CHRISTMAS CONCERT ’99

Sunday 12^th December

Hebden Bridge Junior Band’s annual Christmas Concert at the Picture House featured a combined performance with Hebden Bridge (Walkley’s) Brass Band and rekindled memories of the last occasion they played together when they gave a roof-raising joint concert in celebration of Junior Band’s 1996 Silver Anniversary year. The Band’s other guests were, once again, the Choir of Burnley Road School, Mytholmroyd.

In his customary role as compère, Edward Crombie introduced Ian Coleman, the Musical Director of Hebden Bridge (Walkley’s) Brass Band who opened the evening with J. A. Greenwood’s quick march “Brave and Free”. This was followed by Karl Reissiger’s “Die Felsenmuhle” (The Mill on the Cliff)

Edward Crombie welcomed the large audience which included many distinguished many guests. These include the Mayor and Mayoress of Calderdale, Councillor Peter and Mrs Enid Coles and the Mayor and Mayoress of Hebden Royd, Councillor Ted Parkinson and Ms Cath Kaye (a former member of the Junior Band). Other guests welcomed were Cllr Alan Fowler, Chair of Wadsworth Parish Council and Mrs Fowler and Cllr Mrs Dorothy Sutcliffe, Chair of Blackshaw Parish Council with Mr Sutcliffe. Cllrs Tom Steen of Heptonstall and W. Dean of Erringden Parish Councils completed the clutch of local dignitaries.

By way of a novelty, the next piece saw talented Principal cornet of Hebden Bridge Junior Band, Cerian Horne, fronting the Walkley’s Band to play a most complex solo, an aire varié based on “My Old Kentucky Home” by the great William Rimmer.

Ian Coleman, himself a former player with Hebden Bridge Junior Band, next led Walkley’s in his own arrangement of the Boyzone hit, “No Matter What”. This featured a particularly soulful flugel part adeptly handled by Joanna Brown.

Hebden Bridge (Walkley’s) Brass Band section of the concert came to an end with the exciting and loud “Fanfare and Soliloquy” by Trevor Sharpe.

Edward Crombie now called up the children of the Burnley Road School Choir, who, led by Miss Brooks, sang a delightful selection of Christmas songs, adding for good measure, their version of the current Cliff Richard Lord’s Prayer / Auld Lang Syne.

Hebden Bridge Junior Band now took the stage, and opened with a tremendous percussion accompaniment by Nick Moors to “Pastimes with Good Company”. This striking piece, reputedly written by Henry VIII, but more recently arranged for Brass by Stephen Roberts, was introduced to the Junior Band by their dear friend Torstein Hatlevik who played such a key part in the success of their 1998 Norwegian tour.

Musical Director of the Junior Band, Brian Haydn Robinson, then led his musicians into William Rimmer’s arrangement of Verdi’s exciting overture “Nabucco”.

At this juncture, Edward announced the news that Mr Robinson had just become a proud grandfather. His son, Mark, yet another former Junior Bandsman, and his wife Catherine have a baby girl, Emma Eve.

The Junior Band then went on to play John Marcangelo’s cheerful “Clog Dance”. This made an appropriate introduction for Joanna Brown, principal flugel of Hebden Bridge (Walkley’s) Brass Band, to take her place in front of Mr Robinson and his Band, and play the second solo of the evening, the Darrol Barry arrangement of the beautiful “Don’t It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue” by Richard Leigh.

The final piece by Hebden Bridge Junior Band was one recently added to their repertoire by Mr Robinson, the theme from the film, “1492, Christopher Columbus”, written by Vangelis and entitled “The Conquest of Paradise”. The stately and elegant performance by Junior Band brought was rewarded with enthusiastic applause.

The Interval raffle was drawn by Mytholmroyd Gala Queen, Louise Kendal with her attendants, Kate Pickles, Jessica Wild, Kim Parkin and Anna Holmes.

While this was under way, there was much activity on stage as committee members added extra chairs and music stands in readiness to squeeze into the small area the joint band of 70 players.

Ian Coleman conducted the first piece, Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival”, arranged for brass band by James Wood. Before Brian Robinson came to take up the baton for the next piece, Edward Crombie made his customary annual summing up of “leavers and joiners”. The year has seen his own son, Richard, attain the “retirement age” of 19. He has now taken his bass playing skills to the Walkley Band, in spite of determined overtures from the Band of the Royal Marines, with whom Junior Band had spent a very pleasant few days at half term, as guests at the Music School in Portsmouth. Andrew Eastwood, bass trombone with the Band for three years had also “retired”, as had Matthew Whewell, solo cornet. Laura Denning, solo cornet, had left Junior Band and was now at Bangor University studying Psychology. New players since last Christmas are Monica Obiedzinski on B flat bass, Chloë Walsh on tenor trombone and Jennifer Holden playing euphonium.

The combined bands went on to play Mel Tormé’s “Christmas Song”, followed by the Bavarian-style “Schneewaltzer” arranged by Goff Richards. Dizzy Stratford’s “Christmas Swing” followed, and then after “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” the two bands continued together for the moving “The Young Amadeus”, the sensitive Parker / Haan arrangement of Mozart’s clarinet concero in A major.

Eleven members of the Junior Band appeared in front of the stage wearing their Christmas uniform of top hats, capes and bonnets and the evening concluded in time-honoured tradition with the singing of Christmas Carols.

The proceeds from the ticket sales together with the sale of the Band’s Christmas tape and new CD, are vital to the future of the Band which, for 28 years, has survived on voluntary contributions. These funds are particularly welcome in view of the increased costs now being faced by Junior Band due to the Council’s impending closure of their home, Youth House. Rent-free, this has been the Band’s home since 1983 providing an excellent rehearsal room and storage facilities. The enforced departure from Youth House will mean an additional cost to Junior Band of at least £1700 a year on top of the current costs of tuition, Musical Director and conductor’s fees, insurance, upkeep and replacement of instruments, uniforms and buying music.

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