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Archive News |
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Click here for News from 2008 Click here for News from 2007 Click here for News from 2006
1st December 2009 Wraysbury Jazz Club Christmas Concert
Staines Brass has their first Christmas Concert
of 2009 this coming Sunday 6th December at the Wraysbury Village
Hall. The band has performed for the Wraysbury Music Society for
many years but this year the event is being hosted by the
Wraysbury Jazz Club.
22nd November 2009 Rainy Reindeer Parade Despite the somewhat heavy rain, there was a large crowd of spectators for the Reindeer Parade organised by Staines Partnership at the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre. After providing carols & a few other festive favourites, Staines Brass marched up High Street to collect Father Christmas & his reindeer before leading the parade back.
18th November 2009 Reindeer Parade Details Staines Brass will be playing outside the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre from 10.40 am before marching up High Street towards Debenhams to the lead the Reindeer Parade back to the Elmsleigh.
18th November 2009 A World Premiere
On Saturday 14th November, Melvin and Susan White travelled North to do a concert in Stranraer, Scotland (Susan’s home town). The event had been organised by Stranraer Music for All in memory of Susan’s mum, a former committee member. The Kirkintilloch Band accompanied her solos as well as displaying some fine playing in their own pieces under Melvin’s direction. They were delighted to be joined by composer Rodney Newton, pictured on the left with Susan and Melvin, who Susan had commissioned to write a work for the event. The resulting “Three Burns Portraits” received its world premiere on the evening. A good concert was had by all and was greeted with great enthusiasm from the audience.
14th October 2009 Christmas Concert
It won't be long until everyone is getting into the festive mood & before you know it, Christmas Day will be upon us! To help you get your Christmas cheer, come along to Staines Brass' annual Christmas Concert at St Peter's Church, Staines on Thursday 17th December. Tickets are priced at just £7 & are available on the door. The concert starts at 7.30pm & we hope to see you there to add some voices to the carols!
14th October 2009 Reindeer Parade Staines Brass have been asked to lead the Staines Partnership Reindeer Parade again this year on Sunday 22nd November. The parade proceeds along the High Street & the band will entertain shoppers outside the appropriately named Elmsleigh Shopping Centre with Christmas carols. The parade is expected to set off at 11.00 am.
27th September 2009 Testimonial Match at Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC
Paul Has played for the Ashford Town (Middlesex) Football Club since the summer of 1990 & as it is extremely rare that a player should devote so many years of service to a single club, they decided to stage a football match against Tottenham Hotspur Legends in honour of him.
16th September 2009 Proms Comes To St Peter's On Saturday 12th September, Staines Brass gave their own version of the 'Last Night of the Proms' at St Peter's Church in Staines. After opening the evening's concert with Purcell's 'Trumpet Tune & Air', the band continued with a traditional overture, Sullivan's 'Yeoman of the Guard'. After several traditional pieces, including 'Bugler's Holiday' featuring Pete Daniels, Ian Graves & Jason Pickin, the band turned it's hand to playing a few jazz/swing/big band numbers. These included Susan White performing 'Dizzie Lizzie' on trombone. After the interval, it was time for the flag waving to commence. The audience seem to enjoy the 'proms' element which included 'Jerusalem', the hornpipe from 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs', 'Nimrod' & the 'Can Can'. Of course, a proms concert wouldn't be complete without 'Pomp & Circumstance No 1'. During the interval, the 'Friends' prize draw took place. Go to the 'Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band' page to see who the lucky winners of the Autumn draw were. Membership is just £20 for the year & you'll be entered into the prize draw 4 times with a chance to win a 1st prize of £100.
16th September 2009 Another Wedding!
The band's Euphonium player Neil Wharton certainly kept quiet about his recent nuptials to Mel at the beginning of the month. The new Mr & Mrs Wharton certainly looked like they had a great day & everyone at band wishes them all the very best! Even if we didn't get an invite! I wonder if any other bands have had quite as members get married this year as we seem to have!
3rd September 2009 More Pomp & Circumstance
6th August 2009 Wedding Congratulations
4th August 2009 John O'Hara Becomes Bands' President
In his letter of acceptance, Councillor O’Hara, who has supported the bands for many years, wrote that he was deeply honoured & touched that the bands wished him to serve as their President. He added that although he is not a ‘musical person’ he was learning the “Staines sound.” He also added that he is looking forward to getting involved with the bands in the months ahead. A band spokesman said that Staines Brass & Staines Lammas bands had enjoyed & appreciated Councillor O’Hara’s support over many years & the bands’ members were delighted that he had agreed to formalise this relationship by accepting the presidency, which he himself described as a ‘great honour.’ Councillor O’Hara is currently Deputy Mayor of Spelthorne.
