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Would players please note the following schedule during November for DCBBA Contest rehearsals.

• Tuesday, 3rd, 19.30
• Friday, 6th, 19.30 (with Duncan)
• Sunday, 8th, No Rehearsal - Remembrance Day Parade
• Tuesday, 10th, 19.30
• Friday, 13th, 19.30
• Sunday, 15th, 10.45
• Tuesday, 17th, 19.30
• Sunday, 22nd, 09.00

The penultimate rehearsal will be on either the Friday 20th or Saturday 21st, the date to be decided based on band availability.

The final rehearsal – at 9.00am on the morning of the contest – will be in Peterlee, nearby to the Contest venue. Details later.

Backworth Colliery Band took part in the Borders Entertainment Contest, 31st October, in Peebles. The band gave a confident performance, and although not highly placed in the results from a field that included numerous higher-section bands, the Band is showing improvement. A very enjoyable day’s banding, with a well-balanced programme including strong contributions from the Band’s younger players, and everyone entering into the spirit of “entertainment”.

The programme began with “Doyen”, by Goff Richards, written to celebrate the motor coach ‘Doyen’, describing a coach journey making its way through London. Then an arrangement by Leonard Ballantine of the American folk song “Shenandoah”, in his setting entitled “Mid all the Traffic”. The solo piece was “Buster Strikes Back”, in the arrangement by Alan Morrison, lyrically played by Callum Harrison. The band closed impressively with Goff Richards’ arrangement of three American songs in his “An American Trilogy”, popularized by Elvis Presley, with Matthew Fletcher donning an Elvis costume to bring out the true pathos of his euphonium solo.

The Leckie Memorial Church presented a quite reverberant acoustic that clearly hindered other bands, several suffering from over-blowing, muddy articulation, and lack of togetherness with their percussion. Backworth played within the dynamics of the music, allowing their phrasing to bring the music to life and clearly enjoyed their time in front of an audience. With steps forward taken in playing confidence and deportment, the Band now turns to its next challenge at the Durham League Contest in late November.

Players are reminded of the times for the remaining rehearsals for the Borders Entertainment Contest in Peebles on 31st October.

• Friday 23rd 19.30 (with Duncan, “Music for a Festival")
• Sunday 25th 10.45 (Tony, Borders)
• Tuesday 27th 19.30 (Tony, Borders)
• Friday 30th 19.30 (Tony, Borders)

Draw to be announced this weekend and then we’ll confirm departure time for the coach to Peebles, provisionally booked for leaving at 6.30am prompt.

The rehearsal schedule for November leading up to DCBBA Peterlee (22nd November) will be released soon. No rehearsal on the 1st (or 8th - Remembrance Day parade).

Players please note that the rehearsal on Sunday 18th October, originally set for the evening, will be held on Sunday morning at the usual time - 10.45am.

We may run over a little, so please try to be available until around 1.15pm.

REVISED REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR BORDERS CONTEST

Please note, 16th October charity concert has been postponed at the request of the organisers, and consequently the rehearsals for the Borders Contest on 16th and 23rd October are revised.

The “Lower half” sectional will now take place on Friday 16th; Duncan will take Full Band on Friday 23rd, and all Friday evenings will be 19.30 start. Thank you.

• Tuesday 6th 19.30
• Friday 9th 19.30, Sectional (Cornets, Horns)
• Sunday 11th 10.45
• Tuesday 13th, 19.30
• Friday 16th 19.30, Sectional (Euphoniums, Baritones, Trombones, Basses)
• Sunday 18th 18.00
• Tuesday 20th 19.30
• Friday 23rd 19.30 (Duncan)
• Sunday 25th 10.45
• Tuesday 27th 19.30
• Friday 30th 19.30

Transport to Peebles on the 31st will be via coach. Provisional departure time from Backworth IntoChange is 6.30am. Time to be confirmed on Tuesday 27th after the draw is known.

Would players please note the following rehearsal schedule during October for Full Band and Sectional rehearsals.

