Issue 02
The Post Horn
The Newsletter of the Camborne Town Band Music Society
V O L U M E
Editor:
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
1
takes the
Helm
Hitchens
3
Return
Bugle Results 4
National
6
Success
George Lloyd 8
Concert
Player Profile 9
Lee Trewella
Future Dates
I S S U E
2
J U N E
2 0 1 3
Mackenzie takes the helm
Nick Wills
Mackenzie
1
9
Following the departure of David
Hamilton to pursue a Musicians
career in the British Army, Camborne Band has announced the appointment of a new Resident Musical
Director, Kevin Mackenzie. Kevin
studied in Yorkshire for a BA (hons)
in Band Studies and also achieved an
ABRSM and LRSM in performance on
the euphonium, gaining a distinction
in both. During his time at University in Yorkshire, Kevin was a member of the double National and European Champions Brighouse and
Rastrick Band under Alan Withington. This will be Kevin’s second stint
in front of Camborne after previously
conducting the band between 2008
& 2011. During his initial tenure
with Camborne, the band secured a
number of high profile contest successes and qualified to make two
appearances at the National Finals,
as well as a hat trick of victories at
the West of England Bandsman’s
Festival in Bugle
His return has been welcomed by
Band and Chairman, Nick Sanders,
who stated, “We are very pleased to
have been able to secure the services of Kevin once more for the
Kevin Mackenzie
Camborne Band. His first stint with
us was a great success and everyone is looking forward to working
with him once again. We are sure
that together with John Berryman
we have a tremendous team to
direct our performances over the
coming year.”
Kevin added; “It’s a great pleasure to accept the invitation to
return to the team at Camborne as
Musical Director. This is a great
opportunity to work with a forward thinking band on some
exciting collaborations and musical projects. There are few bands
with the heritage and history of
Camborne and it is an honour to
be appointed to this role."
Kevin’s first conducting engagement with the Band was the
George Lloyd Centenary Concert in
St Ives earlier this month. The
Band would like to take the opportunity to thank David Hamilton
for all his hard work over the past
year and wish him every success
in his new career in the military.
Bugle Success for Camborne Juniors
Camborne Junior Contest Band,
directed by Alan Pope, had yet
more success, competing in the
West of England Bandsmen's Festival in Bugle. The contest was adjudicated by Cory MD Philip Harper
who composed two of the test
pieces used on the day, whilst
presentations were made by the
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colo-
nel Edward Bolitho OBE, who also
enjoyed the competitive atmosphere. The talented youngsters of
West of England Fourth Section
Area champions showed that they
are in cracking form ahead of their
trip to Cheltenham as they ended
runner-up in the Third Section
from a performance of Gilbert
Vinter's Vizcaya.
The Band certainly enjoyed their
Bugle appearance as earlier in the
day they won the Fourth Section
title thanks to a lovely rendition of
Eric Ball’s Petit Suite de Ballet,
aided by the excellent ‘Best Player’
contribution from euphonium
player David Wilton
More on page 4.
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PAGE 2
Camborne return for Hitchens
Camborne Band is very
pleased to announce the
signing and return of top
Euphonium player John
Hitchens. A former Principal of the Band and Euphonium Champion of Great
Britain in 94 and 98, John
brings a wealth of experience to the Camborne ranks
after a period of rebuilding.
He is in constant demand as
a soloist and has performed
in many concerts throughout the country as well as in
France, Germany, Holland
and Switzerland. In 1998
John performed as a soloist
in the Queen Elizabeth
Hall, London in a concert
hosted by Donald Sinden to
an invited audience that
included Joan Plowright,
Maureen Lipman and Sir
Andrew Davis. The following year he was invited to
perform two similar gala
concerts; one held in the
famous Leeds Town Hall,
and the other in Inverness.
Camborne MD Kevin
Mackenzie said, "I’m excited to build further on our
talented group, adding one
of the most experienced
players; he’s going to be a
real asset to the band, his
commitment as a player and
bandsman is unquestionable."
