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This is the practice itinerary for the next few weeks - this is a slight change to the one on our “November 2008″ sheet.

Monday 29th Dec 19:30 - Full Band with Duncan

Sunday 4th Jan 10:30 - Full Band with Duncan or Colin

Tuesday 6th Jan 19:30 - Full Band with Colin

Friday 9th Jan 20:00 - Full Band with Duncan
Saturday 10th Jan - Sectionals through the day
Sunday 11th Jan 10:00 - Full Band with Duncan

Tuesday 13th Jan 19:30 - Full Band with Colin

[Possible extra practices through the week with Duncan]

Leave 14:00 Friday 16th, Practice on Friday night and possibly Saturday morning.

Due to unprecedented demand for tickets, there will be an extra date for the annual Backworth Village Hall Christmas Carol concert, at 18:30 on Sunday 21st December. For more details, please see our events page.

Today Backworth Colliery Band achieved a great first position at the annual DCBBA grading contest, held at Peterlee Leisure Centre.

The band, drawn 2nd, played “St. Andrews Variations", an original test piece by Alan Fernie. In remarks from adjudicator Colin Hardy, the band were rewarded for good style and dynamics, with several band members singled out for praise. Special praise was also reserved for Natalie, who due to illness was a last-minute call-up to the Principal Cornet seat and did a great job considering the short notice.

Backworth gained three awards, the award for winning the section, an award for being the best basses heard during the whole of the morning’s contest, and a trophy for the winning conductor, Colin Harris. The result is also one that should see the band promoted for 2009.

In a day of many firsts, 4 members of the band made their debut (from left to right, Michael, Stuart, [Colin], Marc and Sam).

Michael has been a part-time member of the band for a while and volunteered to help out at today’s contest, his first. Stuart and Marc are new recruits and two of the most talented young brass players in the North East, and we are very fortunate to have them in our ranks. Indeed Marc has only been with the band a couple of weeks but played what is a very tricky Repiano part. Sam is a student at Newcastle University and has joined the band from his root in Immingham on the East Coast.

Colin with members of the prize-winning bass section.

A big thanks goes to all those involved in helping the band prepare for this contest, including Duncan Beckley, the Reg Vardy soloists and Alan Fernie, all of whom have played a part in preparing us for the contest alongside our conductor Colin.

The band are new busy preparing for the Christmas concert season, and today’s result was good preparation for the Butlins Contest at Skegness in January.

Schedule for the DCBBA contest (Sunday 23rd November)

Rehearsal: 8am - 9am at Murton Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Claude Terrace Murton Seaham County Durham SR7 9DU

Contest: 10am at Peterlee Leisure Centre, St. Cuthberts Way, Peterlee, SR8 1AF

Results at around 12.30pm.

Forthcoming rehearsal & concert schedule:

Friday 31st October, 19.00: Full Band

Saturday 1st November, 10:00 - 12:00: Flugel downwards, sectional

Tuesday 4th November, 19:30: Full Band

Friday 7th November: 19:00: Cornet and Flugel Sectional

Saturday AM: TBC (hopefully full band)

Sunday 9th, 10:00: Remembrance Sunday, full band, Forest Hall.

Today Backworth Colliery Band and Junior Band took part in their first ever training day, which was held in conjunction with members of the Reg Vardy band.

The band were extremely grateful to the players of Reg Vardy who gave up their Saturday (and in some cases, tickets for the football!) to teach both the senior and junior members of the band.

Jim Hayes (cornets), Steve Hardy (horns and flugel), Chris Bentham (trombones), Paul Robinson (euphoniums and baritones), Alistair Storey (basses) and Bob Stephenson (percussion) took their respective sections through a set work for the day, plus our next contest piece, St. Andrews Variations. They also worked with the junior band, and rounded off the day with a concert at Backworth Village Hall featuring the music we had practised on the day by both bands. Three of the tutors also entertained and inspired us with solo performances.

The concert booked originally for Monday 22nd December at the North Shields Masonic Hall has been put back a week till 15th December. Please update your diaries.

For anyone who attended last nights practice, here’s what the arrangements/pieces that Colin got out last night are based on:

Lifeforce:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TMV4jjvZgzc

She Moves Through The Fair:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZufV7a8igY

Me and My Shadow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8lL3YTVpM

A Celebration Suite:
http://www.vauxhall-senator.com/sounds/works/Celebration%20Suite.mp3

Backworth have once again been nominated for the Website of the Month on popular brass band website Themouthpiece.com.

Please vote for us! The link is:

http://www.themouthpiece.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34175

The band also welcomes three players to the band - Stuart Blackburn has joined the band on back row cornet, Gareth Chester and Chris Lawlor on BBb Bass. More details to follow.

Colin Harris, the band’s conductor, has also won first prize in the NRBBT’s arranger contest with his music “A Geordie Songbook". More details on 4barsrest.

