Swinton Post - October 2007

Swinton Post
Volume 5, Issue 10 October 2007

I’m back from holiday…

…and nothing seems to have changed while I’ve been away! Still no bandmaster, but still muddling through as usual!

Birthdays

Ha ha – There is no escape from standing on your chair!

Happy Birthday to:

Tim                  14^th October
Valerie            17^th October
Luke               27^th October

As usual to anyone else I have missed – Happy Birthday!

Attention all Learners

Please note that because of the YHBBA Band Workshop on Saturday 27^th October, there will be no Learners session that night. Steve and Catherine are both going to the workshop and expect to have been worked into the ground by the evening! (Grimethorpe’s Bass players don’t make allowances for lesser mortals!!)

Prospective Bandmaster?

On 15^th October, we have a candidate coming to meet the band with a view to taking on the role of bandmaster. Please make every effort to be there, so that he can get a realistic view of who we are and so that you can make your views known as we make decisions.

A Band Night out!

Would people be interested in a trip to York Theatre Royal on Thursday 25^th October to hear the Pasadena Roof Orchestra (“An evening of rare musical entertainment, of toe-tapping fun and syncopated sophistication. With ten multi-talented musicians and two sensational singers the Pasadena Roof Orchestra celebrates the repertoire of great entertainers, including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday.”)

Tickets cost £10 but this drops to £8 if there are ten or more of us!

The idea would be to meet for a Chinese meal first in Rougier Street before going to the theatre. Please let Dorothy know if you would like to go.

Fund-raising

Last night saw the very last draw of the fifty-plus club. Many thanks to Brian who has organised this for a number of years and has raised a very considerable amount of money for band through it.

We now really could do with some long-term fund-raising venture to take its place. We are very lucky to belong to a band that doesn’t pay subs – but this does mean we have to raise the money from other sources! So, if you have an idea which you are prepared to organise (helpers can be found!) please let Dorothy or Anna know!

Hardraw Scar Contest

Well done, everyone – at last we have some silverware for when we have a cupboard to put it in!

It was a really good day and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did – though next year we will know to take winter woollies and flasks of hot coffee! And some extra hands to carry the shed-builders’ impedimenta up the hill!

Many thanks to John for all the hard work he put into the contest – it definitely paid off.

Thanks too go to all those players who came to help us out – Ben, Susan, Kevin and Lizzie. It was great to have you with us. Come again soon!

Malton Brass

Good news! Nigel Sutherland has agreed to take us to Malton Contest this year. He is coming to listen to us and discuss details this Wednesday (3^rd) so please try and be there and give him an idea of the considerable talent he has to work with!

Please be prepared to attend extra rehearsals if needed – let’s build on the success of Hardraw!

Vacancies

We are still short of cornets so if you know or hear of any experienced cornet (or even trumpet!) players looking for a band please try and point them in our direction - the more the merrier!

We shall also be losing horn and baritone players in September so if you know anyone who might be interested....

Best Wishes…

… to Andrew B. as he recovers after his stay in hospital. We hope to see him back before too long, fully restored to health.

Congratulations…

…to Maggie who has been selected to play for the Yorkshire under-18s Ladies Rugby team. Well done, but please be careful – it isn’t necessary for principal euphoniums to look like bouncers!

Webb Ivory

Dorothy now has the catalogues for ordering for Christmas – please can you let her know if you are interested in ordering Christmas cards etc. This is a useful earner for the band – we made £90 last Christmas with very little time available. This year we have the catalogues good and early so get ordering!

TIP OF THE MONTH…

Italian is a very rich and varied language with many different ways of saying the same thing: Accelerando, Rallentando, Ritardando, A Tempo, Rubato, Pesante, Allegro, Largo, etcetera all mean the same thing-

WATCH THE CONDUCTOR!!!

Dates for your Diary
15th Oct	Prospective Bandmaster
27^th Oct	YHBBA Workshop, South Minsthorpe
11^th Nov	Remembrance Day, Helmsley 10.20 for 10.30
18^th Nov	Malton Brass Contest Details later
27^th Nov	Concert, Cauwood 7.00 for 7.30
December	Carolling - details later
16th May 2008	Whit Friday, Saddleworth

When was your instrument last bathed?

Does your instrument sound (or smell) as though something has died in it? Could you grow potatoes in your mouthpiece?

Help is at hand! For the paltry sum of £5 your cornet can receive a full clean-out and shine-up! Larger instruments will cost £10 and it’s all in aid of Band funds!

John C. and Steve have volunteered to provide this service for those of you who don’t want to do it yourselves – so take advantage of it!

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