News
Jan 2012 -
Personnel Changes at Uppermill
Since the Area Contest Uppermill Band has seen a number of changes in playing
personnel.
The Band has secured several new signings in preparation for the 2012 contesting
season.
New recruits include:-
Andrew Eastwood - Solo Trombone - formerly Friendly Band and Marsden Silver.
Mark Sillence - 2nd Trombone from Dobcross Silver
Maria Honess - 2nd Horn also from Dobcross Silver
Kevin McGowan - BBb Bass previously with Diggle Band and Marsden Silver
Matthew Murray - Assistant Principal Cornet from Hebden Bridge Band
Joanna Hall - Tutti Cornet from Oldham Band (Lees)
Bethany Moore - 2nd Cornet from Elland Youth
Natalie Wolstenhulme - 3rd Cornet previously with Huddersfield & Ripponden Brass
Jim Owen - Euphonium who has joined from Nelson Band to assist at Butlins and Area Contests
Kate Woodward - 2nd Cornet, the most recent addition is from Marsden Silver.
Chairman/Band Manager John Ward said "Uppermill Band have enjoyed a very successful
7 year period with minimal changes in personnel leading to many successes in the contest arena including an unprecedented 4 consecutive wins at the Pontins Contest.
Unfortunately due to work/study commitments and for personal reasons some players
have had to leave our ranks and I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of Uppermill
Band to thank all these players who have played their part in the Bands successes and its
rise from 4th to 2nd Section and wish them well for the future. We must now look forward
to a new chapter at Uppermill and to continued success with our new team and our MD
Alan Widdop"
April 2011 -
Band loses stalwart follower.
Uppermill band lost one of it’s most loyal supporters when life
member Cyril Ralph passed away. The funeral of Cyril, who had suffered
ill health recently, took place at Dukinfield cemetery on Friday 15th
April where the Band paid tribute at the service..
As well as being a Life Member and
contributor to the band,
Cyril was a loyal follower until infirmity limited his mobility.
His Grandson, Chris Gillespie, is the band’s Soprano player.
Daughter Denise Gillespie and Son-in-law Graham Gillespie have been
involved with the band for years as percussionist and committee
members.
The thoughts of the band go out to the family at this time and Cyril
will be missed by all those that knew him, not only for his enthusiasm
but also for his store of jokes and silly stories.
March 2011 -
End of an era at Uppermill
The Tameside contest on Sunday 27th March 2011 saw the end of a long
banding career.
Second cornet player Anne Dorman made the difficult decision to bow out
of banding mainly due to the ill health of her husband, Gordon, himself
a former member of Uppermill band.
Anne joined Newton Heath band in 1950 and for over 36 years was
it’s principal cornet player under that name and subsequently
British Aerospace (Chadderton) Band. She later occupied the flugel horn
seat and was with the band until it folded.
Anne “helped out” Uppermill in 1999 for a contest and has
been with the band ever since on flugel horn and more recently on
second cornet.
Her experience has helped many younger and/or less experienced players
over the years and she will be sorely missed by all at Uppermill. We
wish Anne all the best for the future.
Uppermill Open the Ball
Uppermill band served as the opening act to the Mayor of Oldham’s
charity ball on Friday 4th March 2011.
Councillor David Jones, about to
retire as Mayor held his charity ball at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in
Oldham and invited the band to open proceedings by supplying light
music for guests to listen to as they filed into the hall after being
greeted by the Mayor.
Bearing in mind the Mayor’s
(and Mayoress’) Welsh roots, “All through the night”
and the traditional hymn “Cwm Rhondda” were included in the
programme by MD Alan Widdop, along with other popular music.
The programme was well
received and later in the evening guests were enquiring if the
band would be performing again.
Changes at Uppermill.
Assistant principal cornet player
Sue Ellis and her partner, second trombone player, Paul Mooney, bowed
out of the band after the North West Areas due to study and teaching
commitments.
All the band wish to thank Sue and
Paul for their contributions over the years. The band will miss them both not only
for their contributions to the progression made during their time
playing, but on a personal level also. We hope that they will keep in
touch. No doubt we will be seeing them both at the top of the
deps list.
