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News Butlins Contest - 22nd January 2012 On January 21st we took part in the Butlins Mineworkers Contest in Skegness, it is probably the single biggest band competition in the country at the moment. We are now back in the 3rd section nationally and thus were playing Philip Sparke's "Three Miniatures for Brass Band" the set work. Many of the band travelled down to Skegness on Friday and enjoy the hospitality on offer from the Butlins camp, they we were joined by the rest of the team in time for our Saturday morning rehearsal. It had to be an early one as we were drawn to play band number 3, a slot that has been good to us in the past! We had a good hour session at the Sacred Heart Church in Skegness and then headed back in to the camp to register to play. Garry gathered us round before we went on stage for his usual inspiring words, putting us at ease and focussing the mind on the 15 minutes ahead. We took to the stage and after a short delay whilst the percussion team got in to position we got stuck in. We produced an excellent performance of the three movement work, and then retired to the bar to await the 7pm results. We received specific praise from the adjudicators for the first two movements, the tempo's Garry had chosen, and the playing of Crawford, Wiggy, Jennie and Keith. We were placed 5th overall and won the Best ex Mining Band Trophy. There was much to celebrate, a great result for the team coming from months of hard work to get the piece up to standard, great playing from our corner players under big pressure, and contest debut's for our new youth section - Ash on Timps, Cameron on Cornet, Megan on Horn, Sophie on Bass Trombone and Jennie on Flugel Horn. We've got a well earned week off now, then it's the 5 week countdown to the Yorkshire Area finals, where we are aiming to bounce back up to the 2nd section with style! Follow our progress on Twitter @emleybrassband
Cleckheaton Remembrance Parade - 13th November 2011
Band members also played for the acts of remembrance at Clayton West, Emley and Flockton on the 13th November.
Sell-out concert at St Mary's, Ecclesfield - 23rd October 2011 The band enjoyed performing a concert last night for an appreciative audience at St. Mary's. Great performances from so many of the team. Steven Biggs was awesome all night especially in his debut solo, Live and Let Die and solo parts in Libertango. Crawford Howe sailing up high with ease in Love Theme from the Godfather & Paul Lovett Cooper's Haunted Halls. Adam Clewes in Largo Al Factotum. Felicity Ward & Stephen Chapple in Libertango. Alan Moore had lips of steel towards the end! Jennie Taylor was sight reading most of the program during her Emley debut on Flugel! And finally Andrew Hudson in his last Emley performance played great all night and starred in Teddy Bears picnic one last time, the door is always open if you want to return! The band would also like to thank Kath and Richard for helping out.
Much Real Ale Consumed at Festival - 6th October 2011
As luck would have it, the weather was glorious, with Saturday being the hottest October day on record! In order to guarantee the quality of the ale being served, this did mean that we had to buy 140kg of ice from the local supermarkets! Over the three days, 10 kegs of real ale from the local area and a half keg of cider were served to a mixture of bandsmen and locals, who were all very supportive! Thanks to the work put in by the Band all to all of the people who gave up their time to drink beer, there was a great atmosphere and the weekend was a success. Once the dust settles we might just think about another event next year, so watch this space!
Real Ale Festival - 30th September to 2nd October 2011
Full details on the Real Ale page (click here)
Or Contact Adam realalefestival@emleybrassband.co.uk
Retirement of long serving officers - 24th June 2011
The roles have been filled by Jenny Ehrhardt and Kevin Hallas respectively, who will have their work cut out to maintain the standard set by the outgoing officers. The contacts page has been updated with details for the new secretary.
