Waltham St. Lawrence Silver Band

The band entertained the residents and guests  of Cookham Riverside nursing home at their garden party on 26th July. Performing in the pleasant surroundings between the terrace and the river, it emerged that there was also an appreciative second audience on the towpath behind the hedge.

The programme included Greenwood's classic solo The Acrobat, performed by guest trombonist Ashley Harper, who is about to take up a scolarship at Cheetham's School of Music in Manchester. Ashley added to the novelty of the piece by playing the finale on a slide cornet (mini trombone) which he pulled from inside his jacket.

Saturday morning saw a break in the run of miserable weather, with some brilliant sunshine just in time for the band's second concert for shoppers in Woodley's shopping precinct.

Though there were not a lot of people around, many of them stopped to listen. One stallholder gave several enthusiastic dance performances on an overcrowded dumpster, though none in time to the Spanish Gipsy Dance, Amparito Roca or other rhythmic pieces that the band was playing.

The band played two sets at the WSL parish fete on 14th June. It marked the official opening with the march Castell Coch after the vicar's words of welcome, and continued with its first half-hour sequence.

A second half-hour programme was presented later in the afternoon.

The event saw the solo debut on percussion by Robert Pullen, who is in training to take over playing drum kit when Nicola Skidmore goes off to university in September.

The band played through a warm and sunny afternoon for the garden party at Brinsworth House in Twickenham, a retirement home run by the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. As well as light music from the standard brass band repertoire, two pieces by Don Shearman, who has a close association with Brinsworth House, were performed: the Brinsworth March, and his arrangement of Abba's One of Us. The band joined residents for a hot and cold buffet after playing, and were impressed by the excellent fare on offer.

WSL Silver Band played its first concert in a new, "picnic" format in the garden of the Bell Inn on the afternoon of Sunday 31st May. It was well attended, and a number of members of the audience went out of their way to express their appreciation of the music.

Another free concert in this format will take place at the same venue on Sunday 28th June.

Saturday 16th May saw us back in the shopping precinct in Woodley town centre for a regular "Sunny Saturday" concert for shoppers, under guest conductor Ian Barlow. There were some sunny intervals, and some light showers, and a chilly breeze that made us appreciate our band fleeces. Passers by and those who stopped to listen showed their appreciation with warm applause.

A mix of sunshine and showers, and a rather chilly breeze, meant it was on with the band fleece for the Woodley Gardening Feast at the town's shopping precinct on Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May. Despite the conditions, the band produced a fine sound for the visitors to the precinct, and a number of people stayed on nearby benches throughout to listen.

The band returns to the precinct on 16th May for a normal "sunny Saturday" concert for shoppers.

Waltham St. Lawrence Silver Band's Spring Concert at Rose Street Methodist Church, Wokingham, was its second appearance at this venue, and was well attended and enjoyed by all. Among the audience were special guests Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, Mayor of Wokingham, who voiced appreciation of the band's contribution to the community at the opening of the second half, and Margaret Railton, band president. Both were presented with bouquets. The band was joined by guest artistes Mary Keane and Julian Charman, who sang numbers from shows and films mid-way through each half of the concert.
The concert opened with W.E.Moyle's Cornish Cavalier, followed by another gem from the archives, Reissiger's overture to Die Felsenmühle. Music from a gentler age elsewhere in the programme included Edrich Siebert's Tick-Tock Serenade (ticks and tocks delivered with precision by percussionist Daniel Lynn), Rubinstein's Melody in F and Marquina's Spanish Gypsy Dance. The evening featured four solos: My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose (Ted Cull, cornet); Spanish Eyes (Gerry Townsend, soprano cornet); The Lazy Trumpeter (Peter Yates, trumpet); and Over the Rainbow (Jane Pullen tenor horn). The main programme was rounded off by a spirited rendering of Alan Fernie's Glenn Miller Collection, with Funiculi Funicula following as an encore.
Proceeds from the concert are going to the charity Action for Children. Don't miss our next concert on 26 September, also at Rose Stree Methodist Church.

Following long-established tradition, pensioners from Waltham St. Lawrence were treated to a meal at the Neville Hall on Saturday 21st March, prepared by band supporters and the neighbouring Bell Inn, and served by players.

Before the meal, the band played a 40-minute concert of light music, and afterwards a group of young singers provided further entertainment.

Also in the audience was Bert House, who gave many years of dedicated service to the band on Bb Bass, and who celebrated his 80th birthday on 21st February. He enjoyed the programme just as much as the first time he heard it on that day at a surprise party thrown for him by family and friends.

Members turned out at over a dozen venues in the weeks leading up to Christmas to take part in a traditional round of carol-playing round Waltham's streets and country roads, at the village Carols at the Pound event, and to accompany Rotary Club carol singers at the Waitrose store in Maidenhead.

Temperatures were on the low side, and players were more than happy to take up offers of a warming drink and mince pie, though they had to turn some down, as it would have meant no carols further down the road!