North West Area
Uppermill band were at the area
championships last Sunday (27th February) playing in the second section
for the first time and came away with a creditable fifth place, ahead
of
several local rivals and some bands already well established in the
section. This follows on from a sixth place at the Butlins Mineworkers
Open Championship in January.
This was a good result for the band
which has moved up from the fourth section through to the second quite
rapidly.
Annual Band
Awards
The annual
band awards for 2010/11 were announced on the night before the Area
Contest at our overnight stay in Blackpool
Most improved player
Jenny
Smirk - 2nd Cornet
Most
improved section
Baritones/Euphoniums
Players
Player
1.Sarah Hudson - Principal Cornet
2.Ben Pollard - 1st Baritone
3.Paul
Applegarth - Bass Trombone
Bandsperson
1.Graham Pollard - Committee
2.Jenny Ward - Treasurer
3.Graham Gillespie - Percussion/Committee
Meritorious
Service Award
Brian Gledhill.
Quote
of the year
David
"Dange"Mansfield
January 2011 - Butlins
Uppermill Band made
the trek to Butlins in Skegness for the band’s first ever contest
in the second section on 22nd January.
After a 7:45am rehearsal, the band
attended the draw to find they had drawn the “dreaded”
number one and were due on stage at 10 am to start the contest.
Musical Director Alan Widdop came
off stage happy with the band’s performance, but there was a wait
until 8pm for the results to be announced.
A result of a sixth place out of
sixteen bands was a creditable result, especially since some
established 2nd section bands were placed lower, and the odd
demoted first section band was in the section as well.
Uppermill band next head to
Blackpool at the end of February for the area championships which could
result in a place in the National finals in Harrogate later in the year.
October
2010 - Pontins
On
Saturday 23rd October,
Uppermill Band played in their last contest of 2010 at the Pontins
Championships in Prestatyn.
Just prior to our solo baritone player Ben Pollard (birthday boy!)
collecting the winners trophy for the fourth year in a row (twice in
the 4th section
and now twice in the 3rd section), the bands newest recruit, 11 year
old percussionist Richard Blythe, had picked up the trophy for being
the youngest player in the third section. This was his first contest
with the band.
From
January 2011, Uppermill band will be competing in the 2nd section
and the stakes will be higher and the music more challenging, so their
next contests
at Butlins in Skegness and the area championships at
Blackpool in February will mean the band will have to up their game to
a new level.
July
2010 - Durham Miners' Gala
At 4am the coach was loaded up
with most of the
band
and a few guest volunteers for the band’s third excursion to
the
Durham miners gala.
A bite to eat and a brew at “The Bird” public house
at 7-30
then at 8 o’clock we marched through the village of High
Handenhold in front of the miners lodge banner then back on the coach
for the drive to Durham.
We formed up near the county hospital with a 32 strong band, about
twice the size of some of the others taking part, and marched through
the city centre to play outside The Marriot hotel where the
dignitaries were waiting on the balcony for the bands to stop and play.
“All that jazz”, our chosen piece, had most of the
celebrities and a fair proportion of the crown singing along, tapping
feet and hands etc, then it was off to “The
Racecourse”
where the gala is focused and the banner and instruments were stacked
whilst the players and supporters took a rest and had some food a drink
to replenish themselves in view of the heat but also the humidity of
the day.
The march back through Durham started about 2-30 with a stunning
Uppermill band waltz / tango around the people on the field who
didn’t want to get up from their chosen sunbathing spots,
with
barely a note out of place.
The playing of the miners hymn “Gresford” outside
the hotel
on the way back went down well, then it was back through the city to
the coach, just managing to get there as a short sharp rain shower came
down.
Back to High Handenhold and a reverse march through the village to the
pub where “All tha jazz” and
“Gresford” were
appreciated again by the villagers and the food laid on was most
welcome before the journey home to Saddleworth.
Thanks to the band but very much so to the friends and family who
turned out to boost the band’s numbers so impressively.
June
2010 - New
Principal Cornet
Uppermill band
is delighted to welcome back Sarah Hudson to it's ranks in the
principal cornet seat. Sarah played for the band previously as
assistant principal cornet, before moving on to further her playing
career. We look forward to Sarah taking up the challenge to lead
Uppermill Band forward, especially in 2011 when the band moves into the
second section.