Pictures and a Video from Easingwold are now online. As are full results.

Durham Miner’s Gala Pictures are here.

Bus times as follows for Saturday 12th July:

Widdrington Station: 6.30
Pegswood (Citroen Garage): 6.50
Bedlington (TBC): 7.00
Annitsford (Shell Garage): 7.10
Backworth: 7.15
Boldon: 7.25
Hetton: 8.00

You need marching gear, march cards and hymn books.

In the traditions of the F.A. Cup, Backworth Colliery Band entered the Easingwold Contest in North Yorkshire against 16 other bands, all but one were ranked higher in the Brass Band League structure than ourselves.

In true underdog spirit, the band played a great performance of the contest march “Senator", by George Allan, and in the adjudicator Nigel Horne’s opinion placed the band 13th place out the 17 bands present.

Not only did the band win the best band in our section (4th) but we also beat three other bands who are ranked in the 3rd, 2nd and Championship section in the March element of the contest. The footballing equivalent of Blyth Spartans beating Newcastle United!

Many thanks go to the people who helped us out today - Gavin, Ged and Derek, as well as the band for their hard work and belief in what can be achieved. The amount of contesting the band has undertaken so far in 2008 is also paying off as we get more used to performing under pressure.

This puts the band in good stead for our next competition, the Teesdale Contest, next Sunday 6th July at Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.

Pictures and Videos from the Kirkby Londsale Contest have been added to the website.

We often get contact and emails from people who have past associations with the area and the band, here are a couple that may be of wider interest:

Gwen Osbaldeston (gwen.osbaldeston@btopenworld.com)

I was fortunate to see the Backworth Colliery Band at the Kirkby Lonsdale Contest where I spoke to Catherine McKenzie.

I now live in Glossop, Derbyshire but was born in Shiremoor and my father was from Backworth. My maiden name was Anderson and quite a few of my family played in the band.

Both of my grandfathers, John William Dawson (born in 1891) and George Stanley Anderson (born in 1888) were band members. I was interested to read that originally the band also had woodwind instruments as the photographs of my grandfather Dawson have him with a clarinet and saxophone. I am certain that my grandfather Anderson played the euphonium.

I know that two of my father’s brothers also played in the band, Pete Anderson (actual name George born in 1922) and Stan Anderson (actual name John born in 1915). I don’t know which instrument Pete played but Stan played trombone. He also played it professionally at the Grand, a theatre in Byker.

I have attached some photographs which sadly are not mine, but ones that I took copies of in North Shields library.

Sorry I haven’t got more information but I am going to contact a couple of members of my father’s family to see if they have any old photographs or information. Catherine mentioned that she has a very old photograph that I can have a look at and that there are some in the Backworth Community Centre. I’m looking forward to seeing these when I come up to the north east in the summer.

From Ron and Jill Foster (ronforster@s054.aone.net.au)

Here am I sitting by my computer in Sydney, Australia listening to the Backworth Colliery Band.
My grandfather, Bob Ronald who was a shot-firer and Under Manager at the “Eccles"and my father Bill Forster who worked at the “Maude” and later at the Algernon would never have believed it.

It brought back memories to me of my grandfather taking me as a schoolboy aged 8 to the miner’s picnic at Morpeth to hear the band. (I am now 83), not to mention that he sat me outside with a lemonade whilst he had a pint of McEwan’s inside the pub.

I was especially pleased to read and take a copy of the “Backworth Collieries - Full History” which has filled many gaps in my knowledge of local history, as I am now belatedly writing up my family history for the benefit of my grandchildren. I remember the explosion in the Maude pit because my father was one of those injured. Although I must have only been 4 at the time I remember seeing him walking home to West Allotment from Backworth with burnt clothes hanging off him and with terrible burns to his person. The mention in your “history"of this 1928 Maude explosion is the only reference I have found.

I was born in 1924 in Turner Street, West Allotment where I lived with my mother and father and grandmother and grandfather, three uncles (my mother’s brothers}. My grandfather held the strong compulsion never to let his sons work down the pit. I have only fond memories of life in a colliery village where people cared about each other.

I am collecting material to write up my life story for the benefit of my Australian grandchildren and whilst I have photos of people in Turner Street, I do not have, nor can I locate on the internet, a copy of a photo of Turner Street as it was before it was demolished and replaced by the present semis.

Would you mind asking the members of the band if any of them have or know of anyone who may have a photo of Turner Street West Allotment as it existed in the 1960’s and before.

I have attached a photo of my grandfather, Robert Jack Ronald, his son Robert Ronald, who at the time the photo was taken was a professional footballer with Portsmouth FC, As a schoolboy at Murton school New York he played for the England schoolboy team against Scotland at Hampden Park. I have his England cap. Oh! the little boy in the photo is me. The photo was taken from my Granda’s garden with Turner Street in the background.

