Cornwall Youth Brass Band
Band Brest an Yowynkneth Kernow
WINTER NEWSLETTER 2018.
FROM THE CHAIRMAN.
The Christmas Course and Concert was again a great success, despite the Band being smaller than in previous years, but again we were treated to a Concert of the highest quality.
Following on from the Course we recently played at the Cornwall Brass Band Association’s Festival of Brass which was a great advert for the CYBB with many appreciative comments having been made regarding the performance. We now look forward to the challenges of the Easter Course which will be led by the husband and wife team of Glyn and Helen Williams. Having heard some of the music at rehearsals it should be a most enjoyable course.
Christmas was the final Course after 16 years for our librarian Lyn Blight and we thank her for her work over that time.
We are grateful to Darren Hawken and his team of tutors who work so hard in the build up to the course to ensure the Band is well prepared when our guests arrive.
I am confident that our young members are getting the very best direction the Brass Band world has to offer, and I am sure it can only be of value to the players as they return to their parent Bands.
With the Area Contest just around the corner I wish all CYBB players and their Bands every success.
Brian Minear
FROM Dr STEPHEN COBB.
Dear Brian,
It was a joy and privilege to be with the band last week !
You will know that I have a genuine affection for the CYBB and being with
the group again was as rewarding as on the last occasion. Having PHILIP as
the soloist was too, something that made the course special for me.
A sincere thank you to you and your team for making us feel welcome and
looking after us as you did. Please pass on our thanks to Darren and Robert
and the team of Tutors. Once again, it was a lovely experience for us, and
I hope the members of the Band found it rewarding too.
I wish you and the Band continued success, and if there is anything I can
do to support, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Best wishes for 2018,
Steve
THOUGHTS FROM OUR PRINCIPAL CORNET ON THE CHRISTMAS COURSE.
This year’s Christmas course was a great experience. We may have been a smaller band but the standard of playing was certainly great. Under the direction of Dr Stephen Cobb we were all put through our paces with his intense rehearsals. With a challenging programme the band where looking forward to getting stuck in. Steve’s passion for music pushed us but the band soaked it all up and delivered a fantastic performance. It was also a pleasure to premiere a Cornish piece written by Paul Saggers. This piece stretched the band but Steve knew there was a performance within it.
It was also a pleasure to perform alongside Steve’s son Philip. His solo playing inspired us all on both trumpet and cornet. High notes, low notes, fast playing, or slow playing this man showed us how it’s done. It was also very interesting to find out how Philip made it to the top. This included playing in many local brass bands with his family along with youth bands.
Over these few days we have all learnt more skills to transfer to our own bands and have become better players. We are all very grateful for Steve and Philip’s time and this is an experience we will all treasure.
Grace Denford.
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NEW TRUSTEES.
We are delighted to welcome Jason Smith and Andrew Teague as Trustees of the Band. A former member, Jason met his wife Tracey, who is also a Trustee, in the Band and their two Children, Morwenna and Elliot are current members. Another former member of the Band, Andrew is well known as Organiser of The West of England Bandsmen’s Festival, his daughter Lia is currently a member.
We are sorry that Marcus Dunstan, Matthew Julian and Megan Thomas have stepped down as Trustees and thank them for their support over the years. Our Librarian, Lyn Blight, has retired after many years service organising our extensive Library and resigned as a Trustee. She receives our thanks for her dedicated service and we were pleased to make a Presentation to her at the Christmas Concert.
NEW TUTORS. Two former members of the Band, Vivian Hawkey and Kevin Ackford have joined our Tutoring Team. Vivian is currently a member of Camborne Town Band and Kevin conducts Pendennis Brass as well as playing occasionally with St Dennis.
Sean Hooper is also joining us a Percussion Tutor in succession to John Mitchell, who has stepped down after many years service, for which we thank him.
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THE CYBB IS GOOD FOR YOU.
