News Page 2007
December 2007
December was an incredibly busy month for the band with four Christmas concerts in just seven days plus a number of private functions with small groups of players! It started on Saturday the 8th with our regular Christmas concert at Badsey Church. The band used our new set of stand lights for the first time & they proved to be very useful. The band played a varied concert of tradition carols for the almost capacity audience to sing & a number of lighter seasonal pieces.
Three days later on the Tuesday saw the regular Lions concert take place in a new venue, the Methodist Church. It also saw our first concert of the season with the Arts Centre Choir. The concert & venue proved to be a great success so much so the band is already booked for next year!
Two days later on the 13th (probably the coldest day of the year?) the band played at the Rotary Christmas concert at the Bengeworth Church. Another really good night with the Evesham Ladies Choir & the Evesham Ladies Barber Shop Choir. A packed audience were really entertained & experienced/participated in a 'unique' version of "Twelve Days of Christmas"! Those lucky enough to be there will know what we mean, those who were not there ….....….will have to wait until next year!!!
On Saturday the 15th saw the band as guests of the Arts Centre Choir at their Christmas concert at their home venue, The Evesham Arts centre. (One of the bands favourite venues) Both choir & band entertained the audience with carols & seasonal music. The highlight for the band was a light hearted Bass Quartet called "There is nothing like a Dame" from the musical South Pacific. Our 4 players were Allan Robbins, Ken Smith, Tom Cook & Kevin Hamby who were resplendent in their little sailor hats! (IF THERE IS PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THIS EVENT PLEASE CONTACT THIS WEBSITE!)
The
Saturday before Christmas saw the band playing carols for shoppers in
Evesham Town centre. Due to various reasons the band has not played
carols in the street at Christmas for a number of years, but this year
we were invited to play once more. We think the people of the town appreciated
the music because they were very generous with their donations. There
are some photographs of the carol playing on the photographs page.
Sunday 25th November 2007
West
Midlands Brass Band Association
Annual
Conest, Leamington Spa
Seven other high quality third section bands arrived at Leamington for the WMBBA Third Section, Own Choice Test Piece contest. An Own Choice Contest is where each band picks a test piece that they feel will show off their best attributes rather than each band playing the same prescribed test piece.
Playing were Leicestershire Co-op and Arrow Valley Bands, both will be playing in the second section next year. The current leaders of the third section, The Matlock Band along with City of Birmingham and Warwick University ranked 4th and 5th respectively were all there. So this really was the elite of the Midlands third and in some cases second section bands.
Avonbank had chosen to play last years third section Regional test
piece 'Prelude and Jubilate', composed by Darrol Barry.
Drawn number three Avonbank took the stage feeling reasonably confident
of putting on a good performance. But, the band and M.D. Nick Smith
left the stage very disappointed feeling the acoustics of the hall had
caught them out causing them to play too quietly and splitting a number
of entries! FAB member Eric Green who was in the audience said he thought
it sounded pretty good but the band was not happy! (Nick Smith was even
less happy!!)
So they awaited the results with more than a little trepidation and expected to be placed well down the field! The adjudicator, David Horsfield spoke to the audience telling them that some bands "Over blew, causing bad tuning"…......…. Could it be…? Surly not? He then mentioned Prelude & Jubilate saying "What a difficult piece to play"! Perhaps there was a chance…..??
Then the results : In third place, with 177 points............ Avonbank!!
For a few moments………….. Nothing! Then to coin a
phrase… the crowd went wild!
Second was Leicester Co-op who as mentioned are to be promoted with
179 points and the winners were Rushden Windmill Band with 180 points.
Rushden have been in good form winning their last contest in Leicester
with the same test piece and had won here off a number one draw so real
congratulations go to them.
The remarks from the adjudicator, who coincidently was the adjudicator at the Area contest in March this year mentioned a few of our slips but praised the sensitive rendition Avonbank gave him. His criticisms were constructive and remarkably similar to the remarks he gave us at the Area! This shows he really knows his music to be so consistent.
So from disappointment to elation. Avonbank were still slightly disappointed with their performance but appreciate that the adjudicator found qualities that they had missed.
A great result!
Saturday 27th October 2007
Autumn Concert - Evesham Arts Centre.
