Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Verwood Concert Brass

Just two more concerts to go tonight - Tuckton Church for the Town Band and Sandy Balls for the Verwood Concert Brass Band and that will be our lot for this Christmas.

It has been a busy but delightful few weeks with Christmas concerts and lots of carolling.

Carolling not only brings a bit of seasonal cheer to shoppers but also provides an opportunity to do some fund raising not only to help with the costs of running the band but also to share the proceeds with another charity.

This year we have chosen to support ‘Katie’s New Wheels ’via ‘The Tree of Hope’ charity. This charity’s mission is to transform the lives of sick children and empower families. It offers hope to the families of seriously ill and disabled children in the UK who need specialist medical surgery, treatment and therapy in order to free them from suffering, giving a better quality to their young lives.

Why have we chosen to support fund raising for Katie’s New Wheels? That’s an easy one to answer because Katie has recently joined our Acorns new starter group learning to play the trumpet, so there really can’t be a cause closer to home than this nor more worthwhile.

And the photo in this post is of Katie who came and visited our group of carollers playing at Morrisons, Verwood, this lunchtime.

Katie Green is 10 years old, lives in Ringwood and has cerebral palsy. Living where we do, in and around Verwood, with our lovely forests, beaches and coastline just a stone’s throw away, we can sometimes take it for granted that we can get out and enjoy such beautiful countryside. For Katie and her parents, it’s not so easy. That’s why we have chosen to support the fund raising to purchase an all-terrain wheelchair so she can go out on longer walks with Vinnie, her assistance dog. This new chair will enable Katie to access the forest and beach without an issue.

We are hoping we have raised enough but if anyone wishes to make a contribution then please feel free to do so via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Clare-Green2 . JustGiving sends your donation straight to Tree of Hope and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more.

Merry Christmas everyone and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Christmas Concert 2016

Saturday 17th December

The Verwood Hub was absolutely packed with over 300 people eager to enjoy the Christmas concert and they weren’t disappointed.

The concert kicked off with the ever-enthusiastic Verwood Training Band all dressed up in various Christmassy outfits including conductor Mike Dunnings in his festive waistcoat. Their set included a sing-a-long ‘Holly and the Ivy’ carol and closed off with the good old favourite of Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’.

Next up was the Verwood Concert Brass Band all looking very smart dressed up to the nines and playing some top quality Christmas arrangements such as ‘The Snowman’ and ‘Jingles Bells’. But in a new feature, which will happen in future concerts, a player from one of the other bands will be invited to play a solo with the principal band. On this occasion, it was Naomi Selby-Grace on cornet, who plays in the Training Band, Youth Band and Town Band, that had the wonderful opportunity to perform ‘Silent Stars Go By’. Very well done Naomi.

After the interval Verwood Town Band, also dressed up in Christmas costumes too, got straight to it with some audience participation of swaying and standing up (and how could you not?) to a great rendition of ‘Schneewalzer’, plus a sing-a-long to ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’, and closing off their set with another popular foot-tapper, ‘Stop the Cavalry’.

Back on with Verwood Concert Brass Band to close the show and what a hilarious start to the set with Steve Rowland ‘performing’ the ‘Yuletide Gallop’ on post horn – it must be seen to be believed - See video clip below.

By way of contrast Ian Harris on euphonium then gave a sublime solo performance of ‘O Holy Night’. Further audience participation occurred with ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and ‘Hark the Herald’. The Band really demonstrated how it was now the best band in Dorset and now ranked 111th in the world by closing the concert with a very powerful performance of ‘Kingdom Triumphant’ but sent a very happy audience home with smiles on their faces with an encore piece of ‘Christmas Bolero’.

Verwood Concert Brass would like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas.

Double Contest Triumph!

Saturday 26th November

What a day!

The Verwood Town Band seem to have a jinx on being drawn to be the first band to play but no worries because the band produced an excellent performance winning the cup for the highest placed 4th Section Band.

But what's more the band came 8th overall meaning it beat at least one 2nd section band. Very well done the Town Band.