Many members of the CYBB were in action with their Parent Bands at the second Cornish Festival of Brass, another very successful venture by the Cornwall Brass Band Association at Newquay on Saturday February 3rd. Fourteen Cornish Bands, including the CYBB took part in the Festival, each playing a 30 minute Programme on a non competitive basis. A large audience enjoyed a wide selection of music, with very few repeats, in the relaxed atmosphere.
Very few of the Bands did not contain past of the CYBB, for instance, at least six members of the Helston Town Band have enjoyed CYBB membership in the past, including Horn player and Deputy Conductor Keith Busby, who attended the first CYBB Residential Course at Porthpean in1959. Several CYBB musicians played with 3 Bands, helping out other Bands as well as performing with CYBB and their Parent Band.
It is not just in Cornwall that many of our past talented CYBB musicians continue their playing and music careers. At the recent prestigious Brass Band Festival at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester no less than four of the six Bands from the World Top Ten List who gave Concerts, Foden’s, Tredegar, Cory and Black Dyke, included among their players former CYBB Musicians.
There was the World Premiere of a major new piece by Christopher Bond, Corineus, played by the Cory Band, conducted by Philip Harper. Christopher is Composer in Residence at the Cory Band, number one in the world and first met Philip Harper when he was Guest Conductor on a CYBB Course. Likewise Daniel Hall had a World Premiere performed by Tredegar Band, conducted by Ian Porthouse, who played his new composition, Sanctuary. Daniel first met Ian when he was Guest Conductor on a CYBB Course and Ian has commissioned several works from Daniel since then.
In addition his Smoke Sketches, which was commissioned for the National Youth Brass Band Championships last year, were performed by the winners, Wardle Academy Youth Band.
Elland Silver Youth Band, another Youth Band appearing at the Festival provided a further example of CYBB connections when they repeated the Programme which won them the Title of European Intermediate Youth Brass Band Champions last year. Their first item was by Goff Richards, an early member of the CYBB, followed by a piece by past member Simon Dobson. Their set Test Piece was The Little Suite No. 2 by Malcolm Arnold, written voluntarily by Sir Malcolm for the CYBB in 1967, when he conducted the Band in its first performance. In addition it was Malcolm Arnold who arranged for the publication of Goff’s march Quest, his first published composition.
So it goes on, the Royal Marines Band Service has many former CYBB musicians in its Ranks and in the Orchestral world, the Principal Trombone, Bryon Fulcher, of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Graham Sibley, Principal Tuba, of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Jamie Prophet, Principal Trumpet of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra are all past members. In the academic world the CYBB is also well represented, for instance Mark David is Head of Brass at The Royal Academy of Music.
Ask any of the several hundred past musicians of the Band listed on the CYBB Web Site (www.cybb.co.uk) if they enjoyed and appreciated their time in the Band and the answer will be a resounding yes. With their early teaching, usually provided like their instruments, free of charge in their local Cornish Parent Band, whose support is invaluable, providing a valuable basis on which to progress, their added membership of the CYBB opened up new opportunities to meet new friends, and improve their musicianship. In addition comes the opportunity to play under and with the finest Conductors and Soloists in the Brass Band world.
So whether you play for a satisfying hobby or hope to progress to a professional music career, there is no doubt the CYBB is good for you, so make sure you let everyone know what they are missing.
Congratulations to two other former CYBB Members, Adam Delbridge Smith and Tom Smith who have both been awarded places to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, which they will take up in September.
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LOOKING AHEAD.
For our Easter Course this year we will be joined by experienced Conductor and Principal Euphonium of the Cory Band, Glynn Williams as Guest Conductor, with his wife Helen, Flugel Horn of the Cory Band as Guest Soloist. The Easter Course will be held from Friday 30th March to Monday 2nd April, with the Gala Concert at St Michael’s Church in Newquay at 7pm on the 2nd.
EASTER CONCERT.
Please support the CYBB by attending the Concert at 7pm on the 2 nd April at St Michael’s Church, Newquay and encouraging as many others as you can to come along as well. The Programme will consist of the music the Band will be studying on the Course and will consist of several of items from the Prizewinning Programme played by the Cory Band in their winning performance at the 2016 Brass in Concert Championships. Among her Solo’s Helen Williams will be playing the lovely piece written for her by Philip Harper, A Little Star Went Out, which won her the Best Flugel Award on the day.
