Beenham Band

6.7.09

The Forbury - 5 July 2009

A chap came up to Graham Shipp after the event and said, 'How come you have such a great band from such a small village as Beenham?' Graham said that we were so lucky to have Robert Roscoe as our Director and that this was a major factor in this. Then he realized what a tremendous compliment we had just been paid...!

5.7.09

Band on the Rec 2009

As I drove along the lane through Beenham on Friday evening, I passed quite a few people on foot, walking quickly in the same direction, and holding onto children, blankets, and other oddments.

Not refugees, it turned out, but pilgrims. Drawn by the lure of Beenham Band's annual extravaganza, Band on the Rec.

When I arrived at the Rec there was already a fair sized crowd, but it was to swell quite a bit more as time went on.

Luckily, this year we were not rained on. Indeed, it was perfect weather for a spot of banding, because the skies cleared and freshened, letting us play comfortably in good light, sustained by beer and Pimms, while our listeners lolled comfortably on their blankets and garden chairs, sustained by their picnics, until we closed at 9.30 pm.

I don't know for sure which music was most appreciated, but Pirates of the Caribbean, The Stripper, Dambusters, Hootenanny, the Muppets, Grease, and Copacabana seemed to score highly.

Look forward to seeing you at the Rec next year.

(Thanks to Clara Morsley for the photos - please click to enlarge)

2.7.09

Review of the Corn Exchange concert - 20 June 2009

Bravo Beenham

Beenham Band’s first decade was celebrated by a large and appreciative Corn Exchange audience. Beginning with a ‘Flourish’, a fanfare written by Vaughan Williams, this set the tone for the commissioned work ‘Jubilation’ by the 16 year old Lloyd Coleman, a student at Chetham’s School of Music. This young clarinettist is a member of NYO and winner of the BBC Proms Young Composers’ Competition. The band rose to the technical demands of the swift style changes and complex metre.

Now came the turn of their principal conductor, Robert Roscoe. ‘Gallimaufry’ as its name suggests is a ‘jumble’ of musical material put together from Henry IV plays by Guy Woolfenden, RSC Director of Music for many years. It had the feel of early music featuring double reeds, percussion ostinatos and a lively xylophone display.

In the same vein, ‘New Baroque Suite’ was baroque in structure but with a jazzy twist. Particularly enjoyable were solos from the trumpet and soprano saxophone.

The ‘tour de force’ came in the performance from Swedish born Torbjorn Hultmark, a local professional musician, teacher and composer. ‘Variations sur Le Carnaval de Venise’ was composed in the mid 19th century by Jean Baptiste Arban and this wind band version was arranged by Torbjorn himself. Arban was a virtuoso cornet player and wrote this as a technical display. To begin we were treated to a sensitively and lyrically moulded melody. Each variation built increasing displays of musical athleticism executed with accuracy and style. A stunning performance.

From Venice we move to Paris for ‘Sketches’ by Martin Ellerby. Notable was the 3rd movement reminiscent of Satie’s ‘Gymnopedie’. Then across the Atlantic to New York with Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story ‘Selection. Gloriously self-indulgent with luscious tunes like ‘Maria’ and ‘Tonight’.

The evening ended dramatically with a Wind Band version of Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ arranged by Krance. The brassy drive in ‘O Fortuna’ contrasted the delicately phrased solo oboe in ‘Dulcissime’. The strain of this demanding work showed in some rhythmic instability despite Roscoe’s clear beat and cues.

What a credit to all those responsible for Beenham Band’s first 10 years.

Judith Cooper June 20,2009

Wedding news

Gwen Harmiston, ex-member oboist, is getting married on 25 July 2009.

Congratulations Gwen, and come back to band soon!

1.7.09

Beenham School PTFA

Thank you for joining Beenham School on Friday for our Carnival BBQ. I wasn't there myself but I hear that the event was a success and that we made approximately £1,800 for the school, AND IT DID NOT RAIN!!!!!

Can you pass on a thank you to all of the band, your participation in the event was appreciated by everyone.

Lorna Hadman

24.6.09

10th Anniversary Concert 2009

Saturday's concert opened with Lloyd Coleman conducting the band, first in Vaughan Williams’ Flourish for Wind Band, and then in the world premiere performance of Lloyd’s own piece, Jubilation, which he wrote especially for Beenham Band.

View the audience

Both pieces were well received by our enthusiastic audience.

Jubilation gets its second performance in Manchester today, Wednesday - good luck, Lloyd!

Brass row

Robert Roscoe took up the baton for the rest of the concert, first conducting Ted Huggens’ immensely expressive New Baroque Suite.

This was followed by Guy Woolfenden’s Gallimaufry, which although in six sections is played as one continuous piece. Gallimaufry is based on music Woolfenden originally wrote for the RSC productions of the Henry IV plays in 1982, and sounds like traditional English music, though cast in modern forms.

Where now?

The first half ended with Torbjorn Hultmark enchanting us all with a mellifluous stream of cornet solos in his own arrangement of Arban’s Carnival of Venice.

After the interval the band gave exciting performances of Martin Ellerby’s demanding Paris Sketches and an arrangement of Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Lobby crush

For the finale there was John Krance’s amazing wind band version of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, during which the band seemed almost to take the roof off Newbury’s Corn Exchange.