Anyone who thought about coming to the Autumn concert at the Evesham Arts Centre but didn't turn up missed a fantastic night. With the auditorium almost full there was a great atmosphere. The band was on great form and our guests The McCarthy-Felton Irish Dancers totally enthralled the audience with their beautiful dancing. The mix of brass playing & Irish dancing really worked & made a memorable spectacle especially the finale when the dancers joined the band on stage for a spectacular performance of Riverdance.
Another great night at the Art Centre, check out the Band Diary page to find our next concert.
Sunday 6th September 2007
The Oxfordshire & District Brass Band Association Entertainment Contest
Section A
1. Avonbank (Evesham) Brass Band, Nick Smith
2. Hook Norton Brass Band, J Barrie
3. Yarnton, G James
4. Abbey Brass Training Band, R Tomkins
Presentation / Deportment Prize - Avonbank (Evesham) Brass Band
Best Instumentalist - Stephen Lane - Avonbank (Evesham) Brass Band
Open Section
1.
Brackley & District Band, D Richards
2. Avonbank (Evesham) Brass Band, Nick Smith
Presentation / Deportment Prize - Avonbank (Evesham) Brass Band
What
a good day it was for Avonbank in Oxford. We took the first prize in
Section 'A' which was for 3rd, 4th section & unregistered bands.
Stephen Lane took the soloist trophy & the band also took the deportment
prize. Originally there was only one section in the Open Section. Brackley
& District Band who are a 1st section band! Avonbank made a late
entry to make a contest of it & ran Brackley very close. Our performance
was very well received & we were once again awarded the deportment
prize.
Three special mentions here. First for Dave Birch our solo euphonium
player for the day, his Mother was taken ill on the morning of the contest
& he couldn't make it. So Jenny Pritchard shouldered responsibility
of solo euphonium in Section 'A' & did a great job. For the open
Brackley solo Euphonium player offered to step in & play for us.
We would like to thank Eric Young & the Brackley Band for
their fantastic sporting attitude.
The Wychavon Entertainment Contest - Sunday 6th September 2007
Third Section - Adjudicator John Berriman
1.Wem Jubilee Band (Roger Thorne) – 184
2. Blaenavon Town (N/K) – 183
3. Arrow Valley Brass (David Stanley) – 182
4. Cubbington Silver (Paul Johnson) – 180
5. Avonbank
(Evesham) Band (Nick Smith) – 179
6. Audley Brass (Clive Fox) – 178
7. AW Parker (Drybrook) Band – (Kevin White) – 177
The
Weston Super Mare 39th Annual Brass Band Contest Sunday 20th May
Third Section:
Adjudicator: Colin Hardy
1.
Blaenavon Town, Gareth Ritter - 184
2. Avonbank (Evesham) Brass, Nick Smith - 183
3. Leicestershire Co-op, Graham Jacklin - 181
4. Verwood Concert Brass, David Johnson - 180
5. Pillowell Silver, Colin Hogg - 179
6. Severn Tunnel, Andrea Ayres - 177
7. Totnes, Ian Wilkinson - 175
Best
Basses in Section: Avonbank (Evesham) Brass
An excellent
day was had by all. The Band played well and were very happy
to walk away with not only a cup for second place but also a shield
for
the best Bass section in the section!!!!
2007
Midlands Regionals - Burton on Trent
Adjudicators:
David Horsfield and Steve Pritchard-Jones
Test
piece:
Prelude and Jubilate, Darrol Barry
1
WEM Jubilee R. Thorne 182
2 Matlock R. Jepson 181
3 Wellington (Telford) S. Curtis 180
4 Leicestershire Co-op G. Jacklin 179
5 University of Warwick S. Hogg 178
6 Bakewell Silver M. Wilcockson 177
7 Avonbank (Evesham) N. Smith 176
8 Arrow Valley Brass A. Culshaw 175
9 City of Birmingham W. Belshaw 174
10 Rushden Windmill R. Graves 173
11 Newhall M. Phillips 172
12 Dronfield CMW A. Tyler 171
13 Audley Brass C. Fox 170
14 Kirkby Colliery Welfare S. Berrill 169
15 Moulton ‘77 H. Gibbs 168
16 Malvern Hills District M. West 167
withdrawn - Syston D. Powell - -
Avonbank gave a good account playing the Darrol Barry test piece. The
two adjudicators eventually placed Avonbank in a creditable 7th place.
Congratulations
go to Wem band who came first.