A good crowd turned out for this year's Carols at the Pound on 17th December, where the band laid on refreshments. We were joined in performance by the parish church's junior choir.

Regardless of the stormy financial weather, initial figures for collections indicate that people have been at least as generous in their donations as last year. As was noted at November's AGM, carolling accounts for a very significant proportion of the band's fundraising. Our thanks to everyone who made a donation. We'll be back next year!

This year's Christmas Concert took place in a new venue in Wokingham, arranged at somewhat short notice after the concert originally planned for the 5th had to be cancelled. The Methodist Church in Rose Street proved comfortable for both players and audience, with good facilities for refreshments during the interval as well. Proceeds from the concert are going to the charity Action for Children, which coincidentally is also supported by the Rose Street church.

The concert started with a traditional seasonal piece, Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival, and the first half programme included solo pieces for posthorn (Ted Cull with the Peel Galop) and Eb Bass (Keith Penton with Frosty the Snowman). The audience was in good voice for two carols and Little Donkey.

The second half opened with a new piece by Philip Sparke, A Christmas Herald. Along with a flugel horn solo (Jane Lynn with A Winter's Tale), there were a number of lively pieces such as Jingle Bell Rock, Prokofiev's Troika, and Sandy Smith's Santa Claus-trophobia, and the ever-popular Snowman. The applause after the final number, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, was enthusiastic enough to persuade the band to meet a request to give Goff Richards's arrangement of Schneewaltzer, which featured in the first half, a second airing.

Congratulations to the winners of November's draw. The Christmas bonus prizes this year totalled £130. The draw club is open to anyone that wants to support the band - details of how to sign up are on the Fundraising page.

The Waltham St. Lawrence Silver Band AGM took place on 12th November at the Neville Hall.

A well attended meeting heard reports by the chairman and MD which gave credit to all whose efforts have helped make it a very good year, noting the success of last year's Christmas concert, the spring concert in Holyport and the September performance on the bandstand in Reading's Forbury Gardens. The very enjoyable exchange visit to Germany was also highlighted. Attendance at rehearsals had been good, and playing standards had improved.

The secretary's report noted that the band had fulfilled 18 public engagements over the year, one of which (Remembrance Day parades) involved three separate locations. There were now 26 regular playing members, several of whom had joined in the past year, one non-playing member, and two learners.

A full complement of officers and committee were elected, as follows:

President: Margaret Railton has kindly agreed to continue as the band president. 

Committee posts
Chairman: Jane Lynn
Secretary: Steve Saunders
Treasurer: Geoff Cleeton
Librarian: Ann Zebedee

Ordinary committee members
Jane Pullen
Clair Williams
Peter Yates
Ken Morris

Non-committee posts
Instrument officer: Richard McKay

Derek Holland was reappointed as Musical Director;
John Bird will continue to act as Deputy Bandmaster.

The band turned out in three locations for Remembrance Sunday on 9th November.

First was a march from the Bell Inn to the War Memorial in Waltham St. Lawrence. A short service at the memorial included the Last Post and two-minute silence at 11 o'clock.

A dash across country to Bray then followed, where the band met the local British Legion as they emerged from a church service, and led the parade to the village's war memorial, playing a hymn, the Last Post and the national anthem for the service there.

Finally, the convoy headed back westwards to Holyport, where a hymn, the Last Post and the national anthem were played for the ceremony at the village war memorial. Members of the band then joined the British Legion and other local citizenry at the George on the Green pub for a tasty spread of sandwiches, sausage rolls and hot potatoes.

The summer season came to a fine end on Sunday 14th September with a concert on Reading's Forbury Gardens bandstand, at a later date than usual to coincide with the town's Heritage Day events. A sizeable audience surrounded the bandstand, many remaining to hear the whole programme. Feet were set tapping by a largely traditional set, starting with Army of the Nile and ending with the New Colonial march, and including Boildieu's The Caliph of Baghdad and Lehar's Gold and Silver waltz. Pirates were well represented, both from Penzance and the Caribbean, and a chorus line of teenagers performed an impromptu can-can to Offenbach's Minuet and Galop. More modern pieces included soprano solo Misty, in a confident rendering by Gerry Townsend, the Sinatra favourite My Way, and a bouncy arrangement of Mr Sandman. The weather was bright and warm, making for an enjoyable afternoon for all those present.

The annual Littlewick Green Show took over a large triangle of land near Maidenhead, between the A308(M) and the A330 Ascot Road on August Bank Holiday Monday, and for a couple of hours in the afternoon the entertainment included the band playing a varied concert near the tea tent. We had plenty of chairs (but not for want of cornet players), and quite a few people sat alongside the band to listen, as well as those lending an ear in a neighbouring area of seating. Our audience gave an entusiastic reception to a large number of the pieces we played.