Chairman Nick Sanders
added: “This is a major
coup for Camborne. We
have seriously high ambitions and want to perform
at the very highest levels
both in concerts and on
contest stages. Signing a
player of John’s calibre
will certainly help us to do
this.” John added: "I’m
very happy to join the
Band. They are ambitious
and I feel that I can get the
most out of my playing.
The band work very hard
and I am looking forward
to playing at the very highest level again with Camborne."
John made his concert debut at the George Lloyd
Centenary Concert.
Camborne Youth play for OCS Delegates
Old Cornwall Society
delegates gave a standing
ovation to young Cornish
brass band champions at
the start of their summer
festival.
Camborne Youth Band
opened a day of entertainment and debate at the
event, which saw members of 46 OCS branches
gather at Pool Academy.
Under conductor Alan
Pope their playing, which
included a sparkling xylophone solo by Charlie
Hodge, wowed the audience and set the tone for
the day.
THE
POST
HORN
Champions no less than seven times at the National Youth
Brass Band Contest in Manchester, the players beguiled an audience of some 250 who were representing a total membership of
2,700.
Hosted by Camborne OCS secretary Ivor Corkell introduced
president David Thomas, FOCS president Duncan Paul Matthews, Camborne mayor Mike Champion and Grand Bard Maureen Fuller, who exhorted members to recall the wishes of OCS
founder Robert Morton Nance to hold on to the "Cornish spirit".
Citing a number of ways to do this, Mrs Fuller included teaching Cornwall's history in schools and learning key Cornish
words and phrases. The festival included visits to places of local
interest and Camborne OCS arranged trips to Gwithian, Heartlands, King Edward Mine Museum, Rosewarne Duchy College,
Camborne town centre and Treslothan for an insight into the life
of miner poet, John Harris.
The musicians and singers of Proper Job brought the day to an
end with Cornish songs, dialect tales and a rousing rendition of
Trelawny.
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32nd Constantine Brass on the Grass
Camborne Band along with Helston, St Keverne and Pendennis Band performed in
this years Constantine Brass on the Grass evening. Played to a capacity audience in
the Grand Marquee, Camborne was the fourth band to entertain a very receptive
and enthusiastic audience led for the evening by John Berryman.
Camborne started it’s set with a new composition from the pen of Black Dyke horn
player Jonny Bates. Tortuguero 6 is a Latin inspired work composed for the RNCM
Festival of Brass. The Band then moved on to Michael Garasi's arrangement of Funiculi-Funicula Rhapsody, which is a work unique to Camborne and the Brass
Band of Central Florida.
The soloist for the evening was Principal Cornet Darren Hendy, choosing to play
the classic cornet solo The Nightingale by Harold Moss. Darren gave a very polished performance of this piece and the band accompaniment was sympathetic to
the soloist.
Camborne then slowed the pace down with the beautiful Mist of the Forest. It is the
atmospheric penultimate movement of Gareth Wood’s extended suite Brass Triumphant, which was written for the Cory Band as part of their 125th anniversary celebrations in 2009. It was also used as the first section area test piece this year.
To close the Band played Respighi’s March from The Pines of Rome, arranged by
Howard Snell, which has become very popular with brass band audiences across
the world. After a quiet beginning, where the marching soldiers can almost be
heard approaching from the distance, the volume and tension increases all the way
to the grand final chords.
Shostakovich's Folk Festival proved a popular encore showing great skill and no
small amount of flair which brought the concert to a triumphant close.
Congratulations and Au Revoir
We would like to congratulate Jeremy MeddowsTaylor on his appointment
of Music Teacher at Wells
Cathedral School. Jeremy
will take up his new position in September and has
already moved up to Bath to
be near his new place of
work. In his short time
back in Cornwall he has helped Camborne to qualify for the British Open
Senior Cup and conducted Heyl Band
to 5th in the West of England area
this year. We wish him every success
for the future with his appointment as
principal percussionist with the Flowers Band of Gloucester.