As for the Verwood Concert Brass Band - well here is the list of what they won!

Best Bass Section - The Arthur Spencer Trophy - congratulations Duncan Smith, Jane Cotee, Mike Dunnings and Nigel Tiller.

The conductor having the best musical interpretation of the score - The South Wilts Cup - well done Kevin Smith (a very nice belated birthday pressie for yesterday).

Best Instrumentalist - The Kevin Bolton Plaque - VCB's principle cornet player Elaine Close - just brilliant!

The highest placed Championship Section Band - The Christopher Wren Cup - Verwood Concert Brass.

OVERALL WESSEX CHAMPION - The Pitt Rivers Cup - VERWOOD CONCERT BRASS.

The band also had the honour of playing a short concert at the end of the day whilst the results were being collated. This met with great applause from a room full of brass band aficionados.

So all in all a fantastic day and so nice to have done so well at our local brass band contest. Well done all and to all the other bands and special award winners.

Verwood pays its respects

Sunday 13th November

Verwood Concert Brass were honoured to be part of the Remembrance Sunday service and parade.

Having played hymns at the packed church service, the band lead the parade to the war memorial playing the British Legion March where a large crowd had gathered for the wreath laying ceremony.

Very well done to Sophie Howes, Verwood Concert Brass's repiano cornet player, for playing the Last Post with such feeling, plus a rousing Reveille.

Occasions such as this are a reminder that the band is very much part of the community and form an important part of our heritage.

Many thanks to local photographer, John Larry, for use of some of his photos.

 

SWBBA Champions!!!!!

Saturday 5th November

Well done to Verwood Concert Brass Band. They won the South West Brass Band Association 70th Annual Contest in Torquay yesterday.

What's more, principal cornet player, Elaine Close, was awarded the trophy for best soloist. Well done Elaine.

To win the contest was no mean feat as they were up against five very good First Section bands and three other Championship Section bands including Camborne Town who are currently ranked by 4 Bars Rest as being the 34th best brass band in the world. That's against Verwood's current ranking of 167th.

The contest was an 'own choice' event meaning bands can choose which test piece they wish to play. Verwood's winning performance was of Edward Gregson's 'Of Men and Mountains'.

The full results were:
1. Verwood Concert Brass (Ch)
2. Camborne Town (Ch)
3. Chalford (1st)
4. Lydbrook (Ch)
5. St. Keverne (1st)
6. Helston Town (1st)
7. Lanner & District (Ch)
8. Pendennis (1st)
9. Hyde (1st)

Next up - in three weeks time it is the Wessex Winter Contest at the Life Centre in Bournemouth. All the best for that one too and to the Verwood Town Band who will also be competing.

 

Last Night of the Proms

Saturday 15 October

As always the VCB Proms concert is a great evening involving lots of audience participation with flag waving, clapping and singing.

 

To get the audience off to a flying start the Verwood Training Band set the mood by including 'I Vow to Thee, My Country' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' in their set plus, as a tribute to Sir Terry Wogan, a great rendition of 'The Floral Dance'.

Next up were Verwood Concert Brass Band whose set included superb solo performances from Andrew Watson on soprano cornet playing 'Lyrica' and Emma Button on trombone performing 'Traumerei'. The first half closed with a fabulously powerful performance of 'Tocatta from Suite Gothique'.

Opening the second half Verwood Town Band included all three movements of the Vaughan Williams 'English Folk Songs Suite' nicely setting the tone of some patriotism before the return of Verwood Concert Brass Band to close off the evening with all of the traditional last night of the proms pieces.

These included 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs', Jerusalem' and 'Pomp and Circumstance March No1'. MD Kevin Smith really encouraged the audience to full participation reminding them that last year they were singing along to a first section band but this year they were singing along to a championship band so nothing less than championship singing, flag waving and clapping would do.

They certainly were a champion audience befitting of a champion proms concert.

Autumn Coffee Morning

Saturday 8th October

The Training Band performed an entertaining couple of hours of music whilst the audience enjoyed a cuppa and, as you will see from the photo, the delicious homemade cakes as well.

