The Youth Band in seventh heaven

BandNotes

Beaumaris Band Newsletter Winter 2013

More than a coat of paint!

Getting back together after the summer holidays is always an exciting time for the Youth Band and this year was no exception. New seats were lled once again as the almost annual inux of new members were promoted from the Intermediate Band but this year there was a new conductor to contend with too as Gwyn Evans took the baton with the Youth Band. Gwyn, as the bands Musical Director, is certainly no stranger to the Youth band members, and, as he teaches the vast majority of them individually too, the band knew they were going to be pushed to the limits of their musical ability in a good way, of course! And so it was as the band prepared for the North Wales Rally, a competition Beaumaris Youth Band can almost consider its own having won the previous six titles. However, winning wasnt foremost on Gwyns mind, as the bands MD, he wanted to test the band musically and so chose a cracking Test Piece for them to play; Stuart Johnsons Landscapes. The piece is very close to Gwyns heart as it is the piece with which Gwyn led Seindorf Beaumaris to the National Championships of Great Britain Fourth Section title in 1991 it also gives you some idea of the challenge facing the young musicians! But that wasnt enough of a challenge for Gwyn. With a few too many cornet players in the band, a handful of musicians were asked if they would be willing to swap their instruments. Cornets were swapped for baritones and basses as the musicians crossed over and to

their huge credit, these musicians took to their new instruments straight away. Weeks of hard work and hours of rehearsals paid off as the band took to the stage in Venue Cymru, Llandudno. The hymn chosen for the competition was Eventide, a hymn many of the football mad youngsters recognised as the FA Cup Final hymn, Abide With Me and the playing was sublime, sending more than one member of the audience looking for a tissue. And then it was time to treat the audience to the chosen Test Piece. Gwyn had described Landscapes as a good old blow a typical Evans understatement but the Youth Band gave their all for the whole 12 minutes of playing coming off stage both exhausted and exhilarated. As well as winning the GD Thelwell Youth Cup for the Best Hymn, the Band also collected the Llandudno Town Council Trophy for the Best Test Piece for the seventh successive year. Pippa Scourse, the bands principal cornet player collected the Trophy for Best Soloist, a trophy which has the names of several Beaumaris Band members past and present etched onto its side, one of which is a certain Mr B. Gwilliam, the Senior Bands Soprano Cornet player. Which brings the whole competition full circle and puts everything in perspective. Its safe to say that the attitude, spirit and performances shown by the Youth Band over the last few months, means that the future of Seindorf Beaumaris Band is alive and well and in very safe hands.

Anyone who has visited the Bandroom recently will have noticed that there has been a great upheaval. Unfortunately, it came to light before the summer that emergency work was required to treat a dry rot problem which would cause considerable damage if left untreated. As you all know, the Bandroom is the heartbeat of our organisation with all members visiting at least once a week. And with over 100 members in our Band, the Bandroom is an extremely busy place! As the experts came to explore the problem further it was quite frightening to hear that the total cost of the repairs would amount to over 40,000. As the Bandroom is a vital part of the Band's existence and such an important part of the community, the Committee were unanimous when deciding that the work had to be done. The Bandroom had to be saved, not only for the current crop of musicians, but for all future members of the band too. Numerous builders came and went as they, quite literally, raised the roof ... and the windows ... and the oor!

With every renovation there was trepidation that more work would be required and another cost would be added to the bill. The work nished in early November and the Bandroom is now back to its usual splendour with all the old photographs, pennants and certicates taking pride of place once more. But despite the repair work coming to an end, the hard work of fundraising continues. Should you wish to contribute in any way shape or form to the fundraising effort, please get in touch, we are incredibly grateful of any help we receive.

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A Note from Fred

The highs and lows of competing

2013 has been a strange year of competing for Beaumaris Band as they have experienced the best ... and the worst of brass banding. The year started with a relatively disappointing result in the Welsh Open Championships at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. For the fourth time in ve competitions, Beaumaris were drawn to open the contest. And despite a solid performance on the stage, the adjudicator obviously wasn't convinced as Beaumaris were placed sixth one place behind British and European Champions, Cory. Normally, nishing one place behind the Ton Pentre based band is quite an achievement ... but not this time! The result also meant the band wouldn't have the opportunity to play at the Royal Albert Hall for the third year in succession. But the band managed to put the disappointment behind them and move on to the next competition, the All England Masters International in Kettering in May. Bands are invited to compete at the Masters based on their World Ranking and recent contest performances, and this was only Beaumaris' second ever appearance. Amongst the opposition were former European Champions, Willebroek of Belgium, Welsh Champions, Tongwynlais and reigning Masters Champions, Tredegar. But it was Beaumaris who swayed the adjudicators with their interpretation of A Kensington Concerto by Philip Ball and the Masters Trophy was on its way to Anglesey as Beaumaris were crowned champions. Having reached the highs of being crowned champions of the All England, there was disappointment to come in the next competition; the British Open at Birmingham Symphony Hall. The open is the oldest, most prestigious and, some might say, the most competitive competition in the Brass Band calendar
Once again, Beaumaris were drawn to open the contest ... the fth time in seven contests! But despite the early start, the band were relatively happy with their performance of Stephen Roberts' Arabian Nights. Unfortunately, the adjudicators did not agree with the band's assessment with Beaumaris being placed last of the 17 competing bands. Having put in so much hard work over the summer months, it really was a hard result for the band to take, especially after experiencing the joys of winning at the All England Masters. The two contest results - at polar opposites to each other put into perspective how much commitment is required and how hard it is to compete at the very highest level of brass banding ... and also shows how much an adjudicator's interpretation of a piece can be so key to a contest result. It's been a year of change for the Senior Band this year too as we bade farewell to several members who set off to study at various Colleges and Universities around the British Isles. And as well as those starting their student adventures we also said farewell to two members who were leaving to join the army as members of the Royal Music Corps. We would like to wish them all the very best in the future but hope they will pop by the bandroom to say hello when they come home for their holidays!

"The conveyor belt of musical talent is alive and well in Beaumaris!"

2013 has been another busy year for the Beaumaris Band family. As you can see from this newsletter, we have more fabulous trophies to add to our trophy cabinet in the Bandroom ... and more dusting for somebody! With more than 100 members in our family of bands I can safely say that we will experience even more success in years to come. The Junior and Intermediate Bands are going from strength to strength and the Bandroom is a hive of enthusiastic energy every Monday night. And nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing those young musicians develop and progress from playing in the Monday night bands to play in the Youth Band and then on to the Senior Band. Looking at the picture on this page from the success at the All England International Masters it's a fabulous feeling to see so many faces who have progressed through the youth system in Beaumaris. The town of Beaumaris and island of Anglesey can be very proud of a brass band which nurtures and develops its young musicians. As you know, the Bandroom has undergone quite a lot costly building work over the last few months. I would like to thank Maldwyn Williams for managing the whole project and seeing the work through. We could never have managed it without his hard work. We are also extremely grateful for the very kind and generous donations we have received but unfortunately we are some way off achieving our fundraising target. There will be several fundraising activities in the New Year and I would like to thank you all in advance for all the support we always receive from the parents, relatives and friends of the bands. The support is incredible and I can assure you that we do not take that support for granted. In fact, it is this support which has kept us going as we have watched the Bandroom being taken apart and rebuilt! Without your support, the band would have disappeared a long time ago! Merry Christmas to you all!

100 Club
Don't forget about the Beaumaris Band 100 club. 4 per month by Standing Order with half the monies going to the band's funds and the other half going into the prize fund. Contact:
Dr Bob Young (100 Club), 52 Cae Mair, Beaumaris (01248) 810057

Fred