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Adjudicator’s remarks

MYBB Training Band

Newcastle under Lyme Festival for Music, Speech and Drama

16^th March 2013

Very smart and disciplined

Chorale (Schumann)

You achieve a very appropriate “Lento” at the outset in the full band – nicely contrasted with the solo instruments at letter A.

Good use of the glockenspiel and timpani – very effective close.

La Donna e Mobile (Verdi)

You get a good feel for this piece – good use of the drum kit. You don’t overblow the louder dynamics and you play well together as a band.

Bad Hair Day (Alan Fernie)

You play this piece very successfully and achieve a good feel, balance between instruments is positive and you entertain us. Keep up the good work. Well done.

Nice to have percussion!

Steven Roberts

Adjudicator

Mark: 84 – Merit, Second class certificate (which means it was “a capable performance showing some artistic appreciation and/or technical ability”)

The Macclesfield Youth Brass Band Slow Melody Contest took place on March 3rd. It was adjudicated by Steve Critchlow who had some tough decisions to make but gave lots of advice and encouragement.
Thank you and well done to all who entered!
The results were as follows:
Age 7 or 8

1 Charlie Coldwell Cornet
2 Rini Banks Tenor horn
3 Ian Hay Alto trombone

Age 9 or 10

1 Lewis Frost Cornet
2 Hope van der Veken Tenor horn
3 Molly Whittingham Cornet

Age 11 or 12

1 Katie Murphy Cornet
2 Niamh Middlemass Baritone
3 Kieran Shaughnessy Cornet

Age 13 or 14 1 Angus Currie Baritone

Age 17,18 or 19 1 Vicki Shreeve Trombone

Age under 12

1 Kieran Shaughnessy Cornet
2 Ella Banks Cornet
3 Ailsa Hay Cornet

Novice 12+

1 Niamh Middlemass Baritone

Age 12 to 19 1 Vicki Shreeve Trombone
2 Angus Currie Baritone

Under 12 duet

1 Alex Walton Xylophone
Lewis Frost Cornet
2 Ella Banks Cornet
Ailsa Hay Cornet
3 Roisin Middlemass Tenor horn
Amber Storey Tenor horn

12 to 19 duet

1 Vicki Shreeve Trombone
Chris Holt Euphonium

Perc under 12

1 Alex Walton Xylophone
2 Sam Housley Glockenspiel

Perc 12 to 19

1 Niamh Middlemass Glockenspiel

As at 12 noon we are planning to go ahead with tonight’s rehearsals. There is more snow on the way but the forecast says it will stop this evening.  The main roads are clear in Macclesfield at present, however, that may change, and we fully understand that for some people , depending on where you live, you may feel it is not safe to come out this evening. Should the situation deteriorate we will send an email with notice of cancellation and it will also be on our Facebook page.

Here’s an interesting one,  a producer from the BBC rang tonight to ask us to pass on this information to our youth band members. Early days, but they are looking for some non- classical young musicians to work with Fazer from NDubz (is that right??) as he is going to write a piece that they will be involved with which will be performed with the BBC Symphony orchestra at the proms at the Royal Albert Hall.  So, if you’d like to do something really different and make a few contacts at the Beeb perhaps you should get your name in the frame. BBC flyer below….

ARE YOU AGED BETWEEN 16-23?

HAVE YOU GOT A TALENT OR PASSION FOR MUSIC?

DO YOU WANT TO USE YOUR MUSICAL SKILLS AND TRY SOMETHING NEW?

We are looking for young, talented musicians to potentially take part in a brand new show that could give them the chance to work with Fazer from N-Dubz and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

If you have a talent or passion for music and want the chance to try something new then we’d like to hear from you!

For more info call Cecily on 0208 225 8588 or e-mail Cecily.ancliffe@bbc.co.uk

Macclesfield Youth Brass Band is celebrating achieving a Gold Award at The National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain held at the Royal Northern College of Music inManchester. The band just missed out on a podium finish in the Intermediate section with a fantastic fourth place out of a huge field of 17 bands, with some travelling from Cornwall and Scotland to challenge for the title.