Winners! Otley Mayors Challenge - 22nd May 2011 The Band gave an entertaining performance in this friendly Otley contest, and came away with first prize. The programme was based on that performed at the Isle of Man Music Festival in Aptil. Opening with At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbol, MD Garry Hallas compared the whole programme in the style of the pop chart countdown. Deep Harmony followed, with the opening quartet stationed on the balcony above the band. The band then debuted a Cry Me a River arrangement based on the recent Michael Buble hit, followed by the salvationist march Praise. Next up was an arrangement based onthe Canadian brass Saints Fantasy, where the arranger has woven together Oh When The Saints and Hallehluah Chorus, with a bit of Swing Low Sweet Charriot for good measure. This involved the band singing in three choruses, lead by the Cornet section. Keith Lawton took the soloist spot with a beautiful rendition of Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair, which shows the warm sound of the Euphonium off to its full glory. The programme closed with Cartoon Classics, again, a clever arrangement of famous Cartoon themes. The band would like to thank Otley band for inviting us to take part in this afternoon contest, and congratulate them on organising another successful event.
New Year, New Players - 18th January 2010 The Band are delighted to welcome two new players to Emley. Firstly, Rob Collinson has joined us on Cornet, bringing great ability and years of experience to the back row. Rob has become friends with the band since working on our CD recording with KMJ in 2009. Secondly, Seb Zealand has joined us on trombone. Seb's musical upbringing has included a long stint on Solo Trombone at the Tewitt youth band, and he's in the last push of his music degree at Huddersfield University. Seb has deputised in the Trombone section before and now takes up the solo seat full time. We hope both Rob and Seb enjoy their playing with Emley.
Christmas Concerts and ahead to 2011 - 24th December 2010 December has been a busy time for the band in 2010, with more bookings than ever before. The unusually cold and snowy weather only prevented one concert from going ahead, and as always, the band pulled together to keep the show on the road. We've played at services at Emley and Lepton churches, a concert in Flockton Church, numerous evening dinners at local golf clubs, a couple of pubs, lots of carols at the national coal mining museum, the millennium green and our usual grand finale at Hanging Heaton. There are a few changes afoot for 2011, and the band would like to wish David, Pete and Linda all the best in 2011 and beyond, having decided to leave Emley at this time. January will bring contest rehearsals in preparation for the Yorkshire Area Contest at the beginning of march, playing Resurgam in the second section. The band needs a good result this year, so we can expect some hard work in the band room to prepare. Only a month after the areas, the band will take part in the Manx Music Festival, which promises to be both a tough contest and a sociable weekend on the Isle of Mann. We will have some local knowledge to help us along the way, with Manx members, Mr & Mrs Garrett. The band has lots of bookings for the rest of the year, and hopefully a few more to confirm over the coming months. The full concert diary will be published soon. We would like to wish all our supports a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sally and Andy tie the knot - September 2010
Emma & Paul tie the knot - August 2010
The
Band where honoured to perform at the wedding of Emma and Paul on the
21st August 2010, though it was something of a shock to Emma, who knew
nothing of our 300 miles drive to Pembroke for the reception!
Paul did an amazing job of keeping the band involvement a secret, not even the hotel knew we were going to be there. After some hasty furniture removals, we set up in the corner of reception and waited for the happy couple to arrive. Suffice to say, Emma was very surprised, and we discovered a whole new octave to her voice! The Band would like to congratulate Paul & Emma and we all wish them a long and happy future together.
Deb & Crawford tie the knot - August 2010
Jen & Mr. Jen tie the knot - June 2010
A select few squashed into the wedding venue for the service, with Crawford performing Intermezzo beautifully at the request of the happy couple. The stunning Marsden weather allowed the whole band to play outside as guests assembled for the reception. The Band then tucked in to the hog roast with great enthusiasm (& the Landlord!). Evening entertainment was provided by MD Garry's other band, 15 North. The Band would like to congratulate Jen & Andrew and we all wish them a long and happy future together.
Emley Music Festival Concert, St Michaels Church, 19 June 2010 St Michaels was packed for the third annual festival concert. The Emley First School opened the evening with a fantastic selection from Joseph. The Band then took centre stage with a varied programme, including the music from the recent Otley Mayors Challenge. After a refreshment break, the band returned to the stage to perform the "last night of the proms" finale, with all the old favourites such as Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Nimrod, Jerusalem, Pomp & Circumstance March No 1, etc... The audience joined in with enthusiasm, singing along and flag waving. The evening concluded with two more sing-a-long favourites, On Ilkley Moor Baht 'At and finally The Teddy Bears Picnic. For photos of the performances, click here...
