Exciting new collaboration

The band is thrilled that trombonist and composer Annie Whitehead will be writing an original piece of music for the band themed on breath and breathing. Workshops will then take place to rehearse the new composition and become familiar with its jazz and world music influences. This original composition is bound to take the band into challenging new territory. The piece will be premiered at the Deal Music Festival's launch concert on 5th July.

This new opportunity initially arose out of photographic artist Jean Fraser's Drawing Breath arts and health project which commenced last summer. Jean has gone on to form the Drawing Breath Music Project to promote and celebrate music made directly by breathing and the health benefits this provides, particularly relevant in view of our band's history as a colliery band. Jean is planning to make images for projection during the new composition.

In these days of 21st century consumerism, it is rare for even the top-class professional bands and orchestras to have a work written especially for them. We, at Betteshanger Band are delighted to say that we are in this rarefied position. One of Europe's foremost performers and composers, Annie Whitehead, is embarking upon just such a project. Her world renown for brass-writing will be thematically linked with Jean Frazer's project on "Breath", a singularly appropriate marriage with the Betteshanger band as we not only all use the very breath of our bodies to create sound, but also our history as a former colliery band, with all the associated breathing diseases, makes this collaboration particularly apt and poignant.

There will be close collaboration between Annie and the musicians of both the senior and junior sections of our organisation, through a planned series of workshop events, during which we will explore, together, the creative processes of composition, interpretation and performance. The completed piece is scheduled to be performed for the first time at the opening concert of the Deal Music Festival, and this will be, undoubtedly, a moment of great excitement, not only for the band but also for the community in which it finds its home.

 

Tim Vinall - Musical Director

 

February 2008

East Kent Mercury February 28th

Musicians from Deal and Dover were among those joined by a television soap star for a big brass band event in London.It was organised to publicise the switch of the Australian television series Neighbours from BBC1 to Channel Five.

Members of Betteshanger Brass Band performed alongside nearly 300 other band members at Trafalgar Square to play the soap's well known theme tune. Joining them was Ian Smithbetter known to TV viewers as Harold Bishop. As his character, he has been a member of the Salvation Army playing tuba in the band. So he was the natural choice to fly to England to take part in the event.

 

Trafalgar Square - Neighbours

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January 2008

Skegness

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December 2007

I can't imagine life without my cornet.

Relaxing in front of the television watching the bittersweet comedy Brassed Off rekindled childhood memories for Steve Griffiths. As a lad he briefly played the cornet and the story about a Yorkshire town's brass band revived his interest. "I enjoyed the music in the film and have always like brass music. So I thought I would join a band"

So in 1999 Steve became a member of the Betteshanger Brass Band and, despite reservations at first, he cannot imagine life now without his cornet. However, not playing for about 39 years did present a few problems at first. "When I joined I hadn't realised how little I could play. It was really quite intimidating sitting with all those good musicians. "But I took lessons from Fred Thomson, who had been a euphonium player with the RAF Central Band, and he has taught me so much. "It is such a high standard at the band, I wanted to work hard anyway, they have all been an enormous help to me". Steve, who lives in Deal, said: "It is like belonging to an extended family. I still take lessons and am really pleased I joined."

His wife Karen plays tenor horn and their son Daniel, 17, Played the cornet before leaving home to study violin with the Army's Royal Artillery Orchestra. The couple's oldest son Ashley, 19, was more interested in drums than brass and is now in the RAF studying to be an aircraft technician.

Steve, who works for Kent Police, also writes articles for the band's website, www.betteshanger.org. Apart from concerts, he enjoys taking par in brass band competitions and on Christmas Day will be joined by other members to entertain patients at Deal hospital.

"The band is a big part of my life. I wouldn't change it for the world."

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A welcome break in the torrential rain plaguing this summer was just enough time for the band to perform at the annual Shepherdswell Brass on the Grass on Saturday the 7th July.

This is always a popular job with the band, so much so that we had a four strong trombone section!

The band was conducted by former MD David Burridge who selected a programme to suit all tastes with the ever popular ‘Floral Dance’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and the main ‘Ground Force’ theme all whetting the appetite of the audience for the Grand Finale of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ and ‘British Sea Songs’ during which the audience were invited to stand right next to the band during the ‘Rule Britannia’ section and attempt to drown out the band with their singing. Whilst I have to accept that they made a determined effort the threatened provision of a few song sheets next year would not go amiss and they might then give us a serious run for our money! Judging by the smiles on their faces this was a popular move on David’s part and will no doubt be eagerly anticipated next time.

This concert gave Trevor Attwood the opportunity of demonstrating what a fine Soprano Cornet player he is when he treated the audience to an apparently effortless rendition of ‘Demelza’ which was beautiful even though it was played outdoors and I for one am particularly looking forward to hearing it played indoors in a venue with good acoustics.

This concert was also memorable in that we were able to have a chat with our Bass Trombone player Mark Ashley who has been ill of late and has been unable to come to band. It was great to see him and we all wish him and his wife Lisa all the very best for a speedy recovery and an early return to band.

Steve Griffiths.

On Sunday the 17th June the band played at Pencester Gardens in Dover during a ‘1940’s’ event to an enthusiastic and receptive audience.

It was the second time we have played at this event, which features wartime vehicles, re-enactors dressed in period costume (including a rather severe looking Nazi, aren’t they all) and demonstrations of rationing for food and clothing.

Unfortunately I missed it but I gather that there was even a 1940’s fashion show with the GI’s girl being by far the best dressed with her fur wrap and American shoes.