Please do not go to any trouble, just thought it was worth a try, you never know?

Sincere congratulations on the web site and best wishes to yhe members of the Backworth Colliery Band.

On the weekend of the Teesdale Contest this is the rehearsal schedule:

Friday 4th July

1930 Senior Band with Duncan, Junior Band invitied, hymns/warmup
2000 Senior Band only
2200 Close

Saturday 5th July

0900 Soloist with Duncan, Full Band warm up with Colin
0930 Full Band
1100 Close

Sunday 6th July

1030 Arrive Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

The junior band have a concert in Backworth on the Saturday afternoon, for those who can assist.

Getting to Kirkby Lonsdale - Journey time: From Backworth, 2hrs 15 mins.

Click here for a map.

We are rehearsing at Whoop Hall, baton down 9.30. For the Sat Nav people amongst us, that’s LA6 2HP

Parking on the day: Parking is available at Queen Elizabeth School, you may also be able to park a little nearer the town if you are lucky. Contest is in the Market Square

First band starts marching at 12:00, and there’s massed bands at the end (about 4.30)

Requirements: Marching gear, march cards (Slaidburn), Hymn Books, Senator, Pirates.
Massed bands: Voice of the Guns, Punchinello, Standard of St. George

For a 4th section band, Backworth achieved a very consistant and commendable set of results, with only one slip up at Broadoak, our first venue of the evening.

Overall 183 points, 28th out of 41 qualifying Tameside bands

Results

Broadoak: 			42 from 44
Hurst: 				35 from 54
Mossley: 			23 from 45
Carrbrook: 			25 from 44
Stalybridge FC: 		23 from 48
Stalybridge Labour: 	 	30 from 53

Full results at:
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/brassband/whitfriday/2008/results

At the recent band AGM, held on 11th May, the committee was expanded to 6 people, with three new members appointed.

The commitee is now:

Concert Secretary Colin Harris
Treasurer Teresa Harris
Chairman Michael Fletcher
Librarian Catherine McKenzie
Contest Secretary Cath McAllister
Committee Member Nicola Ternent

We thank Stephen Bushby for his hard work as the band’s treasurer, and look forward to a busy and rewarding 2008.

On a sad note, the band has this month said goodbye to two members of our bass section. Peter Barker has been the fulcrum of our bass section for over ten years and Geoff Howe is also leaving after a short time with the band. Both members have stated increased demands from home and work as the reasons for leaving and we wish them well.

The band are inviting applicants for the position of bass, via our vacancies page.

Over the last month, the band has performed at two contests.

On 26th April, several members of the junior and senior band took part in the Wansbeck Music Festival solos, duets and ensemble section, with the senior band taking part in the open contest on the Sunday, 27th April. It was successful weekend, with several members scooping prizes and the band overall winning best 4th section band.

Full results are listed at 4 Bars rest

The band also participated at the Whit Friday contests on 16th May, marching to Senator and competiting in 6 events. So far we only have one result, but will post more when we have them.

A big thanks to Neil, Ingrid and Derek who helped the band out and without them we could not have made the trip down.

The band will be performing at this year’s Whit Friday contests, leaving Backworth at 2pm. We will be performing “Punchinello” on the road and “Senator” on the march.

This is our intended route:

• Upper Mossley Mountain Street, Mossley OL5 0EY
• Heyrod John Street, Wakefield Road, Heyrod, Stalybridge SK15 3BW
• Carrbrook Carr Rise, Carrbrook, Stalybridge SK15 3NY
• Stalybridge Celtic Stalybridge Celtic Football Club, Bower Fold, Mottram Road, Stalybridge SK15 2RT
• Stalybridge Stalybridge Labour Club, Acres Lane, Stalybridge SK15 2JU
• Dukinfield Tame Valley Hotel, Park Road, Dukinfield SK16 5LX
• Hurst Village Ashton United FC, Surrey Street, Hurst Cross, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 8DY
• Broadoak Broadoak Hotel, Broadoak Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 8QD
• Droylsden The Bush Inn, Moorside Street, Droylsden M43 7HL
• Denton Denton Cricket Club, Egerton Street, Denton M34 3PB

We will be stopping over in Leeds overnight.

We still have a need for a cornet and bass player if anyone fancies joining us on the best night of the year.

6 of the band were present to provide musical accompaniment at the release of ‘The Great Northern Miners’ by Ken and Jean Smith at the Mining Institute, Westgate Road, Newcastle. The band were also featured playing “Gresford” and other appropriate music on BBC Radio Newcastle, and were photographed in the Journal and Chronicle newspapers.

For more information about the book, visit Celebrating the Great Northern Miners

The band are looking for one or two bass players to assist with our entry to this year’s Whit Friday contest.