Whit Friday Report from Oldham Chronicle, 2010
With a
handful of the women clad in veils and five men sporting ball and
chains, the band prompted a rousing sing-along with their wedding march
medley including “I’m Getting Married In The Morning” and “Love and
Marriage” (& White Wedding - Ed). Player in the band, Andrew Hudson,
said: “There are five couples who have got married or engaged in the
band so we went with the wedding theme.
“We generally do something a bit silly every year and the crowd were clapping and singing along, it was just brilliant. “There is an atmosphere here that you don’t get anywhere else and it brings brass to a whole new audience.”
Click here to read the full article
CD Launch - 10th May 2010 Emley Brass Band hosted a CD launch party at The White Horse pub in Emley village on Monday 10th May. Around 100 specially invited guests, family and friends were present at 8.30 for the first playing of "From The Top". The CD is now available for £10 from any band member and will remain on sale in The White Horse pub. Alternatively, you can order from the website for £12 including UK P&P. See the CD page for full details: From The Top
Phil Goodall Concert Debut - 29th March 2010 Emley Brass Band gave a concert at the Stocksbridge Band Club last night, and were delighted to be joined on stage by new signing, Phil Goodall on BBb Bass. The band tried out a few new items, some of which were trials for the forthcoming entertainment contest season, starting for Emley with the Otley Mayor's Challenge in May.
Second Section Debut Contest! 6th March 2010 Emley Brass Band made their second section debut at the Yorkshire area contest on Saturday the 6th March 2010. The band drew to play number five, and took to the stage at around 11.45 am. By noon, the band had given a good performance, with a great reaction from the audience, who clapped with enthusiasm before the last note had ended. Pre-contest rehearsal setup:
One bad result isn't going to dent the Emley spirit, and with some areas to work on identified in the remarks, we'll be back stronger next year. The band would like to thank Gary Brown for all his playing over recent years, and also his social organising, which will no doubt continue! The band would like to wish him well, and hope he returns to Emley when time allows. The band are excited to welcome their new signing, who will take over from GB straight away - official announcement to follow shortly...
Gig Bags of Success - February 2010
Each year in January, there is a brass band gathering at Butlins holiday camp at Skegness. Although the band didn't compete, many of the players went along to enjoy the weekend. Over the course of the weekend, there was much charitable fundraising by the "Boobs and Brass" band, an entirely female band which gets together from time to time to raise money for breast cancer research. So, with Butlins full of brass band geeks, there was a charity quiz about the history of banding. Being a sad bunch as they are, the Emley contingent entered, and won! The prize - a magnificent set of Gig Bags for the whole band. (The bags were very generously donated for the quiz prize by gigbagsgalore.) The bags were delivered this week, and have been put into use by the band! Over the course of the weekend, Boobs and Brass raised over £7000 for their charities.
Christmas Joy! December 2009 Emley Brass Band have had their usual busy Christmas season. The weather managed to spoil just one event, with the Lepton Carols & Lessons being cancelled by the church due to heavy snow fall. The weather made one or two jobs difficult, notably the last night at Dewsbury golf club, after which the descent into Mirfield consisted of a sheet of ice! More snow fell as the band were finishing the season with an excellent concert at Hanging Heaton golf club on the 23rd! Christmas day was extra special for Hannah and Jamie, with the arrival of baby Lawrence in the afternoon!
Winners of Bolsover Contest 2009 - 4th October Emley Brass Band made a successful debut at the Bolsover Entertainment contest on Sunday, taking 1st place in the third section. The band opened their 20 minute programme with O Fortuna, followed by Birdland, Minnie the Moocher (feat. Kevin Hallas, Bass Trombone), The Teddy Bears Picnic (feat. the Emley Male Voice Choir), 4th Movement From The New World Symphony, and closed with the unannounced encore of The Big Top. Just two weeks after the success at Wychavon, and with a largely new programme, everyone in the band has had their hard work rewarded again! This brings the 2009 contesting season to a close for Emley, having won at the Bolsover, Wychavon and Pogson Bray contests it has been a good year. The band will take their place in the Second Section at the Yorkshire Areas in March 2010. In the meantime, there are concerts to perform and the bands' first CD to record...