AUDITIONS for prospective members.
Why not invite your friends to come and join the Band. We will be holding Auditions and an Open Rehearsal for new musicians from 1-30pm on Sunday 1 st April, during the Easter Course, for those wishing to join us for our next season in September. We have another exciting season lined up and hope that you will encourage many of them to join you in the Band, you know how good it is, so why not tell them. There is nothing like personal recommendation, so over to you. More information about the Band, joining details and Auditions are on our Web Site, www.cybb.co.uk
INFORMATION NEEDED.
We are lucky to have extensive Archives and thanks to Robert Kitchen our Treasurer
and to our Archivist Tony Mansell, who transferred them to the CYBB Web Site, they are available for all to view and consult. However the early 1990’s are the one period where records are somewhat sketchy.
We have recently become aware of what was called an End of Season Concert held on 5th April 1992 at The Atlantic Hotel, Newquay and a Non Residential Course held at Daniell Road Music Centre in Truro, on 28 th/29th/30th December in 1993, with the Concert also taking place at the Atlantic Hotel, both of which we had no previous knowledge.
If any former Member or Parent or Guardian or reader has any information or Programmes reading these events, or any other around this time, we would be most grateful to hear from them, so that we can complete the Archive. If you can help please get in touch Robert Kitchen at the Administration Contact address below.
TWITTER & FACEBOOK.
Our successful Twitter Account continues to build up an impressive list of followers, well over 1000 at the moment, including many well known names in the brass band world.
The address is @Thecybb please follow it and make use of it as much as you can.
The Band also has a Facebook page, facebook.com/TheCYBB. Keep an eye on it.
FRIENDS OF THE CORNWALL YOUTH BRASS BAND. We are always pleased to welcome new Friends of the Band, even though everyone connected to the Band is a Volunteer, we still need to ensure a regular income to continue our work for your benefit. Please ask Relatives or anyone you know to consider helping us in this way. Our formal details about the Scheme are below.
Why not become a Friend of the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, which is a self-funding charity. 100% of every £1 you donate will help our young musicians. All our trustees and local tutors give their time to the band entirely without charge.
It is an expensive business running two four-day residential courses for the band, directed by eminent conductors, one at Christmas and one at Easter, to say nothing of the cost of music, percussion instruments and other essentials. We are, therefore, always grateful for donations to help us provide the best possible and most stimulating musical experiences we can for our young musicians.
Ways in which you can be a Friend
- Set up a standing order
- Make a one-off donation
- Make a gift aid declaration, if you are a UK taxpayer, and enable us to claim 25p from the government for every £1 you donate at no cost to you.
As a Friend, you will be entitled to receive our email Winter and Summer Newsletters to keep you up to date with news about the band and its activities. Your donation will be acknowledged in our Concert Programmes. “
Full details of how to make a donation can be found on the CYBB Web Site, www.cybb.co.uk
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CYBB..........is on our Web Site, www.cybb.co.uk
Also, Twitter, @Thecybb.
And Facebook, facebook.com/theCYBB
CYBB Administration contact, Robert Kitchen, 01752 847627. mail@rgckitchen.eclipse.co.uk
MUSIC matters contact, Lead Conductor Darren Hawken, 07817 504036. drhawken@hotmail.com
Please pass this Newsletter on to your Parents and Guardians and anyone else you feel may be interested.
CORNWALL YOUTH BRASS BAND.
President John Berryman
Trustees Brian Minear (Chairman) Robert Kitchen (Treasurer) Phillip Hunt Darren Hawken Tracey Smith Jason Smith Andrew Teague Hannah Hawken Helen Rowe Lee Rouse
A Company limited by guarantee Registered in England Company Number 5796499
Registered Charity Number 1116586 Registered Office Boskessy, Cargreen, Saltash Cornwall PL12 6PA
Founded 1955 www.cybb.co.uk