We are travelling from Newcastle, leaving at 2pm, and will be playing Senator on the stand.

The band are stopping at a very posh hotel in Leeds on the Friday night before returning Saturday after breakfast.

If anyone is interested please get in touch.

Backworth finished 12th out of 13 in this year’s 4th section of the Regional Qualification Contest.

After a strong and confident performance, the band held high hopes of a decent finish, but adjudicator Colin Hardy decided to isolate and criticise the performance of one individual member of the band and mark the band accordingly, rather than listen to the performance of the other 26 members and judge the performance as a whole.

This is a bitterly disappointing pill for the band to swallow - but the band now looks forward to a busy summer concert programme and contests at Barnard Castle, Kirkby Lonsdale and Newbiggin, where it is hoped the adjudicator will listen to all of the members of the band instead of just one.

The band will be practicing:

Tuesday 25th: Into Change
Thursday 27th: Immaculate Heart Church, Monkeseaton
Saturday 29th: Darlington Fire Station, 10AM

Members please review this page often to get the final details for where Tuesday’s practice will be. Note there is no practice Sunday 23rd.

The band website has been updated, with several new pictures and videos added over the weekend.

The band are preparing for the regional contest, and are one of 14 bands in the section.

Full details at http://www.noebbc.co.uk/regionalcontest2008.htm

Finally the band are delighted to welcome Nicole Ponton-Brown to the band. Nicole has joined the band on cornet, and is studying at Newcastle University.

Rehearsal Schedule for the coming weeks:

Sunday 9th:	Full Band with Colin.
Tuesday 12th:	Full Band with Graeme
Sunday 17th:	Euphoniums, Baritones and Horns sectional
Tuesday 19th:	19:00 - Cornets
		20:30 - Trombones and Basses

Today the band entered Brass at the Guild - an open contest held at the Guild Hall in Preston. The band drawn number 2 and played Lydian Pictures. Despite a performance which greatly improved on that of 2 weeks ago at Butlins, the band finished out of the prizes. The adjudicator’s remarks were very positive and the band enjoyed the experience.

The contest was the first in a while for Natalie McLean, who has returned to the band on cornet after a period away. It was sadly the last for a little time for Percussionist Christine Boyd, who is now off to ’see the world’ for the next 7 months and will miss our contest and concert season.

The band is now busy preparing “Four Cities Symphony” for the nationals in March. The band will be working with Colin and also are excited to be working with Graeme Tindall, the hugely popular and successful conductor of Felling Band.

On Saturday (19th) the band performed “Lydian Pictures” at the Butlins Mineworkers Contest in Skegness, and were awarded a respectable 8th place from the 18 competitive bands present.

Disaster struck on Friday with flugel player Maureen O’Hara unable to make the trip with serious illness, and with no other options available the band were forced to borrow from the previous band.

The remarks to the band were very constructive, with loose ensemble and ‘warmth’ the main issues. The band received good remarks for the rhythm and expressive playing, especially in the outer movements.

On a positive note, the band performed the best of the North-East bands attending this weekend’s contest, beat our only other North Of England rival and it was the first contest back for Nicola Ternent, who we are delighted to have with us for the 2008 contest season.

The band will perform the piece again in 2 weeks time, at the Preston Contest.

Full results:

Fourth Section:

Saturday 19th January
Venue: Royal Arthur, Butlins Skyline Resort
Adjudicators: David Read & David Lancaster
Start Time: 10.00am

Results:

1. Eccles Borough, Les Webb, 10, 185
2. Rolls–Royce (Derby), Graham Cardwell, 9, 182
3. Ireland Colliery (Chesterfield), Ian Knapton. 11, 180
4. Thurcroft Welfare, Ken Vernon, 17, 179
5. Bestwood Black Diamonds, Dave Clarke, 3, 178
6. Banovallum Brass, Steve Ingham, 16 , 176
7. Market Rasen RPC, Alan Needham, 3, 175
8. Backworth Colliery, Colin Harris, 2, 174
9. Maltby Miners Welfare, Terry Clifford, 5, 171
10. Watford Band, Richard Graves, 4, 169
11. Thoresby Colliery Youth, Christine Gent, 8, 167
12. Whitwell Brass, David Fretwell, 15, 166
13. Kingsway Printers (Cleethorpes), Steven Askey, 6, 165
14. Royston Town, Simon Jones , 12, 164
15. Tewkesbury Town, Nigel Morgan, 1, 163
16. Coleshill, Stephen Fagg, 7, 162
17. Skegness Silver, Geoff Weeks, 14 , 161
18. Martlesham Brass, Bruce Eyley, 13, 160
Pontypool Brass, Patrick O’Leary, w

Highest placed mining band:
Ireland Colliery (Chesterfield)

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?world=uki&id=7085