Winners of Wychavon Festival of Brass 2009 - 21st September Emley Brass Band entertained Alan Bourne and the select audience at the Wychavon Festival of Brass third section contest in Droitwich on Sunday. The band opened their 20 minute programme with Orfeo, followed by Amazing Grace, Sing Sing Sing (feat. Sam Creamer on kit), Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (feat. Crawford Howe, Principal Cornet), The Big Top, 4th Movement From The New World Symphony, and closed with the unannounced encore of Come Follow the Band from “Barnum”. Offering true Yorkshire value for money, with 7 works in 20 mins and 49 sec, Alan gave Emley the third section honours for the second year running... Well done to everyone in the band! Pictures to follow...
Womens' Institute Proms Concert - 18th September Emley Brass Band entertained members of the Womens' Institute at their annual proms concert in the Civic Hall at Pudsey. The first half gave the band a chance to perform the contest programme, ahead of the Wychavon contest the following Sunday, plus Minnie the Moocher (feat. Kevin Hallas on Bass Trombone) and An American Civil War Fantasy (William Himes). At the interval, our latest band photographer lined everyone up at the back of the hall for a photo:
The second half of the concert consisted of the usual last night of the proms music, with the ladies of the WI in fine voice as usual!
Emley Show - 1st August Emley Brass Band entertained the many show goers throughout the day. The weather threatened for most of the day, and at times the top of the mast was lost in the clouds. However, it only rained at the very end of the day, and being the most friendly band in Yorkshire, we loaned out our umbrellas to the audience! Thanks to Steve Langford who took the new home page picture...
Weddings-a-Plenty in 2010 Emley Brass Band are looking forward to three weddings in 2010, with recent announcements of engagements in the band. Firstly, Jenny is to marry the conveniently named Mr. Jen, to become Jenny Jen in June. Long standing members Crawford and Debs are to tie the knot in August, to become Mr. & Mrs. Howe. Finally, Flugel player Emma and bass player Paul are to tie the knot in Emma's native South Wales.
Most Entertaining Band at Stocksbridge Band Club Season Emley Brass Band were delighted to receive a fantastic solid silver trophy for playing the most entertaining programme at the Stocksbridge Band Club this year. It was the first time Emley had performed at the club, and we hope to be invited back to entertain them next year.
Emley Music Festival - 4th July After months of meticulous planning by the Festival Committee, the inaugural Emley Music Festival took place at the Emley Football Club. With special permission from the grounds man, a marquee, stage and sound system were installed on the pitch, facing the "all seater" stand! The show was opened by the Emley First School World Music Group, a percussive ensemble along the lines of the West End's Stomp show. The kids used all sorts of items to beat out rhythms on the stage. Second on the billing were High Jazz, from Harrogate High School. They gave a great performance of many well known standards, such as Autumn Leaves, Mercy Mercy Mercy and So What. Emley Brass Band took to the stage at around 8pm for their solo set. The performance included a debut solo by Flugel Horn player Emma Johns, with the well known Concerto d'Aranjuez, having been requested by one of the bands' regular supporters. Sing Sing Sing gave the percussion section chance to show off, in particular Sam Creamer on kit. In stark contrast, principle cornet Crawford Howe played Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. As the concert was staged on the 4th July, it seemed appropriate to play some American music, including Elvis's An American Trilogy and Jerry Bilik's American Civil War Fantasy. Fourth on the billing were the Gledholt Male Voice Choir. They sang a varied set from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody to Puccini's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. They had a few of the old favourites too, such as the Rhythm of Life and You Raise Me Up. As a grand finale, the Choir were joined on stage by the Emley Brass Band and Beth from High Jazz! This final set started with a few joint items of English heritage, including Andrew Lloyd Webbers' Love Changes Everything. This lead into the music made popular at the Last Night of the Proms, Pomp & Circumstance, Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Jerusalem and Rule Britannia. Finally, the concert was closed with a light hearted encore, A Teddy Bears Picnic.