11th July 2009 A Rainy Day in St James' Park
On Saturday 11th July, Staines Brass gave an afternoon concert for the Royal Parks, something that the band hasn't done for some time. The day's weather forecast looked bleak & at times, this proved to be the case. Although, there were many audience members who stuck round for the whole afternoon's entertainment. The band played a varied programme of traditional & popular pieces which seemed to be appreciated by the listeners who were getting better by the minute! Soloists for the day were Jo Matthews (Cornet), Jason Pickin (Trumpet), Neil Wharton (Euphonium), Susan White (Trombone) & Simon Lloyd (Eb Tuba). Other featured players were Ian Graves, Steve Kowalenko & Claire Howard (Cornets). Despite the weather, the band played well & thoroughly enjoyed performing for the Royal Parks & hope to make another appearance in 2010.
For more pictures,
click here
Rosemary & Roland Tetlow from Ashton-under-Lyne who are members of the 'Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band' stayed until the very end!
23rd June 2009 Summer Bandstand Favourites Staines Brass returned once more this year to St Peter's Church in Staines to host another evening of entertainment. The band was very honoured to have Lt Col Stuart Watts as their guest Musical Director who came up with a very entertaining programme. After opening with Henry VIII's 'Past Time & Good Company', the band then played 'The President'. This has got to be one of the most popular marches with the top bands who compete at the Whit Friday march contests in Saddleworth & Tameside. Keeping with the concert theme, Staines Brass moved onto bandstand favourites such as 'The Impresario', 'Strike Up The Band', 'Amazing Grace' & 'Cornet Carillon'. Soloists for the evening were Richard Pemberton (Flugel), Susan White (Trombone) & Jason Pickin (Cornet). The band finished with 'Orient Express' & then an encore of 'Emblem Of Unity'. It was a great evening made better by an appreciative audience with even a little whooping to be heard!! Many thanks to Stuart Watts for conducting the band in Melvin's absence. During the interval, the 'Friends' prize draw took place. Go to the 'Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band' page to see who the lucky winners of the Summer draw were. Somebody certainly seems to have picked a lucky number!! Don't forget, membership is just £20 for the year & you'll be entered into the prize draw 4 times with a chance to win a 1st prize of £100.
17th June 2009 Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas The next prize draw will be taking place this Saturday, the 20th June during the Summer Bandstand Favourites concert by Staines Brass. Please check back soon to see who the lucky winners are.
25th May 2009 Summer Bandstand Favourites
Commencing at 7.30pm the band will be performing a program of ‘Summer Bandstand Favourites’, which will include something for everyone. Tickets are priced at £7, £6 for 'Friends' members, & are available on door.
27th April 2009 Memorial Concert Last night's concert by Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band was a great success & raised £600 for the two chosen charities, Staines Shopmobility & DayBreak. The evening's entertainment began with the Staines Lammas Band, conducted by their Musical Director Glenn Hayter. During the band's set, they featured 3 members of the cornet section, Hugh Craig, Mark Parker & Paul Terrar. They gave a superb performance of 'Trumpets Wild' which went down well with the audience. Staines Brass performed after the interval with Melvin White at the helm. The featured soloist, by request, was the band's manager Jason Pickin. Being a welshman, it was apt that he chose the welsh traditional melody 'Watching The Wheat'! Many of the pieces performed during the evening's concert were picked by John O'Hara & it was very moving to hear some of his reasons behind these choices. One of these requested items was the march 'Fame & Glory' which was rendered by a massed band of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band to end the concert, with an encore of 'Radetzky March'.
28th March 2009 Another Wedding
22nd March 2009 Not Giving Up Hope Just Yet!! Sunday 22nd March was not the greatest of days for Staines Brass at the Regional Finals in Stevenage. The band were 9th to play out of a line-up of 12 bands. Normally, this draw is considered a good one but we were to play immediately after Redbridge Brass who were firm favourites to win the title yet again. Although the band had a rather nervy start & a few slips here & there, the overall sound of the band was well received by the audience. The result, however, did not reflect the band's performance & we finished 12th which seemed a little harsh. This is the opinion of many of the audience & several of our competition! But this is contesting!!! It can be quite a harsh world & if you're not going to finish in the top 3, there is a high risk that you can end up at the bottom. Unfortunately, the result means that Staines Brass will be relegated to the 1st section from January 2010 as even though we had a good result in 2008, the band's withdrawal from the competition in 2007 meant that we were already at the bottom of the table. The band will fight back though & will hopefully be back in the championship section just as soon as we can be. Who knows, maybe even by 2011!!!!
18th March 2009 Charity Concert in Memory of Diana O'Hara On Sunday 26th April, Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band will join forces in order to raise funds for two very important charities. This is the first time that the two bands have performed in a joint concert & it will be held at St Peter's Church, Laleham Road, Staines starting at 7.30pm. Back in January, we reported on the passing of Diana O'Hara, wife of the bands' Vice President. Diana was a very active member in the charitable organisations in Staines & the Borough of Spelthorne & it is two of these charities that will benefit from the night's entertainment. These two charities are Shopmobility Staines & Daybreak Respite Care Scheme, both of which Diana O'Hara was instrumental in establishing. Tickets are available from Shopmobility Staines, St Peter's Parish Office or by phone on 01784 455784. Priced at just £5, £3 for concessions, we hope the evening will be a roaring success.