The band played a concert for the residents of Brinsworth House in Twickenham, a care home for retired members of the show business profession, on this fine day in late August. As well as playing a goodly number of pacy numbers from shows, the band accompanied singer Joan Regan in a set of her hit songs from yesteryear.

Hurst village hall and a large marquee outside were packed with a fine array of home-made jams, cakes, flans, magnificent onions, parsnips, carrots, potatoes and flowers for the 95th Hurst Horticultural and Cottage Garden Society Show on 16th August.

Outside, the band treated stallholders and visitors to a varied programme of music, which was met with frequent applause. The rain that had been forecast was nowhere to be seen, helping to make it a thoroughly enjoyable occasion for everybody.

The council's "Sunny Saturday" theme ran true to its name on Saturday 28 June, and it was shirtsleeves and band caps for those not in the shade in Woodley shopping precinct as the band treated shoppers to an early afternoon concert.

An appreciative audience was in evidence both on this occasion and on 26 July, when the band returned to the precinct for a second concert, once more in fine weather.

Weather forecasts for rain on Sunday 22 June proved wrong, and it turned out to be a warm and sunny day for the Waltham St. Lawrence parish fete. The band occupied one tent among many in the garden and field behind the Bell Inn, and performed a variety of pieces through the afternoon under the baton of guest conductor Andy Thorne.

On 17th June a coach containing a tired but happy Waltham St. Lawrence Silver Band drew up to Neville Hall at the conclusion of its latest visit to Germany. The band had been taking part in the Schützenfest ("marksmen's fair") in Friesheim, near Cologne, as part of its regular exchange with Musikverein Friesheim (MVF), the local concert band.

The event started on 14th June with a parade around the village in which both bands marched and played. They marched in several other parades over the long weekend, and the two bands staged two open-air joint concerts at the fair. The local shooting club was very appreciative of our participation, and presented us with a metal plaque as a memento.

Waltham Band and Musikverein Friesheim have been visiting each other regularly over the past twelve years, with a band travelling one way or the other every two years. The exchange has given rise to many lasting friendships and private visits. We look forward very much to playing host to MVF in Waltham in 2010, and the opportunity to reciprocate the generous hospitality of our German friends.

Maidenhead Carnival kicked off with a colourful procession amid very fine weather at midday on Sunday. Waltham St. Lawrence band brought up the rear of the first (non-motorised) section of the parade, which was led by the Reading Scottish Pipe Band. Marches included not only traditional numbers such as Death or Glory and Sons of the Brave, but also a good rendering of Funiculi Funicula.

There are some photos of the band on the march in the Gallery. You can catch a glimpse of Tony Evans, beating the drum in his leopard-skin outfit, in the video of the event on the Maidenhead Advertiser website (link opens in new window).

Wednesday evening's rehearsal on 4th June saw the welcome return to playing of principal cornet Ted Cull, who is recuperating from a heart operation in April. Just what the doctor ordered(?)

The 400th anniversary of the Ralph Newbery's Relief in Need charity, based in Waltham St. Lawrence, was marked on 22 May by a thanksgiving church service followed by a lunchtime gathering at the Bell Inn. The band provided a ten-piece ensemble playing background music at the garden party. The weather was beautiful and the local ale is very good indeed.

The rent from the premises now occupied by the Bell goes to help the local poor thanks to the charity established in local printer Ralph Newbery's will. ITV's Thames Valley Tonight report on the event noted how unusual it is for a village to own its pub, let alone have income from it go to a charity. The band were heard but not seen in the report, with the strains of Hearts of Oak in the background as it began.

The 2008 Spring Concert at Holyport War Memorial Hall was a great success. It featured music from opera, film and TV as well as original pieces for brass, and our special guest Joan Regan gave a fine rendering of some of her hit songs, accompanied by the band and by Don Shearman at the keyboard.

Highlights of a full programme included Ted Cull on cornet playing Puccini's Nessun Dorma and some challenging solos for the trombones in Alan Fernie's colourful version of Lennon & McCartney's When I'm Sixty-Four. The concert opened with Trevor Sharpe's Fanfare and Soliloquy, and closed with Breezing Down Broadway, a pacy arrangement of hit tunes from the pen of Goff Richards.

Proceeds from ticket sales help fund the band's donations to the World Vision charity, sponsoring Prodip Rapidas, a young man in India. Proceeds from the raffle are going to charities nominated by our guest artiste.

More Lloyd Webber with that, ma'm? This might have been a question on Saturday at the Neville Hall, as the band dished up roast beef & yorkshire for senior citizens at the traditional annual dinner which it provides with some of the proceeds from Christmas carolling. The band entertained their guests with a 45-minute concert of light music before the meal, and afterwards there was a cabaret performance by friends of the band.

At an unusal engagement for the charity ball of the Comedians Golfing Society at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, a small band squeezed onto the stage between the main acts' synthesizers and drum kit to play several jolly sea songs. They were marching on the local Sea Cadets, who lined up for inspection by the society's life President, Stan Taylor.