Apparently a ‘spiv’ selling his black-market goods was apprehended by the long arm of the law nearby but must have been released on bail because I saw him supping tea from the NAAFI wagon a short time later.

To be appropriate for this event it had been requested that we played a selection of music relating to the 1940’s and Musical Director Tim Vinall selected a programme to suit, the most popular pieces of which seemed by far to be ‘South Pacific’ and ‘Miller Magic’.

During the interval I was talking with my dad and Nigel Bogue (Solo Cornet) some distance from the bandstand about how important events like this are from an educational point of view. There were lots of children at the event and it is important for them to see how people dressed, how little they had to survive on in terms of food and the necessary sacrifices made for the greater good during the war years.

Looking back towards the bandstand we remarked what an attractive venue this is too with Dover Castle sitting proudly over the town and forming a perfect backdrop to the bandstand and proceedings.

This was a fun day for the band and was enjoyed by both the audience and us and it is always a great moment for the band when the audience are calling for more at the end of a performance as happened here.

I hope we are invited to play at this event in the future.

‘Calling All Cars.’

Betteshanger Band would like to make it clear that it does not wish to comment upon the vicious rumours circulating concerning a female percussionist apparently driving the wrong way around Dover’s one-way traffic system, having apparently been enthusiastically waved out into said system, by a certain male percussionist following yesterdays performance until we have consulted with our legal representatives!

Thank you.

Steve Griffiths.

On Sunday the 27th May and Monday the 28th May 2007 the band played on the opening days of Fowlmead Country Park in Deal.

Fowlmead is located just off the A258 between Deal and Sandwich and is actually the area where the spoil from Betteshanger Colliery was deposited during the mines operation.

The area has been set-aside and developed as a nature reserve and leisure activity area for pursuits such as walking, running, horse riding and cycling.

We were particularly pleased to have been asked to open this venue as a result of our band’s origins and Musical Director Tim Vinall pointed out we still have two former miners within the band in the form of Eb Bass player Ivor Thomas and Euphonium player Fred Thomson both of whom can trace back their association with Betteshanger band and colliery many years.

The programme had been chosen to give an optimistic and summer fete type of atmosphere to the proceedings and included the ever-popular ‘Floral Dance’, ‘Groundforce’, ‘Vicar of Dibley’ and the rousing march ‘Ravenswood’. This seemed to have the desired effect and was enjoyed by our audience within our marquee despite the pouring rain outside!

In the afternoon the grand opening took place and the naturalist David Bellamy did a fine job of explaining the geographical and zoological history of the site and the importance and value of its redevelopment, which was both interesting and inspiring.

Another interesting thing he told me was that he had, in his younger days, played Sousaphone with the ‘Temperance Severn’ band and I suggested that if he ever made another trip to the site he should bring it with him and he could join in. You never know!

Steve Griffiths.

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At last the new season is underway and the band has already played at Broadstairs and Deal Bandstands and we are all looking forward with eager anticipation to the year ahead.

Broadstairs was a very pleasant day with a good-sized crowd for the time of year and for those of the band who were not in the shadow of the bandstand roof it was quite sunny enough to give the follically challenged players something to think about…. Yes, me included.

The highlight of the day was, for many, Phil Linkin’s solo on BBb bass of ‘Forty Fathoms’ this was Phil’s first public solo and a fine job he made of it too! Had I had a better memory I would have remembered that I had been tasked with climbing into our loft to recover a snorkel and mask for Phil to wear whilst playing but I forgot which was probably better for all concerned as it turned out!

Deal bandstand was in contrast a chilly day for the large crowd who turned out to see the band play but were treated not only to the main band but also to the Betteshanger Learner Band who played immediately after the break.

The Learner band has improved considerably of late and are likely to be a feature of many more of the main bands performances as well as performances in their own right.

Under the baton of their Musical Director Keith Price they gave excellent renditions of a march, ‘Tom Bowling’ and a suite entitled ‘Clockwork’s’ which was written especially for junior band but which is quite a challenge for the learner band but one they met with some style. A charity event is planned for them in the near future when they will perform at the Martha Trust Care Home and they are currently rehearsing hard for this event and the intention at this time is that this will provide the opportunity for the debut performance of a piece by Keith Price entitled ‘Footie Suite’. This is, as its name suggests, bits of famous football songs put together into a piece and is very popular with the learners. I have to say that for a Mancunian like myself there is a bit too much of that ‘never walking alone’ stuff for my liking but I will let him off.

As far as the main band are concerned Nigel Bogue played the Cornet Solo ‘Zelda’ which illustrated why he is the Solo cornet player in the band and it was popularly received by both audience and Nigel’s fellow band members.

Other than the bandstand performances the band played at St. Edmunds School in Dover with the French Band Attou Vent. This was a pleasant nights playing with us taking the first half of the concert and our guests taking the second half of the concert but I have to say that the audience turnout was, by any means, abysmal with both bands proving both entertainment and audience despite the event being extensively advertised. It was a real disappointment for the organisers and I can only assume that there was something pretty good on TV that night.

More optimistically we have a good summer programme lined up and are raring to go. Do take some time to look at our list of jobs on the ‘Home’ page and make a point of coming to see us at some point this year. Musical Director Tim Vinall has selected a couple of excellent programmes for the year which should appeal to a wide variety of audiences and age groups and which cover a variety of styles. Believe me, I know, I have to wear a wig in one of them!

Steve Griffiths.