March
2010 - Annual Band Awards
Most
Improved Player
Christopher
Gillespie - Soprano
Player's
Player
1st
Mike Kowalski - 1st Trombone
2nd
Ben Pollard -1st Baritone
3rd
Tom Gibb - Principal Cornet
Bandsperson
1st
Graham Pollard - Committee
2nd
John Ward - Chairman
3rd
Jenny Pollard - Committee
Meritorious
Service Award
Brian
Jenkins
Quote of the Year
Alan
Widdop
June
2009 - Presentation
At
this week's 30th
Anniversary
Beer & Brass Concert a
Presentation was made to Chairman Mr John Ward and his Wife, Treasurer
Mrs
Jenny Ward, in honor of their devoted 30th Years Service to Uppermill
Band.
Behind
the scenes of every
successful organization you will find
people who give their time and efforts without question, therefore
enabling the
smooth running of most things, Jenny and John Ward are two of these
people,
having worked tirelessly for the past 30 years often without any
recognition.
There are indeed many 'jobs' to be carried out within a Brass Band but
Jenny and John have probably taken on most of them and carried them out
successfully for the benefit of Uppermill Band.
Their
time started with the
Band
when their children, Ian and
Alison, joined the band back in 1979 and as do most parents, they
offered their
help back then to the Band possibly not realizing then that 30 years
later they
would still hold such strong and important positions within the Band.
It
has to be said that with
out
them both we would not have the
kind of organization in our Band that we do, something to be very proud
of
indeed.
So
we would all like to say
a
very big Thank You from all of us
here at Uppermill Band to Jenny and John, congratulations on your
wonderful
achievement and long may your work with us continue.
A
presentation of a Lead
Crystal engraved vase was made to Jenny and John by Mr Graham Pollard,
Committee Member and Band Librarian.
May
2009 - Celebrating our 30th Anniversary -
1979-2009
It
was back in March 1979
that
the Band was first formed. To
coincide with the Band's 30th Anniversary it was decided to officially
open the
new Band Room at Saddleworth Cricket Club, on what was a most glorious
evening.
Chief
Guest of Honor and
cutting
the official 'Blue' ribbon, was
Mr Richard Evans, known worldwide as one of the top Musical Directors
and
Adjudicators, together with Mr Peter Bates, who is the North West
Regional
Brass Band Association Chairman.
The
evening was well
attended
with players, committee members and
previous Musical Directors of the Band both past and present, as well
as many
friends and associates of the Band over the last 30 years.
This
year has been a
tremendous
start for the Band with excellent
contests results in our new found 3rd Section. An announcement was made
on the
evening that the Band had received a letter from the North West
Counties Brass
Band Association, with news of promotion to the 2nd Section. Again a
tremendous
achievement!
To
mark this
special occasion a
presentation of the band crest in
the form of a Pin Badge was made to each Player and Committee member,
again
both past and present.
April
2009 - Uppermill Band on BBC Radio 4
On
Saturday
18th April
2009 Uppermill Band were featured on Radio
4 from with live recording from last years Durham Miner's Gala (2008)
on their
first ever visit. The band were fortunate enough to be recorded
throughout the
day on the Big Meet, both marching around the city of Durham itself and
also in
the magnificent Durham Cathedral.
The
band
played pieces
such as the well known hymn, 'Onward
Christian Soldiers", and other well known marches, "Colonel
Bogey", & "Slaidburn", for example which are featured
throughout the 60 minute story telling with a 'Special Thanks' to the
band in
the ending credits.
The play
itself: "Douglas
Livingstone's play about Bevin Boys, the young men who were sent down
the mines instead of joining the armed forces in the Second World War.
Two 80 year old former Bevin Boys, who have not seen each other for 63
years, decide to go to the Durham Miners' Gala together and confront
their memories of the past." (Source
BBC)
March
2009 - Annual Band Awards
Most
Improved Player
Michelle
Kowalski - 2nd Trombone
Player's
Player
1st
Tom Gibb - Principal Cornet
2nd
Ben Pollard -1st Baritone
3rd
Mike Kowalski - 1st Trombone
Bandsperson
1st
Graham Pollard - Committee
2nd
Denise Gillespie - Secretary
3rd
John Ward -Chairman
Meritorious
Service Award
Paul
Johnson