthpiece” etc.  Reports can also be found on other sites such as the Open University and on international sites, including Germany and China.  In an area where Brass Bands are at the very heart of the community, a Blue Plaque for the Mossley Band, approaching their 170 years of music making next year, would be of interest to everyone connected in any way to the Brass Band world and would add further to the town of Mossley’s historical past. 

We engaged the help of Richard Evans and Derek Broadbent, both of whom sent letters of support to accompany our application, for which we are very grateful.

However, on September 22nd when we hadn’t received any communication from the Committee, a Mossley Band representative telephoned the Department concerned and was advised that a letter had been sent informing us that we had been unsuccessful.  Unfortunately the Band had not received this letter but the representative was told verbally that it had been a split decision and the final outcome was that the Committee “did not feel that we met the current criteria, lots of people could claim to be the first at something and, although it was a lovely story, the application was not strong enough, unique enough or outstanding”!

 

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