Happy New Year!  

As is becoming traditional the January newsletter is a little on the late side.  This makes up for the last one being a bit early! 

I hope you all had a good festive season and are now fully recovered from any hangovers so that we can begin working on Tam o’ Shanter’s Ride.

Tam o’ Shanter’s Ride

The contest piece is based on Robert Burns’ poem and while the conductor is told on the score what is going on, we poor mortals have to guess (unless deeply familiar with the work in question!)

So in order to make things just a bit more comprehensible, here is what Robin has to go on, together with a couple of slightly anglicised quotes from the Burns poem. So now we understand it, all we have to do is to play it!!

1.     Tam makes merry with his friends. 
.....“One market night,
Tam had got planted unco right;
Fast by an ingle, blazing finely,
With foaming ale that drank divinely....
3. (con moto) Suddenly Tam remembers his “Sulky sullen dame” sitting at home “nursing her wrath to keep it warm”.
4. (con moto)  Tam mounts his horse and rather unsteadily sets off for home.
4 bars before 7. He comes to the church.
8. (animando)  Looking through the arch into the brilliantly lit graveyard he sees witches and warlocks dancing to the piping of their master the Devil.
10. (molto allegro)  The reel grows more furious (Tam recognises some of the witches as his friends from the village, including Maggie who wears the shortest of short nightshirts)
11. (presto)  Maggie leaps higher than all the rest, revealing much that should not be revealed!
2 bars before 12. Tam cheers her on; “Weel luppen, Maggie wi’ the cutty sark”
12. (doppio movimento) Tam scared jumps on his horse.  (allegro agitato) He rides off pursued by all the witches led by Maggie.
15. (piu agitato)  He remembers his wife’s warnings and makes for the river bridge (no evil spirits can cross running water).
16. (piu mosso)  As they approach the bridge, Maggie grasps the mare’s tail. (4 bars before strepitoso)  Maggie pulls, the mare pulls! (strepitoso) The tail comes off and Maggie falls head over heels backwards off the bridge. (piu lento)  Breathing sighs of relief, Tam rides on home.
17. (poco lento)  Arriving home exhausted on his now tailless mare, his wife soundly berates him.
18. In spite of his arguments his wife, as usual has the last word!

Now wha this tale o’ truth shall read, 
Ilk man and mother’s son take heed:
Whene’er to drink you are inclin’d,
Or cutty-sarks (short skirts) run in your mind,
Think, ye may buy the joys o’er dear,
Remember Tam o’ Shanter’s mare.

With this in mind Robin has asked for extra band practices on Sunday afternoons from 2.30 for an hour and a half.  These will be for half the band at a time: Top (down to horns) on 9^th and 23^rd January, and Bottom (Baritones downwards) on 16^th and 30^th January.  Please get there if you possibly can!

Ryedale Bands Christmas Social

Saturday night saw the annual get-together of Ryedale Bands at Kirkbymoorside Golf Club.  Members of Kirkbymoorside, Stape and Swinton had an great evening with an excellent buffet organised by Sharon of Stape Band.  Many thanks to Sharon for all her hard work!

Ray Dalton (1925-2004)

I’m sure by now everyone has learnt of Ray’s death just before Christmas.  While his health had been declining for a while, this was nonetheless a great shock, especially as it was only three days before that we had played some of his favourite carols to him and Dorothy outside their home.

Ray, who was one of the original learners with the Band in 1936, continued to play with the band all his life, on Euphonium, Baritone and Trombone.  His contributions to the Band were enormous, both as a player and also as Secretary, Chairman, and conductor. On his retirement as Chairman he was appointed as a Life member of the Band. For many of our current members, his role as Junior Bandmaster and teacher was pivotal.  Ray will be remembered as the person who introduced us to brass instruments and tried to teach us to watch a conductor!  As well as teaching and rehearsing the Junior Band, Ray also ensured that by the time learners moved into the main band they were also seasoned performers at school fetes, chapel concerts and the like, and instituted a Solo Contest to ensure experience of playing alone.He will be terribly missed and we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Dorothy and the rest of his family.

Caroling – Well done everybody!

This years caroling was very successful, even though it was very hard work.  I don’t know where everyone went to in December, but they didn’t seem to be around when we were playing!

Nonetheless we still managed to raise a whopping £3209.20. This has made a sizeable contribution to the “Hole in the Wall Fund” and should mean that we will be able to get on with getting the bandroom fit for the next century or so earlier than we feared!

Thanks to all those who gave up their evening and weekends to get cold, wet and miserable in a good cause! Thanks also go to all the parents and grandparents who gave up their free time to rattle collecting tins and brave fierce dogs!

Welcome Back...

...to Matthew L. who has missed us so much he is now back on the front row again.  Good to see you again, Matthew!

Birthdays

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

1^st Jan – Andrew & Chris

7^th Jan – Matthew M  (21^st!)
 

If I have missed you out, I'm really sorry and I hope you all enjoy(ed) your Birthdays.

TIP OF THE MONTH... 

Clean out and check your instrument, so you can get it back in tune and in full working order in plenty of time for Darlington. (you will not be the first to find bizarre objects (coins, cigarette butts, old socks, etc) in your instrument after caroling!)  Valve oil is available from Dorothy at a very reasonable price if needed.