Archive for stsebs

Brian Ireland takes Saints up the Nile to raise money for Longfield Hospice

Saints and friends of the band welcomed Brian Ireland on Monday 29 February, who conducted ‘Army of the Nile’ in order to raise Money for Longfield Hospice in recognition of the support they gave his wife, Lynn in her final months. His mission is to make it around as many Bands as possible, donating £1 for every player he conducts to a cause close to his heart.

Brian and Kevin, his brother, are old friends of the band with Kevin having been a member for a number of years and then later they both joined the band on Whit Friday trips.

Brian thanked the band, giving a special thank you to Dawn for arranging the evening and inviting old friends along for a lovely social as well as musical evening.

More information of Brian’s mission can be found on his Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Brians-Brass-Bandathon-1549265968667325/

Christmas Concert

Bringing sparkle to the festive season, Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band will be taking part in Wokingham District Cancer Care Trust’s 11th Christmas Concert on Thursday 17th December at Wokingham Theatre.

Tickets are £12.50, so put those bells on, bring the family and come along for a festive performance to support this great cause.

Xmas Concert poster 2015

Autumn Gala Concert

Come and join the band for our autumn concert at St Sebs, fast becoming a tradition. We will be performing a selection of favourite tunes to delight and entertain. There will also be a chance for you to sing along with the band as we perform some popular hymns.

Saturday 11th October 2014, 7.00pm
St Sebastian’s church, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham

Contact Paul MacNeill for tickets. £10 / £8 concessions / under 12s free. See attached poster for contact details.

2014 autumn concert poster

And The Band Played On

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/heavy-rain-dampens-spirit-armed-7370143

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The Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band which had expected to play in Market Place found a spot under cover at Erfstadt Court but the mayor braved the rain to deliver his message from the balcony at the Town Hall.

The band was forced to beat a hasty retreat as the rain hammered down on Wokingham on Armed Forces Day.

The Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band which had expected to play in Market Place found a spot under cover at Erfstadt Court but the mayor braved the rain to deliver his message from the balcony at the Town Hall on Saturday.

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The Armed Forces Day Union flag was raised and Councillor Martin Bishop, wearing his official robes and chain of office, reaffirmed the town’s commitment to and support of the nation’s Armed Forces.

In his address, the mayor said: “Today is to recognise the contribution made to our country by those who currently serve and have served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and to provide an opportunity for the nation to show its appreciation.

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“I would like us to remember all the men and women members of the Armed Forces for the work that they do as part of the NATO force in Afghanistan and previous conflicts.

“I would like us to remember all the losses and casualties that have been suffered as a result.”

The mayor ended by saying that Wokingham fully supported the Armed Forces in all their tasks.

Speaking after the ceremony, Cllr Bishop, who was accompanied by the mayoress Yvonne Bishop, said: “It was a bit of a washout but I think the band had some audience although in the Market Place we did not have much of a crowd as the rain was so heavy.”

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Mayor’s Concert

Saints are proud to announce a concert in association with Cllr Martin Bishop, Wokingham Town Mayor. The band aims to delight and entertain, with music from the world of film, military marches and popular favourites. They shall also feature the programme from their upcoming performance at the Crawley Entertainment Contest, where they are the defending champions in the ‘B’ section.

All profits will go to Wokingham Scouts and Guides, Wokingham Town Mayor’s Charity for 2013/14.

Date: Sunday 11th May 2014

Venue: The Berkshire Room, Sindlesham Court, RG41 5EA
Concert starts at 4:30pm (Doors open at 3:30pm)
Refreshments available

Contact and Tickets:
Tickets are available via Wokingham Information Centre
Or by sending in this form via post or email: Request for tickets

Enquiries
Nikki Payler Civic Officer
0118 974 0882 / npayler@wokingham-tc.gov.uk

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Concert Poster (pdf)

Musical Director

The band are thrilled to announce that Lee Woodward, our Musical Director, will not be leaving us as planned this summer. Lee is leaving the army but staying in the local area to allow his children to complete their education without changing schools. Here’s to many more years of success!

Saints Success at Crawley

Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band are thrilled to announce success in the ‘B’ section of the SCABA Entertainment Contest at Crawley.

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Under the baton of Lee Woodward, Saints put on a lively and engaging programme with the theme of “Heroes”. The opening number was the fanfare from the motion picture Rocky. This was followed by the haunting, lyrical theme from Born On The Fourth Of July, soloist Damon Emes. Switching to modern times, the band played theme from the recent James Bond film SkyFall. Next was the most challenging work in the programme, the original brass band piece Walking With Heroes by Paul Lovatt-Cooper. Once the band had got their breath back, the final number was the theme from the television series Hawaii 5-0, complete with floral leis and Mexican waves!