PAGE 4
4
West of England Bandsman's Contest
Third Section:
Test Piece: Vizcaya (Gilbert Vinter)
1. Heyl Town (Shaun Marsden) - 182
2. Camborne Junior Contest (Alan Pope) - 179
3. Tadley Concert Brass (Paul Chapman) - 178
Best Player Award: Adrian Allen - Solo Cornet (Heyl Town )
Fourth Seciton:
Test Piece: Petit Suite De Ballet (Eric Ball)
1. Camborne Junior Contest (Alan Pope) - 180
2. Lostwithiel Town (Denzil Stephens) - 178
3. Okehampton Excelsior Silver (Richard Beardon) - 177
4. Porthleven Town (Tom Bassett) - 175
5. Tadley Concert Brass (Paul Chapman) - 174
6. Pendeen Silver (David Hamilton) - 173
7. Indian Queens Silver (Kevin Ackford) - 172
CJCB Marching to the contest field
Best Player Award: David Wilton - Euphonium (Camborne Junior
Contest)
All Roads Lead to Cheltenham for Youth band
Camborne Youth Band are organising various events to help raise funds to take them to the National
Finals at Cheltenham Race Course on the 21st September 2013. As well as the recent race night, a
sponsored concert was held in Camborne Square on Saturday 11th May between 3pm and 6pm, where
the Band played various pieces of music, including some from their latest CD/DVD, a Bit of Cornish,
with only 90 seconds break between each piece. Band members asked friends and family to sponsor
them with the member obtaining the most sponsors winning a prize.
Another fundraiser was their annual Brass on the Grass concert at Camborne Community Centre. The
weather was kind, albeit a little cold by the end of the evening. The band played a variety of pieces,
some new and some old favourites requested by the public. There were stalls available for the supporters to browse while listening to the band play, including tom-bola, raffle stall, BBQ, cream teas and a
cake stall. All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening as always.
Their latest fundraiser was bag packing over the May Bank Holiday weekend, with players and parents
giving up their free time to pack bags at The Range in Truro. The weather kept some customers away
from the store on Saturday and Sunday, enjoying the sunshine on the beach rather than shopping.
However, on Monday the weather was not as favourable and this increased the public through doors
improving the bands collections.
Further events will be taking place over the coming months, please check the website for further information or contact one of the Youth Band management team.
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World Music Festival in Kerkrade 1973— by Tony Mansell
Following their 5th place at the National
Championships in 1973 the Band was invited
to take part in the 1974 Brass Championship
of the World Music Festival at Kerkrade. Unfortunately euphonium player Neil Peters
was taken ill and was in such a state that he
could not take part in the marching contest.
Courtney Berryman took his place and remembered the judges walking beside the
Band and taking account of any little imperfections in either the marching or the playing.
He said, “It took place in a Dutch football
stadium and we played The Standard of St
George. We were placed second behind a
German band which we thought was a good
result.”
Neil recovered for the test piece contest when
each band had to play two pieces. The set test
piece was played by all the bands but two
other pieces had to be brought to the contest
and it wasn’t until the players were on stage
and ready to start that they knew which piece
they would have to play. Camborne’s two
pieces were Triumphant Rhapsody and Le
Roi d’Ys and with Neil Peters still feeling a
bit unwell the players were relieved to hear it
was the former. Competing against a number
of good bands, including William Davies
Construction under John Berryman, Cam-
borne came out on top and were crowned champions.
Mike Hocking recalled the final stages of the journey home with car drivers acknowledging the win
from Indian Queens all the way back to Camborne.
After a brief stop at the Crossroads Motel to change
into their uniforms the players assembled at the top
end of the town. Band Queen Margaret Ellis led the
march down through Trelowarren Street to The Cossack – what else? Mike said, “It was evening time
and the reception laid on in Commercial Square was
something really special”. One particular banner in
the jubilant crowd seemed to sum up the feelings of
the town, it simply said, “We are proud”.
It seems that the players were lucky to make it back
to Camborne. The return trip took them to Le Havre
to catch the ferry. They were already late when the
driver followed a direction sign off the main route
on to a narrow country road. The dust was flying but
in the distance they could see the port. Approaching
a narrow bridge he ploughed on and the coach
bounced across the surface of what seemed like
sleepers. It was only when the passengers looked
back that they realised that it was only supported by
poles and was intended for bicycles and pedestrians.
