Newtongrange Silver Band will be travelling to northwest Germany on 1st July to renew its 31 year friendship with Musikcorps Würm eV and take part in the Würm eV Summer Fair.
Over the years there have been numerous successful exchanges and it is anticipated that this will be another enjoyable joining together of the two bands.
Composer in Residence, Alan Fernie, has written the piece "Citius, Altius, Fortius" especially for the occasion and it will be premiered at the 2nd July concert.
Newtongrange Silver Band would like to thank all the guest players accompanying us on this trip and give a special mention to Kevin Smith for the hard work he has put in to the organisation of the event.
The band will be giving an open rehearsal on Thursday 4 March at the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange as it continues its preparation for the forthcoming Scottish Championships.
All are welcome to come and listen to the band being put through its paces as Nigel Boddice rehearses English Heritage. The rehearsal starts at 7.30pm.
The Band will be performing a concert in Portobello Town Hall on Friday 29 January 2010 at 19:30. Accompanying the band will be Newtongrange Junior Band and other guests.
Tickets are priced at £5, with free entry for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
You may pay at the door but to guarantee your seat please purchase in advance from either Masque Hair Studio, 31 Joppa Road, Edinburgh, Tel: 0131 657 505 & 07725 812 507, or from Get Creative, 100 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, Tel: 0131 669 5214.
If you would like to download the concert poster it can be found here.
The following is a review published in the Edinburgh Evening News on 14 December 2009 written by Alexander Scott.
SOME people might be puzzled by the fact that Newtongrange Silver Band is, strictly speaking, a brass band. Silver and brass in that context are simply names for the same kind of ensemble. The three Newtongrange trombones and several other instruments are brass, not silver.
Carols go well with brass bands. It’s easy to conjure up an image of a little Salvation Army group with cornets, trombone and euphonium playing at a street corner or in front of an olde shoppe window that has been suitably decorated for this time of year, the very stuff of Christmas cards.
As a prelude to reviewing this splendidly varied and slickly presented Queen’s Hall programme, it seems appropriate to note that the British brass band movement dates back roughly to the 1840s and that Newtongrange Silver Band was formed as long ago as 1892. In early days it was partly financed by voluntary weekly contributions made by miners at the Lady Victoria Colliery, which were later taken over by the working force at Bilston Glen.
Nowadays the enterprise depends on commercial sponsorship.
Regional and national competitions have served over many years to raise standards of performance in the brass band world.
In 2004, Newtongrange won the First Section of the Scottish Championship and came fourth at the National Finals. Generally considered to be one of the finest outfits in Scotland, it has a full diary of commitments.
Brass band scores are arranged in such a way that only the bass trombonist reads from the bass clef. Roughly two dozen others have their parts written out in the treble clef so that, at least in theory, from Soprano Cornet down to B flat Bass, players can change instruments without having to learn new valve fingerings.
A jazzed-up version of Bach’s well-known D minor Toccata started proceedings.
The traditionally unison first verse of “Once in Royal David’s’ city” was quietly reflected in a lower octave by Rachel Brown on E flat Bass.
Among highlights that followed was a secure and sensitively performed Soprano Cornet solo (Mary of Argyll] by Gordon Jenkins. It forms part of the Homecoming Year album recorded by the band.
Conductor Nigel Boddice, MBE, has a natural rapport with his audience. He kept things moving along at a good pace and directed with impeccable musicality.
After an interval of 20 minutes, the Junior Band took to the platform with their tutor and conductor Alan Fernie. It has been noted “that the vast majority of professional British brass players in the 20th century had their musical origins in brass bands”.
Newtongrange obviously continues to give attention to the need to maintain an ongoing substructure of up-and-coming youngsters. Having received a Silver Medal when competing in the Scottish Youth Brass Band contest, they performed their selection of simplified arrangements with confidence and some style.
But the highlight of the programme was when they came together with their seniors for a rousing tilt at Jingle Bells to round off the evening.
Everyone at Newtongrange Silver Band would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.
President
David O'Connor
Vice-President
Martin Forrest
Band Manager
Angus Edmond
Secretary
Steve Nicoll
Treasurer
Colin Brown
Monday & Thursday 7:30pm
Band Hall, 14 Dalhousie Road, Newtongrange.