5th March 2009 Winners Go to the 'Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band' page to see who the lucky winners of the Spring draw were. Don't forget, membership is just £20 for the year & you'll be entered into the prize draw 4 times with a chance to win a 1st prize of £100.
3rd March 2009 Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band Prize Draw The next prize draw will be taking place tomorrow night, Wednesday 4th March, during the bands' committee meeting. Please check back on Thursday to see who the lucky winners are.
24th February 2009 A Celebration of Love & Anniversaries A Valentines Concert was given by Staines Brass last Thursday, 19th February. With the prospect of too much "schmultz", the added theme of anniversaries rescued both the band & the audience from romance overload!! Amongst others, the band played renditions of 'A Carmen Fantasy', Mendelssohn's 'Ruy Blas', 'Porgy & Bess' & 'Cavatina'. Our guest Principal Cornet, Elaine Williams from the K M Medway Band, gave a beautiful rendition of 'My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose' & Richard Pemberton, Flugel Horn, with the help of John March on Bb Tuba, performed 'Loves Old Sweet Song'. After performing 'Wind Beneath My Wings', Susan White , Trombone, was joined by the rest of the section, Richard Tuddenham & Matt Gray, for Tom Jones' classic 'It's Not Unusual'. The final soloist of the evening was Neil Wharton who sounded stunning during his performance of 'Variations'. The band's final item was 'West Side Story' which of course is based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, probably the most romantic story ever written.
13th February 2009 Surprise Wedding News
2nd February 2009 Valentines Concert
24th January 2009 Wedding Congratulations
Everyone at Staines Brass would like to send their best wishes to our Flugel player Richard Pemberton & his fiancée Sheila as they tie the knot today. Congratulations to you both.
23rd January 2009 Welcome The band is delighted to welcome Ian Graves & Katie Baldwin to join the cornet section ahead of the regional finals. Both players bring a wealth of experience to the band & are a very welcome addition.
14th January 2009 Sad News It is with much sadness that we report the passing away of Diana O'Hara, the wife of our Vice-President John O'Hara. Mrs O'Hara, former Mayoress of Staines from 1999-2000, worked tirelessly for many local charities including Arthritis Care & SCAN (Spelthorne Committee for Access Now). Members of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band were honoured to perform at the funeral service at John O'Hara's request.
1st January 2009 Happy New Year All members of Staines Brass would like to wish you all the best for 2009.
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Staines
Brass provided the musical entertainment at a testimonial match
for Paul Burgess. The band was asked to play just 3 weeks ago &
were happy to be able to provide a ensemble to add a touch of
tradition to an eventful occasion.
Following
last years successful Proms Concert, Staines Brass will be
hosting another 'Proms at St Peter's' concert on Saturday 12th
September at our favourite concert venue, St Peter's Church. The
concert starts at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £7 & available
on the door. 'Friends of Staines Brass & Staines Lammas Band'
will receive their entrance discount on presentation of their
membership card. During the concert, the next prize draw for the
'Friends' will take place. We hope to see you there & don't
forget your flags! 
Long
serving member Lianne East (Cornet) married Simon Cowen
(Trombone) today. They are no longer regular players with
Staines Brass as they live in Warrington, but they are both
'still on the books' with Simon playing at this years regional
contest. Everyone at Staines Brass would like to wish them the
very best of luck for the future.
Staines
Brass & Staines Lammas Band are delighted to announce that Councillor
John O’Hara has accepted their invitation to become the bands’
President; effective immediately, the appointment is for an initial term
of three years.
Staines
Brass, under the direction of Lt. Col. Stuart Watts, will be
presenting the next in their series of concerts at St Peter’s
Church, Staines on Saturday 20th June.
Another
month, another wedding for a member of Staines Brass. Today sees
the turn of Zoe Bailey, cornet, to get hitched to her partner
James Macdonald. Zoe has been one of the longest serving members
of the band & everyone in the band wishes the couple the very
best of luck.
News
just in!! We've received an email from Bob Hawkins over in Hong
Kong. Bob is a long time serving member of the band & trustee.
On January 26th (Chinese New Year), Bob gave his partner just 4
hours notice to get ready for their wedding! The ceremony took
place in Koh Sumoi in front of just two witnesses. The official
ceremony is on Monday where their marriage will become legal.
It's a very busy time for the newly weds as they will be moving
to Dubai at the end of this month. Everyone at Staines Brass
would like to send their CONGRATULATIONS & wish Bob & Sue all the very best.
On
Thursday 19th February 2009, Staines Brass will be hosting a
'Valentines Concert' at St Peter's Church, Staines. The theme
will be 'A Celebration of Love & Anniversaries' which will
provide a varied programme for the evening's entertainment. The
concert starts at 7.30pm & tickets cost £7 & are available on
the door. 'Friends' can gain admission for £6 on presentation of
their membership cards.