• Sunday 4th, 10.45
• Tuesday 6th 19.30
• Friday 9th 19.00 – 21.00, Sectional – Cornets, Horns
• Sunday 11th 10.45
• Tuesday 13th, 19.30
• Sunday 18th 18.00 – 21.00
• Tuesday 20th 19.30
• Friday 23rd 19.00 – 21.00, Sectional – Euphoniums, Baritones, Trombones, Basses
• Sunday 25th 10.45
• Tuesday 27th 19.30
• Friday 30th 19.00 – 21.00

Transport to Peebles on the 31st will be via coach. Provisional departure time from Backworth IntoChange is 6.30am. Time to be confirmed on Tuesday 27th after the draw is known.

We’re very happy to announce that two ladies of the Band are taking some time off on maternity leave.

Mary MacNamara on trombone, and Natalie McLean on front row cornet (recently Principal Cornet), are standing down from September, and the Band wishes them good health and successful deliveries.

As well as taking a break from playing, Natalie also takes a well-earned rest from her duties as Concert Secretary and we thank her for the work put in during an intensive summer programme schedule. In the meantime, contact with the Band can be made via email or by telephone at Contacts.

Backworth Colliery Band is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Griffiths as Resident Musical Director.

Tony has been a frequent guest conductor with the band over recent years, and we know he will continue the band’s tradition of development and take us forward from the successes we achieved at DCBBA and Butlins in 2008/9.

Tony offers extensive experience as a player, band trainer, and conductor, and we look forward to a rewarding and enjoyable partnership.

We can also confirm that Duncan Beckley has been engaged as Professional Conductor for 2010 Butlins contest and 2010 Area contests. Tony will conduct the Borders Entertainment Contest and Durham League this autumn, and work with Duncan to prepare for 2010.

The Band completed a very busy few days with 3 concerts in 4 days – 6th August at Dalston Summer Fayre, 8th August on the Road March for Hartlepool Headland Carnival, and yesterday the 9th August at Saltwell Park in front of several hundred keen picnickers and brass band afficionados.

The Band gave a very polished evening performance at Dalston, its second year at the Fayre, this time under the expert baton of guest conductor Graeme Tindall. Graeme, resident conductor of Championship section Felling Band, very kindly took the band in rehearsal and for the Dalston concert and was measurably pleased with the results achieved, notably the band’s evident improvement and the development of the younger players. The evening also featured legendary guest percussionist and memory man Bob Stephenson - the band’s very own Gene Kelly – thrilling audience and band alike in his unique interpretation of “Singing in the Rain”. Our thanks to Graeme and Bob.

Saturday saw the Band take part in the Hartlepool Carnival procession, playing on the march over the Headland’s one and half mile route. A testing engagement, given the distance and localised heatwave, but the Band lived up to its “any weather, any distance” reputation and the roar of the cheering crowds more than made up for blisters and sore shoulders as the Band blew through the march pad.

We’re now looking forward to our next engagements – at Hexham Bandstand on 15th, Walkworth Show on 22nd, and back to Saltwell Park Bandstand on Sunday 23rd August.

Well done to those who marched at Durham Gala on Saturday.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable day with many positive comments - from those associated with the band, and also from the general public who came up to us to remark how well we played and how good we looked in our “purple and gold”. Thanks also go to our friends at the Lodge who were especially pleased.

A bracing road march around Hetton – and what seemed like several other villages too – and then competent playing and marching through Durham. Playing at every opportunity this year added to the enjoyment and, coupled with near-telepathic footwork in its marching, the Band did a great job in baking heat.

Our rendition of “Sing” went down very well outside the County, as did the mixture of traditional marches and a few jazzers thrown in elsewhere - “Reet Petite” and “The Muppets” introduced some swing as Sadler Street turned into downtown New Orleans.

Special thanks to “our director” or “officer of the day” Stephen for his batonwork, Nicola for keeping us in order, and Catherine and her team behind the scenes in the library.

Thanks to all concerned.