Watford Band

At last Tuesday's rehearsal Watford Band had a visit from two very fine young musicians from The Purcell School.

Henry Linsay, BBC Young Musician of Year Brass Finalist, and Tristan Button spent an hour with the band showing off their musical talents.

Both Henry and Tristan are in the sixth form with Tristan sitting his final 'A' levels before leaving for conservatoire.

Henry, a tuba player, is a member of the National Youth Orchestra. He will be performing the Tuba solo "Bass in the Ballroom", composed by Roy Newsome, at the forthcoming "Last Night at the Proms" concert. This is being held at the Watford Girls Grammar School on Wednesday evening 2nd July. This concert is a joint effort between Watford Band and the school to raise money for the charity, Samaritans.

Tristan plays trumpet and cornet and is in his final year at the Purcell School and the Guildhall School of Music awaits his talents in September.

Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion at the school, Kevin Hathway, was delighted that Henry and Tristan had been to Watford Band's rehearsal and hoped this was just the beginning of a close relationship between the school and the band. Experience within the brass band fraternity could only enhance the technique and musicianship of his young pupils.

While the football club's fate is several weeks from being sealed, one team from Watford has already secured promotion this year.

Watford Band has moved up to the third tier of the UK national brass band league tables, following a successful performance of Rodney Newton's Four Cities Symphony.

The band now finds itself top of the London and South East region Fourth Section Bands table, which includes 36 groups in total.

Conducted by their new musical director, Richard Graves, the band gave a performance described by the adjudicator as "musical and well presented". "4BarsRest" described the performance as a mature performance with a fine lady solo cornet player leading their line well. ‘Rome’ was the Achilles heel though and must have robbed them of valuable marks against some well controlled outer movements.

This is the first time the band has reached this level, and follows their qualification for the UK National Championships two years ago.

The band had 3 new players assisting them with this success; Mike Willis on EEb bass and Julian Windross and Glyn Hughes on Trombone. The band's ex Musical Director, Martyn France, also played completing the line up for the the trombone section which was descibed as "senitive" in their playing of the the testpiece by the adjudicator.

Amy Cross, the leader of the Development Band, held a “Have Blow Session” last Thursday at 6.00 p.m.

These sessions are designed for all age groups who wish to learn to play a brass instrument. The event was fairly successful with several young persons turning up for the experience.

Although initially they found it difficult to get the right sound Amy persevered and had several successes.

Three more sessions will be held, from 24th January then the period 6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. will be earmarked for basic learners.

Following these sessions the Development Band which comprises of more advance learners will commence for an hour until the main band stars its rehearsal at 8.00 p.m.

The band have been awarded a grant of £10,000 from the Awards for All Big Lottery fund.

This will enable the band to purchade a full set of new cornets which will release more instruments for the Development Band.

The band's Treasurer, Alan Pearce, said this money from the lottery combined with the the recent grant of £3,300 from the Herts Community Local Network Fund will fund 2 basses, a flugel and nine cornets. This means in addition to some cornets now available to learners the band will also have 2 tubas available.

The Chairman Dave Thomas reported that the funding will enable the band to move forward with its development and progress and with Richard Graves now officially nominated as the Musical Director of the band the standard of the band would only get better. Dave expressed his and the band members thanks to Alan Pearce for the time spent in getting this funding and for his perseverance after the disappointemnts he had had over the past 2 years in failed applications.

Alan Pearce, the Band's treasurer is pleased to announce an award of £3,357 has been granted by the Hertfordshire Community Foundation for the band's "Blow and Grow" project.

This award will allow the band to purchase 3 new cornets which will then release additional instruments for the band's ever growing Development Band.

Local Network Fund is an initiative resulting from the Government's Every Child Matters Strategy which aims to improve outcomes for all children and young people. These aims are also shared by the development band where those young persons who cannot neccessarily afford the cost of equipment and tuition are given opportunities to learn a musical skill at a nominal cost.

The LNF scheme is now closed but in the 5 years it has run it has granted over £2m to 400 community projects in Hertfordshire.