It was a great opportunity for the band to not only play some familiar favourites but also try out some new pieces including those being performed next Saturday, 15th October, at Verwood Concert Brass' big Proms Concert at the Verwood Hub, alongside performances from the Verwood Town Band and the Verwood Concert Brass band.

Cream Tea Picnic in the Park Cross Over

This is a lovely part of what brass banding is about - putting on a free concert in the local community and seeing loads of people turn up to come and listen and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music . . . and the cream teas, ice-creams and cakes!

Such a lovely day for mid September too.

 

That's it for outside concerts for this year. Fingers crossed for some nice weather again next year.

Summer Concert

Saturday 23rd July

The Summer Concert at The Verwood Hub was not only summer hot temperature but the music was hot too!

It kicked off with Verwood Concert Brass doing a reprise of the start of their winning SCABA Entertainments Contest set with ‘Blackbird Special’ leading straight into Armenian Fire Dance. This was followed by a lovely trumpet duet, ‘Spanish Trumpets’ played by Elaine Close and Emma Graves.

The Verwood Training Band as usual played their up-beat numbers with gusto and showing that the band can play some pretty contemporary music by closing their set with ‘Brassed Up Funk!’ but that was not before MD Mike Dunnings surprised principle cornet player Naomi Selby-Grace with the results of her grade 5 cornet exam result which he announced live on stage – she passed with merit. Well done Naomi.

Verwood Town Band opened the second half which included a couple of piece from the film Brassed Off – ‘The Cross of Honour’ march and a foot tapping rendition of the ‘Clog Dance’. Principal cornet player, Jane Bray, also played a delightful solo piece ‘Share My Yoke’.

Closing the show Verwood Concert Brass kept the lively pace going with La Fiesta and the Earth, Wind and Fire number ‘In The Stone’ and also a superb trombone trio of Emma Button, Georgina Carter and Steve Close playing Cole Porter’s ‘It’s Alright With Me’.

The bands will be playing at a number of event over the summer but our next Hub Concert will be our Proms themed concert on Saturday 15th October. See you there!

Youth Band Performs at the Barrington Theater

Friday 1st July

Verwood Youth Band about to take to the stage at the Barrington Theater in aid of the Richard Ely Trust. Well done all.

Blushing Brass

Blushing Brass, the all-female brass band of Verwood Concert Brass, was joined by many other female brass players from over 20 other bands to enjoy The Big Blush – a whole day music workshop and mini concert to raise funds for Breast Cancer Now. The event raised a fabulous £1,300 for the charity.

Around 70 female brass players gathered at 9am at Parkstone Grammar School in Poole on Saturday 25th June to commence a fun packed day of music making through all-band rehearsals and break-out sectional workshops, culminating in a fabulous hour long concert to show off what a great sound they could make.

Blushing Brass was formed a few years ago by Verwood Concert Brass player Jan Tiller after being inspired by Boobs & Brass, the all-female fund raising brass band. Last year Blushing Brass and Boobs & Brass held a fantastic joint concert but this year Jan wanted to try something a little different and struck on the idea of getting ladies together for a whole day workshop.

It was a brilliant success. The day was led by Verwood Town Band conductor, Emma Button, who also doubled up as the trombone, Euphonium and baritone sectional tutor. Other experienced players also led sectional workshops for the cornet sections, horns and basses. The attendees were also well looked after during the breaks by volunteer helps serving refreshments including an array of delicious homemade cakes.

The day closed with the mini concert, with all of the ladies dressed in pink and treating the appreciative audience to pieces such as “I’m Still Standing”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Let It Go” and finally “Happy”.

Jan Tiller was more than happy though saying “It was a really fabulous day made possible by so many fantastic helpers. It was so rewarding to see everyone having such a great time and I have had so many comments about how great it was for the ladies from so many different bands to all get together in such a friendly atmosphere. Ultimately it raised lots of money for such a worthwhile charity by doing what we love doing. Now everyone wants to do it again!”