January 2007 News Items
Scarborough
Next weekend, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st January, the YBS Band will play a brace of concerts in the seaside resort of Scarborough.
Both concerts will be held at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and will commence at 7.30pm on the Saturday and 3pm on the Sunday.
This event has turned into an annual engagement for the YBS Band and is always very popular. Anyone that is thinking of going should book their tickets as soon as possible.
The band will be conducted by Dr. Roy Newsome.
Roy Newsome is well known throughout the brass band world as a conductor, adjudicator, teacher, and composer and was, for several years, the Presenter of BBC radio 2's Listen to the Band. He has had long associations with several of Britain's bands including Black Dyke, Williams-Fairey, Besses o' th' Barn and Sun Life.
He has adjudicated at virtually every major contest in the world, and frequently travels abroad to conduct, adjudicate, or to lecture on brass band subjects. In recent years he has visited Switzerland, Norway, Holland, Luxembourg, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
In 1976 he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians for "services to brass bands”. In 1993 Roy Newsome succeeded the late Harry Mortimer CBE as President of the National Association of Brass Band Conductors. In July 1999 he graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy, becoming the first recipient of this award for research into brass band history, at the University of Salford.
The programme for each concert is as follows:
1st Half
March: Praise
Wilfred Heaton
Les Francs Juges
Hector Berlioz. Arr. Frank Wright
Jubilance
William Himes
Cornet Solo
Soloist: Principal Cornet, Ian Culross
Breezing Down Broadway
arr.Goff Richards
Shepherd's Hey!
Percy Grainger arr D Wright
I'll Walk with God (from 'The Student Prince')
Brodsky arr G Richards
Vitae Lux
Aagard Nilsen
North Country Fantasy
Gordon Langford
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Richard Rogers arr S Smith
2nd Half
4 Movements from 'Windows of the World'
Peter Graham
Amazonia, Rainforest, Drums of Thunder, & Earth Walk
Hymn to the Fallen (from the motion picture 'Saving Private Ryan')
John Williams arr S Smith
Highland Fling
Andrea Crossley
Xylophone Soloist Andrea Crossley
America & Somewhere from 'West Side Story'
Leonard Bernstein
In Perfect Peace
Kenneth Downie
Euphonium Solo: La Belle Americaine
John Hartmann
Euphonium Soloist Morgan Griffiths
Nimrod from the Enigma Variations
Edward Elgar arranged Eric Ball
Shine As the Light
Peter Graham
YBS Band has appointed a new Chairman.
On his appointment John Myles said -
"YBS Band has a long standing reputation for excellence and is renowned for being one of the best brass bands in the world. Their many accolades, including winning the European Championship title more than any other band, demonstrates the successful blend of talent and self-belief that make them the envy of their banding peers.
Previously, as a Group Manager with their former sponsors, I followed YBS Band for over a decade during which time a great many audiences have been entertained by the depth and character of their diverse repertoire. The band have also performed at numerous charity concerts which have helped raise much needed funds for a wide range of worthwhile causes across the country.
It is therefore with great pride that I am delighted to have been asked to become even more involved with these outstanding musicians, as Chairman of YBS Band."
Morgan Griffiths returns to YBS
The YBS Band can reveal that their new principal euphonium player is the world renowned Morgan Griffiths.
Morgan, as many people will know, has a long standing connection with YBS, playing with them as recently as their groundbreaking tour of Australia in August 2005. His solo work in the nine concerts brought standing ovations and confirmed his standing as one of the all time great euphonium players.
Morgan’s history with YBS dates back as far back his early teens, when it was known as the Hammond Sauce Works Band. Their conductor at the time, Geoffrey Whitham, is one of Morgan’s biggest musical influences. Morgan went on to play principal euphonium with Black Dyke Mills Band at the age of eighteen before returning to Hammonds, which subsequently became YBS.
Morgan has toured as a soloist extensively across the UK, Russia, Japan, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands. In 1999, he was named as ‘Euphonium Player of the Year’. His solo CD, ‘Voice of the Euphonium’, recorded with YBS has won critical acclaim.
Having recently taken some time away from playing to focus on developing his conducting skills, Morgan returned to playing with the Fairey Band, scooping the best euphonium prize at the recent Brass in Concert Championships.
Morgan made the following comments when asked about his return to YBS:
“I am delighted to be returning home to YBS, re-joining my dad who is librarian having been associated with the band throughout most of my playing career. I am excited to look to the future building on the band’s incredible successes. ”
Morgan’s first appearance with the band will be at Scarborough over the weekend of the 20th / 21st January.
Iain Culross to play principal cornet with YBS
The YBS band is pleased to announce the signing of a new principal cornet player. Iain Culross, aged twenty joins YBS from the Sellers International Band.
Iain joined his local brass band Dundee Instrumental at the age of ten. He has played principal cornet with Clackmannan and District Brass, Bo`ness and Carriden, and Unison Kinneil bands. He moved to Manchester in September 2005 on the recommendation of his mentor David James and took up performance studies at Salford University with Professor David King. He is currently in his second year of a BA (HONS) Degree in Music.
After a brief spell on principal cornet with the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band (as a stand-in whilst Kirsty Abbotts was on maternity leave), he made the move to Sellers International Band on principal cornet in March 2006, where he enjoyed a very successful year on the end chair. This culminated with him winning the Shaw Trust Trophy for Best Principal Cornet Player at the Brass in Concert Championships, in November 2006.
Iain said: “I am delighted to accept the position of Principal Cornet with the YBS Band, following in the footsteps of some great cornet players. It will be a great privilege to work with the band as they enter a new era.”
Claire Taylor to play soprano with YBS
The YBS Band are delighted to announce the signing of new soprano cornet player Claire Taylor. Claire joins from the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band where she has held the soprano seat for the last four years. Her previous bands include Cottingham (6 years) and Shirland Miners Welfare.
Claire originally applied for the vacant seat in October 2006 and has played on several concerts with the band since, most notably at Morley Town Hall on 18th November where she received a favourable review from the 4barsrest.com writer David Tinker.
Claire was duly appointed just before Christmas and will be making her official debut at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough on 20th January which is the band's first concert of 2007.
Simon Gresswell, former YBS tuba player, is to return to the band.
Asked about his return to YBS Simon commented “I left the band in 2005 in order to spend more time with my children Lauren and Rosie and my wife Fiona. I also set up my own business in early 2006 which has been a huge success.
The year off has given me the chance to build my business and spend lots of quality time with my family. However, the lure of playing for such a great band as YBS was a big pull. I am delighted to return to the band on the cusp of a new era. It's an exciting challenge that I fully intend to play a part in."
YBS Return To Scarborough
YBS are again to play a brace of concerts in the seaside resort of Scarborough, starting at 7.30pm on Saturday 20th January 2007 under the experienced baton of Dr Roy Newsome.
The following day, the band returns to the Stephen Joseph Theatre for a repeat performance at 3pm.
This has now proved a traditional opening fixture to the New Year for the band. We are fortunate to have a large following in the seaside town and they can expect an exciting programme.
We are delighted that Dr Newsome has agreed to direct the band for this prestigious event.