Hectic spell see's Emley band playing to 1000's of listeners. . Our summer season has now drawn to a close, we've been in demand all over West Yorkshire playing in the sun (and the rain). Saturday June 13th was a hot sunny day as we took our place on the new bandstand in Heckmondwike town centre. We gave a varied performance that pleased the gathered audience taking a break from their shopping duties. On Saturday June 20th we gave an evening performance to the congregation of St. John's church in Batley. It was a good opportunity to enjoy the acoustics on the venue, even if we were squished into the choir stalls for the evening. The concert was very well received and we are in discussion for a bigger venue next year! Easingwold marching contest is on the last Saturday in June and we headed off to enjoy the evening and the fish and chips! We marched to Loyal and True and played Honest Toil on the stand. Playing band number 6 gave us lots of opportunity to socialise and watch our friends in other bands go past. We were the best 3rd section band on the contest stand and the joint adjudication for marching and playing placed us 11th overall.
Emley pick up First section prize at Whit Friday! Emley band took to the streets of Saddleworth on Friday June 5th for our annual assault on the Whit Friday contests. This year, the weather broke all records for the amount of rain deposited into a Bass during the evening - the heavens opened at our first march - and stayed open for quite a while! We had the pleasure of starting the evening behind Black Dyke band (8 contests - 8 1st places on the night!) at Diggle's new contest. We began in the heavy rain, but brighter things were to follow, as the rain eased up during the evening. We played our march, Honest Toil all round Saddleworth, bagging a haul of good placings (13th, 19th, 21st) amongst 60+ competing bands. Our highlight came at the Grotton contest where the adjudicator Mr. Roy Roe placed us 9th overall which meant we were awarded the 2nd placed band in the 1st section (it was explained to us - we'd have won the 3rd section and won the 2nd section so we'd earned our place in the 1st section!). As an added bonus we were the 32nd band to play, in the 32nd year of the contest, winning £32! Although the night was a wet one we played 5 contests and had a great evening of playing and socialising. Hopefully May 28th 2010 will be a lot drier!
Emley Music Festival Presents: A Grand Gala Concert with Proms Finale Emley village is putting on a summer gala concert in its football ground to raise money for village organisations. The Emley Music Festival presents its Grand Gala Concert with a Proms Finale on July 4 2009, featuring much of its homegrown talent among the line-up. The concert stars Emley Brass Band, Gledholt Male Voice Choir, High Jazz and Emley First School Music Group all performing within Emley Football Ground. Organiser Michael Clough said: "We are extremely excited about our Grand Gala Concert and its Proms Finale. This has been in the planning for over 18 months. What makes this concert special is that we are showcasing so much talent from the village and surroundings - and all proceeds will be spent within Emley itself on various projects and organisations including the Band, St Michael’s Church, Emley First School, Emley Millennium Green and several other village organisations who will be helping out on the day. We know it will be a smashing evening with a lively atmosphere and are sure it will be very popular." Only 300 tickets are available for the event, so people interested are advised to book their ticket in advance. All tickets will be numbered to match seats in the stand. Gates open from 5pm on the day, with the concert itself running from 6pm until 10pm. The audience can bring their own picnics or buy food and drinks from the Football Club snack bar and barbecue on the evening. The bar is fully licensed. Although a car park is available at the football ground, local people are encouraged to walk to the concert, which is funded by the National Lottery Awards for All scheme. Tickets cost £8 and £6 concessions, available from: Carole Clough (01924 848508) John Ryder (01924 848352) The White Horse Public House Emley Brass Band (01484 606823). I Emley 1st and 3rd at Pogson-Bray Trust Contest - 5th April 2009 Emley band played a winning performance at the Pogson-Bray Trust contest in the Section B contest, and were placed third in the higher section of the contest. It's hard enough to prepare one test piece to contest standard, but ever ambition MD Garry Hallas entered into two sections of the same contest, and wasn't about to play the same piece at both. For section B of the contest, Emley wheeled out their Areas music, The Once and Future King. The adjudicator liked the performance and Principle Cornet, Crawford Howe, delighted to receive the trophy for first place. After a short break, section A of the contest began, with Emley not waiting long to play, having drawn number 2. In the higher section, bands are required to play a contest March in addition to their own choice of test piece. Having contested with the Senator last year, the band gave an excellent rendition of this march, followed by Alan Fernie's Royal Mile Suite. Emley were placed third in the results, and will no doubt find the preparation for the contest valuable as we start to think about moving to the second section next year... With no concerts or contests for a little while, the band will be working on new concert material for the coming season and looking towards the entertainment contests, and CD recording in the autumn...