This is the first time the youth band has attained the coveted Gold standard and it is the highest placing for the band since it first participated in the championships in 2006.

Musical Director Louise Renshaw said;

“We came close two years ago with a Silver Award but to get our first Gold is absolutely fantastic. The band worked very hard to prepare for the competition. They gave it everything on the day and it paid off. I am so proud of them. Macclesfield is very fortunate to have some really great local bands and I hope that our youth band will contribute to ensuring that this tradition continues.”

The 40 strong youth band rehearses every Friday evening at Morton Hall in Macclesfield and as part of their preparation spent a training weekend with the members of the world famous Fairey Band with whom they are also planning a joint concert later in the year.

However, it wasn’t just the Youth Band on show at the Championships, both Macclesfield Junior Band and Macclesfield Training Band also did the town proud with their performances in the Junior band and beginners classes.  Louise continues:

“We had two coaches ferrying bands back and forth to the RNCM all day. It was brilliant to have 120 young musicians from MYBB taking to the stage in the most prestigious competition in the youth band calendar. It is a fantastic experience for the youngsters as the atmosphere at the championships is always excellent. I think they all had a great day.”

You can hear all three bands, plus the newly formed MYBB drum corps, in concert at Macclesfield Academy at 7pm on Saturday 19^th May 2012. Tickets £4 adults and £2 children, available on the door.

For more information about Macclesfield Youth Brass Band, how to join and where to see them play, visit www.mybb.org.uk

-ends-

Liz Hudson, one of the founder Trustees of Macclesfield Youth Brass Band, has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Macclesfield Castle Rotary Club.

“Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary International,” explained Rotarian Sue Bowen at the award presentation, “and we give Fellowships as a way of paying respect to local leaders who have demonstrated commitment to his ideal of community service. Liz’s commitment to the youth band and more recently to the Moss Rose Community Band which teaches adult beginners as well as children, is greatly valued by all those involved and by the wider community in Macclesfield.”

The award was a well kept surprise for Liz and was made at the weekly Rotary Club meeting on Monday evening at Macclesfield Golf Club.

Liz, who lives near Mottram St Andrew, was delighted to receive the award and said:

“When we started the youth band six years ago we really had no idea where it would take us, but it has been quite a journey.  We rarely look backwards as there is always so much to plan and do in the future but it is very nice to receive this award from Rotary who have always been so supportive of the band.”

Liz is a Chartered Accountant and is Treasurer for the youth band as well as Musical Director for the Training section which has around 40 members and rehearses every Friday evening at Fallibroome Academy. Liz also works for CVS Cheshire East in Macclesfield and has advised and helped many other local community groups with funding and all aspects of running their organisations.

For more information about Macclesfield Youth Brass Band visit www.mybb.org.uk

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The Macclesfield Youth Brass Band Slow Melody Contest took place on 26th February.  The results were as follows.

Age 7 or 8
1. Jess Hall
2. Hetty Hill

Age 9 or 10
1. = Ailsa Hay and Sam Wood
2. = Ella Banks, Kieran Shaughnessy and Roisin Middlemass
3. Matthew Renshaw

Age 11 or 12
1. Katie Murphy
2. Rebecca Oakes
3. Beth Whiteley

Age 15 or 16
1. Chris Holt

Under 12
1. Katie Murphy
2.= Ella Banks and Megan Whiteley
3. Kieran Shaughnessy

Novice 12 – 19
1. Aaron Storey

Age 12 -19
1. Chris Holt

Duet under 12
1. Megan Whiteley and Beth Whiteley
2. Ella Banks and Ailsa Hay
3 . Matthew Renshaw and Jack Hymns

Duet 12 to 19
1. Chris Holt and Callum Sykes

Percussion under 12
1. William Durrant
2. Niamh Middlemass