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PAGE 6
National Success- By Tony Mansell
In 1925 Mr A W Parker from Treharris in south Wales was appointed Musical Director of
Camborne Town Band; he made an immediate impact as the Band swept the decks at the West
of England Bandsmen’s Festival at Bugle with first place for Euryanthe, the hymn Calcutta
and Hymn to Music. Wathew Parker had been a member of the famous St Hilda’s Band and
had also played with Besses o’ the Barn and now he had moved to Cornwall to conduct the
ambitious players of Camborne Town Band.
During the 1930s Mr Parker took the Band to many local contests and to compete at the Crystal Palace in London. Under his direction the playing standard steadily rose and in August
1945, at Packer’s Ground in Bristol playing Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, the Band qualified to
compete in the Second Section** National Final at Belle Vue, Manchester (**now the first
section).
Trombone player Fred Waters said, “I remember getting off the night train from Manchester
on the Sunday morning – we couldn’t afford overnight accommodation”.
Gerald Fletcher recalled them having trouble with one particular entry and Mr Parker deciding
to give a beat to each note. To ensure that everyone remembered he wrote it down and stuck
copies on the windows of each railway compartment. Kenilworth was the test piece and,
knowing that a large number of Camborne players worked at Holman’s, Mr Parker played a
Foden’s Band recording of the piece over the works’ tannoy system for a few days prior to the
contest. It worked. The Band won and became the first Cornish band to win a National Championship. When the result was announced there was a spontaneous outburst of Camborne Hill
and the organiser, Henry Iles, threatened to clear the hall. The following year Camborne Town
Band played Oliver Cromwell in the Championship Section, they claimed 6th place and have
played in the top flight ever since.
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PAGE 7
Memory Lane—April 1983
Fresh from the Band success at the 1982 National Finals of Great Britain, Camborne continued it’s rich vein of form with a victory at Bream
Sands holiday park in Somerset. Playing the Accursed Huntsman by Cesar Franck, the band pulled off another magnificent victory from the
number 8 draw with Derek Greenwood at the helm. Two weeks later the
band would also go on to claim second spot at the West of England area
behind the mighty Sun Life band on John McCabe's Images in the Colston Hall, Bristol.
News - New Signings
Camborne Band has announced two more signings to their ranks. Simon Kendal joins on Solo
Baritone and Dominic Turner on Bass Trombone, Musical Director Kevin Mackenzie said: "I’m
delighted to have these players on board. I have worked with Simon and Dominic in the past and
they are a fantastic young talent with a great future ahead of them." 'We are looking forward to a
long and successful association with both players'
Chairman Nick Sanders added: "Simon joins us from our highly successful youth band where he
played for seven years, his ability and experience fits perfectly into what is already a strong and
very experienced section." He added: “Dominic joins after a brief spell with Mount Charles having also played with the Cornwall Youth Brass Band and St Dennis Band. These signings add to
our growing strength as a band as we mount our serious challenge for qualification for London in
2014 and back to back promotions at the Spring Festival.”
Both players are a product of our successful youth organisation and are a credit to the vision and
investment the CTBMS Youth has maintained over the past decade under Alan Pope.
Demelza set for rep debut
Camborne Band are pleased to announce the signing on Repiano Cornet of Demelza Sturges replacing Roland Woods who left the band after the Spring Festival due to work commitments. Demelza has played with the Helston Town Band for the past ten years, most recently as Principal
Cornet.
Speaking about the signing, MD Kevin Mackenzie said: "We are extremely pleased to announce
the signing of Demelza; she is a proven soloist and will be a huge asset to the band."
Band Chairman, Nick Sanders, added: "I'm delighted that Demelza, who has done such a fabulous
job as a guest player with the Band, has been appointed. She is a great talent. Her appointment together with others announced in recent weeks demonstrates our aim to compete at the very highest
levels."