3rd at Yorkshire Area Final - 8th March 2009 A month of hard work preparing for the Yorkshire Area contest has paid off with third place for the Emley brass band. Having drawn to play 12th, the band vacated the rehearsal room and descended first on a local cafe and then the nearby bowling alley. This helped to relax the band for a couple of hours whilst the other bands grappled with their performances in St George's Hall, Bradford. The Once and Future King by Andrew Baker, presented MD Garry Hallas with an opportunity to showcase the talent of the band, bringing the atmospheric and descriptive music to life. Adjudicators Simone Rebello & Ian Brownbill appreciated the interpretation of the work, if not one or two moments of inattention from the band! Still, third place in Yorkshire is not to be sniffed at, and we're further encouraged by some very kind comments: "...I had Emley as my winners by a nose yesterday, purely on stylistic and interpretative merit." Andrew Baker, on themouthpiece.com The band would like to thank Craig Whitehead for his last minute assistance, very ably covering for our otherwise engaged 4th man! Preparations now begin for the Pogson Bray Trust contest on the 5th April. Ever ambitious MD Garry has entered us into both Section B (3rd & 4th sections) and Section A (2nd, 1st & Championship sections)!! This may be a sign of things to come, if our progress to the second section is confirmed in the next month or two...
Good Start to the New Year - 1st February 2009 The band have made an impressive start to the year, with their first concert of 2009 at Stocksbridge Band Club (North Sheffield). The concert took place on Sunday the 25th January. Following a couple of weeks of hard rehearsals the band played a varied programme that offered something for everyone. Making her soloist debut, Fliss Ward played Share My Yoke on the trombone. Not wanting to miss out on the limelight, boyfriend Adam Clewes played The Ploughboy on BBb Bass. Crawford Howe played the Intermezzo from Cavaliara Rusticana and the whole trombone section played the anatomy school favourite, Dem Bones! The concert also gave the band a chance to welcome back Keith Lawton on Solo Euphonium. Keith made his debut all the more special with a solo, Peace by John Golland. The return of this old friend has allowed Jen to move along the line onto Baritone, to free up some practice time to dedicate to her new, high flying job!! Jen's move, along with a new cornet signing fills the last empty seat in the band. It is always difficult to find music that bandsmen haven't heard a dozen times before, but we tried our best with the sublime American Civil War Fantasy but William Himes, and the frankly ridiculous Fat Bottomed Girls (Queen). In preparation for the areas contest at the beginning of March, we have a tough few weeks ahead, rehearsing The Once and Future King.
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The Band
would like to thank three long serving officers of the band for their
contribution to the success of the band over the last decade. The bands'
chairman Mike Clough, secretary Margaret Hudson and minutes secretary
Carole Clough have all decided to take a step back from the forefront of
running the band. The band would like to wish them all the best in their
respective retirements.
The Band
would like to congratulate Andy and Sally on their recent wedding and we all wish them a long and
happy future together.
The Band
would like to congratulate Crawford & Debs on their glamorous wedding in
Mauritius and we all wish them a long and
happy future together.
After a
few light refreshments in a local establishment, the band returned to
the hall for the results, with everyone gathered together at the front
of the stalls. The adjudicators gave some feedback, stating that the
standard had been high, that one band stood out, and that the second and
third placed bands were also easy to choose. The bands placed fourth to
tenth were much harder to place, as they were all different and had good
and bad points to consider. The difficult part turned out to include our
band and they placed Emley tenth. Gutted! 