The band awaited the results with nervous anticipation, hoping to improve on our fourth place finish last year. Adjudicator Paul Holland, while robust in pointing out the inconsistencies of the band’s performance, still saw enough he liked to award Saints the top prize for the first time since 2004.

Charity Concert

St Sebastian Wokingham Brass band Mayors Charity Concert in aid of Wokingham & District Association for the Elderly

Following a respectable result at the L&SC areas, the St. Sebastian Wokingham band got their concert chops back to to raise money for the Mayor of Wokingham’s chosen charity, Wokingham & District Association for the Elderly (WADE).

Themed on stage and screen, the concert begun with Bill Conti’s heavyweight ‘Fanfare for Rocky’, which made way for the more traditional overture ‘The Magic Flute’.

First of the band’s soloist for the night was Repiano Cornet, Damon Emes playing the theme from the 1981 film ‘Born on the 4th of July’. Not being a feel good film, Damon encapsulates the haunting mood and raises the bar for the soloists to follow.

Stephen Roberts whimsical arrangement of ‘Putting on the Ritz’ provided a light relief for the audience and band alike before euphonium soloists Humphrey Haynes and James Kelloway performed Bizet’s Deep Inside the Sacred Temple from the opera “The Pearl Fishers”. Both soloists blessed with rich beautiful tones complimented each other perfectly and the luscious harmonies just sang as if Domingo and Pavarotti were there in person.

Leading the the way into the interval was the atmospheric epic ‘Barbarian Horde’ from the film Gladiator. Describing the build up to and including the gladiatorial battles of the victorious Roman wars, Hans Zimmer’s score can but make you feel a part of the action.

Following the interval, Kenneth Alford’s ‘Colonel Bogey’ featured in the film ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ provided a rousing beginning to the second half. It was now back to the operatic stage with Soprano soloist Wayne Filer performing the emotional “Vesti La Guibba” from” I Pagliacci otherwise known as ‘On With the Motley’.

Allowing the audience to compose themselves after Wayne’s pulling of the heart-strings, the band let rip with Goff Richards’ energetic ‘Breezin’ Down Broadway’. Following this tour de force it was time to remember the recent passing of the local hero to many, trumpeter Derek Watkins. Throughout his lengthy career, Derek was the only person to be a part of every James Bond movie, so it was fitting to play a bond theme with Philip Sparke’s new arrangement of the blockbuster ‘Skyfall’.

Final soloist of the evening was trombonist and band chairman Paul MacNeill performing the most recorded song of the 20th century at over 1500 recordings, Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘Stardust’. A somewhat tenuous link to stage & screen, the song featured in the background on a radio in the film ‘The Battle of Britain’. MD Lee Woodward certainly did his homework, or did he make it up? (answers on a five pound note please!)

Time for the finale, and back to the opera. Wagner’s ‘Elsa’s Procession to the Minster’ being a favourite of the band, was the perfect close to the concert. Following a lengthy applause and standing ovation, the Mayor of Wokingham thanked the band for all their hard work and support throughout his tenure as Mayor.

All that was left was to once again let rip with Philip Harper’s arrangement of the TV theme ‘Hawaii 5-0’, complete with mexican waves, a fantastic, entertaining finale if there ever was one.

It was a great performance, especially given limited rehearsal time. The band continues to grow and the soloists are fantastic. Thanks to all members for all your hard work, I’m really proud of you all.
MD Lee Woodward.

A special mention has to go to our deps for the evening, thank you for being a part of the evening and being so brilliant, we wouldn’t have been able to do it with out you.

We have also been told that through the concert and the generous audience, we managed to raise £968. A massive thanks to all who came and ‘dug deep’.

Saints Conductor Takes A Lesson From Russell Gray

4BR Article – John Whittle

There was a great deal of pride as well as considerable talent on show at Russell Gray’s recent Conducting Seminar & Workshop weekend.

 

Russell led a series of interactive sessions at the Sacred Heart Church Hall, Uppermill and at Boarshurst Band Club in Greenfield, with the event coming to a rousing conclusion with a Sunday evening concert featuring the Fairey Band.

Read more

Wokingham Remembers

Watch and listen to the band marching past during Sunday’s Remembrance Parade in Wokingham.