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George Lloyd Centenary Concert - by Phillip Hunt
George Lloyd
Phillip Hunt
The Camborne Town Band and the Cornwall Youth Brass Ensemble both performed at a special concert at the
Guildhall in St Ives to mark the centenary of the birth of composer George Lloyd at the Invitation of St Ives
Town Council. The concert on 28th June, the actual day of his birth, was attended by the Mayor of St Ives as
well as members of the Lloyd Family, including his nephew, William Lloyd.
Despite being inspired by the sound of the St Ives Salvation Army Band as a young boy, it was many years before George Lloyd started to compose his now well-loved and popular works for brass band. Camborne, conducted by newly appointed Musical Director Kevin Mackenzie, started the concert in fine style with the march
HMS Trinidad, composed by George Lloyd when he was a cornet player in the Royal Marine Band aboard
HMS Trinidad.
The Band’s other major contribution to the memory of George Lloyd was their performance of Royal Parks,
written for the 1985 European Championships in Copenhagen. The second movement of this extended work, In
Memoriam, is particularly poignant, as it was written in memory of the young military bandsmen killed in a
terrorist bomb attack in Regents Park in 1982, so close to George Lloyd’s home that he heard the explosion.
In addition the Band also marked the centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth by playing an arrangement of his
The Spider and the Fly and gave a spirited performance of Labour and Love by Percy Fletcher, the first original
Test Piece written for Brass Band in 1913. Principal Cornet, Darren Hendy entranced the audience with his performance of the Londonderry Air and the Band joined forces with the Cornwall Youth Brass Ensemble for
Festmusik der Stadt Wein by Richard Strauss.
The Ensemble, conducted by Gareth Churcher, also played movements from George Lloyd’s two orchestral
brass compositions, Miniature Triptych and his 10th Symphony, November Journeys, as well as a selection of
lighter items.
Speaking on behalf of the large audience William Lloyd thanked the Band and Ensemble for their efforts in
performing his uncle’s music in such an enthusiastic manner and making the actual day of his centenary such a
memorable one, just yards from his birthplace in the town.
Phillip Hunt has been presenting BBC Sounds of Brass regularly since 1985, to which Camborne Band play the
theme tune each week. Phillip is also Secretary of The Cornwall Youth Brass Band and was made a Bard of the
Cornish Gorsedd in 2004 in recognition of his services to Brass Bands.
Sounds of Brass is broadcast on BBC Radio Cornwall every Sunday evening at 7.05, it is also available on
BBC iplayer for 7 days after the broadcast.
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Player Profile
Lee started playing in Helston Town Band in the late 80s before
leaving Cornwall for University in Nottingham. Whilst studying
there, Lee was invited to join the Nottingham City Transport Band
under Martin Heartfield, and then Desford Colliery Band, under
Frank Renton, for the 1997 British Open. Lee returned to Cornwall
after his studies and, after a brief spell working in London he was
invited to join Camborne Band in 2000. Since then Lee has been fortunate enough to work with some great conductors and experience
Name: Lee Trewhella
some wonderful performances. His favorite memories include win-
Position: Principal Eb Bass
ning the West of England Area with Frank Renton on ‘Jazz’ and
Date Joined: 2000
‘Prague’, and also with Gary Cutt on ‘Salute to Youth’. More re-
Interesting fact: Lee was a useful
cently, he has particularly enjoyed the encouragement and advice
given by world renowned Tuba Player Steve Sykes, of whom he
rugby player and at one time and played
has been an admirer since he first helped the band as a young boy
for Redruth!!
in a concert in the late 1980’s.
Dates for your Diary
Sep
15th Camborne Youth - National Finals Concert, @ Penventon Hotel 3pm
21st Camborne Youth - National Final of GB, @ The Race Course, Cheltenham
21st Camborne Band Proms Concert @ Padstow Church 6pm
26th Camborne Band Proms Concert @ St Ives Guildhall 7,30pm
Oct
20th Camborne Band - Lowender Peran Festival @ Ponsmere Hotel, Perranporth 5pm
20th Camborne Youth in Concert, @ Camborne Wesley 7.45pm
24th Camborne Band Prom Concert, @ Hall for Cornwall 7.30pm
Nov
2nd SWBBA Annual Championships, Rivera Centre, Torquay